Is Life a Dead End Street

Welcome to this week's message from the Church at Chelsea Westover.

Our core values are vibrant worship, intimate fellowship, fulfilling service, and clear biblical truth.

We pray that this message changes your life.

Let's tune in to today's message and see what God has in store for you.

I want you to turn with me this morning in your Bibles to Ecclesiastes chapter 6.

Ecclesiastes 6 · chapter mention

What a study this has been.

Somebody said the other day, said, Pastor, whoo, that's tough.

That's kind of it can be depressing.

I said, Well, guess what?

Living in the world is depressing.

Now I know some people wouldn't say that, but I'll go right up front and say it.

If all you are living for today is living for the world, you're gonna live a depressed, defeated, discouraged life.

And that was really the whole synopsis of the book of Ecclesiastes at the end.

Solomon had tried it all, done it all.

And he said, it's it's it's what?

It's vanity of vanities.

It's meaningless, it's hopelessness, it's futile, it's nothing.

And as I began to look at that, I said, that is so true.

And uh, but hang in there, because it's starting to get better.

I promise.

Because he's in fact, next week, today's title of the message is Is Life a Dead End Street?

Most of us, or a lot of us, sometimes feel that life is a dead end street.

I mean, how many of you have been looking for something and you end up going down a road that ends in a dead end or a cul-de-sac, especially in neighborhoods, cul-de-sac everywhere.

I'm trying to find a house.

The GPS has got it in.

Here we go, and we just come to a dead end.

And what's the first thing you think?

Shoot.

The GPS is wrong.

I think they're wrong more than the right.

No, not really, but uh I don't like GPS's.

I'm an old cop.

You know, give me a marker and I'll get you there.

But but but really you come to a dead end street and you say, I went the wrong way.

This is not right.

This is a what?

Dead-in.

Well, hopefully, when Solomon was writing this, he was literally saying, especially chapter 6, he said, There's three dead-end streets in life.

Three dead-end streets in life.

And he says, I want to warn you not to take those dead-end streets.

And so we see, in our world today, it's easy to think of vocations as success, education is success, or climbing the corporate ladder, that's success.

And all those play a part, but they're not the means by which we are fulfilled.

You can go all the way to the top of your corporation, be the president, been there.

And I'm here to tell you when you get to the top, it's not what you think it is.

Hello.

It's not what you think it is.

If you have the largest church in town, you think you've arrived.

I've got news for you.

It's not what you think it is.

Adrian Rogers taught us very early, us preacher boys at Liberty University.

He said, the bigger the church, the bigger the problems.

Hello.

I've started thinking about that.

The bigger the church, the bigger the problems.

So, what is success?

Success.

What is purpose in life?

What is meaning of life?

And so Solomon's been dealing with this all the way through chapters five.

And if you remember, he literally tells us as we come to chapter six, at the end of chapter five, which we talked about two weeks ago, which was powerful.

He dealt with the issue of money.

And he says, hey, money is not your success.

Money is not your happiness.

Money is not your satisfaction.

In fact, if you remember, and it's worth me doing just a quick review, in chapter 5, verses 10 through 20, and we're not going to throw them up there.

I just want you to remember the five things we talked about there.

They were in your outline two weeks ago.

And the actually there's seven things, five things about money and two things about God.

Do you remember?

He said, number one, the more money you have, the more you want.

Hello.

Hello.

Now some are saying, well, I've never had any.

Well, it might be for your good.

Because the more you have, the more you want.

Verse 10 said that in Ecclesiastes chapter 5.

Ecclesiastes 5 · chapter mention

And then he says, secondly, the more you have, hey, the more you spend.

Can we all say amen?

I can remember when I was making$14,000 a year, and I can remember when I thought to myself, if I ever get to a$50,000 a year salary, I have arrived.

I've got news for you.

Listen to me, listen to me.

I was as happy, hey, on the$14,000 as I was on the$50,000, probably more.

And I know what you're thinking.

We'll go back to the$14.

Well, maybe so.

But really, if you've been there, you know that's true.

And you know what I learned?

I live just as comfortably on the 14 as I did the 50.

You hey, you spend what you have.

Oh, if I could just get more money, I'd be happier.

I can do this, I can do this.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Because the problem is the love of money, the love, not the money, the love of money is the root to all evils.

So it's not the wisdom of, hey, it's not the wisdom of the world, it's not your education, it's not your money, and I'm going to show you that in a minute.

But the third thing, the more you have, hey, the more you worry.

And then number four, that was in verse 12.

All this is in this, and then number four, the more you have, the more you lose.

Wow.

Remember?

Solomon talked about that.

Verse 14.

Hey, you lose it.

