WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.360
 How do you look at life?

00:00:02.339 --> 00:00:03.740
 What's your perspective?

00:00:04.740 --> 00:00:06.480
 Do you consider it positive or negative?

00:00:08.099 --> 00:00:12.740
 Think about the way you just view life, think of life.

00:00:13.960 --> 00:00:16.679
 Does it motivate you to get up every morning

00:00:16.679 --> 00:00:19.420
 and really seize the day?

00:00:20.640 --> 00:00:24.980
 Or is your general attitude such that

00:00:24.980 --> 00:00:27.660
 it makes you want to just stay in the bed

00:00:27.660 --> 00:00:31.399
 and just sort of wish the day away?

00:00:32.719 --> 00:00:35.280
 Well, as we turn to the book of Ecclesiastes this morning,

00:00:36.060 --> 00:00:38.120
 began last week, continuing today,

00:00:38.579 --> 00:00:43.100
 we're going to look closely at how our outlook on life,

00:00:43.399 --> 00:00:46.260
 the way we view life, our worldview, you might say,

00:00:47.560 --> 00:00:50.120
 it not only affects the way that we think,

00:00:51.019 --> 00:00:51.960
 the way that we feel,

00:00:52.719 --> 00:00:56.200
 it affects the way that we actually live life

00:00:56.200 --> 00:00:57.439
 and experience life.

00:00:58.659 --> 00:01:01.339
 We're going to look at verses 1 through 11,

00:01:01.639 --> 00:01:03.879
 actually 2 through 11 of chapter 1.

00:01:04.799 --> 00:01:06.120
 And I want to ask you, if you would,

00:01:06.179 --> 00:01:08.479
 to go ahead and read the rest of chapter 1

00:01:08.479 --> 00:01:09.599
 and all of chapter 2,

00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:11.560
 because that's really one unit,

00:01:11.719 --> 00:01:13.920
 and I'd like for us to go through that next Sunday morning.

00:01:14.579 --> 00:01:15.780
 We won't look at every verse.

00:01:15.900 --> 00:01:17.239
 Obviously, that's a lot.

00:01:17.859 --> 00:01:20.699
 But if you would, read between now and next Sunday morning.

00:01:20.819 --> 00:01:22.239
 Chapter 1, verse 12,

00:01:22.840 --> 00:01:24.379
 through the end of chapter 2,

00:01:24.379 --> 00:01:26.899
 because you'll see as you go through that.

00:01:27.099 --> 00:01:29.199
 In fact, I want to encourage you to,

00:01:29.459 --> 00:01:30.179
 if you haven't already,

00:01:30.399 --> 00:01:31.739
 read through the book of Ecclesiastes.

00:01:32.560 --> 00:01:33.840
 There's only 12 chapters.

00:01:34.340 --> 00:01:35.799
 It would not take you long.

00:01:36.519 --> 00:01:37.599
 Here at the beginning,

00:01:37.599 --> 00:01:39.659
 as we read this,

00:01:39.719 --> 00:01:42.179
 some of the things we're going to be focusing on,

00:01:43.179 --> 00:01:45.599
 it's very depressing.

00:01:47.399 --> 00:01:49.159
 Life's bad and then you die.

00:01:50.039 --> 00:01:50.879
 That kind of thing.

00:01:50.879 --> 00:01:53.500
 But that's not all Ecclesiastes says.

00:01:54.640 --> 00:01:55.799
 The preacher,

00:01:56.959 --> 00:01:58.439
 as Solomon calls himself,

00:01:59.359 --> 00:02:01.840
 he is intentionally trying to paint

00:02:01.840 --> 00:02:04.859
 a depressing view of life

00:02:04.859 --> 00:02:07.060
 under the sun

00:02:07.060 --> 00:02:10.159
 as if God does not exist.

00:02:11.819 --> 00:02:13.439
 But throughout the book,

00:02:14.539 --> 00:02:15.919
 he is going to

00:02:15.919 --> 00:02:17.199
 sort of

00:02:17.199 --> 00:02:18.939
 shine a light on

00:02:18.939 --> 00:02:22.280
 how life is intended to be lived

00:02:22.280 --> 00:02:23.899
 in this world

00:02:23.899 --> 00:02:27.060
 and that God really does intend for us

00:02:27.060 --> 00:02:28.779
 to enjoy life

00:02:28.779 --> 00:02:31.119
 in this world

00:02:31.119 --> 00:02:33.539
 when we look at things

00:02:33.539 --> 00:02:35.519
 from his perspective.

00:02:36.679 --> 00:02:39.000
 Looking at life from the wrong perspective

00:02:39.000 --> 00:02:40.739
 is what we're going to look at first this morning.

00:02:42.319 --> 00:02:44.500
 Looking at life from the wrong perspective,

00:02:44.500 --> 00:02:46.620
 which is under the sun.

00:02:47.479 --> 00:02:48.699
 Look at the description of life

00:02:48.699 --> 00:02:49.259
 under the sun

00:02:49.259 --> 00:02:50.300
 in verses 2 and 3.

00:02:51.560 --> 00:02:52.740
 Vanity of vanities,

00:02:52.840 --> 00:02:53.520
 says the preacher.

00:02:54.219 --> 00:02:55.340
 Vanity of vanities,

00:02:55.500 --> 00:02:56.479
 all is vanity.

00:02:57.520 --> 00:02:59.240
 What does man gain

00:02:59.240 --> 00:03:01.000
 by all the toil

00:03:01.000 --> 00:03:02.819
 at which he toils

00:03:02.819 --> 00:03:04.479
 under the sun?

00:03:05.400 --> 00:03:06.979
 That's a description of life

00:03:06.979 --> 00:03:08.319
 under the sun.

00:03:08.860 --> 00:03:10.360
 Solomon is beginning this book

00:03:10.360 --> 00:03:12.500
 by giving us two keys

00:03:12.500 --> 00:03:13.979
 to understand the whole point.

00:03:14.500 --> 00:03:16.020
 Two keys

00:03:16.020 --> 00:03:16.879
 to understand

00:03:16.879 --> 00:03:17.840
 what he is saying

00:03:17.840 --> 00:03:18.520
 when he talks about

00:03:18.520 --> 00:03:19.919
 all this vanity,

00:03:20.439 --> 00:03:21.259
 meaninglessness,

00:03:21.740 --> 00:03:22.500
 futility.

00:03:23.919 --> 00:03:25.280
 First is the phrase

00:03:25.280 --> 00:03:26.199
 under the sun

00:03:26.199 --> 00:03:28.300
 in verse 3 there.

00:03:29.060 --> 00:03:30.000
 That's the first key

00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:30.900
 to understanding

00:03:30.900 --> 00:03:32.039
 the message

00:03:32.039 --> 00:03:33.340
 he wants us to understand.

00:03:33.759 --> 00:03:35.819
 It's found about 30 times

00:03:35.819 --> 00:03:37.340
 throughout the book.

00:03:37.560 --> 00:03:39.420
 So in 12 chapters,

00:03:39.759 --> 00:03:40.800
 30 or so times,

00:03:41.000 --> 00:03:42.120
 you know this phrase

00:03:42.120 --> 00:03:42.759
 is important

00:03:42.759 --> 00:03:43.780
 and so we need to understand

00:03:43.780 --> 00:03:44.599
 what he's talking about.

00:03:45.060 --> 00:03:46.640
 It's a description of life

00:03:46.640 --> 00:03:48.099
 that is limited

00:03:48.099 --> 00:03:50.920
 to this world only.

00:03:52.439 --> 00:03:54.200
 Life under the sun.

00:03:54.680 --> 00:03:56.180
 Life in this world.

00:03:56.379 --> 00:03:57.340
 It's a secular way

00:03:57.340 --> 00:03:57.939
 of looking at life.

00:03:59.219 --> 00:04:00.259
 A man-centered,

00:04:00.340 --> 00:04:01.980
 as if God does not exist.

00:04:02.240 --> 00:04:03.219
 A godless way

00:04:03.219 --> 00:04:03.960
 of looking at life.

00:04:04.700 --> 00:04:06.200
 When Solomon is writing

00:04:06.199 --> 00:04:06.699
 and he's talking

00:04:06.699 --> 00:04:06.899
 and he's talking about

00:04:06.899 --> 00:04:07.879
 life under the sun,

00:04:08.879 --> 00:04:11.339
 he's trying to help us

00:04:11.339 --> 00:04:12.479
 understand what life

00:04:12.479 --> 00:04:13.500
 feels like

00:04:13.500 --> 00:04:14.459
 and looks like

00:04:14.459 --> 00:04:17.240
 when we leave God out.

00:04:17.879 --> 00:04:19.079
 When he's not a part

00:04:19.079 --> 00:04:20.759
 of our thought process.

00:04:21.480 --> 00:04:22.459
 When we're not thinking

00:04:22.459 --> 00:04:23.159
 in terms of

00:04:23.159 --> 00:04:24.279
 this is God's world.

00:04:24.360 --> 00:04:25.980
 He's the creator of it.

00:04:26.360 --> 00:04:27.199
 He's got a plan

00:04:27.199 --> 00:04:27.759
 and purpose

00:04:27.759 --> 00:04:28.659
 for us to follow.

00:04:28.659 --> 00:04:31.079
 Under the sun.

00:04:32.279 --> 00:04:32.939
 A life,

00:04:33.199 --> 00:04:34.199
 a way of looking at life,

00:04:34.199 --> 00:04:34.899
 living life,

00:04:35.620 --> 00:04:36.699
 as if God

00:04:36.699 --> 00:04:37.899
 does not exist.

00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:39.579
 The next key

00:04:39.579 --> 00:04:40.539
 is the word vanity

00:04:40.539 --> 00:04:41.259
 in verse 2.

00:04:42.060 --> 00:04:42.659
 The Hebrew word

00:04:42.659 --> 00:04:43.459
 means breath

00:04:43.459 --> 00:04:44.879
 or breeze

00:04:44.879 --> 00:04:45.839
 or vapor,

00:04:46.139 --> 00:04:47.099
 puff of smoke even.

00:04:48.599 --> 00:04:49.379
 He's describing

00:04:49.379 --> 00:04:50.180
 something that

00:04:50.180 --> 00:04:50.819
 we would call

00:04:50.819 --> 00:04:51.519
 fleeting,

00:04:51.839 --> 00:04:52.560
 something that

00:04:52.560 --> 00:04:53.399
 is temporary,

00:04:54.459 --> 00:04:55.279
 something that

00:04:55.279 --> 00:04:56.419
 is passing away.

