The Vanity of Materialism | Ecclesiastes 5:8-20

Well, good morning and welcome to the final sermon

in Ecclesiastes for this calendar year.

Yeah, not done yet.

Lord willing, we'll pick back up in chapter 6

after the new year.

The holidays are nearly upon us.

We have Thanksgiving and most importantly, Christmas

to look forward to.

Not just Grant cheered on that one.

Praise the Lord.

Amen.

And preparing our hearts well to worship during our gatherings

will be a consistent theme in the coming weeks.

I think also chapter 5 here in Ecclesiastes

will bless us to that end.

Throughout this series, we've seen a lot of practical wisdom

from Solomon.

We've been reminded about the brevity of life.

We've been encouraged to pay attention

to the little blessings to not be consumed with striving

after wind and so much more.

Now, in the close of chapter 5, we'll

see a well-known theological principle.

You heard it as Jeff read the call to worship regarding

wealth and materialism.

But before we look to the text, I want to set the stage.

Solomon's been speaking for these last five chapters

about the futility of chasing things that don't last.

Vanity is chasing soap bubbles.

And throughout this argument, he's

been gradually providing subtle hints to us, clues along the way,

guiding the reader's attention to these central themes

of fearing God and appreciating His gifts.

And he keeps using real-world situations

to paint the picture of vanity, of futility,

of living for oneself.

Early on, I described this kind of vain person

as one who has a materialistic mind, a mind that

is focused on what you can perceive in the moment here

and now rather than on God and an eternal future.

Now, in the New Testament, Paul would call this

a mind set on the flesh, desires for today

without thought for tomorrow.

Now, one particular focus of a materialistic mind

is wealth, the accumulation of finances and assets.

There's a well-known Renaissance painting

called The Money Lender and His Wife

by artist Quentin Matzis.

Lord willing, you can see it on the screen here.

You see the money lender sitting down

at his table with measuring scale and coins,

assessing the value of his wealth.

And then you look at his wife appearing to be

thumbing through a Bible.

You can see a picture that is likely of the Virgin Mary

holding child.

But she's distracted by all the money.

Though she holds a book that encourages her

to not hope in this world, her gaze

is fixed on the false security that wealth may bring.

And the artist was making a point.

Though the year was 1514, so was a minute ago,

the same principle held true, that the idea of accumulating

wealth can distract us from the things that we once

held as dear and important.

Now in the artist's case, he was referencing a moment in time

where there was rapid growth and commerce

in the city of Antwerp.

And even common people, as depicted in the painting,

they are not nobility.

They have the opportunity to accumulate wealth.

And when you consider professing believers,

claiming that they lack time for daily devotions in God's word,

for prayer, for scripture memorization,

and they cite work as the reason,

maybe this painting should come to mind.

It's not out of a sense of righteous piety

that I say that, but rather it's a helpful visual representation

of the common scenario that we preoccupy ourselves

with daily concerns, and we find it

challenging to prioritize matters of eternal significance.

I'll present another perspective.

This is no different from the parent glued to their cell phone

doom scrolling through an app or newsfeed

while their child engages in something ordinary yet

memorable, missing the beauty of the child's growth

amidst the fleeting entertainment provided

by those amusing little glass panels.

I don't know about you, but at times

that's a struggle in our household,

where we're in the presence of one another,

but not truly together.

Because the heart, the human heart,

is the same today as it was in the days of the world

and the days of the Renaissance, as it was in Solomon's day.

We focus often on the temporary and improper things.

We place a great emphasis on things

that we believe are going to bring joy in the moment,

security and hope, and then we miss the good things

that God has given.

As believers, those of you in here who claim Christ,

you know that nothing, nothing is more important.

Nothing is more precious than the gospel of Jesus.

That sins can be forgiven eternally,

not by your work, but by his sacrifice.

And yet as beautiful as that truth is,

we are so easily distracted with the things of this world.

Sometimes we would rather think about lunch,

current events, or some other vain plan or thought,

rather than to listen to what God has said in his word.

So my appeal to you this morning is not to listen for my sake,

but for yours.

As we dig in together, don't find yourself

to be either the money changer or his wife.