You lose it.

Remember when the start market just boomed?

I lost$15,000 in two days in the stock market.

I turned to my wife and I said, that's it.

No more playing stock for me.

I said, if we invest, we're going to invest in property, and that's what we've done all the rest of our years together.

And uh it's been good.

It's been good.

And I'm not telling you not to do that, but I'm just telling you what happened to me.

I worked too hard for my money.

Hello?

And I want to be a good steward with my money.

So really, the more you have, the more you stand to lose.

And then what does Solomon say?

Now you gotta realize the richest man in several lives talking about this, so he knows what he's talking about.

Then he says, the more you have, number five, in verse 14 through 17 in chapter 5, the more you have, the more you leave.

You ever thought about that?

You're gonna die! Who's gonna get you money?

I Bailey Smith, and I'll never forget what he said.

This has stuck with me for 25 years.

I'm gonna do my giving while I'm living so I know where it's going.

Hello, that's good.

I'm gonna do my giving while I'm living so I know where it's going.

I am not gonna leave my wife with millions of dollars for somebody else to marry her and spend my money.

I ain't gonna do it.

She said, I didn't know you had it.

I don't, but it sounded good, didn't it?

Amen.

Man, ha ha ha ha.

No, I'm not gonna do that.

We're gonna do our giving while we're living.

So we'll know where it's going.

Amen.

And you know what, Matthew 6?

I want to do my giving so I can lay up treasures in heaven and not on this earth.

Can I get an amen?

That's why you are you and you are a part of one of the most exciting things to be a part of our brand new church, God's blessing, and using our monies to build his church, not our church, his church.

And helping people.

Oh, oh, this week I've had joy just helping people and people, and and and yeah, it's just awesome.

That's what it's all about.

Can I get an amen?

Loving God and loving people.

So that's very important.

And by the way, Solomon knew that.

And by the way, let me remind you what I said.

You remember he died, and Jeroboam, his son, just made havoc of his kingdom and his money, just blew it all.

Just blew it all.

So you may want to make sure your will spells out.

If you do have any left, I'm gonna spend mine.

Amen.

I'm gonna give it and give it and enjoy.

And by the way, remember verse 19, he said, He gives it to us.

It's a gift from God to enjoy.

Amen.

So why do you want to store it up?

Use it for God's glory.

Can I get an amen?

And that's what he said.

And then he went on and said, two things about God.

Your ability to earn the money is a gift from God, verse 18.

And then your ability to enjoy money is a gift from God, verses 18 through 20.

So God's blessed us for us to enjoy it, but what the only way you and I enjoy it is when we're using it for his glory.

Can I get an amen?

Whether you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, you do all to the glory of God.

People come and say, Man, the Lord's blessed you.

Yes, he has.

And let me tell you why.

We're givers.

God blesses giving.

How do you know that?

Give, and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over shall men give back unto you.

Luke 6, 38.

It's more blessed to give than it is to receive.

Acts 20, 35.

He blesses it.

And by the way, I can preach to them blue or red in the face, but until you start doing it, you won't experience it.

This is one that you got to be doers of the word and not hearers only.

Amen.

That's one God's blessed church.

We're givers.

You're givers.

And he's blessing you for it.

I know he is.

Amen.

So now, with that said, he comes to chapter six.

Isn't it encouraging?

He's trying to encourage us in the last two verses in five.

And he says, hey, hey, God's ability, God has given you ability, and it's a gift from God for you to earn your money to be, you know, your your materialism, and then it's God's gift for you to enjoy it.

But then he says, but there's a problem.

Most people don't understand that, and they end up in dead and living.

Now I want us to look at three things today.

Three things.

What happens if we try to enjoy life, enjoy our materialism, our money, apart from God?

What happens?

Don't you miss this?

Three things happen.

We end up on three dead ends, three dead end streets.

Dead end number one.

Your money won't bring meaning to your life.

Look at verses one through six.

Your money won't bring meaning to your life.

Look at it.

Verses one through six.

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun.

Remember the phrase under the sun?

What does that mean?

A life lived apart from God.

Okay?

He said, There is an evil, Solomon said, I've seen under the sun, and it is common among men.

Wow, common among men.

A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing.

Listen, lacks nothing for himself of all he desires, yet God does not give him power to eat of it.

In other words, God does not allow him to enjoy all that he has.

Now I don't know about you, but to me that's a travesty.

Right there.

Notice that's what he said.

Yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreign consum, hey, a foreigner consumes it.

This is vanity, and it is an evil affliction.

You were laughing at me when I said somebody else is going to come spend my money.

But that's exactly what Solomon said.

