My Child, How Now Should We Then Live?

Ecclesiastes.

Ecclesiastes, Chapter eleven and twelve will be in today. It

is if you just open your bibles to the center.

I know that's a hard book to find. Don't be

afraid to use that table of contents. It's all right,

But open up to the center. You go past songs,

go past proverbs. If you hit song of Solomon or Isaiah,

back up, it went too far. And if you're using

your phone, that's just cheating, all right. I think most

of us have found it. And life is very short,

is it not. And in the light of life not

being that long, how are we to live?

Well? You know, it reminds me of Monterey.

I used to live there in the Monterey fog, and

it just rolls in off the bay, blankets.

The hills and it just stays there. It looks like

part of the hill at.

Self, and then it evaporates before the morning's done.

It's a lot like life.

It can be substantial, it seems, it can be so beautiful,

and yet it evaporates before the morning's done. The preacher

of Ecclesiastes is trying to get us to see that

very thing. Look, life, it's short. It can pass in

a vapor. And he's describing this word vanity. It's a

strange word. We don't use it often. Oh, vanity, it's described.

It's not Look, it's not a piece of furniture with

a mirror behind it next to the credenza that I

don't know what that is either.

This is vanity. He's describing it, just like that fog.

The first time we hear this.

It's actually Able's name in Genesis heave heaven.

Is how you say that in Hebrew? Think about his name.

A life lived well, Cain and abel right, a life

lived well. He gave his best to God and poof,

like that, the fog evaporates before the morning's done. So

that's what this preacher is trying to get you to see.

As we get to this, he's saying, look, it's it's short.

You need to act boldly and act boldly now. And

just past that is where our text is, where he's

getting to my favorite part. You need to rejoice boldly

and rejoice boldly now because lasting meaning it's not found here,

it's found in God. He said that as he's gone

through this, he's pursued wisdom. He has pursued riches. He

has pursued hard work and he made that his meaning

in life, and he goes it's poof, It's it's vanity.

It's vanity. Only lasting meaning is in God. It is

wisdom literature. I like to call it parental wisdom. Can

be a little frustrating, but it's also parental wisdom because

in chapter twelve, verse twelve, there's a little key here

that helps us understand it and says, my son, my son,

the preacher is passing on information for the generations and

the generations to come, and he's telling us something. Life

is short and we need to enjoy it. We have

a desperate need to enjoy life now and living it well.

God's word tells us how we can live it well

and tells us how we can enjoy it, and it

also has something to say about indulging. So we're going

to explore what the preacher says through two observations. If

you will living life well will be the first one.

The second one is going to be not living long

first one. Chapter eleven, verse seven, living life well. Let's

make much of them, shall we. Light is sweet and

it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.

So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice

in them all, but let them remember that the days

of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity. Rejoice,

o young man, in your youth, and let your heart

cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in

the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes.

But no that for all these things will bring you,

God will.

Bring you into judgment.

Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from

your body, For youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

Some of us, I think, have an enjoyment problem, especially

here in America. We want to enjoy, and I identify

with the way in which we enjoy, and how dare

you judge the way in which I identified myself and

enjoyed it?

And yet.

Some of us have a judgment problem. Some of us

have a judgment problem because of our misperception of who

God is, and it keeps us restrained and our enjoyment

actually suffers. So when you get one out of balance

with the other, your enjoyment and who God is, your

view of who God is can suffer.

And so he explores this.

Saying that we can enjoy life because creation can be enjoyed.

Look at that verse seven.

You see it right there, says light is sweet and

is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. It

is one of the greatest mysteries that this fallen world

with sinners, with people who don't deserve God's grace, and

yet God, with each new day, is giving us opportunity

after opportunity to enjoy. He has given you eyes to

see the sun rise and to see the sun set

as it lights up the beauty of all creation. Life

is created and meant to be enjoyed. In verse seven,

not only that we can live life well knowing that

it's also for other people's enjoyment. And our command is

to let them rejoice in them all.

