Life Lived under the Sun

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.

Everybody ought to read one Proverbs a day.

If you didn't do anything else, hopefully you're reading the Bible chronologically through, but it tells you what you ought to do and what you need to do and what you ought not to do.

And I'm telling you, you will be a lost person could take the book of Proverbs and read it and be obedient to the principles and concepts in the book of Proverbs and be very successful.

That is in the world.

He wouldn't be successful, hey, in God's world, but he would be successful in the world because of the Proverbs that are in there.

But then he comes to the last part of his life.

He's totally, there's no doubt, after I've gone through these 12 chapters, I don't know how many times, and I'm taking every word apart in every verse.

And I am convinced at the end of his life, when he writes Ecclesiastes, the book of regrets, he is totally consumed with death.

He is thinking about death.

He's in his last last, he's in his fourth quarter of life.

And he's thinking constantly about death and what, hey, it's gonna be like, what has he done?

What all that he's done, has it been worth it?

And so with that context, we look at the message this morning.

The title of the message this morning: Life Lived Under the Sun.

People everywhere want to live a meaningful and happy life.

We've already seen that statistically.

If you were to ask somebody, if you could have anything you really want, I think a large percentage of people would say they would want happiness.

They would want purposefulness, they would want to be content.

They would really want to be successful in life.

They would want to really know what the meaning and purpose of life was.

And so here's Solomon.

And he asked the question: how do we find this meaning and purpose of life?

Now, some, as Solomon will see, they seek it in pleasure, they seek it in knowledge, they seek it in self-indulgence, they seek it in work, they seek it in material things.

But Solomon discovered that meaning is found in none of these pursuits whatsoever.

That meaning is only found in an intimate, dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ.

Wow.

And so, with that said, we learned in the first lesson last week in the study about Solomon near the end of his life, as he is recounting his fruitless search for meaning and purpose apart from God.

Remember, under the sun, there's three words that constantly go through these twelve chapters.

And we see one that we used last week, vanity.

And we used it vanity of vanities.

What does vanity halaval?

What does it mean?

Emptiness, meaninglessness, hopelessness.

That's what it means.

And we see this all the way through the book: vanity and vexation, sorrow of spirit, meaning emptiness and uselessness.

And then with the other word was under the sun.

And we said that the phrase under the sun meant that we were living life apart from God.

We were living life going our way instead of God's way.

And then the other word you're going to see pop up, and it pops up today in chapter 2, is prophet.

The word prophet.

And it literally means that which is left over.

In other words, when it's all said and done, what is left over?

It's what really counted.

Will you leave a legacy for God?

Or will you leave a legacy for yourself?

That's basically what he's saying.

And that's what his summation was.

So, and by the way, let me just say, hey, we live if we're Christians.

Romans 14, verse 8 literally says, whether we live, we live unto the Lord, whether we die, we die unto the Lord.

Romans 14:8

Listen, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.

Amen.

That's who we are as Christians.

Everything we do was unto him.

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

1 Corinthians 10, 31.

We live unto him.

Not under the sun, above the sun.

We live under him.

So with that said, let's look at what this search brought in the book of Ecclesiastes.

The first thing I want us to look at this morning is the experiences of life under the sun.

In this section of Ecclesiastes, in verses 12 through chapter 2, verse 10, Solomon examines his search for meaning and purpose in life in four different areas.

One, in the wisdom of this world.

Two, in while living.

Three, in work, and then lastly, in wealth.

And so those are the ones we're going to be looking at this morning.

Because that's what he's trying to find meaning and purpose in.

He decides, and let's begin and let's look at it.

And by the way, a few years ago, I was writing as I was doing research on these messages I'm preaching.

Um I saw in an article Dr.

James Dobson recounted the story of a teenage girl in Fermont, California who achieved, never been done before, hasn't been done since.

A perfect score on her SAT.

A perfect score on her SAT test, and a perfect score.

Now some have done perfect scores in SATs, but notice what else she did.

She had a perfect score on the University of California's acceptance test.

Never been done before and never has since.

Perfect, perfect test scores.

Now, those who knew her thought that she was just a typical girl.

She thought she was just a typical girl.

But her teachers called her, nicknamed her, Wonder Woman.

Because of her her studiousness and her her her really her creativity of being able to just figure out anything anytime and have the right answer every time.

In fact, they had never met anyone like her.

And we see she was asked this question, Dr.

Dobson says, What is the meaning of life?

Here's her answer.

Now, here's a young lady, 18 years old, perfect score on SAT, perfect score on the California entrance exam.

I meant she was unbelievably brilliant.

Brilliant.

I have no idea.

I have no idea.

In fact, if anybody finds out, I wish they would let me know.

Wow.

Wow.

Well, I've got news for you.

There is no answer in education apart from God.

Bringing meaning and purpose in life, hey, if if if education and the world's wisdom and the world's philosophies and the world's guidance was the answer, all the PhDs in America ought to be the most happiest people in the world.

In fact, there's some of the most miserable and even most confused.

In fact, when you study history, and I love history, a lot of the philosophical ideas about raising children and other things that we learned 40 years ago, now they've changed totally.

They said that didn't work.

Why?

Because it wasn't God's way.

The only thing that works, church, is God's way, God's word.

In fact, I want you to look at this.

This is awesome.

I want you to see what the answer is to ultimate instruction and wisdom of this world.

Turn with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 19.