Instead, take Solomon's advice from just a few verses

earlier in this chapter.

Take heed and listen to God's word.

So with all of that in mind, go ahead

and turn your Bibles to Ecclesiastes chapter 5.

Ecclesiastes 5 · chapter mention

And we're going to begin to walk through this passage.

Now for your reference, on the screen

is the overall outline we've been following.

You can see that we're very close to wrapping up

the second section of the book with the overarching theme

here, the proof that all is vanity.

Now I'm grateful that Jeff read through our passage

in the call to worship and that you noticed, I pray,

the theme of materialism, little complex,

but there are four sections in this passage.

And we're going to go through each one

to arrive what I think is a wonderful conclusion

and exhortation to prepare us for the holiday season.

Now this section on the vanity of riches

begins in an interesting way.

Solomon references oppression and injustice

and kings and authorities.

Look at verses 8 and 9.

Now the first lesson here is don't be surprised

at oppression and injustice.

Don't be surprised.

Before we connect that to materialism,

think about this principle.

Oppression and injustice are to be expected.

Now notice, he didn't say anything

about whether such things were good,

but that we shouldn't be surprised,

that this is part of life in a fallen world.

So when you see political pundits,

celebrities, and unhelpful so-called journalists

act surprised when the world doesn't operate fairly

or justly, remember that you, you as a believer,

should not be surprised.

This is part of life in a fallen world.

And while injustice shouldn't be ignored or excused,

we need to remember that it is to be expected in this world.

Now Solomon continues in verse 8.

He explains that often the nature of oppression

or injustice involves a hierarchy of people

and authority, one over another.

So you have the local officials scamming the people who

pays his dues to the provincial leader

and finally then to the king.

That's what was happening in the day.

Today, you may have a local gang member

extorting protection money who then pays

his money, a portion of it to his gang leader.

Or you have a tax collector squeezing the people

to pay Caesar or if you live in California like we do,

you pay exorbitant state taxes for the governor's untested

and unwise endeavors.

Amen.

But here's Solomon's encouragement.

He says, don't think that such people can keep on oppressing

without recourse.

He says there are always higher authorities.

Local government may be responsible to the federal

government at some capacity, gang members to gang leaders.

And the king in a theocracy like Solomon was in

is responsible to God himself.

This thought helps us to remember that even when

oppression and injustice occurs by those who really should be

helping, not hurting, even when such evil happens,

everyone will answer to God.

He is the highest court, the highest throne,

and everyone will be accountable to him.

He will have the final word.

That is actually how the letter ends in Ecclesiastes 12.

But our human hearts, they're prone to complain, right?

We like to find ways out of suffering and difficulty.

Solomon anticipates that thinking,

and so he offers the wisdom of verse 9.

See, when we consider that officials or those in authority

in that hierarchy take advantage of others,

we're likely to think that to fix such injustice,

we must advocate for the antithesis, the opposite.

So, anarchy, a land without rule or order must be the only

recourse to such oppression.

You literally see that kind of foolish wisdom in our society

today.

Look at the organization, Antifa.

Consider the race or injustice rights we had a few years ago.

Do you remember Chaz in Seattle?

Not a person.

The place, how did it go?

That zone or territory without laws, right?

Without order, ruled by the people for the people.

It was an absolute dumpster fire, literally and figuratively.

And this is why Solomon says it is an advantage for the land

when the king is committed to a cultivated field.

And I like the way that the LSB renders this,

and that's on the screen.

It's an incredibly difficult verse

to translate in the Hebrew.

One of many difficult phrases in Ecclesiastes.

But you need to remember this principle.

Jeff has talked about this before,

the purpose-cuity of scripture.

He loves that word, by the way.

You want to have a conversation with him,

just nerd out on that term.

Here's what that means, purpose-cuity.

It's the nature of scripture being clear, being plain,

being easy to understand for the common person,

that you don't need a Bible degree to read the Bible.

So relating back to verse 8, where there are officials,

over-officials, and so forth and so forth.

Solomon is saying this, that even when there is abuse

of authority and oppression, which you should expect,

this is still better than anarchy.

Order is better than chaos.

Even when people are sinful within that order,

it is good for everyone when the ruler is committed

to order, to a cultivated field,

rather than existing in chaos and anarchy.

