WEBVTT

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 All that does is provide a little time for me to get ready and then get up here.

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 So that's not all it does.

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 What that is is a little introduction video to our series in Ecclesiastes.

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 If you've been here the last few weeks, then you've seen it before.

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 So if you're not here, if you haven't been here and you want to see it,

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 come back next week and we'll show it again.

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 It'll be great.

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 Listen, we have been in this series for a few weeks in Ecclesiastes.

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 How many of you guys woke up and read Ecclesiastes this morning?

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 Anybody?

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 I didn't think so.

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 It's not usually the book of the Bible that we turn to the most frequently,

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 but we are in week three now and we're talking about Solomon.

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 King Solomon is likely the author of Ecclesiastes and calls himself the teacher.

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 And that seems like an audacious thing to call yourself

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 until you realize what King Solomon had.

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 And that was unlimited wisdom given to him directly from God,

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 unlimited wealth that he had accrued through his wisdom on this earth.

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 And so this guy had reached the pinnacle of life on earth.

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 They call him the richest man ever, King Solomon of Israel.

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 Peak net worth was approximately, this is a very conservative estimate,

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 in today's dollars about $2 trillion, which would easily make him the wealthiest man of all time.

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 More likely it was probably $4 to $5 trillion.

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 You know, approximately the net worth of the U.S. government,

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 but without the trillion dollars of debt.

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 So there's that.

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 King Solomon ruled from 970 B.C. to 951 B.C.

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 And during this time he's said to have received about 25 tons of gold

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 for every year of his 39 years of being king of Israel.

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 25 tons of gold annually.

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 It's not a bad retirement plan.

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 If you say, I know I'm going to get this 25 tons of gold every year,

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 so I think I'll be okay for after I retire.

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 Solomon's vast wealth.

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 You're probably not going to be able to see much on this slide

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 unless you're sitting like in the first two pews here, but that's okay.

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 King Solomon owned a large palace as well as huge quantities of food, livestock.

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 He also owned 12,000 horses.

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 This is all from 1 Kings.

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 4,000 stalls for chariot horses.

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 666 talents of gold received per year.

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 That's the 25 tons.

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 What does that say?

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 I've got to get over here so I can see it.

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 540 talents of gold from Ophir and the Queen of Sheba.

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 These were prominent guests that came to visit him.

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 About another, an additional 20 1⁄2 tons,

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 just on top of everything else.

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 500 gold shields.

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 Fleet of trading ships that brought him gold, silver, ivory, apes, baboons,

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 all kinds of exotic animals.

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 Gold goblets.

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 All household articles.

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 Pure gold.

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 Revenues from merchants, traders, governors, Arabian kings.

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 Precious stones.

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 Large quantities of spices.

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 Spices were incredibly valuable back then.

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 And then down here at the bottom, 1 Kings 10, 27.

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 Solomon was so wealthy that he made silver in Israel as common as stones.

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 Silver was basically worthless in Israel at the time because it was so common to have silver.

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 Silver was so common to have silver in Israel as well.

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 This was unmatched wealth that Solomon had gained through his years of power.

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 But not just power.

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 A lot of people have had power.

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 But through wisely and accurately executing God's will for his kingdom and his people through the wisdom that came from God.

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 Last week we talked about how wisdom alone is not enough.

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 You can be right, but it doesn't always fix the problem, does it?

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 You can know what's wrong, but that doesn't always help solve the issue.

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 Today we're going to talk about the mirage of more.

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 Here's where we find ourselves.

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 If you'll take your Bibles and turn to Ecclesiastes chapter 2.

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 We're going to look at verse 1.

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 We're going to look down at verses 10, 11.

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 We're going to bounce around through this book a little bit and find this idea of the mirage that accumulating or gathering more to yourself actually provides for you.

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 If more could satisfy a human heart, it would have worked for Solomon.

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 Listen to how the Bible describes his life.

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 He built a palace that took 13 years to complete.

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 He drank wine and hosted endless parties.

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 He owned the fleets of ships we talked about importing exotic goods.

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 He had singers, entertainers, art, gardens, parks, pools, vineyards.

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 His throne was made of ivory and overlaid with gold.

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 Ivory, like from elephant tusks.

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 It's illegal, I think, now to make things out of ivory, but, you know, back then.

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 Silver became so common it was considered worthless.

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 He had 700 wives, 300 concubines in addition to the wives because somehow 700 wasn't enough.

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 People traveled from around the world just to hear Solomon speak.

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 If he was alive today, he would be the one lifestyle influencer that we all follow.

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 He would be the one politician and ruler that they would all try to get audience with and try to get in the good graces of.

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 He would be the man.

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 Travel, food, architecture, beauty, wealth, romance, success.

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 He didn't just have a good life.

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 He had the dream life.

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 And yet, Ecclesiastes is this man telling us that didn't work.

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 It wasn't enough.

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 He didn't say, I feel guilty.

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 He didn't even say, I did it wrong.

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 What he says is, it didn't satisfy me.

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 This is not a book about failure.

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 It's a book about success.

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 And how success did not deliver what he thought it would.

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 So look with me, Ecclesiastes chapter 2 and verse 1.

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 What we're going to see is truth number 1.

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 We fill our lives, but we cannot fill our souls.

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 We fill our lives, but we cannot fill our souls.

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 How does Solomon say it?

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 I said to myself, come on.

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 Let's try pleasure.

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 Let's look for the good things in life.

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 But I found that this too was meaningless.

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 Would you skip down to verses 10 and 11?

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 Anything I wanted, I would take.

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 I denied myself no pleasure.

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 Even found great pleasure in hard work.

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 Lest you get under the impression that Solomon was just a playboy going out there doing whatever he wanted

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 and just making himself feel good all the time.