00:04:57.419 --> 00:04:58.560
 When Solomon says

00:04:58.560 --> 00:04:59.419
 all is vanity,

00:04:59.759 --> 00:05:00.779
 he's writing about

00:05:00.779 --> 00:05:02.360
 life under the sun

00:05:02.360 --> 00:05:03.339
 being futile

00:05:03.339 --> 00:05:05.419
 being empty.

00:05:06.959 --> 00:05:07.619
 A lot of

00:05:07.619 --> 00:05:08.939
 life under the sun

00:05:08.939 --> 00:05:09.739
 is pointless.

00:05:10.779 --> 00:05:11.679
 He's pointing out

00:05:11.679 --> 00:05:12.679
 what he's saying.

00:05:13.599 --> 00:05:13.799
 Now,

00:05:14.379 --> 00:05:15.919
 the message

00:05:15.919 --> 00:05:16.699
 of Ecclesiastes

00:05:16.699 --> 00:05:17.579
 just in a nutshell

00:05:17.579 --> 00:05:19.779
 is a warning

00:05:19.779 --> 00:05:21.779
 against living

00:05:21.779 --> 00:05:22.479
 a life

00:05:22.479 --> 00:05:24.019
 as if God

00:05:24.019 --> 00:05:25.000
 does not exist.

00:05:25.439 --> 00:05:25.919
 But we need

00:05:25.919 --> 00:05:26.419
 to understand

00:05:26.419 --> 00:05:26.859
 and I tried

00:05:26.859 --> 00:05:27.599
 to emphasize that

00:05:27.599 --> 00:05:27.979
 at the beginning

00:05:27.979 --> 00:05:28.579
 last week.

00:05:29.399 --> 00:05:30.359
 This is not a book

00:05:30.360 --> 00:05:32.199
 where atheists

00:05:32.199 --> 00:05:33.280
 are the target

00:05:33.280 --> 00:05:33.900
 audience.

00:05:35.699 --> 00:05:36.220
 You know,

00:05:36.220 --> 00:05:36.720
 some people may

00:05:36.720 --> 00:05:37.319
 come to church

00:05:37.319 --> 00:05:37.660
 and think,

00:05:37.740 --> 00:05:37.800
 well,

00:05:37.840 --> 00:05:38.500
 why in the world

00:05:38.500 --> 00:05:38.840
 would you be

00:05:38.840 --> 00:05:39.379
 talking about

00:05:39.379 --> 00:05:40.500
 looking at life

00:05:40.500 --> 00:05:41.120
 as if God

00:05:41.120 --> 00:05:42.000
 does not exist

00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:42.520
 and we're

00:05:42.520 --> 00:05:43.360
 Christian people

00:05:43.360 --> 00:05:44.000
 or professing

00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:44.379
 Christians

00:05:44.379 --> 00:05:45.139
 or most of us

00:05:45.139 --> 00:05:45.480
 are.

00:05:45.480 --> 00:05:46.660
 We're in church.

00:05:46.660 --> 00:05:49.900
 all of us

00:05:49.900 --> 00:05:50.620
 can

00:05:50.620 --> 00:05:54.020
 live our lives,

00:05:54.140 --> 00:05:54.900
 live a day,

00:05:56.360 --> 00:05:57.360
 live in certain

00:05:57.360 --> 00:05:58.260
 places

00:05:58.260 --> 00:06:00.160
 around certain

00:06:00.160 --> 00:06:00.760
 people

00:06:00.760 --> 00:06:02.900
 as practical

00:06:02.900 --> 00:06:03.680
 atheists,

00:06:04.680 --> 00:06:05.860
 as if God

00:06:05.860 --> 00:06:07.040
 does not exist.

00:06:08.900 --> 00:06:09.280
 We need to

00:06:09.280 --> 00:06:09.660
 understand

00:06:09.660 --> 00:06:10.780
 Ecclesiastes

00:06:10.780 --> 00:06:11.400
 is written

00:06:11.400 --> 00:06:11.980
 to people

00:06:11.980 --> 00:06:13.080
 like us.

00:06:13.079 --> 00:06:15.319
 people who

00:06:15.319 --> 00:06:16.439
 know God

00:06:16.439 --> 00:06:16.779
 or at least

00:06:16.779 --> 00:06:17.759
 know about God.

00:06:19.599 --> 00:06:20.599
 This is being

00:06:20.599 --> 00:06:21.419
 written to people

00:06:21.419 --> 00:06:22.279
 who may have

00:06:22.279 --> 00:06:23.259
 even experienced

00:06:23.259 --> 00:06:24.019
 God's

00:06:24.019 --> 00:06:25.180
 power,

00:06:26.259 --> 00:06:27.079
 God's goodness

00:06:27.079 --> 00:06:28.039
 in their lives,

00:06:28.759 --> 00:06:30.539
 but in a day

00:06:30.539 --> 00:06:31.060
 gone by.

00:06:33.120 --> 00:06:33.939
 Solomon is

00:06:33.939 --> 00:06:34.419
 writing

00:06:34.419 --> 00:06:36.379
 because he

00:06:36.379 --> 00:06:37.099
 knows from

00:06:37.099 --> 00:06:37.579
 first-hand

00:06:37.579 --> 00:06:38.439
 experience

00:06:38.439 --> 00:06:40.539
 how even

00:06:40.539 --> 00:06:40.879
 though we

00:06:40.879 --> 00:06:41.519
 start out

00:06:41.519 --> 00:06:41.819
 well,

00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:42.699
 even though

00:06:42.699 --> 00:06:43.120
 we have a

00:06:43.120 --> 00:06:44.159
 right belief

00:06:44.159 --> 00:06:44.819
 system,

00:06:45.360 --> 00:06:46.279
 Solomon knows

00:06:46.279 --> 00:06:46.599
 that we

00:06:46.599 --> 00:06:47.159
 can let

00:06:47.159 --> 00:06:48.379
 people

00:06:48.379 --> 00:06:49.939
 or things

00:06:49.939 --> 00:06:50.420
 in this

00:06:50.420 --> 00:06:51.039
 world

00:06:51.039 --> 00:06:52.680
 get our

00:06:52.680 --> 00:06:53.139
 attention,

00:06:54.180 --> 00:06:55.439
 distract us,

00:06:56.279 --> 00:06:57.079
 and take us

00:06:57.079 --> 00:06:57.620
 away

00:06:57.620 --> 00:07:00.219
 from living

00:07:00.219 --> 00:07:00.839
 a life

00:07:00.839 --> 00:07:01.399
 that is

00:07:01.399 --> 00:07:02.240
 focused on

00:07:02.240 --> 00:07:03.519
 knowing and

00:07:03.519 --> 00:07:04.120
 loving and

00:07:04.120 --> 00:07:04.879
 serving God

00:07:04.879 --> 00:07:05.259
 and seeking

00:07:05.259 --> 00:07:05.740
 to do His

00:07:05.740 --> 00:07:06.060
 will.

00:07:07.599 --> 00:07:08.360
 Some believe

00:07:08.360 --> 00:07:09.079
 that Ecclesiastes

00:07:09.079 --> 00:07:10.079
 may be Solomon's

00:07:10.079 --> 00:07:11.939
 personal warning

00:07:11.939 --> 00:07:14.259
 to people

00:07:14.259 --> 00:07:16.259
 anywhere,

00:07:16.800 --> 00:07:17.360
 any walk

00:07:17.360 --> 00:07:17.899
 of life

00:07:17.899 --> 00:07:19.600
 to learn

00:07:19.600 --> 00:07:20.180
 from His

00:07:20.180 --> 00:07:21.000
 mistakes.

00:07:21.959 --> 00:07:22.379
 Don't live

00:07:22.379 --> 00:07:24.160
 life as I

00:07:24.160 --> 00:07:24.699
 did toward

00:07:24.699 --> 00:07:25.259
 the end of

00:07:25.259 --> 00:07:25.939
 my life.

00:07:26.480 --> 00:07:26.939
 But you read

00:07:26.939 --> 00:07:27.680
 about in the

00:07:27.680 --> 00:07:27.920
 book of

00:07:27.920 --> 00:07:28.699
 1 Kings,

00:07:28.860 --> 00:07:29.439
 especially the

00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:30.199
 11th chapter.

00:07:31.240 --> 00:07:31.480
 Now,

00:07:32.699 --> 00:07:33.300
 the preacher

00:07:33.300 --> 00:07:34.579
 starts out

00:07:34.579 --> 00:07:35.259
 with a question

00:07:35.259 --> 00:07:36.019
 in verse 3.

00:07:36.120 --> 00:07:36.519
 Look at it

00:07:36.519 --> 00:07:36.779
 again.

00:07:37.199 --> 00:07:37.620
 What does

00:07:37.620 --> 00:07:38.839
 man gain

00:07:38.839 --> 00:07:39.959
 by all

00:07:39.959 --> 00:07:40.759
 the toll

00:07:40.759 --> 00:07:41.620
 in which

00:07:41.620 --> 00:07:42.359
 he tolls

00:07:42.359 --> 00:07:42.939
 under the

00:07:42.939 --> 00:07:43.279
 sun?

00:07:43.680 --> 00:07:44.199
 That word

00:07:44.199 --> 00:07:45.000
 gain refers

00:07:45.000 --> 00:07:45.419
 to something

00:07:45.419 --> 00:07:46.120
 left over,

00:07:47.219 --> 00:07:48.159
 a surplus,

00:07:49.379 --> 00:07:50.060
 a profit.

00:07:51.479 --> 00:07:52.419
 He's asking

00:07:52.419 --> 00:07:52.919
 the question

00:07:52.919 --> 00:07:53.180
 here.

00:07:54.560 --> 00:07:55.399
 He's sort of

00:07:55.399 --> 00:07:56.060
 a philosopher.

00:07:56.959 --> 00:07:57.639
 He's wanting

00:07:57.639 --> 00:07:58.560
 us to think.

00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:01.000
 So he's asking

00:08:01.000 --> 00:08:01.779
 us the question,

00:08:01.779 --> 00:08:04.039
 what will be

00:08:04.039 --> 00:08:04.839
 left at the

00:08:04.839 --> 00:08:07.119
 end of a

00:08:07.119 --> 00:08:07.639
 life,

00:08:08.219 --> 00:08:09.279
 your life,

00:08:09.739 --> 00:08:10.719
 if it is a

00:08:10.719 --> 00:08:11.619
 life lived

00:08:11.619 --> 00:08:12.859
 exclusively

00:08:12.859 --> 00:08:14.500
 under the

00:08:14.500 --> 00:08:14.879
 sun?

00:08:16.119 --> 00:08:16.500
 He's going

00:08:16.500 --> 00:08:16.799
 to answer

00:08:16.799 --> 00:08:17.339
 that question

00:08:17.339 --> 00:08:17.939
 throughout this

00:08:17.939 --> 00:08:18.239
 book.