Now that may be hard to stomach for some of you,

who love justice, who see things in black and white,

who expect the nature of order to be good and righteous.

We need to remember, perfect justice and righteous dealing

were not promised this side of glory.

We demand in our hearts often that an authority would deal

justly with us, right?

But I wonder, how many of us would be like that unmerciful

servant, you can look it up later, but Matthew 18 talks

about that unmerciful servant.

He was shown mercy and forgiveness,

and then he was not merciful in return.

He punishes actually his fellow servant, who owes him.

How likely are we to oppress others when given the chance?

Even if we've been shown mercy, the human heart

is capable of great evil.

Now the connection of these verses with the remainder

of the passage is the human heart.

Solomon is next going to dig into why oppression,

why injustice continue.

He's going to bring that sharp needle to our idea,

our American idea of work and wealth.

So take a look at Ecclesiastes 5 verses 7.

Ecclesiastes 5:7

Look at Ecclesiastes 5 verses 10 through 11, or 10 through 12.

Ecclesiastes 5:10–11

The oppressive authority, the one who takes from others,

they have a reason.

That reason is greed, a love of money and things.

But Solomon is not just speaking of the oppressor here.

He's not just saying the oppressor wants money and wealth

and possessions.

In fact, Solomon is first indicting himself, himself,

who was the greatest taxer in Israel.

And he's also indicting the rest of those wealthy people

in Israel in his day who prospered under his reign,

taxing others, taking advantage of others.

But he's also speaking to us today.

Verse 10 is plain and clear.

Loving wealth, loving materialism,

will never satisfy.

It's a fool's endeavor to place your hope and your trust

in such things.

And the one who does so is the one who strives after wind.

I know there are many Harry Potter fans in here.

You don't have to raise your hand.

I know some Christians struggle with Harry Potter, too,

so don't take this as an endorsement.

But I think it's a helpful example.

When the character Dumbledore, I can't

believe I'm referencing Harry Potter in this one.

I'm not.

To be fair, Calvin and Spurgeon, they

reference Greek and Roman stories of the day.

And so I think I'm in good company.

Popular thing.

Anyways, back to saying that word.

OK, Dumbledore.

Dumbledore is assisting Harry.

He's helping him out.

Some of you know this scene.

They arrive at a basin containing a liquid

that has to be consumed.

But that liquid induces fear and delirium and despair.

And yet it also brings about this intense thirst,

so you have to drink more.

Despite its harmful effects, Dumbledore

is compelled to drink the entire quantity,

even though it intensifies his suffering

and he keeps pleading with Harry to stop him.

But he has to persevere, even though it only

worsens his condition.

That's called the drink of despair.

Now considering Solomon's warning

about the futility of loving money and wealth,

I can't help but think of that tragic drink

and the consequences of it.

Once you begin, you're ensnared.

It traps you.

And instead of consuming it, it consumes you.

Solomon continues his warning in verse 11.

He points out that even when goods increase,

then there are just more people who want them.

Think of the person who wins the lottery.

And all of a sudden, every family member,

even the estranged ones and the distant relatives,

they feel entitled to that wealth.

Think of the crazy amount of taxes upon such wealth,

whether it's a lottery or business.

That's why there are tax loopholes, LLCs,

offshore accounts, all these things.

Because when you earn money, everyone wants some of it.

When you become wealthy, you find yourself

surrounded by people seeking to take

advantage of your success.

So you witness the rise and the fall of your wealth.

But instead of fully enjoying it,

you find yourself just observing it,

watching it go in and out.

Now even if you attempt to enjoy your wealth,

as verse 12 suggests, sleep is not restful for the wealthy who

indulge in their affluence.

You know the general principle.

When you labor all day long in manual labor,

you're ready for a good night's sleep.

You know that principle.

It doesn't matter if that person had dinner

or they go to bed hungry.

They are tired enough to sleep.

What about the rich person?

I think there's anecdotal evidence

that many Americans don't struggle

to put food on the table.

But sleep may be a luxury they wish they had.

Now people may struggle with sleep for many reasons.