Some foreigner you don't even know, doesn't even live for God, is gonna come in and just waste it away.

Wow.

Wow.

And then he goes on and he says, if a man begets, he's got two unbelievable examples here.

If a man begets a hundred children, God help us.

Woo! If a man begets a hundred children and lives many years, so that his days and his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with goodness, or indeed he has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better than he.

For if hey, for it comes in vanity and departs in darkness, and its name is covered with darkness, talking about the stillborn never lives, though he has not seen the sun or known anything, never taken a breath.

This has more rest than the man.

Ooh, then that man, even if he lives a thousand years twice but has not seen goodness, do not, hey, do not all go to the same place.

He basically says, now I'm going to explain it.

This is tough.

This is harsh.

This is unbelievable.

He says it's better for you to be born dead than to have everything and live without God.

Now that's I'm still and I've been doing that every for two weeks, studying this passage.

That's that's tough.

That's the strong preaching you're gonna hear right there, folks.

And I didn't say it.

God said it.

Amen.

He says, it's better for you not to be born dead than live your life without me.

Is that strong or is that strong?

So, now let's look at it.

What did he really say?

That's what he said.

He says, number one, your money won't bring meaning to your life.

Now notice Solomon's thoughts here in verses one and two.

Now, most Bible scholars believe that Solomon is talking about himself.

And I believe that too, his own life.

Being the wealthiest man on earth that ever lived, the wisest, the smartest man that ever lived, he is qualified to save what one could and could not accomplish with his money.

Can I get an amen?

And so here's what he's saying.

And by the way, how did Solomon how did Solomon become so wealthy?

Let me show you.

This is good.

I want you to see this.

You got to read this.

When he was 20 years old, the Lord appeared to him while he was making a sacrifice, and the Lord asked him a question.

And he offered him anything he might desire as the next king over Israel.

Out of all the things, he appeared to Solomon.

He said, You're going to be the next king.

Your dad, David,'s about, I'm about to bring your dad, David, the man after God's own heart, that was his dad, on home.

Remember, he told David, you're not going to get to build the temple as much as David wanted to do it.

Your son Solomon's going to do it.

And I mean, I meant Solomon was the wisest, the richest, the most magnificent.

We talked about it.

Anything he thought about, he built it.

If he wanted it, he bought it.

So here's this man.

But how did he get all that wealth?

How did he end up in a situation and 40 years of prosperity, no wars?

David fought the whole time.

How did he end up that way?

Here's how.

God appears and he says, Whatever you ask of, I'm gonna give.

Twenty years old.

Notice what Solomon asked for.

Unbelievable.

Unbelievable.

2 Chronicles chapter 1, verses 11 and 12.

2 Chronicles 1:11

Because this was in your heart.

Solomon asked for wisdom to judge and govern the people of Israel.

Here is God's response.

Instead of asking for riches and all that, he asked for wisdom to be a good king over his people, to help his people.

Wow.

What insight! That's what he asked for.

He didn't ask for the wealth.

But because he asked for the right thing, the wisdom of God, God gave him everything.

Now, if that's not a lesson, folks, you have missed the whole thing.

You just do what God tells you to do, and you have a heart for God.

He'll take care of everything else.

He'll take care of your job, he'll take care of your education, he'll take care of your political whatever, rising, your position, your power, all that.

You don't worry about all that.

You deny yourself and you exalt him.

He'll take care of everything that you need because he knows what you can handle.

Somebody say amen.

The reason a lot of us don't have more, we couldn't handle it.

Hello.

Hello.

Or our hearts not right.

We've got the wrong motives.

But notice what God said.

Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth, the honor, or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life, but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge my people over whom I have made you king.

Wisdom and knowledge are granted to you, and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you or shall any after you have alike.

Wow.

His heart was right.

More than David.

At that time.

Solomon got what he asked for and more.

That's how he became the wealthiest man that ever lived.

Because he asked God for his wisdom and his direction instead of his.

Amen.

Say that's good, preacher.

Well, that's good.

That'll liberate a lot of people out there.

That liberates me.

It helps me to understand what I need to be.

Now you gotta realize that in Solomon's day, what made Jews to be prosperous, or what outwardly signs they thought of prosperity was two was two or three things.

But number one, that they would live a long life.

If you lived a long life back then, you were a righteous person, outwardly speaking.

And secondly, if you had many, many children, you were a righteous man.

Now I don't know about you, but you said a hundred, the example he gave right here, the example he gave right here was a hundred kids.

A hundred kids.

Verses three through six, we'll see that.

That's unbelievable.

Now, by the way, his son, his son, are you ready for this?

Real poem.

He had eighty-eight.

Eighty-eight kids.