1 Corinthians 1:19

This is good.

1 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 19.

1 Corinthians 1:19

In fact, in the whole book of this chapter in 1 Corinthians, let me get there with you.

It's unbelievable because we see what Paul is talking to the church at Corinth, and they're debating, and the church at Corinth is filled with worldliness and trying to do it the world's way, even though they had gotten saved.

A lot of them were saved, but they were carnal, and they were trying to do it, hey, the world's way, with worldly wisdom.

Now notice what he says right here in verse 19.

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

What is the ultimate end of human wisdom and intelligence right here?

Hey, destruction.

God says it's not profitable for anything.

Wow.

And then, hey, look at verse 20.

Where is the wise?

Where is the scribe?

Where is the disputer of this world?

Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

And then go over to chapter 2.

Look at verse 5.

Paul then tells the church at Corinth, he said, here's the answer.

That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

That's pretty simple, isn't it?

That, hey, your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Now look at verse 6.

Howbeit, we speak wisdom among them that are perfect, those that are maturing, those that are walking in the enlightenment of God's word, yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes, the word princes there is a substitute, and it means government, nor of the government of this world that comes to naught.

Boy, is that not true.

Is that not true today?

And then he says, but we speak, verse 7, the wisdom of God in mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory.

In other words, the mysteries of Christ.

Sometimes we don't understand it all.

We'll never understand it all until we go to be with Him.

Hey, we are not to try to seek out, we don't live by explanations, we live by faith.

We don't live by the explanations of the world's philosophy.

We live by the faith of the Word of God.

When God says it, that settles it.

Doesn't matter whether you believe it or not, it settles it.

But we are to believe it.

It's so important.

And then look at what he says.

Man, this gets better.

Which none of the world princes of this world knew, for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Hey, you wonder why our government makes so many dumb decisions?

Well, they don't have the wisdom of God.

They don't have the understanding of God.

They don't want the understanding of God.

That's what breaks my heart.

He says it.

Hey, he said it, if they had had the wisdom of God, they wouldn't have crucified Christ.

Makes sense, doesn't it?

And then he goes on and he says, But as it is written, now get ready, buckle up.

I have not seen.

Mm-mm-mm.

I has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man the things which God had prepared for them that love him.

You have got an unbelievable life that God has for you.

He's not interested in your past, he's interested in your future, and he has prepared a fantastic future for you.

They're not thoughts of evil, they're thoughts of peace and good.

And you hadn't even touched the hem of the garments yet.

Man, that's good.

Man, that's good.

Somebody say that's good, preacher.

Now watch, and here's the key, verse 10.

But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit.

For the Spirit, watch this, searches all things.

Yes, the deep things of God.

Oh, I hear all the time people say, man, I want to I want to find out and seek and find the deep things of God.

Well, let me tell you what, you probably couldn't handle it if you found it.

Hello.

Amen.

But let me say the deep things are there.

Let me say something.

You'll never do anything great for God if all you do is fish in the shallow waters.

Amen.

Remember when Jesus came to the disciples, he said, uh-uh.

They've been fishing all night, hadn't caught anything.

There's fishing in the shallow water where they're supposed to find the fish at night.

He said, uh-uh, uh-uh.

Now this is in the middle of the day.

And so Jesus said, now you've got to launch out into the day.

Deep in his mind, he's saying, but wait, wait, wait, wait, you're not a fisherman, Jesus.

Peter, I'm the fisherman.

You don't catch fish in the deep part of the water in the middle of the day.

But nevertheless, at your word, I'll do it.

They caught so many fish, they started calling the boats around them and filled them up too.

Can I get an amen?

Why?

The deep things come from not the logical things sometimes.

That's faith.

You do it God's way, not the world's way.

The world's way tells you not to be a tither, not to give.

You don't have enough money.

But then when you do, God takes what you got left over and multiplies it ten times.

Supernatural.

Why?

Because those are the deep things.

You can't explain.

Let me say something.

Let me help you right here.

You can't explain the deep things.

Amen.

And that's what makes faith so important.

That's what makes faith so important.

Now, Dr.

Francis Schaefer, I had the privilege of sitting under his teachings at Liberty University.

He's dead now.

Here's what he said.

Oh, unbelievable man of God.

He said, the damnation of this generation is that it doesn't know that it has any meaning at all.

Wow.

Wow.

Ladies and gentlemen, you'll never have meaning at all if you're not living wholeheartedly for the Lord Jesus Christ.

You'll just be wandering in the wilderness.

Notice the second thing.

He decided he was gonna, as we go back to Ecclesiastes, he was gonna seek meaning of life in.

It didn't work.

In verses 18, actually verses 12 through 18.

Didn't work there.

He said, I gave my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven.

This sword so travailed me that God has given to the sons of men to exercise therewith.

He said, I've seen all the works I've done under the sun.

Behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

I'm still empty.

That which is crooked cannot be made straight, and that which is, hey, wanting cannot be numbered.

He said, Listen, life's not easy.

Life's not going to be easy, but life can be fulfilling.

And then he goes on and he says, I commune with my own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to this great estate, and I have gotten more wisdom than all that they have before men.

The smartest man's ever lived or ever has lived.

And he said, verse 17, I gave my heart to know wisdom.

And now watch this, to know madness and folly.

I perceive that this also is vexation of spirit.

Now look at verse 18.