00:08:19.519 --> 00:08:20.179
 He's going

00:08:20.179 --> 00:08:20.659
 to be telling

00:08:20.659 --> 00:08:21.159
 us, and is

00:08:21.159 --> 00:08:21.699
 telling us,

00:08:21.779 --> 00:08:22.439
 if we live

00:08:22.439 --> 00:08:22.859
 our lives

00:08:22.859 --> 00:08:23.099
 in this

00:08:23.099 --> 00:08:23.739
 world as

00:08:23.739 --> 00:08:24.299
 if God

00:08:24.299 --> 00:08:24.679
 doesn't

00:08:24.679 --> 00:08:25.139
 matter,

00:08:27.139 --> 00:08:28.939
 then we

00:08:28.939 --> 00:08:29.719
 can expect

00:08:29.719 --> 00:08:31.119
 to really

00:08:31.120 --> 00:08:32.759
 gain nothing.

00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:34.679
 Now,

00:08:35.960 --> 00:08:36.840
 Solomon drives

00:08:36.840 --> 00:08:37.240
 home his

00:08:37.240 --> 00:08:37.639
 point by

00:08:37.639 --> 00:08:38.139
 painting a

00:08:38.139 --> 00:08:38.480
 bleak

00:08:38.480 --> 00:08:41.159
 picture of

00:08:41.159 --> 00:08:42.279
 specific things

00:08:42.279 --> 00:08:42.799
 about how

00:08:42.799 --> 00:08:43.679
 life will

00:08:43.679 --> 00:08:44.100
 look,

00:08:44.279 --> 00:08:44.639
 live,

00:08:44.820 --> 00:08:45.240
 feel,

00:08:45.779 --> 00:08:46.200
 if we just

00:08:46.200 --> 00:08:46.639
 live it under

00:08:46.639 --> 00:08:47.159
 the sun,

00:08:47.500 --> 00:08:47.779
 in verses

00:08:47.779 --> 00:08:48.379
 4 through

00:08:48.379 --> 00:08:48.779
 11.

00:08:49.860 --> 00:08:50.200
 We can

00:08:50.200 --> 00:08:50.580
 think about

00:08:50.580 --> 00:08:51.080
 this as

00:08:51.080 --> 00:08:53.580
 examples of

00:08:53.580 --> 00:08:54.480
 a life lived

00:08:54.480 --> 00:08:55.720
 in this

00:08:55.720 --> 00:08:56.360
 world as

00:08:56.360 --> 00:08:56.720
 if this

00:08:56.720 --> 00:08:57.200
 world is

00:08:57.200 --> 00:08:57.519
 it,

00:08:58.879 --> 00:08:59.899
 as if the

00:08:59.899 --> 00:09:00.399
 things of

00:09:00.399 --> 00:09:00.740
 the world

00:09:00.740 --> 00:09:01.299
 pleasures

00:09:01.299 --> 00:09:01.860
 the world.

00:09:03.299 --> 00:09:04.000
 That's just

00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:05.200
 the essence

00:09:05.200 --> 00:09:05.840
 of life.

00:09:06.740 --> 00:09:06.940
 So let's

00:09:06.940 --> 00:09:07.279
 look at some

00:09:07.279 --> 00:09:07.639
 of the things

00:09:07.639 --> 00:09:07.980
 he says.

00:09:08.039 --> 00:09:08.259
 Look at

00:09:08.259 --> 00:09:08.740
 verse 4.

00:09:12.139 --> 00:09:13.019
 A generation

00:09:13.019 --> 00:09:14.159
 goes and

00:09:14.159 --> 00:09:14.680
 a generation

00:09:14.680 --> 00:09:16.419
 comes, but

00:09:16.419 --> 00:09:17.060
 the earth

00:09:17.060 --> 00:09:18.519
 remains forever.

00:09:19.139 --> 00:09:19.659
 Life is

00:09:19.659 --> 00:09:21.840
 fleeting and

00:09:21.840 --> 00:09:22.519
 life is

00:09:22.519 --> 00:09:23.159
 elusive.

00:09:23.879 --> 00:09:24.259
 Let's think

00:09:24.259 --> 00:09:24.720
 about it that

00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:25.080
 way from

00:09:25.080 --> 00:09:25.639
 verse 4.

00:09:26.039 --> 00:09:26.580
 Life is

00:09:26.580 --> 00:09:26.960
 fleeting.

00:09:27.379 --> 00:09:27.820
 Life is

00:09:27.820 --> 00:09:28.740
 moving on.

00:09:28.740 --> 00:09:31.539
 We can't

00:09:31.539 --> 00:09:31.960
 do a thing

00:09:31.960 --> 00:09:32.399
 to stop

00:09:32.399 --> 00:09:32.560
 it.

00:09:33.860 --> 00:09:34.379
 Generations

00:09:34.379 --> 00:09:34.879
 come and

00:09:34.879 --> 00:09:35.240
 generations

00:09:35.240 --> 00:09:35.460
 go.

00:09:35.779 --> 00:09:36.139
 People

00:09:36.139 --> 00:09:37.159
 die.

00:09:38.700 --> 00:09:39.100
 People

00:09:39.100 --> 00:09:39.799
 are born.

00:09:41.000 --> 00:09:41.379
 There's

00:09:41.379 --> 00:09:42.180
 nothing we

00:09:42.180 --> 00:09:42.539
 can do.

00:09:42.799 --> 00:09:43.080
 It is

00:09:43.080 --> 00:09:43.379
 fleeting.

00:09:43.600 --> 00:09:44.039
 Life is

00:09:44.039 --> 00:09:44.519
 elusive.

00:09:45.879 --> 00:09:46.360
 You can't

00:09:46.360 --> 00:09:47.220
 grab hold

00:09:47.220 --> 00:09:47.639
 of it.

00:09:48.480 --> 00:09:48.919
 You can't

00:09:48.919 --> 00:09:49.740
 make life

00:09:49.740 --> 00:09:51.080
 work the

00:09:51.080 --> 00:09:51.720
 way you

00:09:51.720 --> 00:09:52.360
 want to

00:09:52.360 --> 00:09:54.299
 when you

00:09:54.299 --> 00:09:54.840
 want it to

00:09:54.840 --> 00:09:55.759
 work that

00:09:55.759 --> 00:09:56.100
 way.

00:09:56.100 --> 00:09:57.940
 I don't

00:09:57.940 --> 00:09:58.500
 know what

00:09:58.500 --> 00:09:59.300
 age this

00:09:59.300 --> 00:10:00.279
 sinks in,

00:10:01.040 --> 00:10:01.879
 but a lot

00:10:01.879 --> 00:10:02.399
 of us have

00:10:02.399 --> 00:10:03.360
 already figured

00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:04.180
 out that

00:10:04.180 --> 00:10:06.399
 we don't

00:10:06.399 --> 00:10:06.980
 control

00:10:06.980 --> 00:10:09.560
 much, if

00:10:09.560 --> 00:10:09.879
 anything,

00:10:10.180 --> 00:10:10.659
 about our

00:10:10.659 --> 00:10:11.279
 lives.

00:10:12.279 --> 00:10:13.120
 We can't

00:10:13.120 --> 00:10:13.899
 control our

00:10:13.899 --> 00:10:14.300
 health.

00:10:15.980 --> 00:10:16.240
 You know,

00:10:16.300 --> 00:10:16.700
 we're here

00:10:16.700 --> 00:10:17.279
 today, we're

00:10:17.279 --> 00:10:17.940
 healthy, but

00:10:17.940 --> 00:10:19.540
 we don't know

00:10:19.540 --> 00:10:19.960
 what tomorrow

00:10:19.960 --> 00:10:20.279
 is going to

00:10:20.279 --> 00:10:20.540
 come.

00:10:21.879 --> 00:10:22.620
 Some of us

00:10:22.620 --> 00:10:22.960
 in this room,

00:10:23.019 --> 00:10:23.320
 we could have

00:10:23.320 --> 00:10:23.779
 a heart attack,

00:10:23.879 --> 00:10:24.379
 we could die.

00:10:24.379 --> 00:10:25.879
 Some of us

00:10:25.879 --> 00:10:26.220
 could come

00:10:26.220 --> 00:10:26.720
 down with a

00:10:26.720 --> 00:10:27.279
 flu and be

00:10:27.279 --> 00:10:27.960
 very sick,

00:10:28.019 --> 00:10:28.559
 even if you

00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:29.539
 don't shake

00:10:29.539 --> 00:10:30.139
 hands this

00:10:30.139 --> 00:10:30.419
 morning.

00:10:32.279 --> 00:10:33.000
 We can't

00:10:33.000 --> 00:10:33.519
 control the

00:10:33.519 --> 00:10:34.039
 economy.

00:10:35.960 --> 00:10:36.399
 Stock

00:10:36.399 --> 00:10:37.919
 market, up

00:10:37.919 --> 00:10:38.340
 and down

00:10:38.340 --> 00:10:38.860
 this week.

00:10:40.419 --> 00:10:40.879
 Interest

00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:41.720
 rates, are

00:10:41.720 --> 00:10:41.980
 they going to

00:10:41.980 --> 00:10:42.439
 go up?

00:10:43.799 --> 00:10:44.259
 House

00:10:44.259 --> 00:10:44.799
 prices.

00:10:47.019 --> 00:10:48.059
 We have no

00:10:48.059 --> 00:10:49.000
 control over

00:10:49.000 --> 00:10:49.720
 these things, but

00:10:49.720 --> 00:10:50.500
 we think about

00:10:50.500 --> 00:10:50.659
 them.

00:10:51.559 --> 00:10:52.519
 We need a

00:10:52.519 --> 00:10:53.320
 good economy.

00:10:53.320 --> 00:10:53.420
 economy.

00:10:53.879 --> 00:10:54.580
 We want a

00:10:54.580 --> 00:10:55.160
 good economy.

00:10:55.820 --> 00:10:56.440
 We want

00:10:56.440 --> 00:10:57.000
 things to

00:10:57.000 --> 00:10:57.460
 hum.

00:10:59.760 --> 00:11:00.480
 We cannot

00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:01.340
 even control

00:11:01.340 --> 00:11:03.320
 our own

00:11:03.320 --> 00:11:04.360
 personal future.

00:11:06.280 --> 00:11:06.940
 Will you

00:11:06.940 --> 00:11:07.540
 have a job

00:11:07.540 --> 00:11:08.000
 tomorrow?

00:11:08.340 --> 00:11:08.500
 Will you

00:11:08.500 --> 00:11:09.000
 have a job

00:11:09.000 --> 00:11:09.560
 this time

00:11:09.560 --> 00:11:10.480
 next year?