Ladies, how would you like to have eighty-eight kids?

It would be impossible.

Well, let me tell you why it was possible.

He had 18 wives, 60 concubines, to have 88 children, 28 sons, and 60 daughters.

Now you said, where'd that come from?

2 Chronicles chapter 11, verse 21.

2 Chronicles 11:21

Let me repeat that.

18 wives.

I mean, one's enough.

Hello.

Sixty concubines.

They have eighty-eight children.

Solomon was a woman's man.

Solomon?

Are you ready for this?

Solomon?

By the way.

His son was just falling in his daddy's footsteps.

Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines.

Now you do the math on that.

He had to have a castle just for his wives.

Unbelievable.

Unbelievable.

It's almost unbelievable.

Well, listen to what Warren Wearsby said about this.

Great old theologian.

I had the privilege of listening to him teach Bible conferences.

Warren Wearsby in his book wrote this.

Now, write, you may want to write this down.

I didn't put this in your notes because I was reading.

I try to have the outline done on Monday and Tuesday.

And then I keep reading.

I keep studying, and I get other nuggets, and I just, it's too much trouble to go back and make Susan and Jeremy and them redo it.

But anyway, Warren Whisby said this.

This is worth you writing down.

To enjoy the gifts without the giver, to enjoy the gifts without the giver is idolatry.

That means you're worshiping all your gifts.

You're an adulterer.

Wow.

Then he said, and by the way, he said, and this cannot satisfy the human heart.

Now let me remind you the reason it can't satisfy your heart is because, remember, Ecclesiastes 3.11 that God has put eternity in our hearts for him and to live with him forever and to honor him.

Let me repeat that.

He said to enjoy the gifts without the giver is idolatry.

And this can never satisfy the human heart.

Then he said, enjoyment, enjoyment without God.

Ooh, this is good.

Enjoyment without God is mere entertainment.

Wow.

Enjoyment without God is mere entertainment.

Now listen to me, parents.

Be careful.

God's given us insight here about how we ought to teach our children about all that God's blessed us with.

Can I get an amen?

Enjoyment without God is mere entertainment.

Listen to what else he said.

And again, that doesn't satisfy.

But enjoyment with God, woo! But hey, enjoyment with God is enrichment.

Your life is enriched.

You have a purpose.

You have a meaning.

You have a satisfaction.

There used to be an old song.

Now I'm gonna tell you about my how old I am.

Before I got saved too.

Can't get no satisfaction.

You knew you remember that.

Can't get no.

Guess what?

They had it right.

You can't get any satisfaction from the world.

Amen.

You can't do it.

It's just entertainment.

And that's what Satan wants us to do.

He wants us to get so engrossed in entertainment that we forget God.

And it's, hey, by the way, now don't.

I know what you're saying.

Well, now, preacher, come on.

That enjoyment's fun, yeah.

Sin is fun for a short season.

But then you pay.

Hebrews 11.

Then you pay.

Payday someday.

Be not deceived.

God is not mocked.

Whatsoever man soweth, that shall he reap.

You listening, church?

So let's enjoy life as a gift from God and use what he's given us for his honor and glory.

That's what Solomon's conclusion was.

And then we see his examples.

There's two.

The first one, the first one he uses here.

And by the way, they're opposite.

He says, you can live.

Listen, here's what he said.

You can live to be 2,000 years old.

No one's ever done that.

Metusalim lived to be 969 years old.

But he says, you can live to be 2,000 years old, that longevity.

You can have as many as a hundred kids.

You can have all the wealth.

And listen, you can still, listen, well, first of all, he said, and still you're going to die.

And you're going to die without satisfaction, without, hey, without honor, without respect, without anything.

It's better that you had been born dead.

And that was the other illustration.

And we see that.

Verse 3, chapter 6 was so unbelievable.

He said, You can have all the kids, you can have all the longevity, you can have all the money, you can be the king, you can be everything.

But indeed, he has no burial.

In other words, after a hundred kids and you die, they don't even come to your funeral.

Don't even come to your funeral.

I did a little study on the lottery.

You don't want to know.

People that pray to win the lottery and they won it.

One couple in New York recently.

Two sons.

Guy won the lottery.

He divided it up with his two sons.

They were at the time before they won the lottery, going to school working hard.

Long story short, both the sons ended up, are you ready?

One chasing booze and the other one chasing women.

And his wife upset because she thought he was hiding money from her.

And two years after they'd won these millions of dollars, all four of them were in court for failure to pay income tax.

And the mama stood up and said they weren't speaking to each other, none of them.

And two years and they were a great family.

And the mama stood up and said, It's the devil's money.

Hmm.

What about that?

Isn't that not something?