Verse eight.

So if a person lives many years, and that is

a blessing, is a blessing to live a long life,

let him rejoice in them all. And that could be

rejoicing in the true fullness, but it could also be

just in the year to year, in the day to day,

living life in the ordinary. I wonder, I wonder if

if my life is characterized by someone who allows and

lets and cheers on other people's enjoyments. You know, I

think I am y'all's cheerleader. I want you to enjoy life.

You want to know where I struggle with that. I

struggle with that with my own kids so so quickly

they're like, Daddy, can I have that? Can I have that?

Daddy?

Can I get that popsicle? And I'm like, hang on,

hold up, we need to wait. I don't have all

the information yet because I haven't talked to mom.

I can't just say yes. Yet. Most of the time

it's my own it's better be safe.

About this enjoyment thing. It's uneasy, and yet there are

times when I get it right. I built this jungle

gym out back and my small group, thank you guys,

and my kids. I'm telling them, get out there, go enjoy,

have a childhood. Come back with your fingers dirty, don't

come back until your knees are scuffed.

Enjoy this right now.

And I wonder if that's how the Father looks at

us in this life.

I gave you these things to enjoy.

Show up to Heaven's gates with dirt underneath your nails,

with scuffed knees, but at least enjoy it. When we

follow and emulate our father, we are a allowing others

to enjoy, and we are allowing ourselves to enjoy. We're

also commanded in living life well to pursue enjoyment. Pursue enjoyment.

But there's a framework that the preacher gives us. We

are to keep certain things in our heart, and we

are to remove certain things. So this is an examination

of the heart. And as we know, the heart does

not like being examined. Sure with the things to keep cheerfulness,

Keep cheerfulness, Let your heart cheer you in the days

of your youth. Well, I want to keep that. I

want to be your cheerleader. I want to rejoice with

you when you rejoice.

I love that.

But then he also says, remove these things. We've got

another strange word. It's called vexation.

Oh I'm vexed. I'm so vexed. I don't. I mean,

that's a very strange way.

I haven't heard any of the students say I am

vexed today. But the preacher's been telling us a lot

about vexation. He's been using it within this context. He's

made his life's pursuit about wisdom, and he's chased it

to its bitter end, and he has seen that he

is no different than the cow who doesn't know any wisdom.

They meet their own ends in the same way. It's

not the meaning of life. And so his heart is

troubled and met with vexation.

Remove that. He also uses vexation when he's been chasing after.

His riches and his wealth and making that the meaning

of life. He's just gonna have to give it to

the next generation who's gonna squander it anyways. And he's going,

that gives me vexation. There's no lasting meaning here. And

he's also and this one hurts. He's also used vexation

when he's identified with his heart hard work as a veteran.

I feel for that man. I identify as a veteran.

And yet sometimes the way in which we identify ourselves

can cause us a great deal of vexation. Because only lasting,

true lasting meaning is found in God. So he's saying,

remove this vexation because it's getting in the way of

your joy. You are enjoying these things in a sinful way.

Remove that, it's getting in the way of your true enjoyment.

And then he also says, look, remove pain, get pain

out of here, put it away from your body. And

I know some of us are going. Look, I'm told

to deny myself, pick up my cross and follow Jesus.

What are you talking about?

Get this pain away from my body? Well, it's in

light of the vexation. It's in the light of enjoying

things and in a sinful way that causes us pain.

And we know this from the Hebrew. The word is

ra ah, which means evil, means bad. Remove that thing

that you are currently enjoying and it's causing you to

sin in the way in which you're enjoying it. It's

causing you pain, or it's causing others pain. Remove that

and then you can pursue true, lasting enjoyment.

He also gives us this framework that we.

Need to pursue enjoyment humbly and reverently, humbly because.

The days of darkness will be many.