00:11:11.560 --> 00:11:12.240
 Or will

00:11:12.240 --> 00:11:13.120
 something happen

00:11:13.120 --> 00:11:13.780
 that it just

00:11:13.780 --> 00:11:14.960
 goes away?

00:11:16.480 --> 00:11:17.220
 When will

00:11:17.220 --> 00:11:17.780
 your family

00:11:17.780 --> 00:11:18.680
 members die?

00:11:19.240 --> 00:11:19.960
 We have no

00:11:19.960 --> 00:11:20.480
 control of

00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:20.600
 that.

00:11:20.680 --> 00:11:21.180
 We have no

00:11:21.180 --> 00:11:21.600
 idea.

00:11:21.600 --> 00:11:21.720
 We have no

00:11:21.720 --> 00:11:21.740
 idea.

00:11:23.320 --> 00:11:23.940
 Who will

00:11:23.940 --> 00:11:24.660
 your children

00:11:24.660 --> 00:11:25.340
 marry?

00:11:28.020 --> 00:11:28.580
 You got

00:11:28.580 --> 00:11:30.300
 children up

00:11:30.300 --> 00:11:30.660
 here on this

00:11:30.660 --> 00:11:31.260
 platform this

00:11:31.260 --> 00:11:31.440
 morning?

00:11:31.640 --> 00:11:32.560
 Little kids,

00:11:33.640 --> 00:11:34.160
 teenagers,

00:11:34.780 --> 00:11:35.620
 college age,

00:11:35.940 --> 00:11:36.300
 single.

00:11:38.040 --> 00:11:38.879
 Who were they

00:11:38.879 --> 00:11:39.400
 going to marry?

00:11:39.820 --> 00:11:40.379
 You don't get

00:11:40.379 --> 00:11:42.120
 to choose, but

00:11:42.120 --> 00:11:42.800
 they may not

00:11:42.800 --> 00:11:44.020
 even know yet.

00:11:44.020 --> 00:11:45.940
 And if you're

00:11:45.940 --> 00:11:47.940
 young, single,

00:11:47.940 --> 00:11:49.100
 people, you

00:11:49.100 --> 00:11:49.600
 might think to

00:11:49.600 --> 00:11:51.220
 yourself, who

00:11:51.220 --> 00:11:51.920
 will I marry?

00:11:52.720 --> 00:11:54.600
 When will I

00:11:54.600 --> 00:11:54.880
 marry?

00:11:55.300 --> 00:11:57.940
 Will I get

00:11:57.940 --> 00:11:58.300
 married?

00:12:00.760 --> 00:12:01.080
 You see,

00:12:01.480 --> 00:12:02.440
 Solomon's trying

00:12:02.440 --> 00:12:04.480
 to say, life

00:12:04.480 --> 00:12:05.300
 is fleeting and

00:12:05.300 --> 00:12:06.240
 life is elusive.

00:12:06.420 --> 00:12:07.360
 Life is short.

00:12:07.600 --> 00:12:08.180
 Life is

00:12:08.180 --> 00:12:09.160
 unpredictable.

00:12:09.159 --> 00:12:11.439
 But here's the

00:12:11.439 --> 00:12:11.740
 thing.

00:12:12.319 --> 00:12:14.039
 Life goes on.

00:12:14.279 --> 00:12:14.839
 A generation

00:12:14.839 --> 00:12:15.959
 goes and a

00:12:15.959 --> 00:12:16.980
 generation comes.

00:12:17.879 --> 00:12:18.600
 I like the way

00:12:18.600 --> 00:12:19.240
 Allen Jackson

00:12:19.240 --> 00:12:20.139
 describes that in

00:12:20.139 --> 00:12:21.059
 one line from his

00:12:21.059 --> 00:12:21.819
 song, remember

00:12:21.819 --> 00:12:22.399
 when.

00:12:22.939 --> 00:12:24.819
 Old ones died

00:12:24.819 --> 00:12:25.819
 and you were

00:12:25.819 --> 00:12:26.159
 born.

00:12:26.159 --> 00:12:28.519
 I could sing that

00:12:28.519 --> 00:12:29.579
 and just make tears

00:12:29.579 --> 00:12:30.339
 come to your eyes,

00:12:30.439 --> 00:12:30.799
 but it would be the

00:12:30.799 --> 00:12:31.659
 wrong kind of tears.

00:12:31.659 --> 00:12:34.819
 But I love that.

00:12:36.019 --> 00:12:36.860
 Talking about

00:12:36.860 --> 00:12:37.339
 life.

00:12:39.059 --> 00:12:39.919
 Old ones

00:12:39.919 --> 00:12:40.500
 died.

00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:43.559
 New are

00:12:43.559 --> 00:12:43.879
 born.

00:12:43.980 --> 00:12:44.339
 That's just

00:12:44.339 --> 00:12:44.860
 life.

00:12:47.399 --> 00:12:48.860
 Now, note

00:12:48.860 --> 00:12:49.899
 the twist

00:12:49.899 --> 00:12:51.539
 that Solomon

00:12:51.539 --> 00:12:52.480
 adds to the

00:12:52.480 --> 00:12:53.079
 statement about

00:12:53.079 --> 00:12:53.779
 life and death.

00:12:54.539 --> 00:12:55.139
 He says, but the

00:12:55.139 --> 00:12:55.839
 earth remains

00:12:55.839 --> 00:12:56.220
 forever.

00:12:56.360 --> 00:12:56.659
 I want you to

00:12:56.659 --> 00:12:57.220
 think about that.

00:12:58.759 --> 00:12:59.919
 We are human

00:12:59.919 --> 00:13:01.299
 beings created in

00:13:01.299 --> 00:13:02.039
 the image God.

00:13:02.459 --> 00:13:03.120
 We are the

00:13:03.120 --> 00:13:04.139
 highest form of

00:13:04.139 --> 00:13:05.019
 creation in

00:13:05.019 --> 00:13:06.159
 terms of God

00:13:06.159 --> 00:13:06.859
 made us and

00:13:06.859 --> 00:13:07.759
 only us in

00:13:07.759 --> 00:13:08.939
 his image.

00:13:10.319 --> 00:13:10.939
 If you read

00:13:10.939 --> 00:13:11.359
 there in

00:13:11.359 --> 00:13:12.079
 Genesis 1 and

00:13:12.079 --> 00:13:13.599
 2, he made

00:13:13.599 --> 00:13:14.120
 us in his

00:13:14.120 --> 00:13:15.879
 image, put us

00:13:15.879 --> 00:13:16.500
 in this world,

00:13:16.620 --> 00:13:17.240
 take care of

00:13:17.240 --> 00:13:17.539
 the world,

00:13:17.699 --> 00:13:18.379
 subdue the

00:13:18.379 --> 00:13:20.740
 earth, he

00:13:20.740 --> 00:13:21.219
 said.

00:13:22.599 --> 00:13:23.859
 But it's we

00:13:23.859 --> 00:13:26.039
 who come and

00:13:26.039 --> 00:13:26.279
 go.

00:13:27.859 --> 00:13:28.659
 The earth

00:13:28.659 --> 00:13:30.379
 remains forever.

00:13:31.299 --> 00:13:32.959
 The sun that

00:13:32.959 --> 00:13:33.919
 rises in the

00:13:33.919 --> 00:13:37.039
 morning, it

00:13:37.039 --> 00:13:38.059
 rose on your

00:13:38.059 --> 00:13:39.399
 great-grandparents

00:13:39.399 --> 00:13:40.219
 and grandparents

00:13:40.219 --> 00:13:42.000
 who are no

00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:42.479
 longer here.

00:13:44.059 --> 00:13:45.199
 The sun that

00:13:45.199 --> 00:13:46.179
 rises and sets

00:13:46.179 --> 00:13:47.419
 tomorrow, it's

00:13:47.419 --> 00:13:48.120
 going to rise and

00:13:48.120 --> 00:13:50.059
 set on my

00:13:50.059 --> 00:13:50.939
 great-grandchildren,

00:13:51.059 --> 00:13:52.240
 your great-grandchildren

00:13:52.240 --> 00:13:54.159
 and all who come

00:13:54.159 --> 00:13:55.399
 after them if the

00:13:55.399 --> 00:13:56.099
 Lord doesn't come

00:13:56.099 --> 00:13:56.399
 back.

00:13:56.399 --> 00:13:56.539
 life.

00:13:59.220 --> 00:14:00.319
 What Solomon's

00:14:00.319 --> 00:14:00.860
 trying to point

00:14:00.860 --> 00:14:02.740
 out here, he's

00:14:02.740 --> 00:14:03.539
 adding to the

00:14:03.539 --> 00:14:04.959
 futility, to the

00:14:04.959 --> 00:14:06.240
 meaninglessness of

00:14:06.240 --> 00:14:08.399
 life lived only

00:14:08.399 --> 00:14:09.759
 under the sun.

00:14:10.199 --> 00:14:10.879
 You live and you

00:14:10.879 --> 00:14:11.159
 die.

00:14:11.639 --> 00:14:12.419
 Generations come

00:14:12.419 --> 00:14:12.779
 and go.

00:14:14.439 --> 00:14:15.179
 Everything else

00:14:15.179 --> 00:14:15.819
 stays the same.

00:14:16.759 --> 00:14:17.480
 Life is not only

00:14:17.480 --> 00:14:18.279
 fleeting and elusive,

00:14:18.360 --> 00:14:19.199
 it's also repetitive.

00:14:20.059 --> 00:14:20.879
 Look at verses 5

00:14:20.879 --> 00:14:21.360
 through 8.

00:14:21.439 --> 00:14:22.019
 Let's read those

00:14:22.019 --> 00:14:22.399
 together.

00:14:22.399 --> 00:14:25.799
 The sun rises,

00:14:25.959 --> 00:14:27.000
 the sun goes down

00:14:27.000 --> 00:14:28.679
 and hastens to the

00:14:28.679 --> 00:14:29.259
 place where it

00:14:29.259 --> 00:14:29.620
 rises.

00:14:31.100 --> 00:14:32.419
 The wind blows to

00:14:32.419 --> 00:14:33.799
 the south and goes

00:14:33.799 --> 00:14:34.659
 around to the north,

00:14:35.000 --> 00:14:35.819
 around and around

00:14:35.819 --> 00:14:37.860
 goes the wind, and

00:14:37.860 --> 00:14:39.399
 on it circulates the

00:14:39.399 --> 00:14:40.299
 wind, and on it

00:14:40.299 --> 00:14:42.059
 circuits the wind

00:14:42.059 --> 00:14:42.759
 returns.