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 He valued above anyone hard work and earning success.

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 Getting to the top of the ladder by legitimate means.

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 Solomon did it.

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 He was wise.

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 He made the right calls.

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 He made the right decisions.

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 He did the hard work to build the greatest kingdom on earth.

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 And it was a reward for all his labors.

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 But he looked across at everything he had worked so hard to accomplish,

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 and he says it was all so meaningless.

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 Like what?

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 Like chasing the wind.

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 And that's the idea, the concept from where we get the title of this series, catching smoke.

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 Good luck chasing the wind.

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 You're never going to catch it, are you?

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 The wind is always going to outrun you.

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 You got the storm chasers out there, but they can never catch the tornado.

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 They can never stop the hurricane.

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 They can never materially hold it.

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 And we can't do that with smoke.

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 It's like trying to catch smoke in your hand.

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 That's what the little video beforehand was going to illustrate for you.

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 But listen.

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 It says it's like chasing the wind.

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 There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.

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 Then, as we read verse 1, we read verses 10 and 11, he lists the things that he tried.

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 What are these things that he listed?

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 They're pleasure.

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 They're projects to make you feel accomplished.

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 Achieving prosperity.

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 There was peace in Israel.

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 People weren't coming up against.

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 Man, how many times, how many eras of Israel's history was there peace in the land?

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 Very few.

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 You look back across the history of Israel, it has been a bloody history.

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 They've always been fighting somebody.

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 Somebody's been always coming after them.

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 And God said it would be that way.

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 But God has protected them through every stage.

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 Solomon's era was largely peaceful.

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 It was unbelievable.

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 They were top dog during Solomon's time.

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 So it was a time of prosperity.

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 But that didn't fulfill him.

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 He had all the possessions.

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 He had all the prestige.

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 He achieved all of this.

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 And he says, none of it fulfilled my soul.

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 He filled his lives.

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 Look at this again.

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 He filled his life with everything that there was to fill.

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 And man, if you were part of Solomon's family, you had it made.

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 If you were part of his court, you had it made.

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 If you were his friend, if you were in the good graces of the king, your life, it trickled down from Solomon.

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 You were set for life.

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 He helped himself and everyone he cared about.

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 He helped his kingdom.

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 He helped God's people.

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 God used him powerfully to help his people.

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 And he tells you that it wasn't enough.

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 It didn't fill his soul.

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 Why?

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 Because that alone is never going to be enough.

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 Because all of those things.

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 Let's look at it again.

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 He listed in verses 10 and 11.

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 The pleasure, the projects, the prosperity, the possessions, the prestige.

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 All those things.

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 Do you know where you find them?

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 Where do you find all those things?

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 Solomon would tell you, you find them under the sun.

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 Those are all things you find under the sun that shines down on all of us.

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 You can't fulfill your soul with things found under the sun.

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 What does the end of that video say?

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 I'm testing y'all.

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 See if you pay attention during those videos.

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 We've shown them the last couple weeks.

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 How do we live this life under the sun?

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 What do we do?

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 A little louder?

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 We look above the sun.

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 Thank you, Brian Hall.

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 We look above the sun.

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 That's where he's trying to get us to.

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 That's where he's trying to.

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 This is going to be the, man, cheat sheet.

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 We're sneaking ahead to the final sermon in this series, all right?

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 He reaches the final conclusion of all of this that he's teaching us as the teacher.

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 And he says, you're never going to find fulfillment under the sun.

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 He says, this is the final conclusion.

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 We're going to get there in chapter 12 at the end.

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 So, the most devastating word in the whole passage that he lists is that these things were insufficient.

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 They filled his life, but they did not fulfill his soul.

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 A few chapters ahead in Ecclesiastes 5, it says, those who love money will never have enough.

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 How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness.

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 Boy, what a testimony from a guy who is wealthier than anyone will ever be.

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 You can't accumulate that kind of wealth in today's world.

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 You can't.

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 Jeff Bezos can't do it.

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 Bill Gates can't do it.

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 Nobody can do it.

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 How meaningless to think that wealth or getting more will ever make you happy.

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 What happens when you chase something and then you get it?

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 You find something else to chase.

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 Because otherwise, you would feel empty.

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 Well, I've spent the last 10 years going for this and now I have it.

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 What am I going to spend my life chasing now?

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 Now, you've always got to find something else to pursue.

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 And that's what Solomon found.

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 In Luke chapter 12, Jesus teaches us the same concept.

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 He says, watch out.

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 Man, if Jesus tells you to watch out, you better watch out.

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 You better pay attention to whoever comes next.

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 Jesus often didn't speak this way.

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 And so he says, watch out.

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 Guard against every kind of greed.

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 Life is not measured by how much you own.

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 Look, you can go to India.

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 I've been to India on missions trips many times.

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 I've been to Russia, the former Soviet Union, Ukraine.

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 I've been to poor countries.

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 Third world economies.

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 Places where people are struggling.

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 And they have nowhere to turn to get out of their economic situation.

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 In America, it's often different.

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 Often, there are opportunities.

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 There's hope.

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 I'm not saying people don't struggle here.

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 I'm not saying everybody has a chance to turn their situation around.

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 But America birthed the middle class.

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 And the problem is, in America, most of us who would be considered middle class,

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 whether you're lower or in the true middle or you're upper middle class or whatever,

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 or maybe you're below the economy line or maybe you're above that line,

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 regardless, most of us try to own more or better.

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 And Jesus literally says, watch out for that.

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 That is a kind of greed.

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 It's not just, I want my bank account to have more dollars than the next guy.

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 It's the greed of saying, I need more, I need better constantly.

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 I got a great TV.