For in as much wisdom as much grief, and he that increases knowledge increases sorrow.

He says, You can have all the world's wisdom.

You can be the smartest person in the world, but if you don't live for God, you will have an empty, purpose, purposeless.

Does it say that right?

Purposeless life.

Got all those lists in there.

Amen.

You'll be empty.

It'll be, hey, you'll be void all your life.

And we see so many people living their life with void in it.

Why?

They're living under the sun.

Isn't that good?

Now that's not good, but isn't that great truth?

Now watch.

Then he comes and he said, okay, all right.

I'm smart.

I'm the smartest man.

I'm trying to figure this all out.

Now he decides, you know what?

I've got all this wisdom.

I've thought theologically, well, not theologically, but theoretically, I have thought through the meaning and purpose of life.

Now, here's what I'm gonna do.

I've got all the money I need.

I'm the richest man.

Not only was he the wisest, he's the richest man in the world.

If you read 1 Kings chapters 10 and 14, the gold.

1 Kings 10 · chapter mention

In fact, let me tell you how rich he was.

Listen to this.

Here's how rich he was.

Silver meant nothing to him.

Silver to him was like pennies to us.

Ah, silver, throw that over there.

All I want is gold.

He drank out of gold cups.

He ate with gold spoons and forks.

His food was brought on gold platters.

Yeah, that's exactly right.

Look at me, some of y'all don't believe that.

Can you imagine?

You walk in.

Jason's over here and he's drinking his coffee out of gold cloud.

Probably half I'd be thinking, I'm stealing that cup.

That's how rich he was.

So now he says, okay, I'm gonna try this.

Theoretically, I thrown through everything.

That's hadn't made me happy.

I mean, even though I see how, you know, I don't understand how the sun comes or it goes around and down up it its raises in the east, sets in the west.

I don't understand how the wind does its circuits.

I don't understand all this.

It just comes and goes, it's monotonous.

So now I'm gonna do what most of us do all the time.

I'm gonna experience the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.

Anything I want, hey, that appeals, and that's what the word we're gonna look at in a minute, mirth means, pleasurable with the fleshly desires and passions, I'm gonna do it.

No, not I'm gonna think about it, I'm gonna do it.

Wow.

The life of the rich and famous, huh?

He was.

In fact, look at how he gets started.

Unbelievable.

Number one, under the searching of meaning and wisdom, we saw then searching of meaning under why living, there's two things he did.

Number one, he tried amusement.

Look at verse 1 and 2 in chapter 2.

He said in my heart, Go to now, I approve thee with mirth.

Now the word mirth there is shem ka.

It means gladness, pleasure, joy.

It's an activity that satisfies all the gratification of the flesh.

That's what it is.

That's what that word means.

The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life.

Anything, in other words, anything he wanted, he bought it.

Anything he wanted to experience, he did it.

He had all the toys he could have.

That didn't satisfy him.

He had all, and we're gonna see this in a minute.

He had all the women he wanted.

He had 600 wives.

Did you hear me?

700.

Oh, it didn't stop there.

Then he had 300 concubines.

I'm still trying to figure out that concubine thing.

I don't think I understand it.

A thousand women at his disposal.

All the money, everything he wanted.

He wanted a new car, he bought it.

He didn't have cars by that.

He wanted a new boat, a new chariot, excuse me.

He wanted a new chariot fired up, rims, chrome, rim, chariot, wheels.

I meant, I meant white, beautiful, fastest horses.

I mean even the He had it.

He won every car show, every excuse me, every chariot show.

Amen.

Y'all laughing.

I'm putting it in the in vernacular, you can understand.

That's what he had.

He had the most gorgeous women that you could ever dream about.

He had.

Now, listen, listen, listen, listen to me.

Listen to me.

None of that satisfied him.

Do you hear me?

Say, Amen, preacher.

None of that satisfied him.

Now, some of you thinking, boy, if it was me, I'd be satisfied.

That's the wrong thinking.

You just think it would.

How many people are miserable today because they've done that?

Hey, why is it that I'm not going there?

I'll save that for the marriage retreat.

All right.

Notice what else.

Now listen to what he said about it.

Proverbs 14, 13.

Watch this.

Look at Proverbs 14, 13.

Here's what he says about all this amusement.

All this amusement.

Here's what he said.

Even in laughter, the heart may sorrow and the end of mirth may be grief.

All these pleasurable things in grief and sorrow.

Now, I want you to look real quick what worldly pleasure produces.

I looked at that word, mirth, and I saw it meant pleasure.

I want you to see real quick, first of all, what pleasure, worldly pleasure does.

Number one, it brings poverty.

Woo! Hello.

He said, now wait a minute.

He said he's the richest man.

It didn't bring him poverty, not in material things, but it brought him poverty in his soul and in his relationship with people and God.

Look at what it says.

He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man.

He that loves wine and oil shall not be rich.

Notice what else it does.

Not only does it bring poverty, it brings false security.

Look at Isaiah 47, verse 8.

Isaiah 47:8

Therefore, hear now this, that thou art given to pleasures.

Here's that mirth, that dwelleth carelessly, that saith in thy heart, I am, and none else besides me, I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children.

In other words, he's saying, I got it made.

He didn't realize that false security.

He didn't have it made.

Because verse 9 says, But those two things shall come to thee in a moment, in one day, the loss of children and widowhoods, they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of the sorceries and for the great abundance of thy enchantments.