00:14:43.879 --> 00:14:45.079
 All streams run to

00:14:45.079 --> 00:14:45.879
 the sea, but the sea

00:14:45.879 --> 00:14:46.600
 is not full.

00:14:47.500 --> 00:14:48.379
 To the place where

00:14:48.379 --> 00:14:49.699
 the streams flow,

00:14:50.539 --> 00:14:52.079
 there they flow

00:14:52.080 --> 00:14:52.440
 again.

00:14:53.639 --> 00:14:54.620
 All things are

00:14:54.620 --> 00:14:55.840
 full of weariness.

00:14:56.759 --> 00:14:57.420
 A man cannot

00:14:57.420 --> 00:14:58.080
 utter it.

00:14:58.800 --> 00:14:59.639
 The eye is not

00:14:59.639 --> 00:15:00.540
 satisfied with

00:15:00.540 --> 00:15:02.320
 seeing, nor the

00:15:02.320 --> 00:15:04.660
 ear filled with

00:15:04.660 --> 00:15:05.020
 hearing.

00:15:06.700 --> 00:15:07.520
 A man by the

00:15:07.520 --> 00:15:08.080
 name of David

00:15:08.080 --> 00:15:09.240
 Gibson, he's got

00:15:09.240 --> 00:15:10.300
 a book on the

00:15:10.300 --> 00:15:11.460
 book of Ecclesiastes,

00:15:11.740 --> 00:15:12.500
 it's very good.

00:15:13.379 --> 00:15:13.940
 He does an

00:15:13.940 --> 00:15:14.780
 excellent job of

00:15:14.780 --> 00:15:15.700
 explaining how

00:15:15.700 --> 00:15:17.060
 these verses

00:15:17.060 --> 00:15:21.080
 together show the

00:15:21.080 --> 00:15:22.220
 repetitive nature

00:15:22.220 --> 00:15:22.900
 of life.

00:15:22.960 --> 00:15:23.920
 He says it very

00:15:23.920 --> 00:15:24.759
 well, and I want

00:15:24.759 --> 00:15:25.259
 to quote him, I

00:15:25.259 --> 00:15:25.720
 want you to look at

00:15:25.720 --> 00:15:26.160
 it with me.

00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:27.759
 He says, the

00:15:27.759 --> 00:15:28.820
 preacher focuses on

00:15:28.820 --> 00:15:29.460
 a three-fold

00:15:29.460 --> 00:15:30.240
 pattern in the

00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:31.259
 world that is

00:15:31.259 --> 00:15:32.160
 matched by a

00:15:32.160 --> 00:15:33.160
 three-fold pattern

00:15:33.160 --> 00:15:34.300
 in human experience.

00:15:34.759 --> 00:15:35.740
 The activities of

00:15:35.740 --> 00:15:37.420
 sun, wind, and

00:15:37.420 --> 00:15:38.480
 water, in verses

00:15:38.480 --> 00:15:39.280
 five through seven,

00:15:39.840 --> 00:15:40.560
 follow the same

00:15:40.560 --> 00:15:41.220
 course as the

00:15:41.220 --> 00:15:41.960
 activities of

00:15:41.960 --> 00:15:43.420
 speaking, hearing,

00:15:44.379 --> 00:15:45.160
 speaking, seeing,

00:15:45.259 --> 00:15:45.820
 and hearing, in

00:15:45.820 --> 00:15:46.240
 verse eight.

00:15:46.240 --> 00:15:47.519
 The point is

00:15:47.519 --> 00:15:48.200
 that the world

00:15:48.200 --> 00:15:49.360
 itself doesn't

00:15:49.360 --> 00:15:50.519
 seem to go or

00:15:50.519 --> 00:15:52.980
 get anywhere, so

00:15:52.980 --> 00:15:53.919
 why should humans

00:15:53.919 --> 00:15:54.560
 get anywhere?

00:15:55.399 --> 00:15:56.600
 The sun chases its

00:15:56.600 --> 00:15:56.960
 tail.

00:15:57.740 --> 00:15:58.840
 The wind goes to

00:15:58.840 --> 00:15:59.500
 the south and

00:15:59.500 --> 00:16:00.360
 comes back around

00:16:00.360 --> 00:16:01.159
 again to the

00:16:01.159 --> 00:16:01.440
 north.

00:16:01.960 --> 00:16:02.779
 Streams flow into

00:16:02.779 --> 00:16:03.700
 the sea, and the

00:16:03.700 --> 00:16:05.019
 water evaporates, and

00:16:05.019 --> 00:16:06.159
 then streams flow into

00:16:06.159 --> 00:16:07.320
 the sea again, and

00:16:07.320 --> 00:16:08.740
 it is never full.

00:16:09.659 --> 00:16:11.799
 So is the world, and

00:16:11.799 --> 00:16:13.240
 so it will always be.

00:16:13.240 --> 00:16:17.039
 So is humankind, and

00:16:17.039 --> 00:16:18.460
 so we will always be.

00:16:19.180 --> 00:16:20.159
 People are like the

00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:21.500
 insatiable sea.

00:16:22.139 --> 00:16:23.299
 Just as water pours

00:16:23.299 --> 00:16:24.580
 into the ocean again

00:16:24.580 --> 00:16:25.720
 and again without ever

00:16:25.720 --> 00:16:27.600
 feeling it, so the

00:16:27.600 --> 00:16:28.779
 things of the world

00:16:28.779 --> 00:16:30.299
 pour into human

00:16:30.299 --> 00:16:31.899
 beings via their eyes

00:16:31.899 --> 00:16:34.259
 and ears and back out

00:16:34.259 --> 00:16:35.139
 through their mouths,

00:16:35.759 --> 00:16:36.919
 yet they never reach a

00:16:36.919 --> 00:16:37.779
 point of complete

00:16:37.779 --> 00:16:39.240
 satisfaction.

00:16:40.460 --> 00:16:41.539
 Humans never finally

00:16:41.539 --> 00:16:42.879
 think, this is it, I'm

00:16:42.879 --> 00:16:43.340
 full.

00:16:44.019 --> 00:16:45.159
 I have seen it all,

00:16:45.559 --> 00:16:47.159
 said it all, and

00:16:47.159 --> 00:16:48.000
 heard it all.

00:16:48.659 --> 00:16:50.460
 I have given out and

00:16:50.460 --> 00:16:51.580
 taken in all that I

00:16:51.580 --> 00:16:51.860
 can.

00:16:54.259 --> 00:16:56.000
 We never get to the

00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:58.419
 point where we've

00:16:58.419 --> 00:16:59.500
 heard enough.

00:16:59.740 --> 00:17:00.419
 I just want to tune

00:17:00.419 --> 00:17:01.480
 everything else out.

00:17:02.259 --> 00:17:03.419
 We never get to the

00:17:03.419 --> 00:17:04.059
 point that we don't

00:17:04.059 --> 00:17:06.640
 want to look, fill our

00:17:06.640 --> 00:17:09.299
 eyes with images and

00:17:09.299 --> 00:17:11.240
 pictures, people and

00:17:11.240 --> 00:17:11.579
 places.

00:17:11.579 --> 00:17:14.980
 We never get to the

00:17:14.980 --> 00:17:16.740
 place that we just

00:17:16.740 --> 00:17:17.939
 want to close our

00:17:17.939 --> 00:17:20.439
 mouths and never say

00:17:20.439 --> 00:17:21.279
 another word.

00:17:22.279 --> 00:17:23.119
 We don't.

00:17:25.639 --> 00:17:27.379
 That's what makes us

00:17:27.379 --> 00:17:28.740
 always on the lookout

00:17:28.740 --> 00:17:31.359
 for something new,

00:17:32.359 --> 00:17:34.119
 something different

00:17:34.119 --> 00:17:36.179
 under the sun.

00:17:36.240 --> 00:17:37.379
 Look at verses 9 and 10.

00:17:37.380 --> 00:17:40.880
 He says, what has been

00:17:40.880 --> 00:17:42.280
 is what will be.

00:17:43.040 --> 00:17:44.780
 And what has been done

00:17:44.780 --> 00:17:46.960
 is what will be done.

00:17:47.700 --> 00:17:48.640
 And there is nothing

00:17:48.640 --> 00:17:50.560
 new under the sun.

00:17:51.060 --> 00:17:52.480
 Is there a thing of which

00:17:52.480 --> 00:17:54.020
 it is said, see, this is

00:17:54.020 --> 00:17:54.420
 new?

00:17:55.420 --> 00:17:58.000
 It has been already in the

00:17:58.000 --> 00:18:00.440
 ages before us.

00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:03.060
 Solomon's telling us, it's a

00:18:03.060 --> 00:18:03.980
 well-known statement, there's

00:18:03.980 --> 00:18:05.100
 nothing new under the sun.

00:18:05.099 --> 00:18:08.019
 Now before you object and

00:18:08.019 --> 00:18:08.759
 say, well, there's a lot of

00:18:08.759 --> 00:18:10.019
 things new, I want you to

00:18:10.019 --> 00:18:11.299
 think about what he's

00:18:11.299 --> 00:18:12.480
 actually saying, what he

00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:12.879
 means here.

00:18:13.179 --> 00:18:14.219
 Solomon is no idiot.

00:18:14.599 --> 00:18:15.779
 Solomon's the wisest man who

00:18:15.779 --> 00:18:16.339
 ever lived.

00:18:17.079 --> 00:18:18.519
 Solomon saw a lot of things

00:18:18.519 --> 00:18:20.039
 change in his lifetime.

00:18:20.419 --> 00:18:21.519
 He saw new inventions.

00:18:22.399 --> 00:18:25.519
 He learned new things.

00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:27.879
 He's not trying to deny that

00:18:27.880 --> 00:18:29.180
 kind of reality.

00:18:31.540 --> 00:18:34.800
 He's talking about the basic

00:18:34.800 --> 00:18:37.820
 events of life in this world

00:18:37.820 --> 00:18:41.160
 never change like the things

00:18:41.160 --> 00:18:43.180
 we've already read that he has

00:18:43.180 --> 00:18:43.740
 just mentioned.

00:18:44.660 --> 00:18:46.860
 The ways of the sun, the wind,

00:18:46.920 --> 00:18:48.260
 and the rivers, they remain

00:18:48.260 --> 00:18:48.640
 the same.

00:18:50.380 --> 00:18:54.540
 The cycle of life with

00:18:54.540 --> 00:18:56.040
 generations coming and going,

00:18:56.039 --> 00:18:59.339
 people living and dying, that

00:18:59.339 --> 00:19:00.159
 hasn't changed.