Is that not something?

Is that not true?

That's the best illustration I could give right here.

That's exactly what he's talking about.

You can have it all, but if it's, hey, you live the life apart from God, you are miserable.

You don't, as he said, get to enjoy it really.

Jehoiakim did that.

Great king.

Evil king.

And died.

You know what they did?

The Bible says the verse there.

You don't want to read it because it's depressing.

In Jeremiah 22, 18, it says that Jehoiakim the king, you know what happened when he died?

And here's this great king for many, many years, had everything, just like I said, a lot of kids.

You know what happened?

They took his body and threw it out there with the dead donkeys.

Now that's a funeral, isn't it?

Their king.

For some of you that are reading through chronologically, you're going to get into all this.

You're going to remember a lot of what Solomon's taught in Ecclesiastes.

It'll come up to you.

Dead end street number one.

What is it?

Your money won't bring meaning to your life.

That's a dead end.

Number two, second dead end street.

You won't find joy and happiness in your occupation or your career.

60% of the people in America today that have spent 15 years or more in their one job, which is hard to find now, very few people.

I think I've used Clay before.

He's been in 33 years, 33 years.

David's on SuraPro 30 years.

I was there when he started.

I met uh Paul, you've been with your company pretty good while how long?

About 20.

Anybody's been with a company more than uh say 20 years or more, raise your hand.

Anybody?

Bob?

One, two, three, four.

Okay, four.

Okay.

So that's really a lost art today.

It's almost now it's it's every man for himself.

If I can get a better deal, I'm gone.

I can hop.

I can go here.

They pay me a dollar more an hour.

Let me help you right there.

Sometimes the grass is not always greener on the other side.

But 60% of the people don't enjoy their job.

I love my job.

In fact, the difference is I don't have a job, I have a calling.

I have a ministry.

And by the way, you do too.

Your calling is whatever job God gives you to be a testimony and an instrument and an influencer for God wherever He puts you.

Can I get an Amen?

And if you're not being an influencer to God, let me tell you, that's why you're miserable.

But if you're being an influencer, loving God, spirit filled, it doesn't matter if you're digging a ditch, you'll be happy.

By the way, you want to get to the top, the only job I know to get to the hey, to start out at the top is digging a ditch.

You don't start out at the top, boy?

Start digging.

Boy, that wasn't oh, yeah.

Just a thought.

Troy told me that one.

That was good.

I told you I was gonna use it.

It fit in.

Money for many people.

Like I said, and success is a burden, not a blessing.

Let me give you a couple verses, then we're gonna hit that second dead end streak, but you I I don't want you to miss these verses.

You know what he says in Psalms 49, 17.

We know that one.

It says that we cannot carry anything to heaven with us.

But throw up Psalms 107.

I believe it's there.

Jeremy verse 9.

He satisfies the longing soul.

He fills the hungry soul with goodness.

Woo! Is that not good?

Is that not say that's good, church?

For he satisfies the longing soul, he fills the hungry soul with goodness.

Look at Psalm 16, 11.

I love it.

In thy presence, in God's presence, is the fullness of joy.

At his right hand, there are pleasures forevermore.

Man, that's good.

Man, that's good.

You know what?

I made up my life.

I just turned 60 and I know I don't look it.

Thank you very much.

I feel it sometimes.

They told me if I'd go to the gym and work out regularly, I'd feel better.

That's a lie.

I'm sore all the time.

But I'm feeling good.

I'm in great shape.

Can't move, but I'm in great shape.

Now I know why Paul said bodily exercise profits just a little.

He did say that.

And I remind my instructors every so often of that.

Those ladies stay there five hours a day.

I said, huh, you crazy.

That's not biblical.

Dead Street number two, you won't find happiness in your career.

Look at verse 7.

Your job, A, under Dead Street number two, your job can't satisfy your soul.

Look at what he said in verse 7.

All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet his soul is not satisfied.

Somebody say, okay.

That's it.

You can work, have the best job, whatever.

It's still not going to satisfy your soul if you're not doing it for the Lord.

Amen.

Now that tells me it doesn't matter what job you have, if it's done for his glory, you're going to be satisfied.

If it's not done for his glory, you're not going to be satisfied.

And by the way, you need to check your heart before you change the job.

Hello.

Oh me.

Get your heart right before you change job because you might not change.

It may not be the job, it may be you.

Now, and I'm not picking on anybody but me.

I was gonna change, I was gonna buy me a SERPO.

My best friend, my brother, just I really did get mad at you for that.

But I'm so glad you didn't.

It's not the first time I've been mad.

That's true.

That's true.

That's one good thing about me and David.

We can get mad and we don't take it personally.

