The Vanity of the Overly Wordy Worship (Ecclesiastes 4:1-16)- Pastor Kenneth Collins Maple

You would take those Bibles and open them to

the Old Testament wisdom book of Ecclesiastes.

As we continue in our sermon series through this

wonderful and yet often neglected book, we are

not neglecting it here at Fairview. We're just

moving right along through it. Ecclesiastes chapter

five focusing. on verses one through seven, and

I would ask you to follow along with me, for

this is God's word. Guard your steps when you

go to the house of God. To draw near to listen

is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools,

for they do not know that they are doing evil.

Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart

be hasty to utter a word before God, for God

is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore,

let your words be few, for a dream comes with

much business and a fool's voice with many words.

When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying

it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what

you vow. It is better that you should not vow

than that you should vow and not pay. Let not

your mouth lead you into sin. Do not say before

the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should

God be angry at your voice and destroy the work

of your hands? For when dreams increase and words

grow many, there is vanity. But God is the one

you must fear. Blessed are those who hear and

keep what is written. Let us pray. Father, we

bless you and we praise you and we thank you

for your word. As we hear of a word that speaks

of worship and as we hear of a word that speaks

of listening, Lord, would you open up our ears,

our minds and our hearts to know you and to live

out your word. These things we ask in Christ's

name, amen. We have noted it many times in our

study of Ecclesiastes, how many times that Ecclesiastes

seems to be referencing Genesis, and especially

the beginnings of Genesis. And we noted before

the individual that we call Abel, of Cain and

Abel. And we noticed how the word for Abel is

actually the word that is found throughout all

of Ecclesiastes, and it's actually the word Hevel.

And we said how much that Abel fits that, because

for a time Abel was there. And yet because Cain

rose up and struck him down, then Abel was gone.

And this is what the word Hevel, vanity, Shows

us isn't it that it quite literally means a breath

of vapor a mist that is here and it is gone and

so as Abel was there for a time then he was gone,

but You'll notice before that happened. You'll

remember that Cain and Abel were to offer sacrifices

and So they come in Genesis chapter 4 to do that

Genesis 4 · chapter mention

very thing Abel brought a sacrifice of the firstborn

of the flock and it was accepted by the Lord.

Cain's sacrifice, though, was of the fruit of

the ground and it was rejected. Was it the content

of the gift that was rejected or was it the content

of the heart? Well, we don't have to speculate.

The book of Hebrews actually jumps in here to

show us it was a heart issue. Hebrews 11 for

by faith Abel offered the God a more acceptable

sacrifice than Cain Through which he was commended

as righteous God commending him by accepting

his gifts And so we see with Cain and Abel we

see a very foolish sacrifice, don't we? Is that

not also what we see in Ecclesiastes chapter

Ecclesiastes 5 · chapter mention

5? It opens up speaking of this foolish sacrifice

and what it's really telling us is that we are

to come bringing the sacrifice of praise before

the Lord our God and We should come with hearts

that are ready to worship We should come with

prepared hearts into the very sanctuary of God

to offer to God worship that is less than worshipful

and less than prepared is sinful and it is foolish

and we must repent of our lackadaisical, our

casual way of worship. You'll also note here

within this section that the emphasis on this

passage is on listening. We must pay attention

to the very word of God because we were made

to worship and he tells us how. And so what we

see within this passage are actually two things

here, two actions that are part of worship. He

speaks of sacrificing, and the writer of Ecclesiastes

speaks of vows. And so let's look at sacrifices

first. If you read the Old Testament, you do

see many times that it speaks about sacrifices.

But sacrifices were never to be done casually.

Sacrifices were never to be done by the Israelites

without meaning, without purpose, without heart.