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 Now I want a better one.

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 I got a great job.

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 Now I need a better one.

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 I got a great truck.

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 I got a great boat.

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 I had a great vacation.

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 Now we need better.

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 Constantly, we need to upgrade.

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 And that's what society ingrains into us from an early age.

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 You got to upgrade.

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 You got to get more.

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 You got to get better.

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 Listen, there is nothing inherently wrong with those things.

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 But Jesus says, watch out.

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 Because that can so quickly turn to greed.

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 And it will never help you.

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 It will never fulfill you.

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 It will take over your life and you'll get to the end,

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 whether you achieved it or you didn't.

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 And you'll say, man, I'm still unsatisfied.

00:15:30.399 --> 00:15:34.440
 Because life cannot be measured by how much you own.

00:15:35.040 --> 00:15:37.580
 And then in Proverbs, this is interesting because Solomon wrote

00:15:37.580 --> 00:15:39.720
 the majority of the Proverbs as well.

00:15:39.780 --> 00:15:43.520
 And he says, just as death and destruction are never satisfied,

00:15:43.960 --> 00:15:46.800
 so human desire is never satisfied.

00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:50.740
 Has there ever been a time on this earth where there wasn't death?

00:15:52.159 --> 00:15:54.120
 Death is the one thing we haven't figured out, right?

00:15:54.599 --> 00:15:55.839
 It's the one thing we can't avoid.

00:15:56.319 --> 00:15:57.819
 We have no answer for death.

00:15:58.319 --> 00:16:00.419
 Only God holds the keys to life and death.

00:16:01.099 --> 00:16:02.959
 Destruction will always happen on this earth.

00:16:03.019 --> 00:16:03.779
 It's unavoidable.

00:16:03.879 --> 00:16:04.120
 Why?

00:16:04.120 --> 00:16:08.240
 Why is destruction so unavoidable on this earth?

00:16:08.299 --> 00:16:09.659
 Does anybody have a theory on that?

00:16:12.340 --> 00:16:13.100
 What's that?

00:16:14.000 --> 00:16:14.560
 Sin.

00:16:15.279 --> 00:16:16.159
 A few of y'all had it.

00:16:17.179 --> 00:16:20.899
 Sin is the reason that destruction will always happen on this earth.

00:16:21.820 --> 00:16:23.340
 Destruction of economies.

00:16:23.519 --> 00:16:24.560
 Destruction of nations.

00:16:25.060 --> 00:16:26.220
 Destruction of people groups.

00:16:26.379 --> 00:16:27.620
 Destruction of human rights.

00:16:28.019 --> 00:16:29.000
 Destruction of freedom.

00:16:29.419 --> 00:16:30.340
 Destruction of happiness.

00:16:30.539 --> 00:16:31.419
 Destruction of joy.

00:16:31.419 --> 00:16:35.299
 All throughout human history, there are tales of destruction.

00:16:36.439 --> 00:16:38.419
 And Solomon saw this, and he teaches, says,

00:16:38.819 --> 00:16:41.179
 death and destruction are never satisfied.

00:16:41.419 --> 00:16:45.699
 And just like that, your desires will never be satisfied.

00:16:47.179 --> 00:16:50.799
 Under the sun, you can't satisfy your heart.

00:16:51.519 --> 00:16:53.479
 You have to look above the sun.

00:16:55.459 --> 00:16:58.819
 The problem with more is that it's not always evil.

00:16:58.820 --> 00:17:05.039
 The problem with more is that it trains your heart to need more.

00:17:05.700 --> 00:17:07.100
 Even more.

00:17:07.900 --> 00:17:08.500
 More money.

00:17:09.240 --> 00:17:10.400
 More pressure.

00:17:11.120 --> 00:17:12.180
 More success.

00:17:12.640 --> 00:17:13.860
 More anxiety.

00:17:14.539 --> 00:17:15.440
 More stuff.

00:17:16.160 --> 00:17:16.940
 More maintenance.

00:17:17.900 --> 00:17:18.920
 More options.

00:17:19.920 --> 00:17:20.880
 More regret.

00:17:21.559 --> 00:17:22.720
 Or dissatisfaction.

00:17:23.600 --> 00:17:24.860
 You can fill your calendar.

00:17:25.019 --> 00:17:25.799
 You can fill your garage.

00:17:25.799 --> 00:17:30.779
 You can fill your savings account, your resume, your weekends, your phone, your life.

00:17:31.619 --> 00:17:33.539
 And you still feel empty.

00:17:34.559 --> 00:17:35.500
 Why is this?

00:17:36.339 --> 00:17:38.819
 It's because success is a disappointing savior.

00:17:40.139 --> 00:17:41.319
 Can we say this together?

00:17:41.599 --> 00:17:41.759
 Ready?

00:17:42.619 --> 00:17:45.339
 Success is a disappointing savior.

00:17:45.480 --> 00:17:46.259
 That's so true.

00:17:48.419 --> 00:17:50.419
 There's only one who can really save you.

00:17:50.420 --> 00:17:55.960
 And look, in a Baptist church, when you say the word save, usually we're thinking, I give

00:17:55.960 --> 00:17:56.580
 my heart to Jesus.

00:17:56.680 --> 00:17:57.460
 He saves me from sin.

00:17:57.480 --> 00:17:58.220
 He saves me from hell.

00:17:58.460 --> 00:18:01.759
 He guarantees me a spot in heaven and he washes my sins away and I'm good now.

00:18:03.220 --> 00:18:07.880
 That is one type of salvation that God offers to you because of what Jesus did on the cross.

00:18:08.019 --> 00:18:10.400
 But that is not the limit of his salvation.

00:18:10.900 --> 00:18:12.740
 He can save you from so much.