00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:04.039
 People are born, people live,

00:19:04.119 --> 00:19:05.019
 they do certain things, and

00:19:05.019 --> 00:19:05.480
 they die.

00:19:05.579 --> 00:19:07.019
 It always works that way.

00:19:07.200 --> 00:19:08.559
 That never changes.

00:19:10.440 --> 00:19:11.879
 But even those things that we

00:19:11.879 --> 00:19:14.180
 think are new, I want you to

00:19:14.180 --> 00:19:14.720
 think with me.

00:19:15.460 --> 00:19:16.399
 Are they really?

00:19:17.500 --> 00:19:20.720
 Your latest smartphone that you

00:19:20.720 --> 00:19:22.139
 spent more money than you'd want

00:19:22.140 --> 00:19:23.420
 to tell anybody you spent.

00:19:24.700 --> 00:19:26.700
 It's just an advanced form of

00:19:26.700 --> 00:19:28.860
 communication or information

00:19:28.860 --> 00:19:29.640
 gathering.

00:19:30.759 --> 00:19:32.300
 When I was a little boy, my

00:19:32.300 --> 00:19:34.200
 grandparents lived about 150,

00:19:34.340 --> 00:19:36.480
 175 yards away from me.

00:19:36.920 --> 00:19:38.160
 When I was a little boy, I'd see

00:19:38.160 --> 00:19:39.720
 them outside, and I'd yell,

00:19:39.900 --> 00:19:40.880
 Pop and Nan!

00:19:41.060 --> 00:19:42.320
 And I'd ask them questions.

00:19:42.759 --> 00:19:43.740
 We lived out in the country.

00:19:43.840 --> 00:19:44.800
 It wasn't like living in town

00:19:44.800 --> 00:19:45.060
 here.

00:19:46.180 --> 00:19:47.800
 But even then, they didn't really

00:19:47.800 --> 00:19:49.740
 see that was the best form of

00:19:49.740 --> 00:19:50.340
 communication.

00:19:50.339 --> 00:19:52.899
 I'd yell at the top of my lungs.

00:19:54.179 --> 00:19:56.099
 And they'd wave, and they'd say

00:19:56.099 --> 00:19:57.379
 maybe something.

00:19:57.519 --> 00:19:58.399
 They wouldn't carry on a

00:19:58.399 --> 00:20:00.119
 conversation yelling back and

00:20:00.119 --> 00:20:00.419
 forth.

00:20:00.799 --> 00:20:02.740
 So I learned, especially as I got

00:20:02.740 --> 00:20:05.240
 a little bit older, I could go

00:20:05.240 --> 00:20:06.939
 over there and talk with them, or

00:20:06.939 --> 00:20:08.899
 I could pick up the phone, the

00:20:08.899 --> 00:20:12.059
 landline that was in the hall, one

00:20:12.059 --> 00:20:12.799
 in the house.

00:20:13.319 --> 00:20:14.459
 I could call them.

00:20:15.980 --> 00:20:19.159
 If they were alive today, I could

00:20:19.160 --> 00:20:19.779
 text them.

00:20:20.440 --> 00:20:23.960
 I could email them on that more

00:20:23.960 --> 00:20:25.820
 than you want to admit, costly

00:20:25.820 --> 00:20:26.480
 phone.

00:20:27.700 --> 00:20:29.840
 That phone, it's a form of

00:20:29.840 --> 00:20:30.960
 communication, and communication

00:20:30.960 --> 00:20:33.180
 has been around since Solomon's

00:20:33.180 --> 00:20:34.540
 day, since the beginning of times.

00:20:34.600 --> 00:20:35.640
 It's Adam and Eve.

00:20:37.080 --> 00:20:38.560
 You think, well, mine's really a

00:20:38.560 --> 00:20:38.900
 computer.

00:20:41.140 --> 00:20:42.160
 Computers are wonderful.

00:20:42.160 --> 00:20:47.259
 They give us the ability to learn

00:20:47.259 --> 00:20:49.920
 and acquire more information than

00:20:49.920 --> 00:20:51.460
 anyone just a few years ago could

00:20:51.460 --> 00:20:52.360
 have ever imagined.

00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:54.860
 More information is available to us

00:20:54.860 --> 00:20:58.600
 today than we could read about in

00:20:58.600 --> 00:20:59.980
 multiple lifetimes.

00:20:59.980 --> 00:21:06.000
 But before the internet, we did

00:21:06.000 --> 00:21:08.460
 research and we acquired new

00:21:08.460 --> 00:21:09.099
 knowledge.

00:21:11.099 --> 00:21:13.039
 A lot of people in this room have

00:21:13.039 --> 00:21:15.559
 spent a lot of hours in a library

00:21:15.559 --> 00:21:18.900
 looking up information.

00:21:19.960 --> 00:21:21.900
 And most everybody in this room, no

00:21:21.900 --> 00:21:23.920
 matter what your age, you've spent a

00:21:23.920 --> 00:21:27.799
 lot of time not online, not with a

00:21:27.799 --> 00:21:29.619
 computer of any form, but you've spent a

00:21:29.619 --> 00:21:31.919
 lot of time in your life with a book

00:21:31.919 --> 00:21:34.500
 or a magazine or a newspaper in your

00:21:34.500 --> 00:21:37.619
 hand acquiring information.

00:21:39.960 --> 00:21:41.680
 And so a lot of the things that we

00:21:41.680 --> 00:21:49.819
 think today is new, that car, that

00:21:49.819 --> 00:21:53.579
 rocket ship even, it's just a form of

00:21:53.579 --> 00:21:54.139
 transportation.

00:21:54.140 --> 00:21:58.660
 And so what Solomon's trying to point

00:21:58.660 --> 00:21:59.960
 out here really and truly, when you

00:21:59.960 --> 00:22:04.900
 boil it all down, there's nothing new

00:22:04.900 --> 00:22:05.740
 under the sun.

00:22:07.440 --> 00:22:08.860
 There's nothing new that we can

00:22:08.860 --> 00:22:11.060
 discover that will break the repetitive

00:22:11.060 --> 00:22:16.900
 cycle of life and satisfy us to the

00:22:16.900 --> 00:22:20.259
 point that we never want anything new

00:22:20.259 --> 00:22:21.040
 again.

00:22:21.039 --> 00:22:26.819
 This last statement in verse 11, it

00:22:26.819 --> 00:22:29.000
 reminds us of something we know and

00:22:29.000 --> 00:22:30.279
 the older you get, the more you know

00:22:30.279 --> 00:22:30.359
 it.

00:22:30.399 --> 00:22:31.019
 Look at verse 11.

00:22:31.819 --> 00:22:33.599
 There is no remembrance of former

00:22:33.599 --> 00:22:37.139
 things, nor will there be any

00:22:37.139 --> 00:22:39.659
 remembrance of later things yet to

00:22:39.659 --> 00:22:43.180
 come among those who come after.

00:22:43.720 --> 00:22:44.759
 We can think about this under the

00:22:44.759 --> 00:22:46.039
 heading, life is not remembered.

00:22:46.039 --> 00:22:49.259
 We don't remember our history.

00:22:50.339 --> 00:22:51.599
 And today, most people don't even

00:22:51.599 --> 00:22:54.659
 care to know about their history.

00:22:55.819 --> 00:22:58.240
 Some translations here will say that

00:22:58.240 --> 00:22:59.779
 there is no remembrance of former

00:22:59.779 --> 00:23:02.399
 generations or of even former people.

00:23:04.559 --> 00:23:06.220
 You think about this, the overwhelming

00:23:06.220 --> 00:23:08.420
 majority of people who've lived on this

00:23:08.420 --> 00:23:10.759
 earth lived and died in obscurity.

00:23:10.759 --> 00:23:15.200
 Do you remember the names of your great,

00:23:15.379 --> 00:23:16.559
 great grandparents?

00:23:17.019 --> 00:23:17.960
 Do you know where they lived?

00:23:18.039 --> 00:23:18.879
 Do you know what they did?

00:23:19.099 --> 00:23:20.920
 Do you know what contributions they made

00:23:20.920 --> 00:23:22.599
 to their community?

00:23:22.799 --> 00:23:24.900
 If you know where their community was.

00:23:26.259 --> 00:23:29.720
 Here's a real encouraging thought.

00:23:31.539 --> 00:23:35.379
 Especially if you think, I really am an

00:23:35.379 --> 00:23:35.920
 important person.

00:23:35.920 --> 00:23:37.660
 I break the mold.

00:23:39.019 --> 00:23:42.120
 Truth is, there's probably not a single

00:23:42.120 --> 00:23:44.039
 one of us in this room that in a hundred

00:23:44.039 --> 00:23:47.720
 years, anybody will ever know we existed.

00:23:49.140 --> 00:23:50.660
 Nobody will know our name.

00:23:51.100 --> 00:23:54.660
 Nobody will care that we occupied a space

00:23:54.660 --> 00:23:58.740
 in Pickens County at this point in time.

00:23:58.740 --> 00:24:03.400
 Now, if you're thinking to yourself, this is the

00:24:03.400 --> 00:24:06.000
 most depressing sermon I have ever heard.

00:24:06.259 --> 00:24:07.420
 You're listening well.

00:24:10.859 --> 00:24:15.120
 That's the point that Solomon wants us to get

00:24:15.120 --> 00:24:19.039
 as we read his introduction to Ecclesiastes.

00:24:20.740 --> 00:24:24.980
 This is how the preacher wants us to feel,

00:24:24.980 --> 00:24:34.140
 wants us to think about life in this world if our

00:24:34.140 --> 00:24:39.099
 whole focus in life is about us and other people

00:24:39.099 --> 00:24:43.259
 and things to the exclusion of God.

00:24:44.259 --> 00:24:45.640
 God is our creator.

00:24:46.720 --> 00:24:48.559
 God is the sovereign one.

00:24:49.279 --> 00:24:51.220
 God is our heavenly father as Christians.

00:24:52.559 --> 00:24:54.059
 He wants us to see.

00:24:54.059 --> 00:24:55.899
 He's trying to make clear, and he's going to do it

00:24:55.899 --> 00:24:57.599
 over and over and over again in various ways,

00:24:58.079 --> 00:25:00.240
 that life, live and no relationship with God

00:25:00.240 --> 00:25:02.019
 is basically pointless.

00:25:04.139 --> 00:25:06.220
 It is depressing.

00:25:08.740 --> 00:25:10.159
 There's just not much to it.

00:25:11.599 --> 00:25:13.200
 Now, later on in this book, he's going to point

00:25:13.200 --> 00:25:15.799
 out how God intends for us to live a meaningful life

00:25:15.799 --> 00:25:19.039
 in this world, but not thinking this world is

00:25:19.039 --> 00:25:19.460
 everything.