And see that in verse eight, as we were called

to rejoice with those who rejoice, now we're called to

weep with those who weep. And it was here that

cut me to pieces when I was working on this

this week because Mother's Day for some, I want to

honor you and I want to rejoice with you, but

it was heavy on my heart for those or this

is a dark day and this might cause pain, and

I want you to know that you were heard, you

were seen, and you were prayed for. And as Christians,

we are not called to run away from those who

are in pain, but actually pursue them and weep with

those who weep. We worship the God of all mercies,

the Father of all comfort. Run after them, weep with them,

knowing who God is. Because life is short and I

see it, and you see it, and it's there, and

I know it was bothering you, and it's bothering me.

Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight

of your eyes. What are you going to do with that?

We're gonna listen to Kevin Deyong. Don't be true to yourself.

Your heart is deceitful.

What are you talking about.

That's not what the preachers getting at. He's saying something like.

This, go ahead, follow your heart, follow.

Your eyes, and know where it's gonna get you, and

know that God will judge every bit of it. He's

referring back to numbers fifteen, when the spies were taught

to spy out the land, they came back with a

false report. They didn't pursue the way that God had

commanded them to pursue these things, these things that He

wanted them to enjoy, them to enjoy, and not only

did they not enjoy it, but the people of God

did not enjoy it either. We are commanded to enjoy.

But with this looming reminder judgment, how do we live

life with enjoyment and judgment?

And how do we live it well? Well? I think

that is by knowing who God is.

And he's been painting a picture, this preacher throughout Ecclesiastes

on who God is. And I've listed this in order

of dominance as it came up in scripture, as he

has written in the first one is knowing that God

is a sovereign creator. There's not one maverick molecule in existence.

Everything is under his command. We need to enjoy the

days that he is given.

We need to we need to trust him in the

days of darkness.

He is a righteous judge. That's the next one. He

is a righteous judge. We need to pursue after enjoyment

with this in mind, who is God? He is a

righteous judge. I like this one. It comes up a lot.

He's a generous giver. Does that not sound like the

light is sweet and it is pleasant for the eyes

to see the sun. There's so much beauty to behold,

There's so much opportunity to enjoy. He is a generous giver.

Sometimes I wonder, Sometimes I wonder if our own enjoyment,

if we struggle with it being a wasted opportunity.

Versus faithful stewardship.

Reminds me of Matthew twenty five, where the Master is

leaving and he's giving his servants talents. He gives one five,

he gives the other two. He gives another one one

with the understanding that they're gonna be good stewards of

that which the Master has given.

Almost said God, But it's God we know.

And the one with the five and the one with

the two faithfully stewarded that which they were given. And

when the Master came back they had double. What does

he say, Well done, good and faithful servant.

How many of you would like to hear that? Have

you ever considered the next sentence? After? And enter into

the joy of the Master, eternal joy?

And he turns to the one, this one. I think

he was paralyzed by a misperception of who his master was,

and that caused him, that caused him to go and

bury it, to not steward well that which he was given.

For him.

Calls him a wicked and lazy servant, and he takes

his talent and he throws him out. We are judged

by how we enjoy God's gifts through stewarding them well,

and we are judged by wasting God's gifts and not

stewarding them well. God gives us resources, talents, abilities, hobbies

to be interesting and to enjoy. Some of us are

sitting on the sidelines because of misperception of who God is.

We're not getting after it. As the preacher's telling you

to Alistair Beggs, I think sums it up quite nicely,

much more eloquent than I would. He says, of all

people on the face of the earth, the believer ought

to lead the world in enjoyment of life and experience

of happiness AKA, don't be boring, be a little interesting,

continue continue being weird to the world and the way

in which you are enjoying things. Can we be a

little weird? Enjoy the ordinary, enjoy it to its fullest.

Enjoy I gotta work on this one all right. Enjoy

art I gotta enjoy modern art more. You gotta help

me with that one. Enjoy food, Enjoy laughter, Enjoy babies, laughter,

enjoy the noise that your kids are making.