In other words, he says, Hey, they're here, bam, they're gone.

You can't put your security in these, not even your family.

You can't just build your life in your children.

You got to build your life on the foundation of God.

And then he says, it brings spiritual barrenness.

Look at what Jesus said in Luke 8, 14.

And that which fell among thorns are they which, when they have heard, so heard, go forth and are choked with cares and riches.

Watch, here's the word, it always pops up.

Pleasures of this life and bring no fruit to perfection, to maturity.

In other words, you are wandering in the wilderness.

You can have all the worldly amusements, but it chokes the word of God.

Matthew 13, 22 says it chokes the word of God, and you become unprofitable.

Look what else.

It brings false assurance.

Oh, Luke 12, 19.

Remember the rich man?

Oh, oh, he's so successful.

He's excited.

He says, Man, I've got it all.

He says, Man, I've got so much.

I need to build more barns.

Instead of saying, How can I use this to help people?

How can I use my wealth to help and further the kingdom of God?

Because he's blessed me so much.

He says, Man, I got to store this up.

Look what happens.

And I say to my soul, soul, that has much goods laid up for many years.

In other words, retirements plan, everything.

He's got it, he's been diligent, he's done it.

Hey, I'm I'm fixed for life.

That's what he said.

Now watch what happens.

And boys, this is the world's philosophy.

Take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

Woo! Just put it, hey, just enjoy it.

Now there's a balance when you'll see that.

Trust me, some of them shouldn't say, Man, he's just killing me.

We'll get there.

But God said unto him, mm-mm.

Thou fool.

This night thy soul shall be required of thee.

And who shall those things be which thou hast provided?

Now you don't hear very many preachers preaching what I'm preaching today.

It's tough to preach what I'm preaching today.

Because it's not it's more pessimistic than it is positive.

I understand that.

But folks, can I say something?

I hope you're here because you want to hear the whole counsel of God, the whole truth.

This is why our world's in a mess right now.

We have we have swallowed, hook, line, and sinker this philosophy of the world right here.

Look at verse 21.

So is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.

Wow.

Wow, wow, wow, wow.

Then the last thing it produces spiritual death.

First Timothy 5, 6.

But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she lives.

This is Solomon.

If Solomon, Paul wrote what Solomon felt, and here's Solomon's conclusion right here.

If I had a New Testament verse for Solomon's conclusion of all this vexation and vanity of vanity, this emptiness, this hopelessness, this meaninglessness, here it is.

She that lives in pleasure is dead while she lives.

No fulfillment, no happiness, no contentment.

Remember last week we dealt with contentment?

If you missed, don't miss one of these messages.

Go back because they all build upon each other.

So we see that right here.

Now, let's go on.

Notice the other thing you tried, okay?

Didn't work with all the amusement, all the things, all the sex.

That didn't work.

So I said, you know what I'm gonna do?

I'm gonna hold banquets.

We're gonna drink and eat till we're happy.

So the second thing is he tried alcohol and fine foods.

Now notice he literally makes that statement right there in verse 3.

He says, I sought in my heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting my heart with wisdom.

In other words, he wasn't a drunkard.

He didn't become an alcoholic.

He kept his senses so he could evaluate it.

That's what that means.

Oh, I spent hours on that one phrase.

And to lay hold of folly.

In other words, whoo, I'm just gonna have big parties.

We're gonna have parties, Las Vegas parties.

Till I might see what was the good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heavens all the days of life.

Here's what he said.

I'm gonna experience all this because I want to know what the common man really wants.

Hmm.

He said, I'm gonna do it all.

Now, it's interesting because remember, the book of regrets, go back in his middle age years.

Proverbs, the book of rules.

I want you to see what earlier in his life he said about wine.

Now, I'm fixing to get on another thing.

It's not very popular, and none of the preachers preach on it.

The big controversy today about drinking.

It really is major, in fact.

But let me just share with you what Solomon said about it.

I'm not gonna try to condemn or or point fingers.

I just want you to hear the truth, and then you do with the truth what God tells you to do with it.

Amen?

Okay?

Okay?

By the way, somebody asked me, I am a teetotaler.

And the reason I'm a teetotaler, you're gonna see in a few moments with some scripture.

But the main reason I am a teetotaler, it killed my mother.

And it broke up my home.

Because of alcohol.

I was kicked out of my home by my own mother at eighth when I was in eighth grade.

So I'm not going there.

Never have.

Never will.

It killed and destroyed my family.

But I want you to see what Solomon said about the benefits.

Now watch.

Worldly wisdom, he's, and by the way, I threw in something else.

I used the word foods there, and you're gonna see why in a minute.

All these years I've debated the word about drinking and alcohol.

I always have young people, always, they say, why is it that we have preachers get up in the pulpit and they preach about drinking, but they're 300 pounds overweight.

And they say nothing about gluttony and the sin of gluttony.

Y'all may run me out of town after this message.

That's okay.

I'm right there with you.

You're here because you want the truth.

We're not playing church here.

Clear biblical truth.

Here's a man living at the time he's writing worldliness.

He's trying the alcohol, he's trying to sex, he's trying the world's wisdom, he's trying it all.

And let me go back and look at what he said about when he's walking with God with godly wisdom.

Listen to what he says.

Proverbs 3, verses 13 through 15.

Proverbs 3:13–15

Proverbs 3, verses 13 through 15.