Isaiah chapter 1 shows that God is sickened by

Isaiah 1 · chapter mention

Israel's sacrifices because they're done without

hearts that love him. The book of Amos in chapter

5 says that God hates their sacrifices because

they are the sacrifices of fools. Their foolishness

is shown in that they don't listen. Sacrificing

without listening is not what God wants. And

throughout the scriptures we are reminded of

this. 1 Samuel 15 22 says to obey is better than

sacrifice. Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 4 shows

Deuteronomy 6:4

us this incredible time of listening. Hear, O

Israel, the Lord your God is one. It's as if

God is saying, hear ye, hear ye, pay attention

to what I'm telling you. And certainly we remember

Romans chapter 10 verse 17. Faith comes by what?

Romans 10:17

By hearing and hearing by the word of Christ

and therefore the believer The action the believer

must have when we come into worship is to listen

and to listen well. Because how does God speak

to his people today? He speaks by his word, doesn't

he? And he does not give his word to be ignored.

The word of God must always be central in our

worship. Therefore, we will never have a worship

service without the reading of God's word. And

this is not just true in kind of New Covenant,

New Testament worship. Actually, you can see

this in Old Testament worship as well, that a

priest would read from the Scriptures. Nehemiah

shows us this very well. The priest would read

from the Scriptures and there would be a time

of silence. There would be a time for listening.

It's just like Ecclesiastes chapter 3 verse 7

Ecclesiastes 3:7

has to say, there is a time to be silent. and

there's a time to speak and we must really consider

in whose presence we are when we come for worship

because what this passage is doing here it's

not talking about the decided pagan the hard

-hearted person who doesn't want to have anything

to do with God no this is speaking about worshipers

those who desire to come into God's presence

to lift up their voices and praise and to hear

from Him, and yet to offer such praise without

meaning, without heart, without new obedience,

this is wrong. And so we must be mindful of who

God is and who we are when we come into His house.

This also speaks in verse two about our problem.

It's not just that we don't listen, but we talk

too much, some of us more than others. But verse

two puts us in our place, doesn't it? It says,

be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart

be hasty to utter a word before God for God is

in heaven and you are on earth. This is a reminder

of who God is and who we are. We ought to have

the spirit of David. This has actually already

been referenced by Dalton. But Psalm 8, specifically

verses 3 through 4 should remind us of who we

are and who God is. For it says, when I look

at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the

moon and the stars which you have set in place,

what is man that you're mindful of him? And what

is the son of man that you care for him? Indeed,

God is in heaven and we are on earth. And consider

even the way that Jesus prays, our Father who

art in heaven. When we come before God in worship,

we are addressing the very one who resides in

heaven and who created the heavens and the earth

merely by speaking it into existence. And so

let us respect God. Let us fear God, this text

says in verse seven. On a day in which we should

honor our mothers, and as we remember from the

commandments that we ought to give to respect

to our fathers and to our mothers and to all

in positions of respect and honor, how much more

honor and respect should we have of the eternal,

almighty, and triune God? This shows us that

our words are to be few. We are to be humbled

by God's word and to listen to him. And then

we get this kind of proverb in verse three, for

a dream comes with much business and a fool's

voice with many words. What is this showing us

here? But that there is, as there is kind of

a correlation between the busy body and the nightmares

they have, there's a correlation between the

man who speaks too much and never listens. We

must be people who listen, because as this text

also shows us, to not listen is vanity. To not

listen is evil. And so we must listen. Now, I

know what you may be thinking here, as this is

talking about sacrifices, we're not making sacrifices

right here. We're not slaughtering lambs here

in the sanctuary, are we? And so what kind of

sacrifices do we give? Hebrews chapter 12 28

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

through 29 says offer to God acceptable worship

with reverence and awe for God is a consuming

fire. We offer a sacrifice of worship and praise.

We worship the almighty, the eternal and the

triune God. And when we do so, we should recognize

that we are in the very presence of holiness.

Right? We are in the presence of holiness. We

are like Moses Before the burning bush standing

on holy ground This should characterize our worship

this kind of this fear this all this reverence

this respect of God and There is no place in

the sanctuary for flippant casual worship We

are to leave from this sanctuary today saying

To ourselves and to God. I gave my best in worship

today. And so as you go home. And maybe you're

having lunch with the family. Around the table.