00:18:12.800 --> 00:18:14.740
 He can save you from yourself.

00:18:14.740 --> 00:18:20.480
 And he can save you from the powers of this darkness that surrounds us and we wake up to

00:18:20.480 --> 00:18:21.099
 it every day.

00:18:21.779 --> 00:18:23.680
 But success can't save you from any of that.

00:18:24.299 --> 00:18:25.579
 It's a disappointing savior.

00:18:25.960 --> 00:18:28.460
 It is a tool of the darkness.

00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:30.980
 Now look, God can turn it around.

00:18:31.240 --> 00:18:36.720
 And Joshua 1.8 teaches us that if you meditate on God's word, if you follow him, if you give

00:18:36.720 --> 00:18:39.819
 your heart to him, that he says, I will give you good success.

00:18:39.819 --> 00:18:41.160
 It's a different kind of success.

00:18:41.460 --> 00:18:44.059
 It's a success that comes from above the sun.

00:18:44.059 --> 00:18:50.980
 Your life might not always look successful under the sun, but it's being judged by the wrong

00:18:50.980 --> 00:18:51.919
 measuring stick.

00:18:53.419 --> 00:18:56.440
 Earthly success is a disappointing savior.

00:18:56.619 --> 00:19:03.799
 Number two, truth two, we strive to achieve joy instead of receiving it.

00:19:04.740 --> 00:19:07.500
 You cannot achieve joy.

00:19:07.500 --> 00:19:15.200
 You can't work hard enough or set up just the right system.

00:19:15.319 --> 00:19:16.960
 It can't be diagnosed.

00:19:17.460 --> 00:19:21.140
 There's no diagram that equals or equation that equals joy.

00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:24.599
 You have to receive joy.

00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:28.500
 You can find moments of happiness.

00:19:28.500 --> 00:19:31.900
 You can be glad at certain times.

00:19:31.960 --> 00:19:33.220
 You can feel positively.

00:19:33.920 --> 00:19:34.940
 You can laugh.

00:19:35.079 --> 00:19:35.740
 You can joke.

00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:38.599
 You can be in a good mood.

00:19:39.660 --> 00:19:40.720
 Those things change.

00:19:41.720 --> 00:19:43.779
 Joy is a gift from God.

00:19:44.420 --> 00:19:46.940
 You can only receive it from him.

00:19:47.480 --> 00:19:50.019
 Solomon's mistake wasn't just what he pursued.

00:19:50.019 --> 00:19:52.180
 It was how he pursued it.

00:19:52.839 --> 00:19:54.639
 He tried to manufacture joy.

00:19:54.799 --> 00:19:56.160
 He tried to produce joy.

00:19:56.240 --> 00:19:57.420
 He tried to achieve it.

00:19:58.160 --> 00:20:00.059
 But it's not something that you can conquer.

00:20:00.460 --> 00:20:02.079
 It's something you receive from God.

00:20:02.200 --> 00:20:07.180
 In the next chapter over, or just a few verses down actually, before we get to chapter three,

00:20:07.420 --> 00:20:10.299
 in verse 24 of chapter two, he says,

00:20:10.299 --> 00:20:18.399
 I decided that there's nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work.

00:20:19.379 --> 00:20:20.279
 Look at that again.

00:20:20.379 --> 00:20:26.139
 He said, I decided there's nothing better than food and drink and being satisfied with what you work at.

00:20:26.960 --> 00:20:28.279
 Can anybody else identify with that?

00:20:28.359 --> 00:20:29.339
 Like that's the simple life.

00:20:29.419 --> 00:20:30.559
 That's the good life, right?

00:20:33.220 --> 00:20:38.960
 Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God.

00:20:40.299 --> 00:20:46.639
 The reason that I find joy in these things is because God gives it to me.

00:20:47.519 --> 00:20:50.259
 Because I'm following his design for my life.

00:20:51.539 --> 00:20:54.200
 But when I'm trying to manufacture the joy,

00:20:54.960 --> 00:21:00.839
 when I'm trying to get better and use those things that are actually just gifts from God and say,

00:21:01.119 --> 00:21:05.399
 all right, I'm going to take what God gave me and I'm going to leverage it and I'm going to get better at it

00:21:05.399 --> 00:21:09.180
 and I'm going to get to the top of the ladder at it and I'm just going to be the best

00:21:09.180 --> 00:21:11.640
 at enjoying what God gave me.

00:21:12.240 --> 00:21:13.140
 Man, you've ruined it.

00:21:13.660 --> 00:21:15.080
 You totally missed the point.

00:21:15.900 --> 00:21:17.360
 And I think that's what Solomon's telling us.

00:21:17.600 --> 00:21:19.019
 I got to the top of the heap.

00:21:19.200 --> 00:21:21.440
 I took these things which are good gifts from God

00:21:21.440 --> 00:21:23.560
 and I turned them on their head

00:21:23.560 --> 00:21:29.560
 and I got to the top of the ladder

00:21:29.559 --> 00:21:31.519
 in the human eyes

00:21:31.519 --> 00:21:33.339
 in all those areas.

00:21:33.440 --> 00:21:35.059
 Food, drink, success, work,

00:21:35.619 --> 00:21:36.159
 all that.

00:21:37.819 --> 00:21:38.679
 And it ruined it.

00:21:39.339 --> 00:21:40.000
 Next chapter.

00:21:40.379 --> 00:21:40.919
 Chapter 3.

00:21:41.019 --> 00:21:42.119
 Would you turn over one page?

00:21:42.220 --> 00:21:43.619
 Chapter 3, verse 12 and 13.

00:21:44.419 --> 00:21:45.319
 So I concluded.