00:25:20.700 --> 00:25:22.599
 We're going to come to that when we come to that.

00:25:22.599 --> 00:25:25.679
 But I don't want us to leave this morning on such a negative note.

00:25:26.240 --> 00:25:29.019
 I want us to lean in on a more positive note

00:25:29.019 --> 00:25:31.859
 by looking at life from the right perspective

00:25:31.859 --> 00:25:33.559
 beyond the sun.

00:25:34.459 --> 00:25:37.480
 The preacher shows us that when God is left out of the picture,

00:25:38.240 --> 00:25:41.980
 the natural world can be meaningless.

00:25:41.980 --> 00:25:48.079
 Unless it can be boring to us, us in this room.

00:25:49.299 --> 00:25:54.440
 But that's not true when we put God at the center of everything.

00:25:55.440 --> 00:25:58.680
 Now, I want you to look at a passage,

00:25:58.900 --> 00:26:01.160
 Psalm chapter 19, verse 1 on the screen.

00:26:01.160 --> 00:26:06.259
 The heavens declare the glory of God,

00:26:06.640 --> 00:26:09.759
 and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.

00:26:11.880 --> 00:26:16.100
 God intends for us living in this world,

00:26:17.140 --> 00:26:18.460
 when we think about nature,

00:26:18.600 --> 00:26:20.160
 when we look at what He's created,

00:26:20.259 --> 00:26:23.140
 when we think about even the rivers and the sun and the wind

00:26:23.140 --> 00:26:23.880
 and all this kind of stuff,

00:26:24.080 --> 00:26:25.779
 He wants us to be in awe

00:26:25.779 --> 00:26:28.740
 because He created this.

00:26:29.139 --> 00:26:30.759
 He created this from nothing.

00:26:31.279 --> 00:26:34.359
 He created this for His glory and our good.

00:26:35.500 --> 00:26:39.500
 He wants us to just be in awe of what we see

00:26:39.500 --> 00:26:43.920
 and to praise Him as the one who created it.

00:26:44.339 --> 00:26:46.200
 The repetition that we see in nature

00:26:46.200 --> 00:26:51.160
 is not intended by God to be boring and meaningless.

00:26:52.240 --> 00:26:54.420
 Look at how Philip Ryken points out.

00:26:54.420 --> 00:26:57.420
 He says the repetition that we see in nature

00:26:57.420 --> 00:26:58.820
 is intended to be a testimony

00:26:58.820 --> 00:27:03.300
 to the goodness and the orderliness of God.

00:27:03.960 --> 00:27:05.820
 The regularity of the created world

00:27:05.820 --> 00:27:09.100
 shows the constancy of its creator.

00:27:10.380 --> 00:27:12.480
 This may not be a good day for you

00:27:12.480 --> 00:27:14.100
 for a lot of different reasons.

00:27:15.960 --> 00:27:17.720
 You know, you may have gotten up this morning.

00:27:18.800 --> 00:27:19.840
 It was cold.

00:27:20.060 --> 00:27:21.600
 It may have been heat in your house,

00:27:21.600 --> 00:27:23.460
 but you looked outside.

00:27:23.460 --> 00:27:24.340
 It was raining.

00:27:24.559 --> 00:27:25.860
 You know what the forecast was.

00:27:25.940 --> 00:27:27.079
 You're looking for, you know,

00:27:27.100 --> 00:27:28.299
 is there ice out there?

00:27:28.539 --> 00:27:30.660
 It just makes you cold to the bone.

00:27:32.200 --> 00:27:35.500
 And I'm sure a lot of people in this room,

00:27:36.160 --> 00:27:37.180
 you thought about,

00:27:38.180 --> 00:27:40.240
 I just may not go today.

00:27:41.519 --> 00:27:42.480
 It's cold.

00:27:42.620 --> 00:27:43.380
 It's dreary.

00:27:43.980 --> 00:27:45.279
 I mean, I'll be honest with you.

00:27:45.920 --> 00:27:46.940
 I thought that.

00:27:46.940 --> 00:27:50.240
 It was a bad day.

00:27:50.240 --> 00:27:53.840
 There may be some things that have happened

00:27:53.840 --> 00:27:55.320
 in your life this morning

00:27:55.320 --> 00:27:56.299
 that has nothing to do with the weather.

00:27:57.539 --> 00:28:01.680
 This is just not a good day for you.

00:28:03.160 --> 00:28:06.799
 But because of the way God's made things,

00:28:07.680 --> 00:28:09.700
 you know the sun's going to come up in the morning.

00:28:09.700 --> 00:28:13.220
 If you live, tomorrow's going to be a different day,

00:28:13.319 --> 00:28:14.019
 a new day.

00:28:14.840 --> 00:28:17.340
 The weatherman says tomorrow's going to be clear.

00:28:17.680 --> 00:28:19.799
 Tomorrow the high's going to be up in the 50s.

00:28:20.100 --> 00:28:23.680
 Tomorrow is going to be a better day in a lot of ways,

00:28:23.880 --> 00:28:25.640
 and we can count on that

00:28:25.640 --> 00:28:28.259
 because that's the way God has made things.

00:28:28.519 --> 00:28:32.180
 New days come about every day.

00:28:32.180 --> 00:28:35.060
 We can start all over again the next day.

00:28:35.160 --> 00:28:37.519
 Don't you get to the end of some days?

00:28:38.120 --> 00:28:39.700
 No matter what, you're just tired,

00:28:39.880 --> 00:28:40.960
 and you're worn out.

00:28:41.940 --> 00:28:44.019
 And you get home, you get settled in,

00:28:44.160 --> 00:28:45.180
 you just want to go to bed.

00:28:45.980 --> 00:28:47.320
 You just want this day to end.

00:28:47.440 --> 00:28:48.279
 You just want to rest.

00:28:48.380 --> 00:28:49.279
 You just want to do whatever.

00:28:49.980 --> 00:28:50.700
 And you think to yourself,

00:28:50.779 --> 00:28:51.400
 I'm going to go to bed,

00:28:51.940 --> 00:28:54.660
 and tomorrow's going to be a new day.

00:28:54.779 --> 00:28:56.000
 You can count on it.

00:28:57.019 --> 00:28:58.539
 That's the way God made it.

00:28:58.580 --> 00:29:01.220
 That's the pattern He has set in motion in life,

00:29:01.220 --> 00:29:02.519
 and it's good.

00:29:05.299 --> 00:29:06.360
 Under the sun,

00:29:07.680 --> 00:29:10.319
 the seasons come and go without change.

00:29:11.640 --> 00:29:12.799
 To some people,

00:29:13.620 --> 00:29:16.140
 it may just be old and boring.

00:29:18.019 --> 00:29:20.539
 Winter, spring, summer, fall.

00:29:21.460 --> 00:29:22.839
 But it doesn't have to be.

00:29:23.700 --> 00:29:25.539
 I've already heard somebody say it this morning.

00:29:26.019 --> 00:29:27.500
 I certainly am thinking it.

00:29:28.200 --> 00:29:30.539
 I'm looking forward to springtime.

00:29:31.220 --> 00:29:33.100
 To 70 degrees.

00:29:33.759 --> 00:29:35.900
 To warmth.

00:29:36.440 --> 00:29:37.339
 To green grass.

00:29:37.519 --> 00:29:38.779
 I'm looking forward to summer.

00:29:39.120 --> 00:29:42.019
 I'm looking forward to warm ocean water

00:29:42.019 --> 00:29:43.200
 at Myrtle Beach.

00:29:45.140 --> 00:29:46.620
 And you know, by the time

00:29:46.620 --> 00:29:49.920
 August rolls around,

00:29:50.680 --> 00:29:53.480
 we've had a lot of days where it's 90 degrees.

00:29:53.600 --> 00:29:55.600
 We've cut more grass than we wanted to.

00:29:55.779 --> 00:29:57.319
 We've sweated more than we want to.

00:29:57.319 --> 00:30:00.659
 We're going to be excited about fall coming.

00:30:03.119 --> 00:30:05.279
 And the cooler temperatures.

00:30:06.279 --> 00:30:10.019
 And the change that we'll see in the colors.

00:30:10.480 --> 00:30:11.919
 And the change we'll feel in the air.

00:30:11.920 --> 00:30:14.920
 What I'm describing here

00:30:14.920 --> 00:30:18.360
 is the way God has created

00:30:18.360 --> 00:30:20.720
 a orderly, predictable,

00:30:22.720 --> 00:30:24.539
 seasonal change.

00:30:25.220 --> 00:30:26.600
 The way God has created

00:30:26.600 --> 00:30:28.019
 an orderly and predictable

00:30:28.019 --> 00:30:29.360
 and enjoyable

00:30:29.360 --> 00:30:32.039
 and a sense of newness

00:30:32.039 --> 00:30:34.560
 in the world

00:30:34.560 --> 00:30:36.960
 He has created for us

00:30:36.960 --> 00:30:39.320
 to find little joys like this.

00:30:39.319 --> 00:30:41.279
 To look forward to spring.

00:30:42.019 --> 00:30:43.740
 To enjoy His,

00:30:44.039 --> 00:30:45.659
 the variety that He's really

00:30:45.659 --> 00:30:47.599
 put in this world

00:30:47.599 --> 00:30:49.079
 for people who will look at it

00:30:49.079 --> 00:30:50.779
 and be thankful

00:30:50.779 --> 00:30:51.759
 and appreciative

00:30:51.759 --> 00:30:52.819
 and praise Him

00:30:52.819 --> 00:30:54.439
 and worship Him for it.

00:30:55.480 --> 00:30:57.079
 Life with God at the center

00:30:57.079 --> 00:30:58.519
 is actually filled

00:30:58.519 --> 00:31:00.279
 with new things.

00:31:00.779 --> 00:31:02.339
 Through faith in Jesus Christ,

00:31:03.539 --> 00:31:05.759
 a person's actual life

00:31:05.759 --> 00:31:08.379
 can be made totally new.

00:31:08.380 --> 00:31:09.780
 Look at what Paul says

00:31:09.780 --> 00:31:11.320
 in 2 Corinthians chapter 5.

00:31:11.740 --> 00:31:12.060
 He says,

00:31:12.320 --> 00:31:13.620
 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,

00:31:14.120 --> 00:31:15.480
 he is a new creation.

00:31:16.220 --> 00:31:17.640
 The old has passed away.

00:31:17.900 --> 00:31:19.580
 Behold, the new has come.

00:31:21.060 --> 00:31:22.080
 A person's life

00:31:22.080 --> 00:31:23.520
 can literally be changed

00:31:23.520 --> 00:31:24.440
 from the inside out.