Very few people do that.

I mean, we can go out there and have knockdown drag out, and we both say, hmm, we feel better.

But it refines us too.

By the way, hey, as iron what?

When you sharpen iron, what do you get?

Sparks fly.

If you just don't take it personal, you'll be okay.

And that's the way our church council is.

We can go in there.

I I never wanted anybody working with me that was a yes person.

And I married a lady that's never been a yes woman.

And I always say, Submit.

And she says, I'm thinking, I I you know what?

I think I'm going on.

I'm not going any further with that one.

Well, look at Gene back there with that new hairdo.

Gene, that looks good, son.

You look like a be.

Hey, you some of that, you some of that Beatles.

The Beatles special 50.

Y'all nigga too.

You look like George.

I like that.

What did I get out of that one?

Your job can't satisfy your soul.

I'm not even going back.

Okay.

He said in Matthew 5, 6, blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Amen.

Amen, guys.

But what I was meant to say, if I had taken that surpro, I'd have been so much out of God's will.

I'd have been so discouraged and so, oh, it'd have been, I would have been miserable.

Amen.

Satan's been trying to really, and I'll tell you something I never told anybody other than Susan.

Satan's been trying to get me out of the ministry for a long time.

He really has.

Since the beginning, actually.

Yeah.

I mean, let me tell you, on Monday mornings after Sunday, and you have a great service, and Sister Fluffyhead meets you at the back door, and Deacon Potato Head, and they eat your lunch.

On Mondays, you want to do like Johnny Pennychak and say, take this job it, shove it.

Ever been there?

Don't lie.

Don't lie.

Anyone else ever been there?

Thank you very much.

I just said it.

Well, it was a number one song for years.

I meant for months, so.

But really, really.

The key is your heart right with God.

Can I get an amen?

And then, secondly, notice what he said, your mind can't replace your heart either.

Verse 8.

Look at what he said.

For what more has the wise man than the fool?

That's pretty powerful.

He said, look, you can be smart, you can graduate summa kun law.

You can do all that.

But if it's apart from God, you're no better than the fool who's who didn't get past the fourth grade.

And I'm not saying fourth grade education, you fool.

My granddaddy was fourth grade education, most godliest man I've ever met, and knew the Bible more than any theologian I ever had.

All he read was the Bible.

People ask me all the time, will you read these books?

I I try to read at least one book or two, but I study so much, no telling how many books I read researching passages of scripture.

But when I I don't I don't read a whole lot of books, but the Bible.

I stay in the Bible.

I had a guy ask me, say, Well, how many books do you read?

I had a preacher one day at Open Door Baptist Church.

I'll never forget it as long as I he said, How many books do you got in your library and how many books you read a month?

I said, 66.

He said, Man, 66.

I said, Yeah.

Start at Genesis and then in Revelation.

You got 66.

Two years later, he resigned from ministry having an affair with a lady in the church.

Undoubtedly the books he was reading wasn't working.

Hello.

Amen.

I have to have this book to keep me thinking right.

I have to have this book to keep me talking right.

I have to have this book to keep me living right.

That's why this church is built on clear biblical truth.

What, church?

We love it, we learn it, we live it.

Then he goes on and says, hey, your dreams can't replace your reality.

Look at verse 9.

Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire.

This is also vanity and grasping for the wind.

In other words, here's what he said.

He literally said, if all you're doing is dreaming and not doing anything, it's going to end up in vanity, uselessness, meaningless.

In other words, what he basically said, hey, you you have you ever dreamed about that vacation?

I'm going to use Greg.

Greg and I were talking about this.

And I I don't know if you caught this the other day.

We were at the Harley shop.

I don't know if I think no, you you were playing hooky or something.

But but but Greg and I had jumped on our bikes, run down to Harley shop and get a cup of coffee just to ride the bike.

And his VA folks, and you know, Greg's master chief.

30 years.

33.

He always makes sure I get it right.

You and Susan keep me in order.

That's true.

All right.

And they were talking about this motorcycle ride to the wall.

They do.

They do every year.

And it's all over the country.

They come from all over the country.

Thousands of bikers honoring our veterans.

The Vietnam Wall.

But all but it's more than just Vietnam.

And they're talking about da da da.

Craig and I said.

Craig looked at me and said, Well, you know, when we get when I retire in another two or three years, that's what I want to do.

And I what did I say?

We need to do it now.

We just need, I mean, we can't go all the way to California, but we can pick them up on the east and go up.

I said, we need to do it now.

Why?

Hey, you you spend all your life saying, Well, when I make more money, when I get a bigger house, I get a bigger car, I get this, I get this, I'm gonna do that.