00:21:45.819 --> 00:21:47.500
 Here's a conclusion that we've been looking for.

00:21:48.139 --> 00:21:49.700
 All the way, chapters 1, 2,

00:21:49.740 --> 00:21:50.460
 and now into 3,

00:21:50.619 --> 00:21:51.779
 we've been waiting for Solomon.

00:21:51.899 --> 00:21:53.039
 What is the conclusion here?

00:21:53.159 --> 00:21:54.759
 You're telling us a lot of dreary stuff.

00:21:55.460 --> 00:21:56.740
 You're getting us down here, man.

00:21:56.900 --> 00:21:57.720
 What are you getting to?

00:21:58.019 --> 00:22:00.200
 I concluded that there is nothing better

00:22:00.200 --> 00:22:03.059
 than to be happy and enjoy ourselves

00:22:03.059 --> 00:22:05.140
 as long as we can.

00:22:05.279 --> 00:22:06.900
 People should eat and drink.

00:22:07.559 --> 00:22:08.620
 When y'all get out of church,

00:22:08.680 --> 00:22:09.539
 we got to listen to Solomon.

00:22:09.680 --> 00:22:11.480
 People should eat and drink, okay?

00:22:12.700 --> 00:22:15.740
 Go get a nice Diet Coke and a good lunch

00:22:15.740 --> 00:22:16.480
 and you'll be good.

00:22:18.019 --> 00:22:19.059
 People should eat and drink

00:22:19.059 --> 00:22:20.740
 and they should enjoy the fruits of their labor

00:22:20.740 --> 00:22:22.900
 for these gifts are from God.

00:22:23.940 --> 00:22:25.299
 Solomon got to the end of his life

00:22:25.299 --> 00:22:26.839
 and he realized these were not things

00:22:26.839 --> 00:22:28.099
 that I achieved on my own.

00:22:28.180 --> 00:22:29.460
 Even though God gave me wisdom,

00:22:30.680 --> 00:22:33.259
 even though it looks like I set all this in motion,

00:22:33.680 --> 00:22:37.000
 God gave me the things which truly brought me joy.

00:22:37.379 --> 00:22:38.440
 He gave them to me.

00:22:38.519 --> 00:22:39.700
 They were gifts from him.

00:22:40.059 --> 00:22:42.440
 James 1, 17 puts it this way.

00:22:43.359 --> 00:22:46.099
 Whatever is good, whatever is perfect,

00:22:46.099 --> 00:22:50.480
 that is a gift coming down to us

00:22:50.480 --> 00:22:52.719
 from God our Father.

00:22:53.559 --> 00:22:57.299
 So, what does this mean?

00:22:59.299 --> 00:23:01.279
 You can't pat yourself on the back too hard.

00:23:03.519 --> 00:23:06.159
 You can't let your head swell up too full.

00:23:07.480 --> 00:23:09.879
 You can't look back and say,

00:23:09.980 --> 00:23:11.039
 man, look at everything I did.

00:23:11.699 --> 00:23:12.779
 Look at everything I accomplished.

00:23:12.779 --> 00:23:15.180
 Guys tell our wives,

00:23:15.259 --> 00:23:16.839
 look at everything I've provided for you, babe.

00:23:20.579 --> 00:23:22.180
 You can't look back and say,

00:23:22.460 --> 00:23:24.019
 I did this.

00:23:25.220 --> 00:23:26.299
 By the same token,

00:23:26.779 --> 00:23:29.339
 you can't look back at maybe the things you lack

00:23:29.339 --> 00:23:32.319
 and say, what's wrong with me?

00:23:33.379 --> 00:23:35.720
 Why haven't I gotten as much as the next guy has?

00:23:36.539 --> 00:23:38.839
 Why am I not as happy and fulfilled

00:23:38.839 --> 00:23:40.019
 as seemingly she is?

00:23:40.019 --> 00:23:43.700
 Every good and perfect thing

00:23:43.700 --> 00:23:45.240
 is a gift that comes from God

00:23:45.240 --> 00:23:47.680
 and he gives us what we need for each moment.

00:23:49.019 --> 00:23:50.879
 And then we can use his wisdom

00:23:50.879 --> 00:23:55.599
 to gain what else he wants us to have.

00:23:56.279 --> 00:23:59.660
 We can make silly, ignorant decisions with our money

00:23:59.660 --> 00:24:01.359
 and suffer the consequences on this earth.

00:24:01.859 --> 00:24:04.920
 We can misuse what God has given to us.

00:24:05.139 --> 00:24:06.819
 Last summer, we talked through the parables of Jesus.

00:24:06.819 --> 00:24:08.980
 We talked about the parable of the talents

00:24:08.980 --> 00:24:11.379
 and the master gave his servants a different amount.

00:24:11.439 --> 00:24:13.579
 He said, go out and invest what I've given you

00:24:13.579 --> 00:24:16.139
 and then multiply it and then I'll reward you.

00:24:16.399 --> 00:24:17.679
 And two of them did and one of them didn't.

00:24:18.799 --> 00:24:22.799
 There is a principle of using wisely what God gave you.

00:24:22.879 --> 00:24:25.480
 But you have to look at the one who gave it to you

00:24:25.480 --> 00:24:26.980
 and recognize it came from him

00:24:26.980 --> 00:24:31.079
 and not put your joy attached to what he gave you.

00:24:31.079 --> 00:24:33.899
 It's the giver, not the gift.

00:24:34.740 --> 00:24:37.980
 So I want to draw your attention to this book.

00:24:39.480 --> 00:24:43.359
 Ruth Chew Simons wrote this book

00:24:43.359 --> 00:24:49.339
 called When Striving Cease.

00:24:50.359 --> 00:24:51.599
 And I pulled this quote from it.