But live life to its fullest, because these things.

They all evaporate before the morning is done. So I

know some of you are a bit uneasy right now,

and you're going that student minister is just telling us

to just enjoy, and he's.

He's getting a little off chain here. How do you

bring me back into this?

How do you walk me away from I have to

enjoy this to the fullest, and yet that could be indulgence. Well,

I think Chapter two points to that. It says there

are limits to these things. There is a time to rejoice,

there is a time to mourn. There are limits to

these things. But I think the Bible's word is clear.

We can receive life as a gift from God. We

can live light, we can live in the light of

His coming judgment, and we can enjoy life on the

way it's paired with the fear of God. It's it's

stewardship that the things that you're enjoying, it's not it's

not owning you.

You understand.

Stewardship good stewardship. We enjoy the gifts in light of

who God is, in light of his character, knowing that

one day he will judge how we have stewarded this

life well.

So enjoy it.

Enjoy now, enjoy because it's fading fast, we are evaporating.

We can live life in light of knowing that we're

not living long. But I think this is actually the key.

We can live this life well and enjoy it because

life is not long. Let's see that as we face

the second observation. The second observation is we're not living

very divong and that starts in chapter one, Chapter twelve,

Verse one. Remember also, your Creator, in the days of

your youth, before the evil days come and the years

draw near, of which you will say, I have no

pleasure in them, Before the sun and the light, and

the moon and the stars are darkened, and the clouds

return after their rain, In the day when the keepers

of the house tremble, and the strong men are and

the grinders cease because they are few, and those who

look through the windows are dimmed, and the door on

the street is shut, when the sound and the grinding

is low, and one rises at the sound of a

bird and all the daughters of song are brought low.

They are afraid also of what is high, and the

terrors are in the way. The almond tree blossoms, the

grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails because man is

going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about

in the streets. Before the silver cord is snapped and

the golden bowl is broken, where the picture is shattered

at the fountain, or the wheel broken the cistern, and

the dust returns to the earth as it was, and

the spirit returns to God who gave it. Vanity of vanities,

says the preacher.

All is vanity.

This is God's word, and he is inspiring this preacher

to use some of the most flowery Hebrew to treat

with dignity, the breakdown of the body as it goes

into death, evaborating before the morning is done. Precious in

the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

But this is an urgent motivator. Death has not knocked

on your door. That death rattle is not roaring, yet

we better get after it. May this motivate you. The

preacher gives us this picture of a house breaking down

and I think we do everything we can to give

this thing some curb appeal, but it's coming down. Will

you remember your creator before it's too late. We're gonna

bring this poetry to life. I think it needs to

happen because Solomon is using some interesting language that he

he uses, just like in the Song of Solomon. He's

saying these things and these are things that I observe,

and this is these are your body parts.

Here it goes. I want to warn you.

That the fog rolls in thick from the bay, blankets

the hills. It evaporates before the morning is done. He's

painting this picture. There are three times he says, remember, remember, Remember,

remember your creator before it's too late. The clouds return

after the rain. Just as one storm passes, another one comes.

The troubles keep coming. You don't have enough time to recover,

and one after another pain and ache and injury, and

you can't recover. I identify that when I go to sleep.

Sometimes I wake up and I'm like, did I what

did I do yesterday? I just slept. That's what caused

that pain, is just sleeping. Did you remember your creator

by enjoying health before it evaporates? The keepers of the

house tremble. This is a picture of your arms as

they weaken, and the strength you once took for granted.

Poof, it's gone.

Did you remember your creator by working hard and resting

well before your hands gave out? The strong men are bent.

It's painting a picture of their legs beginning to stoop

and their back is hunched over. Did you remember your creator?

Did you remember your creator by dancing with your spouse

in the kitchen or chasing your kids in the backyard.

Did you remember your creator while walking with a friend

on the street. The grinders cease because they are few.