In the future, I'm gonna do that.

And then when the future gets here, you're dead.

You die.

You want to take your wife somewhere?

Do it now.

Your kid, your kids somewhere, do it now.

Your grandkids, do it now.

Amen.

Don't live in this fantasy world.

Do it now.

Somebody ought to say, that's good, preacher.

If I had time, I'd but I want you to write down Psalm 16.

Because after I got to thinking about it, I said, What's the greatest example?

Somebody lived this way.

David, King David lived this way.

Even in his bad times, but he lived most of his life living for today.

Today's the day the Lord has made.

I will rejoice and be glad.

I will live it to the fullest.

You go home and you read Psalm 16.

Read it in the King James, but then I want you to read it, not in a translation, King James translate, but then I want you to read it either in the N by V.

But I read it in the message.

The message is a it's not a translation, it's a paraphrase.

But I want you to read Psalm 16, either in the living Bible, which is not a translation, so don't go killing me.

And and read it in the message or the Psalms, you will start shouting.

You really will.

How David lived.

Praising God, how he took me out of the pits of hell, how he saved me, how he's blessed me.

I mean, on and on.

And then he gets to the end of it, and thy presence is a fullness of joy, and at the right hand pleasures are forevermore.

Man, that's good.

Then the last dead end street and with through.

You won't find answers in your arguments.

You can argue with God all you want to.

You're not going to find any answers there.

Because God has already predestined.

That's where I believe in predestination, Steve.

He's already predestined what he wants to do with you in your life.

He's already done it.

He's already got it out.

In fact, you know what?

He knew it before you were even conceived.

Wow.

Now the question is, have you found out what he wants for your life?

And you're doing it.

And by the way, you may not find out just like that.

Let me help you.

I think I told the young people this.

What you do.

I didn't know where I was going till I was on my last semester in seminary.

I had not a clue what I was going to do.

My last, actually, the last three weeks in seminary before I graduated in January, Open Door Baptist Church, George Ball called me.

Said, we want to talk to you about our pastor.

I've been trying to find them a pastor.

They said, we like you.

We want you to come down.

I said, no, no, no.

I'm not through with seminary.

And I really want to be a coach.

And then I want to be a youth pastor.

I want to work with kids in weightlifting and coaching in the summertime and be a football coach, Gary.

I want to be a football coach during the year, nine months out of the year.

Then I wanted to work with young people at youth camps during summer.

That's what I want to do.

Hello.

That's what I wanted to do.

Like I wanted to buy a surf rope.

Long story short, went to the open door.

Preached about 20 people that night.

And they unanimous nope, actually they didn't.

Nineteen unanimously called me and one abstained.

That's the best vote I've ever had.

I couldn't get that vote.

I couldn't get that percentage probably if I took a vote today here.

Only one.

He didn't vote against me.

He just abstained.

Any, hey, if you don't vote against me, I take that as for me.

I've learned that a long time ago.

Amen.

So we come to this last part, and this is beautiful.

You won't find answers with your argument.

Now, here's what I wrote to myself in my notes.

What are you supposed to do between the time you get saved and go to heaven?

Good question.

Many of you have gotten saved here.

Look, man, this is awesome.

Todd got saved how many months ago?

Six months ago?

Six, seven.

Chris and his daughter got saved the other night in his house.

David and I had the previous leading them to Christ.

Patty rededicated her life.

She needs to be baptized, so the whole family is going to be baptized.

Coral and Jared, I led them to the Lord in their house the other night.

We got a whole row of brand new converts right here.

Let's give Jesus a minute.

That's what it's all about.

That's what it's all about.

And every, I meant, when he got saved, he had some great questions.

When Chris got saved the other night, sitting there in that chair, he hadn't missed anything since.

He's got a big smile every time I see him.

And then I look at Adrian.

Look at Adrian and his family.

Same thing.

Now Amy's fixed to have a little baby, be praying for her.

And then Al, I look at Al and his whole family back there.

Folks, that's what it's all about.

Amen?

Nelson?

Up there playing the guitar.

God got him saved.

He was in a rock band.

And he said, I don't think I can do this anymore.

I said, Well, you can be in a Christian rock band.

You may have to start one.

We talked about.

I'm just saying, when you get saved, folks, you got a desire to be pleasing to God.

Not what you want, but what does he want?

And if you'll be faithful, listen to me.

He will fulfill it.

Anna, if God wants you in that college with those horses up in Pennsylvania, you'll be there.

If you stay faithful.

If not, let me help you.

He's got something better.

And when y'all have your first puppy love and you break up with one another, don't worry about all that.

Listen, don't worry about listen, if you just fall in love with Jesus, he's got the night and shiny army you're not even thinking about.