00:24:51.980 --> 00:24:54.699
 It says, if we believe that Jesus is all we need,

00:24:54.700 --> 00:24:59.940
 let's just run a little focus group study in here today, okay?

00:25:00.559 --> 00:25:02.019
 However many people we have in the room,

00:25:02.420 --> 00:25:04.840
 how many of you would say, Jesus is all I need?

00:25:04.900 --> 00:25:05.960
 Can you slip your hand up real quick?

00:25:06.600 --> 00:25:07.480
 You don't raise your hand.

00:25:07.519 --> 00:25:08.779
 I'm gonna assume you think that Jesus

00:25:08.779 --> 00:25:10.120
 is not all that you need, okay?

00:25:10.160 --> 00:25:11.100
 You need something, all right?

00:25:11.840 --> 00:25:14.100
 If we believe that Jesus is all we need,

00:25:15.100 --> 00:25:19.840
 then why do we live worn out, fearful,

00:25:19.839 --> 00:25:24.299
 and full of anxious striving.

00:25:25.119 --> 00:25:28.980
 That word striving is kind of what she focuses on in the book.

00:25:29.899 --> 00:25:31.740
 When strivings cease.

00:25:32.299 --> 00:25:35.339
 It's a line from an old hymn that says,

00:25:35.679 --> 00:25:36.939
 my comforter, my all in all,

00:25:37.759 --> 00:25:39.139
 when strivings cease,

00:25:40.279 --> 00:25:41.919
 he's the one who gives us strength.

00:25:42.319 --> 00:25:42.819
 So listen.

00:25:48.939 --> 00:25:49.720
 Here it is.

00:25:50.279 --> 00:25:51.519
 When fears are stilled,

00:25:51.759 --> 00:25:52.879
 when strivings cease,

00:25:53.339 --> 00:25:55.000
 my comforter, my all in all,

00:25:55.539 --> 00:25:57.319
 here in the love of Christ I stand.

00:25:58.759 --> 00:26:01.379
 The writer of this hymn realized

00:26:01.379 --> 00:26:06.099
 that standing in the love of Christ

00:26:06.099 --> 00:26:07.500
 is not being lazy.

00:26:09.379 --> 00:26:11.039
 Standing in the love of Christ

00:26:11.039 --> 00:26:13.259
 doesn't mean you're not doing anything.

00:26:14.059 --> 00:26:15.319
 Doesn't mean you're not being productive.

00:26:16.399 --> 00:26:18.539
 But you've stopped striving.

00:26:18.539 --> 00:26:22.319
 You've stopped joining the rat race

00:26:22.319 --> 00:26:24.200
 with everybody else to try to get ahead,

00:26:24.740 --> 00:26:26.539
 try to get the next thing.

00:26:26.759 --> 00:26:30.019
 You've stopped chasing smoke.

00:26:30.019 --> 00:26:33.619
 And you've started resting.

00:26:34.339 --> 00:26:35.519
 You've started trusting.

00:26:36.180 --> 00:26:37.799
 You've started surrendering.

00:26:38.759 --> 00:26:43.259
 Joy does not grow in the soil of striving.

00:26:43.259 --> 00:26:49.019
 joy grows in the soil of gratefulness.

00:26:49.019 --> 00:26:54.000
 And that's the second thought I want to leave you with.

00:26:54.799 --> 00:26:58.440
 Gratitude grows when strivings cease.

00:26:58.440 --> 00:27:00.880
 Have you ever noticed

00:27:00.880 --> 00:27:04.059
 that there is a connection

00:27:04.059 --> 00:27:05.680
 between joy

00:27:05.680 --> 00:27:07.580
 and being thankful?

00:27:07.579 --> 00:27:11.819
 There's a connection in your heart

00:27:11.819 --> 00:27:12.579
 and in mine.

00:27:15.220 --> 00:27:16.579
 When I'm thankful,

00:27:17.079 --> 00:27:18.319
 when I'm content,

00:27:18.759 --> 00:27:19.859
 when I'm grateful,

00:27:20.279 --> 00:27:23.299
 I experience the joy of the Lord.

00:27:23.299 --> 00:27:26.180
 When I'm critical,

00:27:27.079 --> 00:27:28.200
 when I'm discontent,

00:27:28.700 --> 00:27:30.279
 when I'm prideful,

00:27:30.339 --> 00:27:31.460
 when I think I need more,

00:27:32.460 --> 00:27:34.659
 I don't feel joyful.

00:27:36.119 --> 00:27:37.819
 I feel like things are wrong.

00:27:38.500 --> 00:27:39.779
 Things are not as they should be.

00:27:41.119 --> 00:27:41.659
 And I bet you,

00:27:41.720 --> 00:27:42.519
 you feel the same way.

00:27:43.379 --> 00:27:44.919
 Because gratitude grows

00:27:44.919 --> 00:27:46.480
 when you stop chasing smoke.

00:27:46.639 --> 00:27:48.539
 When the strivings cease,

00:27:48.539 --> 00:27:50.720
 that's when gratitude grows

00:27:50.720 --> 00:27:51.879
 and that's when joy comes.

00:27:52.119 --> 00:27:53.500
 That's when fulfillment comes.

00:27:55.539 --> 00:27:57.599
 It's when sufficiency comes.

00:27:58.799 --> 00:28:00.019
 So here's where this connects

00:28:00.019 --> 00:28:01.299
 to our theme for our church

00:28:01.299 --> 00:28:01.920
 for the new year.

00:28:02.519 --> 00:28:03.139
 Our direction.

00:28:04.039 --> 00:28:05.099
 It's not a year of perfection.