Proverbs 3:13–15

You gotta see it.

Is it up there?

You got it, Jeremy?

Proverbs 3.

I'll just turn then.

Proverbs 3, look at it.

Here we go.

We got it?

Nope.

Proverbs 3, 13 through 15.

Happy is the man that finds wisdom and the man that gets understanding.

Now look at what he says.

For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gang thereof than fine gold.

She is more precious than rubies, and all the things thou can desire are not to be compared unto her.

Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honor.

Oh, isn't that beautiful?

Isn't that beautiful?

And then he goes on.

She is a tree of life.

Then that lay hold upon her, happy is every one that retains her.

The Lord, verse 19, by wisdom hath found the earth, by understanding hath he established the heavens.

He's talking about how great God's wisdom is.

He says, look, right here, we have happiness, we have knowledge, we have wisdom, and it's riches, it's unbelievable riches.

Verse 16, he says it's longevity.

He promises prosperity.

He promises in verses 17 and 18 pleasantness.

Man, unbelievable.

He goes on and on.

I want you to see that about wisdom.

Then turn over to Proverbs 20.

Go to Proverbs 20 and let's see what he says about wine.

Verse 1, wine is a mocker.

Strong drink is raging, and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

Now I know what you're going to tell me and what most people say.

He's talking about drunkenness.

I understand that.

Okay?

I understand that.

He's not talking about you drinking one glass of wine.

He's talking about drunkenness.

I understand that, so I'm not dumb, okay?

But notice what else he says.

Now, it's, hey, wine is a mocker.

In other words, it it leads to you being making a fool out of yourself.

That's what it means.

It can lead to that.

Now, there's a lot more verses.

I want you to go to 23, chapter 23.

I want you to see this.

Verses 20 and 21.

Beautiful, beautiful instruction.

He's right in wisdom, walking with God.

And here's what he says in Proverbs 23, verses 20 and 21.

Proverbs 23:20

Be not among wine bibbers, drunkards, among righteous eaters of the flesh.

There's the eating.

Now let me remind you, at this time, he is having lavish his feast.

And one of the, when you go to Kings and look at all his big parties he had, in one big party, it was a party for the whole town, they killed 22,000 bulls.

And it talks about the finest of the finest foods all around the world that they ate of.

They were eating the best of the best, drinking the best wines of the best in Ecclesiastes.

Now watch.

Verse 21 for the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

He says, You can lose everything you've got.

How many homes do we know that have been totally, mine being one of them, literally destroyed because of drunkenness?

Look at verses 29 and 30 in the same chapter.

Who hath woe?

Who hath sorrow?

Who hath contentions?

In other words, who's in trouble all the time?

Who's fighting all the time?

Who hath babblings?

Who hath wounds without cause?

Who hath redness of eyes?

They that tarry long at the wine, they that go to seek mixed wine.

Look not thereupon the wine when it is red, when it giveth its color in the cup, when it moveth itself to right.

At the last it bites like a serpent and stings like an adler.

Then it goes on and says, The eyes shall behold strange women.

Right after that.

In other words, when you get in this kind of state, you do weird, stupid things.

Can I get an O me?

Then let's go to the last chapter of Proverbs.

This is unbelievable.

You know who wrote 31, don't you?

Solomon's mother.

Woo, ladies, Solomon's mother wrote Proverbs 31.

Listen to what she says.

Very, very interesting.

Verse 4 and 5.

It is not for kings.

Hmm, Olimion.

It is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes the government strong drink, lest they drank and forget the law and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.

Wow.

Man.

Now, to me, that's a pretty strong, I'm not a king, but I'm a pastor.

And it seems to me that if the king's going to be the best king he can and have the right judgment, he wants to stay away from it.

Amen?

Now let's go to the New Testament.

Well, there's another scripture.

I don't know if I gave it to you, but Habakkuk, verse 215, I think it is.

Habakkuk talks about, and boy, what a tremendous insight it is.

It says, woe, Habakkuk 2.15, woe unto you.

Or hey, who gives his neighbor drink and makes him drunk.

Woe unto you.

That's pretty strong, folks.

God said that.

And then we go to uh let's go to Luke.

Luke 1.15.

We got that.

There it is.

Boy, this is good.

Listen.

For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink, and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.

Who's he talking about there?

John the Baptist.

Says he's not even going to touch it.

He's going to be great.

The kings are going to be great.

If they do not touch it.

And then look at Romans 14, 21.

Here's why I do not touch it.

Other than because it destroyed my home.

Here it is.

It is good neither to eat flesh.

By the way, there's another verse in there.

I didn't hit you because it's so He said, if you be a man given to appetite, put a knife to your throat.

That's really encouraging, and it is good neither to eat flesh nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth or is offended.

Or is it made weak.

He even uses the word wine.

Let me ask you something.

If I had come in this morning and I had a beer can right here and I pulled it out, and while I'm preaching, I was drinking some beer.

Would that offend any of y'all at all?

Wait a minute.

You didn't raise it.

Would it have offended you?

Would you have been a di all right?

Let me put it another way.

Would it have disappointed you?

Raise your hand.

Would it have disappointed you?

Wait, leave them up.

Come on now, hey.

Come on.

Now look, I wanted everybody to see that.

That's why I don't do it.

Amen.

That's why I don't do it.

Because it's going to hurt you.

I want to be the best example I can to you.