Talk about worship. Talk about the scripture,

talk about the sermon. And think to yourself,

did I really give my best in worship today? Too

many churches. Too many worship services are

seeking to have the sort of worship that's all

about me, right? Too many churches are trying

to entertain people. Too many people are trying

to make their worship services about the people

and not about God. We don't have to come up with

creative means of worship because God tells us

how he would like to be worshiped in his word.

But maybe sometimes you leave the sanctuary and

you say, I didn't really get a lot out of that.

Friends, that's the wrong statement to make.

Here's the right question to ask. What did I

put into worship today? What did I put into worship

today? Did you listen to the word? Is your Bible

open? As you are able to read, are you tracking

with what is being said here? Are you are you

seeking to understand it and apply it to your

life? Maybe the preacher isn't your favorite.

Maybe I'm not, but look beyond the preacher to

the very word of God. In order that you can say

Lord, I really listened to you today. But also

this text seems to speak of preparation for worship,

doesn't it? There are some very simple and very

good ways in which we prepare for worship, right?

And so are we going to bed at a good time in

order to be well rested for worship? This is

a way in which we can say, I really gave my best

in worship. As we like to say around our household

and as many of you do, church starts on Saturday

night, doesn't it? So taking care of the things

that you need to do beforehand on Saturday such

that you can really give yourself to worship

but also Are we coming in humility? Right are

we coming in humility into the sanctuary to worship

are we coming with repentant? Obedient hearts

are we praying that God would help us to worship

another way of preparation is Are we holding

grudges when we come into worship? Or are we

settling the score as it is before we come here?

God's word, especially Matthew 5, tells us to

do that. We are to make amends with people before

we come here. And so this is another manner of

preparation for worship. This is how we can offer

to God our sacrifice of praise. But you can also

see, moving on, in verses four through seven,

the second thing that this is about. This has

to do with vows, doesn't it? And as I led off

sharing about a bad sacrifice with Cain, here

let me show you a bad sacrifice from somebody

that you may be familiar with, especially if

you're in the Covenant Sunday School class. We

studied judges recently. Do you remember Jephthah,

right? Jephthah makes a bad vow, doesn't he?

He's coming back from battle and he says, whatever

comes out of my house to meet me when I return,

I will offer as a burnt offering. Tragically,

who comes out the door? His daughter, right?

His daughter comes through the door. And so notice

what this is saying here. It's better to not

vow than to vow and not pay. And as we see from

some other locations, it's better not to vow

than to make a foolish vow. Deuteronomy chapter

Deuteronomy 23 · chapter mention

23, 21 through 22 says, if you make a vow to

the Lord your God, you shall not delay fulfilling

it. For the Lord your God will surely require

it of you and you will be guilty of sin. But

if you refrain from vowing, you will not be guilty

of sin. Oh, would that Jephthah had read this

portion, remembered this portion. But it's not

only negative vows that we see in Scripture,

we have wonderfully kept vows too. Do you remember

Hannah? Hannah prayed, she vowed that if the

Lord would open her womb, this is in 1 Samuel

1, if the Lord would open her womb and give her

a child, she would dedicate that child to the

Lord's service. and she kept her vow. And so

what this shows us that as breaking of vows is

terribly sinful and making bad vows is sinful,

keeping our vows brings glory to God. Now our

vows may look a good deal different than what's

talked about here in Ecclesiastes, but we still

do make vows, right? We make marriage vows. baptism

vows of our children, membership vows in the

church, these are taken publicly around us, but

also in the very presence of God. And so we must

remember that when we take vows. Remember who

is listening as you take vows, the holy triune

God. And this God is always true to his word

even when we are not. And so remember your vows

today, friends. Remember your vows that you make

to your spouse. Remember your membership vows

and that you give glory to God husbands when

you love your wives well. Remember your vows

that you made to this church and know that when

you keep them, when you support the work and

the worship of this church, you are keeping your

membership vows and bringing glory to God. And

so maybe this seems like a no -brainer, but be

more like Hannah than Jephthah. Can we do that?