Your teeth are falling out and evaporating. Did you remember

your creator by savoring those delicious meals that slow cooked

smoked brisket. Did you remember your creator with those teeth

as you smiled at your loved ones around the table?

Did you remember your creator? Those who look through the

windows are dimmed. There's a picture of your vision evaporating.

Did you remember your creator using those eyes not to

look at the screens that we look at, but to

truly enjoy looking at the faces of whom you love.

Did you remember your creator when you were given vision

to look at sunsets. Did you remember your creator? Opportunity

after opportunity is vanishing, and the doors on the street

are shut. This is the picture of your hearing or

your voice evaporating. Did you remember your creator? When you

heard the songs of your children as they sing? Did

you join them, singing with them? Did you remember your Creator?

And then one rises up the sound of a bird,

and all the daughters of the song are brought low?

This is fanning, a picture of waking up early.

Tired. You feel that right now?

I feel that not being able to enjoy the birds

chirping evaporates. Did you remember your creator in the fresh

hours of the day, when.

Rest truly was RESTful?

Do you remember? And he says, they are afraid of

what is high? The grasshopper drags itself along. Desire fails,

your bravery and your desires evaborating. Did you remember your

creator by stepping out in courage, by moving freely, and

by enjoying the spouse of your youth? Did you remember

your creator? The almond tree blossoms. This one, I like

it's painting a picture of your hair suddenly growing white.

I'm getting it a little bit on the side. Some

of y'all have it a little bit more, and then poof,

it's gone evaborates. Then comes the big poof. The cord snaps,

the picture and the cistern are broken, and life pours out,

and dust returns to the earth, and the spirit returns

to God who gave it. Vanity of vanity, says the preacher,

All is vanity, and the fog rolls in thick from

the bay, blankets the mountains, evaporates before the morning is done.

That you remember your creator before it's too late, the

Preacher's urging us, Look, remember your creator in the days

of your youth.

But who's that creator? Creators Jesus.

Jesus is our creator, for by him all things were created,

and all things through him were made. He's before all things,

and in him all of existence is held together. Have

you remembered your creator, the creator who made it all,

who subjected himself to this fog through his own humanity,

who stewarded this life so well, and used that on

the cross for you so that you might be able

to enter into the Master's enjoyment.

Life is his gift.

Enjoy this while remembering him.

And whatever you do, work hardily for the Lord.

We're serving the Lord Jesus Christ, and I think as

we navigate this, there are times when we fail. There

are times when I enjoy things and properly. There's times

when I'm sitting back and maybe I could have a

little more fun. But it's His righteousness that we are in.

Should you trust in him today? You don't know how

fast this all goes by. You blink and it's gone

in an instant where evaporating. Will you trust and remember

your Creator today? The urgency is to offer God your

very best years. And I know that some of us

are going well, those years are back here. That's not

what the preacher's getting at today. Today is your very

best years. Get at it today. Remember your Creator, because

we're not here very long. So how do we live

well knowing that we're not here very long? By knowing

who he is and knowing that you're his, you can

live life well remembering your Creator. Now, he's the greatest

gift there ever was, there ever will be when he

is worthy of The Preacher's conclusion in verse thirteen, he says,

this is the end of the matter. All has been heard.

Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the

whole duty of man, for God will bring every deed

into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Will you enjoy this life and light of that fear God,

enjoy his gifts, keep his commands. It's his honest cry

the preacher, and it's our joyful confession. Life is short.

It's a fog rolling in thick from the bay, and

it evaporates before the morning is done. How now should

we then live? Would you stand with me and pray,

Lord God, Heavenly Father, We thank you, We thank you

for today, We thank you for the light is sweet,

it is pleasant. There are many things to rejoice, and

may we rejoice in them, knowing who you are. You

are a good God, You are responsible for our judgment.

May we steward this life well. May we glorify you

and enjoy you forever. In your Son's name, we pray

Jesus Christ.

Amen.