And I listen, I know the doctor's about the wine.

I'm not going there.

I'm not going there.

Because I'm not going to get in a.

I understand the word wine.

God did not use the word wine for fermented and non-fermented.

I wish they had it.

It'd have made it a lot easier for us.

But I don't even care.

That's not the issue with me.

Let me tell you what my issue is.

My testimony.

And that's why.

Hey, overeating, guilty.

All is just as bad.

Can I get a no-me?

Just as bad.

Can't preach one without preaching the other.

And let me tell you why.

Because overeating is a bad risk for our health, too.

The Lord says that we present our bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service.

We will not be conformed to this world, but we'll be transformed by the renewing of our mind that we may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Perfect.

You still love me?

Okay.

And if I walk in your house and I see some wine or if I see a beer, I'm not going to say, Hey, you sinner.

I'm not going to do that.

I don't do that.

I've won too many of my friends that drink.

I've won them to the Lord.

I don't condemn, I don't condemn people.

That's not my job.

My job is to love you and to tell you the truth.

That's it.

That's my job.

And that's what I'll be held accountable for.

Can I say something?

I have my own problems trying to keep my own self straight.

I don't need to walk around trying to keep you straight.

Amen.

Hello.

Help me, Jesus.

Amen?

Hey, I do.

I do.

I'm serious.

Susan and I, hey, hey, in this marriage retreat, you're gonna get to see how we we fight fair sometimes.

Sometimes we don't fight fair.

Speak for yourself.

I told you that's a preview.

That's a preview.

I told Rosemary and Iville, I said, we're gonna let them give their testimony how they they've lived together for all these years, and they really hadn't had too many discussions.

David and Christy, we're gonna give some test.

Some of you gonna get, if you want to, you'll be able to give you a testimony on how we deal with issues that are different.

Amen.

We're going through a difference right now.

We have the emptiness syndrome.

That's a major change in your life.

Before we had all these things to take care of, so we didn't have time to shoot at each other.

Now that the kids are gone, now we're always shooting at the kids.

Now we don't have the kids, we're shooting at Each other.

Am I not true for you that have been there?

Rubber bullets.

That's good there.

Rubber bullets.

Woo! All right.

All right.

Quickly.

Man, that was tough.

Searching for meaning in work, he turned to work.

Now let me just say something.

I'm not going to take time to go through the verses.

I've given them to you.

Work was designed by God.

Can I get an amen?

Work was designed by God.

Genesis 2.15.

Adam was toiling the garden before sin ever entered into the world.

Can I get an amen?

Let me tell you, if you don't work, you don't eat.

2 Timothy 3.10.

That's what it says.

I didn't say that.

I'm not being mean, not being ugly.

We help people.

But some people need helping.

But people that can work, they need to work.

Amen.

You need to find a job.

Somebody said there are no jobs.

Everywhere I go, it says help wanted.

Hello?

Well, they don't pay me enough.

That's not what it says.

Just work.

Go to work.

We've several people out there working right now.

Surprose hired some extra people that needed jobs or didn't have work.

You know one thing about David, you want to work?

Get on the truck.

Well, now wait a minute.

It's cold outside.

There's a line in the street.

That's what Proverbs says.

Solomon wrote that too.

You lazy the one you don't want to go outside because there's a line in the street.

Well, kill the line and go to work.

Amen.

Kill the line and go to work.

But go to work.

God blesses that.

He blesses that.

Amen.

So I'm not going to go there.

In fact, we're Ephesians 4.28 says we work to help people that are in need.

That's why we do it.

We don't steal, we work, and we use the money that we work to help people in need.

Now, with that said, Sodom's conclusion about work.

He built houses, he built gardens, he built pools, he built these unbelievable state parks that we have today.

That's kind of what, that's the same analogy I can give you.

All these beautiful He built everything.

He dreamed it, he built it.

Heather, he built it.

He built the temple.

The most majestic temple ever been built, all with gold.

And he said, Still, this vanity of vanities.

You know what he found out about work real quick?

Oh, this is good.

Put it in there.

Number two, Sodom's conclusion about work, man's work does not satisfy him.

Verse 11 and 12, look at what he said.

Look at what he said.

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had brought, and on the labor that I had labored to do, and behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no prophet under the there was no fulfillment in it whatsoever.

Notice what else?

Man's work does not separate him.

Verse 13 through 17.

This is gonna get you good.

Then the fellow that wisdom excelleth folly as far as light excelleth darkness, the wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walketh in darkness, and I myself perceive all that one event happened to them all.

In other words, then if you wise, uh you're dumb and you're not smart, you're foolish, and we're all gonna die, and we're gonna leave, and everything went high with somebody else.

I'm thinking about this one.

I'm thinking that's so toast soon.

We gotta rewrite my wheel.

The wise verse 15, then said I in my heart, as it happens to the fool, so it happens to me.

It doesn't matter.

And why was I I mean, why was I then more wise than I said in my heart that this also is vanity?

Mercy, mercy, mercy.

Verse 17, therefore I hate life because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me for all its vanity and vexation.

He says, It doesn't matter, I have built everything I dreamed about, and it's still void.

It doesn't matter.

You can get a bigger house, you can get a better car, you can get all these things.

Apart from God, it doesn't matter.

You know why?

Third reason man's work does not succeed him.

Oh, yeah.

Look at verse 18.