But in this text, Solomon is pointing out

a sickly self-indulgence that comes with gluttony,

an upset stomach, acid reflux.

And so for those who say the Bible doesn't talk

about practical things, the Bible

talks about medical conditions.

It is not silent on such practical matters,

even in wisdom literature.

God's word is applicable.

So what a pickle.

The rich person has everyone coming after their wealth

such that they can't enjoy it.

And then if they try to enjoy it

and they indulge inordinately, then it's so bad

they can't even get a good night's rest.

Hmm.

Now much more could be said about a love of money,

but I'm sure you've heard a lot.

We're in America.

People talk about this.

I'm sure you can also affirm the dangers

of chasing after wealth and making money your idol.

But if you're not convinced yet,

Solomon has another warning for you in the next few verses.

Take a look at verses 13 through 17.

He talks about a sickening evil.

Now if his previous warnings about chasing wind

or pursuing wealth and vanity or trying

to find satisfaction in things and money and possessions,

if none of that caught your attention,

then heed this warning.

What happens when you work so hard

and you earn so much and then it's taken from you?

That's the tragedy in verses 13 through 17.

This man, he worked very hard, likely missing

the mundane yet precious moments of life in an endeavor

to lay up a treasure for his family.

This man labored and pursued the best business ventures

in search of satisfying treasure, this side of glory,

ultimately to have something to pass on to his family.

Now there's a good biblical principle

in seeking to leave your children a legacy

or an inheritance.

And as Americans, we may think this

a noble and upright endeavor.

Some may even say it's a responsibility and a duty,

given where we are born and what we have access to.

But there is also a caution to not expect something that

is not promised, even if you do your best to pursue it.

That's Solomon's caution.

You can work really hard.

You can earn a lot.

You can be prepared to pass on a blessed inheritance.

And in a moment, disaster can strike,

and everything that you've worked for can be lost.

Some of you know what Jesus said in Luke chapter 12.

Luke 12 · chapter mention

There's this story.

Somebody from the crowd said to him,

teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance

with me.

But Jesus said to him, man, who appointed me, a judge

or arbiter over you?

And then he said to them, watch out and be on your guard

against every form of greed, for not even when one has

an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.

And he told them a parable saying,

the land of a rich man was very productive.

And he began reasoning to himself saying, hmm,

what should I do?

I have no place to store my crops.

Huh, this is what I'll do.

I'm going to tear down my barns.

I'm going to build larger ones.

There I will store all my grain and my goods.

And I'll say to my soul, soul, you have many goods laid up

for many years to come.

Take your ease.

Eat, drink, and be merry.

But God said to him, you fool, this very night your soul

is required of you.

And now who will own what you prepared?

So is the one who stores up treasure for himself

and is not rich toward God.

Now in this passage, Jesus addresses a family conflict.

A man desires this portion of his brother's inheritance.

And there is a backdrop to the story culturally speaking,

whereas normal in that day for a greater percentage

or the whole inheritance to go towards the firstborn.

But that's not the main point here.

The main point is the response of Jesus highlighting

the lesson, be on guard against greed.

Recognize that life is more than possessions.

You don't take anything with you when you go.

So be careful what you treasure.

And going back to Ecclesiastes 5, verses 13 through 17,

Ecclesiastes 5:13–17

you can work diligently for the 30 or 40 years here in the US.

You can earn.

You can save.

You can invest.

You can feel like you're accomplishing a lot.

You can do good.

You can earn for your loved ones.

However, in an instant, a bad venture or endeavor

can cause your ruin.

And that's what Jesus and Solomon describe.

It's like being an Olympic runner poised to pass the baton.

That father prepares to hand over everything he's achieved.

To his son, only to be met with a devastating calamity that

wipes out everything that he gained in an instant.

And he discovers that all his efforts were in vain as if he

never even had a baton to begin with.

Isn't that a tragic story?

It's the sickening evil that Solomon speaks of.

In verse 15, it borrows similar language from Job.

That as one enters the world, so he exits.

No matter what he accomplishes.

In Job's story, we're also provided a clear response.

That we should bless the name of Yahweh.

Nonetheless, some of you know.

Naked I came from my mother's womb.

And naked I shall return there.

Yahweh gave.