00:28:05.240 --> 00:28:05.779
 It's a year of,

00:28:06.159 --> 00:28:06.799
 let's say it together,

00:28:07.339 --> 00:28:07.839
 direction.

00:28:08.119 --> 00:28:08.680
 Let's try it again.

00:28:08.759 --> 00:28:09.139
 Come on y'all,

00:28:09.200 --> 00:28:09.659
 you gotta be with me.

00:28:09.700 --> 00:28:10.000
 Here we go.

00:28:10.500 --> 00:28:11.639
 Not a year of perfection.

00:28:11.819 --> 00:28:13.460
 It's a year of direction.

00:28:13.680 --> 00:28:14.220
 Yes it is.

00:28:14.279 --> 00:28:15.440
 So which direction are we going?

00:28:15.680 --> 00:28:17.420
 We have to understand these truths.

00:28:17.420 --> 00:28:19.160
 This will determine the direction

00:28:19.160 --> 00:28:20.940
 that we go as individuals,

00:28:21.140 --> 00:28:21.700
 as families,

00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:23.080
 as a church.

00:28:24.300 --> 00:28:26.060
 Truths that determine our direction.

00:28:26.300 --> 00:28:28.600
 Comfort does not equal blessing.

00:28:29.900 --> 00:28:32.400
 Comfort can be a blessing from God.

00:28:32.880 --> 00:28:34.740
 But just because you're comfortable

00:28:34.740 --> 00:28:35.800
 or someone else is comfortable,

00:28:35.960 --> 00:28:38.200
 it doesn't mean that in and of itself

00:28:38.200 --> 00:28:39.759
 was a blessing from God.

00:28:39.960 --> 00:28:41.600
 That might have been a product

00:28:41.600 --> 00:28:44.200
 of you ignoring God

00:28:44.200 --> 00:28:45.320
 and you made a comfortable,

00:28:45.320 --> 00:28:45.880
 whoa.

00:28:47.420 --> 00:28:48.980
 Sorry, people up there,

00:28:49.039 --> 00:28:49.460
 don't kill me.

00:28:50.620 --> 00:28:51.300
 I better go get it

00:28:51.300 --> 00:28:52.380
 because I got one more to turn to.

00:28:52.519 --> 00:28:53.259
 All right, here we go.

00:28:54.600 --> 00:28:55.720
 Thing just flew out of my hand.

00:28:56.620 --> 00:28:58.220
 Comfort does not guarantee

00:28:58.220 --> 00:29:00.160
 blessing from God.

00:29:00.300 --> 00:29:02.340
 Secondly, easy doesn't mean faithful.

00:29:03.140 --> 00:29:04.900
 Just because something is easy

00:29:04.900 --> 00:29:08.880
 doesn't mean that is the faithful way to walk.

00:29:09.900 --> 00:29:11.779
 Just because you've been attending church

00:29:11.779 --> 00:29:12.480
 for a long time

00:29:12.480 --> 00:29:14.080
 or calling yourself a Christian

00:29:14.079 --> 00:29:16.359
 or you think that you've been following God

00:29:16.359 --> 00:29:17.099
 for a long time

00:29:17.099 --> 00:29:18.960
 but you've been doing it on your terms,

00:29:19.039 --> 00:29:19.740
 not his,

00:29:19.819 --> 00:29:21.519
 what he laid out for us in his teachings,

00:29:22.159 --> 00:29:24.099
 that's more easy.

00:29:24.720 --> 00:29:25.919
 That doesn't mean you've been faithful.

00:29:26.919 --> 00:29:27.559
 And then finally,

00:29:27.980 --> 00:29:29.759
 more does not mean better.

00:29:31.639 --> 00:29:33.199
 Just because we have more of something

00:29:33.199 --> 00:29:35.559
 doesn't mean that's better.

00:29:36.759 --> 00:29:38.379
 You look at some of the largest gatherings

00:29:38.379 --> 00:29:39.799
 in churches around the world,

00:29:39.799 --> 00:29:41.759
 some of them seem like

00:29:41.759 --> 00:29:42.940
 they're really following Jesus.

00:29:43.099 --> 00:29:43.539
 Some of them,

00:29:44.059 --> 00:29:45.559
 it's hard to find Jesus anywhere

00:29:45.559 --> 00:29:48.000
 in those thousands and thousands of people.

00:29:50.339 --> 00:29:52.599
 More does not always mean better.

00:29:53.720 --> 00:29:53.940
 So,

00:29:54.819 --> 00:29:57.419
 how do we live under the sun?

00:29:58.099 --> 00:29:59.799
 Solomon tried everything under the sun

00:29:59.799 --> 00:30:00.940
 and it failed him.

00:30:01.139 --> 00:30:02.180
 So he lifts his eyes

00:30:02.180 --> 00:30:04.200
 and we must lift our eyes

00:30:04.200 --> 00:30:05.299
 above the sun.

00:30:05.740 --> 00:30:06.779
 Let me ask you the question

00:30:06.779 --> 00:30:08.500
 that we've been learning together

00:30:08.500 --> 00:30:10.180
 to answer every week.

00:30:10.660 --> 00:30:11.319
 You ready, church?

00:30:12.000 --> 00:30:13.019
 We're not gonna do it twice.

00:30:13.119 --> 00:30:13.539
 We got this.

00:30:13.619 --> 00:30:14.359
 First try, all right?

00:30:14.400 --> 00:30:14.819
 Here we go.

00:30:15.220 --> 00:30:16.019
 One, two, three.

00:30:16.099 --> 00:30:17.359
 How do we live under the sun?

00:30:17.900 --> 00:30:19.319
 We look above the sun.

00:30:19.539 --> 00:30:19.920
 That's right.