Yay, I hated all my labor which I had taken under the sun because I should leave it unto the man that should be after me.

Yeah, go ahead, do your millions, and then somebody's gonna come right behind you and spend it all.

Look at what he says.

I don't know if I have that verse up there, but here's a verse.

You need to write it down.

Um let me find it.

Yeah, I do have it up there, I think.

Psalms 49, verse 17.

Psalms 49:17

It says, Don't miss this.

Look at this.

For when he dies, he shall carry nothing away, his glory shall not descend after him.

Paul put it this way, 1 Timothy 6, 7.

You came into this world with nothing, you will leave this world with nothing.

Wow.

Wow.

Why do we do this?

Why do we do this?

Why?

Well, Solomon said searching for meaning of wealth.

Let me tell you real quick.

Let's go to wealth.

Now, I don't want you to think I didn't say you'd done just to prepare for retirement.

Susan and I have done a pretty good job at our age at 60.

I am so thankful God has blessed us that we have prepared for ourselves.

We've done that and are still doing that.

But one thing we've tried to do all these years, and we want to do more, is the older we're getting and the more God gives us, the more we want to give back to Him.

We want to be givers.

Amen.

Givers.

Givers, not takers, givers.

And let me tell you why.

Let me tell you why.

There's two types of people.

Listen, don't you miss this.

This is worth you being here.

You you live with clenched fists, which means you hold everything you got.

You're greedy, you're stingy, you don't give.

You hoard it and you're miserable because you're afraid somebody's gonna steal it.

Can I tell you something?

If you see that it's not yours, you're just a steward.

If somebody steals it, it's not your problem.

Hello, preacher.

Or the other type of person you are, you live your life with an open hand.

That means anything you have, God can take.

But now watch this.

When you live that way, you say, Yeah, he can take anything you got.

Or with an open hand, he can give you anything he wants to give you to.

You can't receive anything if you have a closed fist.

Somebody say that's good, preacher.

That's the way you live.

Give and it shall be given unto you.

Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over shall men give back unto you.

Amen.

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

Acts 20 32.

Amen.

Now, quickly, and I'm gonna do I'm I'm not gonna dwell on it much.

Well, I might.

You know what Solomon came to conclusion?

Look at these verses.

I just read them.

First of all, you can't keep it, verse 18.

When you die, hey, it's gone.

There are no pockets and shrouds.

None.

None.

It's gone.

Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that gives thee power to get wealth, Deuteronomy 8.18.

Hey, put a star by Matthew 6, 19 through 34 there in your notes.

He says it talks about us laying up treasures in heaven and not on earth.

Can I get an amen?

You with me?

Then the second thing he said, second, we can't protect it.

You can't keep it, you can't protect it.

Look at verses 19 and 20.

He said, hey, verse 20, therefore went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labor which I took under the sun, for there is a man whose labor is in wisdom and in knowledge and inequity, yet to a man that hath not labored, therein shall he leave it for his portion.

This also is vanity of vanity.

Here's what he said.

He said, You can't protect it.

When you're gone, hey, whoever comes behind you is gonna do what he wants.

And let me remind you, here's the tragedy of this story.

If I can pronounce it right, Rehabam, who is Rehoboam, who is Solomon's son, came behind him and just wrecked the whole kingdom.

After 40 years of success and and peace, just wrecked it all spinning, just oh, just humiliated, really.

Who's coming behind you?

And then the last thing.

Third, we can't enjoy it as we should.

Verse 21 through 23.

Verse 23, for all these days are sorrows.

And hey, his travail, grief.

Yeah, his heart taketh the rest in the night, all is vanity.

Woo! Now let me close.

You say, Man, I'm gonna walk out of here.

No, no, no, no, you're not.

Now, it's time to be exhorted.

Are you ready?

The last three verses.

The last thing, the second thing, the enjoyment of life under the sun.

Verse 24 and 26.

This is the powerful.

There is nothing better for a man.

But look at verse 24, that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor.

This also I saw that it was from the hand of God.

Woo! In other words, here, listen, when God, look, hey, the enjoyment of, hey, the enjoyment of this life, the things God has given us is a gift from God.

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

2 Corinthians 9.15, he gave his son.

But then he goes to James 1.17, says, every good gift, every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father's life.

Thank God that God has blessed us.

Many of us, most of us are very blessed.

We have things, we have a lot.

And God says that's okay if they're in right proportion and you're using them for the right thing to honor him.

It's okay.

Enjoy them.

1 Thessalonians.

I'm at 1 Timothy 6, 17.

Oh, Paul says, God has given us these things.

Let me charge them to the rich in this world.

It's okay to be rich.

See, y'all thought I was saying you had to be a pauper.

No, it's okay.

Many, thank God for very wealthy people that underwrite God's church and God's work.

Can I get an amen?

It's okay.

But they now watch.

But don't be high-minded with it.

Don't be greedy.

Don't be stingy.

Don't trust in it.

Don't put your trust and your faith in your material things, in your, in your bank accounts.

But in the living God who gives us what?

Read this with me.

Who gives us what?

Richly, all things.

Say that with me again.

All things to enjoy.

Amen.

So don't go out here and say, well, I guess preachers just forced me to sell everything and be poor.

I did not say that.

I'm not poor.

I'm blessed.

You know what I've prayed all my life?

Proverbs.