And Yahweh has taken away.

Blessed be the name of Yahweh.

And some of you learned it as the Lord.

It's just a tetragrammaton.

Now, mortality is a consistent theme in Ecclesiastes.

Reminding us over and again that we cannot take anything with us

unto death.

There is no ultimate gain in possessions or in materialism.

And the question in verse 16 of Ecclesiastes 5

should be a very sharp punch to our kidneys.

This is the question.

What is the advantage to him who labors for the wind?

Think about that question.

If you die naked carrying nothing,

just as you came into this world,

where is your advantage in accumulating wealth

and possessions?

You can't take them with you.

So is it all just for a few fleeting moments of enjoyment?

Verse 17 points out some negative results

in chasing after wealth.

These are the three.

Vexation, illness, and anger.

So what is vexation?

To be vexed is to be irritated, to be bothered, to be worried.

A person can toil so much towards the accumulation

of wealth and possessions that they

are consumed with that pursuit.

They spend their waking hours absorbed in that endeavor,

and they miss the simple and beautiful parts of life.

Their meals are eaten in darkness,

alone and without joy, without the warmth of light

and life and fellowship.

That's the result of chasing.

In a second, you see illness.

Literally here, it means bodily sickness and disease.

You know something that's interesting, though?

Isaiah 53, many of you know that.

Jesus bore our griefs.

Isaiah 53, 4, that word for griefs

is the exact same word as illness here.

He bore our illnesses, our sicknesses, even our appetite

for things that kill us.

A love of materialism will affect us not just spiritually,

but physically as well.

And the third one you see is anger.

Now, the kind of anger here, it's

closer to the unmerciful heart of that servant in Matthew 18.

It is a wrathful heart seeking to gain something.

A heart like somebody who wants to oppress others

that we read about in chapter 5, verse 8 here in Ecclesiastes.

And that's what a love for wealth and possessions

can produce, jealousy toward others,

anger in the heart that somebody else has something

that you don't have.

Now, these warnings on wealth, on materialism,

on setting your mind on things of this earth,

these warnings come from the man who had it all.

I've heard it said that he had gold, glitz, and gals.

That was the old Baptist way of talking about Solomon.

That he didn't keep anything from himself.

He indulged in every want and pleasure.

That's what he says earlier in this letter.

But when he was done, he found it all utterly vapid,

meaningless, like grasping after wind.

It never satisfied.

And even in the end, he couldn't even

pass on his best blessings to his son for enjoyment.

But remember, this letter is not the downcast

or the dreary remembrances of an old man.

This letter was penned by the man gifted with more wisdom

than any other human, so he has more to say and more

to guide on this subject.

So now look at his encouragement, his exhortation,

in the final three verses of this chapter.

In verse 18, first, you have Solomon's observation

of what is good.

To eat, to drink, and to find enjoyment in your toil

during this short and momentary life.

Now, eating and drinking, they are the most basic aspects

of life.

And he's not saying to indulge in eating or to drink

and gluttony and get drunk.

He's saying it's good and fitting to find enjoyment

in what God has given you in every little part of life.

So are you a busy student?

Find enjoyment as a student, even in your assignments,

even in your tests, but especially in your learning

and your growing.

Are you an overworked employee?

Find enjoyment in your job, even if you think it's mundane.

Do your work unto the Lord and look for gospel opportunities

to show the love of Christ.

Are you a tired parent?

You don't have to raise your hand, but you can.

Find enjoyment in your season.

What can you praise and thank God for?

And what ways can you model Christ to your children,

young or old?

All of this and more is possible because of the truth

that God has given it.

This is why I can lovingly and confidently

encourage even the poorest children and families

in Africa with the same truth, the exact same truth,

to eat, to drink, to find enjoyment, to see good

in whatever God has given.

You know, often when I give that encouragement in Africa,

I point to the love and care of a local church.

That's the man with his back to us in that photo.

The local church, a shepherd who leads and loves,

members who practice the one another's.

And when people are encouraged to praise God,

even for the little they have, they

think of the blessing of the local church

over and over again.

They may not have much.

They may not have savings.

They may not have any guarantee that tomorrow's

going to bring food.