Susan never Susan didn't know what hit her when I came by.

I'm a smart man.

Hey, she was fixing to get engaged to a farmer.

I told her, I said that'd been the dullest line.

I'm jumping! I know.

I know.

Well, y'all like it when I get in the ditch.

I know, I know.

But what do you do after you get saved?

I'm gonna help you.

Here's what I wrote.

You don't get caught up in the world's wisdom.

Now listen to me.

Jeremy, where are you?

Wave at me.

Let's go back to those first verses.

I know I gave them to you.

Go to 1 Corinthians 3, 19 and 20 and James 3.15.

What you don't do is get caught up in the world's wisdom.

The world says, more money.

Climb the corporate ladder.

Get the high positions, the power, the prestiges, all of that.

That's what they say.

That's what the world says.

That's what this, and by the way, the the author of that, Satan.

I'm gonna prove it.

First Corinthians, for the wisdom of this world, look, say it with me.

For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

In other words, they're gonna, you're gonna do what you want, how you want, when you want, because you know more than God knows.

Look at verse 20.

And again, the Lord knoweth the thoughts.

He already knows what you're thinking, he already knows the world's ways, the world's wisdom.

And look at what he says.

What does he say they are?

Same word that Solomon started out with, vanity of vanities.

It's all vain.

Look at James 3.15.

This wisdom is not from God.

This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is what?

And what is earthly?

Sensual.

And what?

There it is.

That's it right there, folks.

You got a choice.

You're either going to go the world's way or God's way.

You're either going to go the world's way or the word's way.

And we're going the word's way here at CCW.

Can I get an amen?

We're going the word's way.

That's who we are.

Clear, biblical truth, verse by verse, precept upon precept, concept upon concept.

You with me?

Real quick, and I'm through.

Here's what he says.

Truth about life.

He says, God suggests it is vain to argue with God, and here's why.

I want to give you why you don't argue with God.

One, A, God has ordained life as he desires it to be.

Verse 10.

You can't change God's plan.

God's got a.

By the way, you wouldn't want to change God's plan for your life.

Can I get an amen?

He knows what's best.

Do you believe that?

Say amen.

He knows what's best for your life.

Number two, arguing with God is an exercise that you won't win.

Is that not good?

Verse 10 again.

Listen to what it says.

Whatever one is, he has been named already.

In other words, God's already predestined what he wants for you.

Amen.

And then look at what he says.

For it is known that he is man, and he cannot contend with him who is mightier than he.

You can't argue with God who's predestined you to be what he needs you to be.

Man, that's good.

And what does he have?

He has a what?

Plan for your life.

And what kind of plan is it?

Fantastic.

We're not interested in your past, but we're interested in your future.

And see, God is willing to bring meaning to your life.

Look at what he says in verse 12.

God will bring meaning to your life.

For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow.

Who can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun?

God.

God does.

God does.

And that's it.

God will bring meaning and happiness to your life.

You know what this says.

We know, say it with me, Romans 8.28.

We know all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.

But now guess what?

The meaning comes when you're doing his purpose.

Not your purpose, but his purpose.

That's a pretty simple answer.

If lived out, brings unbelievable results and happiness.

And then the last thing, God alone is in charge of your future.

God alone is.

Amen.

So, in summation, for me to live is Christ.

To die, what?

Is gain.

Philippians 1 21.

I wrote this to me.

But if for me to live is money, to die will be a lost.

The love of money is the root of all evil.

Psalm 62, verse 10.

Psalms 62:10

If for me to live is pleasure, listen, to die will be a lost.

Proverbs 21, 17, he who loves pleasure is dead while they live.

If for me to live is self, for me to die will be a lost.

I am crucified with Christ.

Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.

And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me, Galatians 2.20.

And if for me to live is ambition, my ambition to die will be a lost.

No man can serve two masters.

Either he will hate one and deny the other, or love one and hate the other.

If for me to live is sin, to die is lost.

For the wages of sin is death.

The love of the world.

He says, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.

If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

1 John 2, 15 through 17.

But if for me to live is Christ, to die will be to gain.

Is that not good, church?

What a lesson.

What truth from a man that did it all.

Had it all.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter.

He said at the end of the book.

Fear God and keep his commandments.

Amen.

Fear God and do what he's called you to do.

Because he's got a fantastic purpose for your life.

Father, we thank you.

We love you.

Thanks again for tuning into this week's message.

We pray that your life has been changed.

If you would like to find out more about us, visit us on our webpage at thechurch at cw.com.

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Need prayer or more information?

Send us an email at office at the church at cw.com.

We hope you have a wonderful day and again, God bless you.