See what Solomon didn't tell us, there's a proverb there that Solomon wrote writing to the average person saying, pray that God will not make me rich, but he won't make me poor.

Isn't that a good prayer?

I've prayed that all my life.

Lord, don't make me poor, but don't make me rich.

Because I couldn't handle it.

And let me say this: the best way to handle money, listen to me, I've learned this and still learn it.

The more God gives you, the more you give to God's work and God's ministry, and He'll bless you like you've never seen before.

It's a pleasure every week to just meet people's needs.

With the church, yes, thank you.

You give, we meet needs.

But I do that beyond the church too.

Personally, I meet needs.

Because I don't want to lose the blessings.

I learned something.

You become a conduit and you give when God tells you to give.

And listen, I pray every day.

You tell me, Lord, you tell me.

He tells me every time, give them, give them this money here.

Do this for them.

Do that.

And boy, when he does, the more he gives me, the more I give.

I mean, the more I give, excuse me, the more he gives me.

And I've gotten to the point I don't even calculate it anymore.

I don't care.

I just enjoy giving.

And you know what?

I hadn't missed a meal.

And you're not gonna miss a meal if you come faithful to church here.

We'll feed you.

Amen.

All right.

Woo! Last thing I'm through.

True enlightenment is a gift from God.

Verse 26.

Listen to what he said.

I didn't do bad in an hour, a little over an hour, to do a chapter and a half.

Y'all gotta give me pretty good credit for that.

Amen.

I mean, if I'd have taken it apart like I've taken it apart, we'd be here a month just on chapter two.

But now watch, you can't miss this truth.

Finding the real thing.

For God gives to a man that is good in his sight wisdom and knowledge and joy.

But to the sinner he gives travail to gather and to heap up that he may give to him that is good before God.

This also is vanity and vexation spirit.

He said, God gives all the wisdom, all the knowledge, according to the book of Proverbs, for you to experience good and great things in a life that is pleasing and honoring to him.

And when a life is pleasing and honoring to him, ladies and gentlemen, you have contentment, you have peace, you have purpose for life.

Whether you're poor or whether you're rich, doesn't matter.

You're content.

I grew up in a home.

I wished I'd have taken some pictures.

And when I go back to Sylvester, I'm gonna take some pictures of where I grew up and to show you where I grew up.

And I never once in my whole teenage years knew we were poor.

Not once.

Because, hey, we weren't poor.

We were poor in materialistic things, but we were rich in godly things.

And the way my grandmother loved me.

My grandpapa preached to me.

Candy boy.

And he'd have a spell.

He'd just go like that.

He said, Whoa! Spirits all over me.

I can't help that.

I see him now.

He's up there.

Tell him that's it.

That's it.

I bet he's laughing at me now.

I laughed at him.

Now he's laughing at me.

I bet he's saying, I told you.

I told you.

It's gonna get you.

It's gonna get you.

I close with Isaiah 55, verse 1 through 3.

Isaiah 55:1–3

Well, go to Proverbs 13, 22 first.

I'm sorry, Jeremy.

This is the closing.

A good man leaves all in his hairs to his children, his children, and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.

I want you to listen to this first.

This is a message in itself.

What Solomon is saying is you can work.

If you're working and getting rich under the sun without God, everything you got, God can in the end take it, take what you had, and he's going to use what the lost person had for his glory.

That's pretty in.

I thought that's pretty insightful.

But on the other hand, he said, a good man leaves inheritance.

In other words, a good man gets his what?

His inheritance in order so that he knows that his children that come after him, or whoever that receives it comes after him, will use it for the honor and glory of God.

Can I get an amen?

And that's what I meant by rewriting now.

I want to make sure I thought I'm going to check everything.

Everything I have left when I'm gone is going to be set up so it has to be used for the glory of God.

It is.

I'm sorry.

You say, well, what about your kids?

They can work.

Now, if God calls them in ministry, hello, you got help.

But if they go the other way, they ain't using that money.

Sorry.

Amen.

Oh, I know that's tough.

All right, let's go to Isaiah.

Everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters.

And he that hath no money, come ye.

Buy and eat.

Ye come.

Buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Verse 2.

Wherefore, wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which satisfies not?

Hearken diligently unto me and eat.

Listen, ye that which is good, and let your soul delight in thy in itself in fatness.

That's talking about in the blessings and the joy of God.

Verse 3 incline your ear and come unto me, hear, and your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you.

Even the sure mercy.

Wow.

And something interesting about that last word.

The word covenant in that last verse.

Out of twelve chapters, nowhere did Solomon, listen to me.

Nowhere did Solomon, this is unbelievable.

Nowhere did Solomon use the word Jehovah.

Or Adonai.

Which was in reference to God and his people when they use Adonai and Jehovah as having a relationship, covenant relationship with him.

All he used was Elohim, used it 38 times.

There we see the distance that he had come.

He was no longer walking in that intimate relationship with God when he wrote Ecclesiastes.

But at the end of the book, Ecclesiastes 12.

Before he dies, it gets right with God.

He comes back to God.

Can I get an Amen?

I don't want you to leave here saying, Man.

And we'll see how that happens as we go.

I want you to have a covenant relationship with God.

That means an intimacy with Him like you've never had before.

Amen.

Amen.

Why?

Not just because for you, but for your children's children.

It makes a difference.

Every head bow, every eye conference.

Thanks again for tuning into this week's message.

We pray that your life has been changed.

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