But they have the blessing of being

part of a local church who loves as Christ loves.

And that's enough.

The second encouragement in verse 19,

Solomon doesn't say being given riches is wicked and evil.

He says that God gives riches.

And we know this.

1 Samuel chapter 2, verse 7 says, Yahweh makes rich

1 Samuel 2:7

and makes poor.

He brings low and he also exalts.

But it says, if God gives riches,

then he empowers a person to eat from them.

And here's one area where I think the ESV didn't quite

render it correctly.

It's very complex, though.

But the word is not enjoy.

There's a different word in Hebrew for enjoy.

That's not the right one.

So here's the connotation of verse 19.

If God gives you wealth, it is so

that you eat from your own wealth, not from others.

Remember earlier in verse 8, the oppression and the injustice

from people taking from others.

Verse 10, the lack of satisfaction

in chasing more and more, the greed that fills us up,

all of that is in view here.

If God gives you riches, it's so that you don't burden others.

Eat from your own storehouse.

If he's gifted you, then be thankful.

Rejoice.

Be glad in your labor or your toil.

He says, rejoice in your toils.

Rejoice in your troubles.

You know who else said that?

Many of you know how James spoke to the church.

He said, suffering in many ways counted all joy

when you encounter trials of various kinds.

The same truth.

So can you rejoice in your afflictions?

Can you rejoice in your burdens?

Can you rejoice in your difficulties?

You can, but not when your eyes are fixed on this earth.

See, a materialistic mind will not

find satisfaction in difficulty or strife.

But a mind set on things above, that person

can rejoice whether brought high or brought low

because they know the secret to contentment.

You know who else knew that?

Paul in Philippians 4.

He said, not that I speak from want,

for I learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.

I know how to get along with humble means,

and I also know how to live in abundance.

In any and all things, I've learned the secret

of being filled and going hungry.

Both of having abundance and suffering need,

I can do all.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

That's the right application to all the athletes.

I'm sorry.

That's not where it's at.

Talk to me later.

So learn to accept your lot, your toil,

because it's a gift from God, and it's the secret

that Paul spoke of.

So the final encouragement that Solomon gives in verse 20

about wealth is that if we focus on enjoying

what God has given, then we'll be occupied with gladness

in our hearts, and we will not remember the hardships.

They won't overtake the delights of God's provision.

The believer who trusts God for his daily bread

will not be excessively fixated on the accumulation of wealth

or question whether one's personal achievements

are going to have a lasting impact on the world.

And there is a sanctified sense in which the wise person simply

lives in the moment in the joy that God provides.

The secret of life is not held in toil or in riches,

but in enjoying what God has given,

seeing one's purpose and pleasure

in light of the creator.

So materialism cannot provide lasting fulfillment.

Instead, we need to recognize that everything we possess,

even those things we think we've earned, are a gift from God.

And we should express gratitude for receiving blessings

that we do not merit.

Further, we have to acknowledge that our ability

to derive enjoyment even from our efforts, that is a gift.

To find enjoyment in toil is a gift.

What a grace to be absorbed in a full life,

such that the toils can be looked upon with gratitude.

Can you imagine?

There's a famous Japanese actor.

Some of you may know him from the film The Last Samurai.

Again, not an endorsement.

His name is Hiroyuki Sanada.

You see his picture up there.

He's quoted as saying this.

There are those who want a swimming pool in the house,

while those who have one barely use it.

Those who have lost a loved one feel a deep sense of loss,

while others who hold them close often complain about them.

Those who do not have a partner yearn for him,

but those who have sometimes do not value him.

The hungry would give anything for a plate of food

while the well-fed complains about the taste.

The one who doesn't own a house dreams,

while the one who has one is always looking for a better one.

The key is to be grateful.

Look carefully at what we have and understand

that somewhere someone would give everything

for what you already have and don't appreciate.

That man is an unbeliever.

That man worships ancestors, yet even he

sees the importance of gratitude.

We focus so much on what we don't have

that our eyes can scarcely see the blessings

that we've been given.

God's word continues to give us encouragement,

old and New Testaments.

I'm not going to belabor the same point over and over again,

but let me just read 1 Timothy 6.