00:30:19.980 --> 00:30:20.640
 Let's pray together.

00:30:21.160 --> 00:30:22.059
 God, this is what

00:30:22.059 --> 00:30:24.039
 we commit to do as a church.

00:30:24.119 --> 00:30:26.119
 We commit to look above the sun.

00:30:28.200 --> 00:30:30.680
 We live in the domain of darkness

00:30:30.680 --> 00:30:33.579
 but you are establishing your kingdom

00:30:33.579 --> 00:30:35.299
 and you're using us to do it.

00:30:35.299 --> 00:30:38.759
 So we can't look down here

00:30:38.759 --> 00:30:39.639
 to find fulfillment.

00:30:39.859 --> 00:30:40.859
 We can't look down here

00:30:40.859 --> 00:30:41.579
 to find joy.

00:30:42.859 --> 00:30:44.779
 You can use us under the sun.

00:30:45.259 --> 00:30:47.139
 You can use people or things

00:30:47.139 --> 00:30:48.680
 or circumstances in our lives

00:30:48.680 --> 00:30:50.659
 but it's got to come from you.

00:30:51.299 --> 00:30:53.539
 The gift has to come from you.

00:30:54.839 --> 00:30:55.839
 Help us every morning

00:30:55.839 --> 00:30:59.720
 to not let the things under the sun

00:30:59.720 --> 00:31:00.419
 steal our joy.

00:31:00.420 --> 00:31:02.820
 Help us every morning

00:31:02.820 --> 00:31:06.560
 to not let the things under the sun

00:31:06.560 --> 00:31:07.740
 steal the direction

00:31:07.740 --> 00:31:10.060
 you've given to us.

00:31:11.560 --> 00:31:13.700
 We've seen evidence of in this church.

00:31:14.420 --> 00:31:15.519
 Gunner was talking about it.

00:31:16.320 --> 00:31:18.519
 We've seen evidence over and over again

00:31:18.519 --> 00:31:21.420
 of you providing fruit that means something.

00:31:22.360 --> 00:31:23.800
 Blessings that mean something.

00:31:23.960 --> 00:31:26.259
 Life change happening in our hearts,

00:31:26.380 --> 00:31:27.420
 the people in this room.

00:31:27.420 --> 00:31:34.180
 Over 40 people

00:31:34.180 --> 00:31:37.240
 in the last two and a half years

00:31:37.240 --> 00:31:40.259
 have stepped forward in front of the church

00:31:40.259 --> 00:31:42.019
 and said I've chosen to follow Jesus.

00:31:42.980 --> 00:31:44.720
 I want to follow his example in baptism.

00:31:46.640 --> 00:31:48.039
 We've seen people grow.

00:31:48.420 --> 00:31:50.580
 We've seen families come together.

00:31:50.740 --> 00:31:52.880
 We've seen beautiful evidences

00:31:52.880 --> 00:31:55.600
 of things that really fulfill.

00:31:57.200 --> 00:31:59.420
 That stuff, that comes from above the sun.

00:31:59.940 --> 00:32:01.320
 Keep our eyes there.

00:32:02.560 --> 00:32:04.580
 Oh God, we'll give you the glory for it.

00:32:06.080 --> 00:32:07.800
 With our heads bowed, our eyes closed,

00:32:09.240 --> 00:32:11.320
 if there's a decision that the Holy Spirit

00:32:11.320 --> 00:32:12.640
 is asking you to make right now,

00:32:12.700 --> 00:32:14.420
 I pray that either in your seat

00:32:14.420 --> 00:32:17.980
 you would make that decision for God,

00:32:18.600 --> 00:32:20.040
 whatever he's prompting you to do,

00:32:20.039 --> 00:32:22.139
 or if you need to slip down front,

00:32:22.220 --> 00:32:23.079
 if you need to talk to me

00:32:23.079 --> 00:32:26.319
 or Jared or youth director or whoever,

00:32:27.700 --> 00:32:28.680
 if you need to come down

00:32:28.680 --> 00:32:29.700
 and kneel at these steps

00:32:29.700 --> 00:32:31.639
 and just have a quiet moment with God up here,

00:32:31.839 --> 00:32:33.139
 that's all open to you right now.

00:32:36.200 --> 00:32:38.379
 You need to make today the day of salvation

00:32:38.379 --> 00:32:40.119
 and turn from sin and turn to Jesus.

00:32:40.879 --> 00:32:42.139
 Say I want to put my faith in you

00:32:42.139 --> 00:32:43.159
 for the first time today.

00:32:44.119 --> 00:32:46.839
 I receive your forgiveness of my sins.

00:32:47.019 --> 00:32:48.139
 I believe you died on the cross.

00:32:48.140 --> 00:32:49.420
 I believe you rose from the dead.

00:32:49.759 --> 00:32:51.300
 And I believe you're willing and able

00:32:51.300 --> 00:32:53.920
 to forgive me and make me your child.

00:32:56.160 --> 00:32:57.780
 Can you please come down and talk to me?

00:32:57.800 --> 00:32:59.180
 I'd love to walk through that with you.

00:32:59.980 --> 00:33:01.759
 If you'd like to place your membership in this church

00:33:01.759 --> 00:33:03.240
 as some did today by baptism,

00:33:03.940 --> 00:33:05.520
 if you'd like to transfer your membership here

00:33:05.520 --> 00:33:06.600
 from another church,

00:33:07.060 --> 00:33:08.640
 come down, let's have that conversation.

00:33:10.759 --> 00:33:13.340
 Whatever God's working on you about right now,

00:33:15.300 --> 00:33:16.280
 say yes to him.

00:33:16.279 --> 00:33:18.680
 Thank you.

00:33:18.680 --> 00:33:18.680


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