Why? Verse six. Let not your mouth lead you into

sin and do not say before the messenger that

it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at

your voice and destroy the work of your hands?

Let not your mouth lead you into sin. This is

one of the reasons that I think actually Solomon

wrote this book because it sounds remarkably

similar to some of the Proverbs. Proverbs 10

19 when words are many, transgression is not

lacking. And yet sometimes we do maybe run our

mouths a little bit. Sometimes we do say foolish

things. Sometimes we take vows and we don't keep

them. Sometimes we talk badly about one another.

And sometimes people leave the church because

of that. They say those hypocrites over there,

they say one thing and they do the other thing.

Friends, this should obviously tell us to keep

our word. But doesn't this also show us that

there is no perfect church under the sun? Yes.

One of the vows that we take is that we are sinners,

right? I don't know of any other place on the

planet, I'm sure there is one, other than the

local church, where in order to be a member you

have to say, yeah, I'm a sinner. They don't ask

you that when you go for membership at the gym,

right? And so we recognize that, that this is

an imperfect church, right? But isn't that how

God has always operated, working with imperfect

people? Do you remember the disciples? Nobody's

first choice, right? And yet Jesus worked with

them and he taught them and they were the ones

who took the church out after his death and resurrection

and his ascension and the church just exploded

upon the scene. God has always worked with imperfect

people. and he's sanctifying us along the way.

And so today, maybe you need some encouragement

with your vows. Maybe you need some encouragement

with your worship. Notice how verse one and verse

four are written. I'll read part of these again.

Verse one, guard your steps when you go to the

house of God. Verse 4, when you vow a vow to

God. And I think that this is clearly seen in

most translations. It's a good translation to

see the word when. Friends, the word is when,

not if. And so perhaps today, you're struggling

with that membership vow. Perhaps today, you're

struggling to love your spouse well. You have

another opportunity right here, right now. When

you go, not if. And so yes, there's grace for

the failure. And Lord willing, if Jesus continues

to tarry, will we not be right here in the same

place again next week, again, when, not if? We

need to be here in order to keep our vows, but

God is refining us. He is creating, listening

hearts. He's stirring up our joyful hearts, right?

And so we keep worshiping. But how can we do

it? How can we continue to worship? We must remember

that God keeps his vows. God keeps his. promises.

Think of some of the most remarkable promises

in scripture. I really love from John six when

Jesus says the father will lose nothing that

he has given to the son or remember the promise

of the spirit from Joel that comes alive. in

Acts chapter two. Remember the promise of the

regenerated heart in the book of Jeremiah. God

is faithful to all of these promises and that

knowing that God keeps his promises should stir

up worship and affection for him. In terms of

sacrifice, we give our sacrifice of praise because

Jesus sacrificed his life. and talk about listening,

talk about an economy of words. Isaiah 53 shows

us that Jesus was like a lamb led to the slaughter,

but he opened not his mouth. He opened not his

mouth, instead enduring all of the pain of the

very wrath of God for you and for me. And it's

through him that we have access to the Father.

Verse two, if you look there again, and as I

already said, it puts us in a place that God

is in heaven and you are on earth. Isn't that

though what Jesus does coming from heaven to

earth in order to save us? Because of this, we

have access to the Father. Hebrews chapter 10.

Hebrews 10 · chapter mention

Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence

to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus,

by the new and living way that he opened for

us through the curtain, that is through his flesh,

and since we have a great high priest over the

house of God, let us approach with a true heart

and full assurance of faith. You and I, we can

be here because of Jesus and his sacrifice for

us. In short, you worship because Jesus gave

up his life for you. And so, as I conclude, when

you're sluggish on Sunday mornings to get here

and you would rather just continue to slumber,

listen to the very word of God. Be reminded what

Jesus did for you. When you find it hard to keep

your marriage vows after yet another argument,

remember what Jesus did for you. When your family

worship maybe isn't going as well as you had

hoped later today, remember what Jesus did for

you. Listen to the scriptures. Remember that

Jesus is your sacrifice and that he is the yes

and he is the amen. to all of the promises of

God. Let us pray.