But godliness actually is a means of great gain

when accompanied by contentment.

For we brought nothing into the world.

What does that echo?

So we can't take anything out of it either.

And if we have food and shelter covering with these,

we should be content.

But those who want to get rich fall into temptation

and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge

men into ruin and destruction.

For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evils,

and some, by aspiring to it, have wandered away

from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

This is the Greek, obviously, not the Hebrew,

but it's the same context, griefs, illnesses, pangs.

So I pray that God would pierce each of us

to consider our desirous hearts.

You may not be craving money right now,

but maybe it's other things that God has not given you.

A relationship, financial blessing, a relief,

or a comfort, a job, a life direction, a child, a future.

Whatever it is that you've been craving,

whatever it is you've been holding on to as if God

needed to do your bidding or others needed to agree with you

and follow you, recognize that if God hasn't given you

something, even a good thing, He's not made a mistake,

and His love for you has not wavered.

Your identity is no more in wealth or possessions

than it is in any other aspect of your life.

If you're a believer, your life is hidden with Christ in God,

and Christ died pierced for your transgressions,

burying our griefs and our illnesses

that we would not be ruled by desires here on this earth,

no matter how good and godly they may be,

but that He would rule and reign in our hearts.

We've been bought with a price, purchased by His blood,

redeemed for His glory and for our good.

So as a believer, your heart can overflow with thankfulness

and gladness of heart during the short days of your life,

come riches or toil, whether you get what you want or not.

Some of you know the author, Randy Alcorn.

He wrote a book called The Treasure Principle.

There's some decent thoughts in there.

But he has a section where he speaks

about this portion of Ecclesiastes 5.

And so those are his paraphrasing.

I think that those principles are helpful.

Quoting verse 10, whoever loves money never has enough money.

The more you have, the more you want.

Whoever loves his wealth is never

satisfied with his income.

The more you have, the less you're satisfied.

As goods increase, so do those who consume them.

The more you have, the more people,

including the government, will come after it.

And what benefit are they to the owner

except to feast his eyes on them?

The more you have, the more you realize it does you no good.

Sleep of the laborer is sweet, whether he

eats little or much.

But the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep.

The more you have, the more you have to worry about.

I've seen a grievous evil under the sun,

wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner.

The more you have, the more you can hurt yourself

by holding onto it.

Wealth lost through some misfortune.

The more you have, the more you have to lose.

Naked, a man comes from his mother's womb as he comes,

so he departs.

He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand.

The more you have, the more you leave behind.

Now, Alcorn states in that book that giving is the only

antidote to materialism.

And I do think that's a fantastic response

for the believer who recognizes their love of wealth

and possessions.

But I think the root heart issue needs

to be addressed first before responding with giving.

And that antidote that Solomon is speaking of is gratitude.

Gratitude.

Remembering that there is a sovereign creator and judge

over this world, and we are to enjoy whatever he's given.

So cease striving.

Let go.

Let go, chasing what you want.

And know that he is God and learn to enjoy

what he has given.

Some of you know that Jesus told us,

we cannot serve two masters.

So the prayer is that our Savior would be our greatest treasure,

that our Savior would be the focus of our hearts,

the blessings that he provides, whether little or much,

would be what we fix our eyes on.

So Jesus said this.

Don't store up for yourselves treasures on Earth,

where moth and rust destroy, where thieves break in

and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,

where neither moth nor rust destroys,

and where thieves do not break in or steal,

for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

And then a warning.

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one

and love the other, or he'll be devoted to one

and despise the other.

You cannot serve God and wealth.

Now in a moment, I'm going to put some questions

on the screen.

I encourage you to think about them,

or how you can avoid the vanity of materialism,

how you can grow in your enjoyment of what God has given

to you.

When you're done thinking about them,

I'm going to pray for us.

But as you think about materialism,

as Americans hear this, it's not a sin to have things.

Solomon said it's not sinful to be given wealth,

but to whom much is given, much is required.

So may we consider the blessings that he's given

and respond in a way that pleases him.

And may we make sure that wealth is not our God,

that security is not our God, but that God is our God.

Amen?

Here are some questions for you, and I'll close us

in prayer in just a moment.