00:31:24.700 --> 00:31:25.960
 The way they look at life,

00:31:26.080 --> 00:31:27.300
 the way they experience life,

00:31:27.380 --> 00:31:28.800
 the way they relate to people.

00:31:30.080 --> 00:31:31.700
 Through faith in Jesus Christ,

00:31:32.280 --> 00:31:34.380
 through this supernatural regeneration,

00:31:35.240 --> 00:31:36.680
 new birth that God brings about

00:31:36.680 --> 00:31:37.720
 when He puts His Spirit in us,

00:31:37.720 --> 00:31:39.720
 we can literally be changed

00:31:40.259 --> 00:31:41.420
 from the inside out.

00:31:41.600 --> 00:31:42.539
 We can be made new,

00:31:42.640 --> 00:31:43.200
 the Scripture says.

00:31:43.559 --> 00:31:44.440
 Even as Christians,

00:31:45.079 --> 00:31:47.339
 being made new,

00:31:47.440 --> 00:31:48.259
 a lot of times,

00:31:48.620 --> 00:31:50.680
 we don't live like the new person

00:31:50.680 --> 00:31:51.460
 that we are.

00:31:52.259 --> 00:31:53.500
 A lot of times as Christians,

00:31:54.079 --> 00:31:56.620
 we do things that we know

00:31:56.620 --> 00:31:57.500
 do not please God.

00:31:57.860 --> 00:31:59.019
 We do selfish things.

00:31:59.140 --> 00:32:01.480
 We do sinful things.

00:32:01.480 --> 00:32:04.440
 But the good news

00:32:04.440 --> 00:32:06.860
 that the New Testament tells us is,

00:32:07.480 --> 00:32:09.059
 even when we sin and fail God

00:32:09.059 --> 00:32:09.579
 as Christians,

00:32:09.980 --> 00:32:11.200
 we can be forgiven,

00:32:11.380 --> 00:32:13.720
 we can be given new starts,

00:32:13.960 --> 00:32:15.579
 fresh starts in our relationship

00:32:15.579 --> 00:32:16.019
 with God.

00:32:16.180 --> 00:32:16.700
 Look at what He says

00:32:16.700 --> 00:32:17.660
 in 1 John 1.9.

00:32:17.819 --> 00:32:19.039
 If we confess our sins,

00:32:19.640 --> 00:32:20.660
 He is faithful and just

00:32:20.660 --> 00:32:22.120
 to forgive us our sins

00:32:22.120 --> 00:32:24.259
 and to cleanse us

00:32:24.259 --> 00:32:26.700
 from all our unrighteousness.

00:32:27.099 --> 00:32:27.700
 You know, it may be

00:32:27.700 --> 00:32:28.420
 that you're a Christian here

00:32:28.420 --> 00:32:28.840
 this morning

00:32:28.840 --> 00:32:30.160
 and you're anything but

00:32:30.160 --> 00:32:34.539
 in good, close fellowship

00:32:34.539 --> 00:32:35.920
 with your Lord.

00:32:37.500 --> 00:32:38.620
 It could be that

00:32:38.620 --> 00:32:39.440
 as we were going through

00:32:39.440 --> 00:32:40.039
 this worship service

00:32:40.039 --> 00:32:40.420
 this morning,

00:32:40.940 --> 00:32:42.380
 the last thing in the world

00:32:42.380 --> 00:32:43.360
 you could feel like doing

00:32:43.360 --> 00:32:44.259
 was worshiping God

00:32:44.259 --> 00:32:44.740
 because you know

00:32:44.740 --> 00:32:45.220
 there's some things

00:32:45.220 --> 00:32:45.680
 in your life

00:32:45.680 --> 00:32:46.600
 He's not pleased with.

00:32:46.820 --> 00:32:48.759
 You feel separate from Him,

00:32:49.080 --> 00:32:50.100
 alienated from Him.

00:32:50.700 --> 00:32:51.460
 I want you to understand

00:32:51.460 --> 00:32:52.660
 this Scripture says

00:32:52.660 --> 00:32:53.900
 if you'll confess your sins,

00:32:54.800 --> 00:32:56.480
 I mean, get serious with God,

00:32:57.380 --> 00:32:57.960
 agree with Him

00:32:57.960 --> 00:32:58.759
 about whatever it is,

00:32:59.039 --> 00:32:59.680
 turn from it,

00:32:59.759 --> 00:33:00.799
 change whatever it is

00:33:00.799 --> 00:33:01.519
 He's calling you to do.

00:33:02.340 --> 00:33:03.160
 He'll forgive you.

00:33:03.340 --> 00:33:04.200
 He'll cleanse you.

00:33:04.299 --> 00:33:05.539
 He'll give you a fresh start

00:33:05.539 --> 00:33:06.279
 this morning.

00:33:06.420 --> 00:33:08.559
 Now, if you will do that.

00:33:09.519 --> 00:33:10.240
 One day,

00:33:10.700 --> 00:33:11.380
 God's going to make

00:33:11.380 --> 00:33:12.100
 everything new.

00:33:12.680 --> 00:33:13.180
 He's going to make

00:33:13.180 --> 00:33:14.059
 this world new.

00:33:14.240 --> 00:33:14.860
 Look at what it says

00:33:14.860 --> 00:33:15.860
 in the book of Revelation.

00:33:17.019 --> 00:33:18.400
 Then I saw a new heaven

00:33:18.400 --> 00:33:19.840
 and a new earth

00:33:19.840 --> 00:33:20.819
 for the first heaven

00:33:20.819 --> 00:33:22.059
 and the first earth

00:33:22.059 --> 00:33:23.559
 had passed away.

00:33:23.980 --> 00:33:25.000
 A little bit further on

00:33:25.000 --> 00:33:25.880
 in that chapter.

00:33:26.500 --> 00:33:27.319
 And He who was seated

00:33:27.319 --> 00:33:28.039
 on the throne and said,

00:33:28.119 --> 00:33:28.419
 Behold,

00:33:28.619 --> 00:33:31.319
 I am making all things new.

00:33:32.419 --> 00:33:33.519
 Life in this world

00:33:33.519 --> 00:33:34.119
 is broken.

00:33:34.480 --> 00:33:35.759
 We live in a fallen world.

00:33:36.399 --> 00:33:37.419
 We know that.

00:33:39.519 --> 00:33:40.819
 It's winding down.

00:33:40.819 --> 00:33:42.700
 It will eventually

00:33:42.700 --> 00:33:43.639
 come to an end.

00:33:44.779 --> 00:33:46.059
 And God's going to create

00:33:46.059 --> 00:33:46.980
 a new heaven

00:33:46.980 --> 00:33:47.859
 and a new earth.

00:33:48.240 --> 00:33:49.679
 It'll be paradise restored.

00:33:50.619 --> 00:33:51.500
 It will be that

00:33:51.500 --> 00:33:52.919
 paradise, heaven,

00:33:52.920 --> 00:33:54.080
 perfection

00:33:54.080 --> 00:33:56.580
 for God's people,

00:33:56.720 --> 00:33:57.519
 God's children,

00:33:57.700 --> 00:33:58.800
 all who have come to Him

00:33:58.800 --> 00:34:00.039
 through faith in Jesus.

00:34:00.940 --> 00:34:02.840
 We have that to look forward to.

00:34:04.440 --> 00:34:05.360
 I want to ask you this morning,

00:34:05.440 --> 00:34:06.980
 what's your perspective on life?

00:34:08.360 --> 00:34:09.460
 Are you looking at life

00:34:09.460 --> 00:34:10.519
 from the wrong perspective

00:34:10.519 --> 00:34:11.880
 under the sun

00:34:11.880 --> 00:34:14.800
 as if there is no God?

00:34:15.200 --> 00:34:16.440
 Or are you looking at life

00:34:16.440 --> 00:34:17.260
 from the right perspective

00:34:17.260 --> 00:34:18.260
 beyond the sun

00:34:18.260 --> 00:34:19.760
 with God as the focus,

00:34:19.920 --> 00:34:21.180
 truly the center

00:34:21.179 --> 00:34:22.500
 of your life?

00:34:25.079 --> 00:34:26.819
 If we only live life

00:34:26.819 --> 00:34:27.579
 under the sun,

00:34:30.460 --> 00:34:32.059
 no relationship with God,

00:34:32.879 --> 00:34:34.039
 no seeking His way

00:34:34.039 --> 00:34:34.539
 and will,

00:34:35.679 --> 00:34:36.579
 we will,

00:34:37.839 --> 00:34:38.460
 sooner or later,

00:34:39.299 --> 00:34:42.219
 find that our life

00:34:42.219 --> 00:34:42.980
 is not what

00:34:42.980 --> 00:34:44.399
 we want it to be.

00:34:45.139 --> 00:34:47.119
 It will not be fulfilling.

00:34:47.480 --> 00:34:48.980
 It will not be satisfying.

00:34:49.859 --> 00:34:50.460
 Sooner or later,

00:34:50.460 --> 00:34:50.940
 we'll find,

00:34:51.019 --> 00:34:51.880
 like I said last week,

00:34:52.840 --> 00:34:54.900
 we're building our lives

00:34:54.900 --> 00:34:55.800
 if God's not a part of,

00:34:56.260 --> 00:34:57.820
 if God's not at the center

00:34:57.820 --> 00:34:58.679
 of our lives.

00:34:59.240 --> 00:35:00.360
 If He's not directing

00:35:00.360 --> 00:35:01.099
 our lives,

00:35:01.420 --> 00:35:02.159
 we'll find that we're

00:35:02.159 --> 00:35:02.860
 like children

00:35:02.860 --> 00:35:04.179
 building sandcastles

00:35:04.179 --> 00:35:05.579
 on the beach.

00:35:06.420 --> 00:35:07.320
 We can build

00:35:07.320 --> 00:35:08.900
 some wonderful sandcastles,

00:35:09.000 --> 00:35:09.720
 but sooner or later,

00:35:10.300 --> 00:35:11.119
 they get washed

00:35:11.119 --> 00:35:12.360
 into the sea

00:35:12.360 --> 00:35:13.639
 when the tide comes in.

00:35:13.940 --> 00:35:14.820
 That's life

00:35:14.820 --> 00:35:16.400
 under the sun.

00:35:16.599 --> 00:35:17.519
 There's a better way

00:35:17.519 --> 00:35:17.960
 to live.

00:35:17.960 --> 00:35:19.780
 And Ecclesiastes

00:35:19.780 --> 00:35:20.659
 as well as the whole

00:35:20.659 --> 00:35:21.059
 of Scripture

00:35:21.059 --> 00:35:22.119
 is calling us

00:35:22.119 --> 00:35:24.539
 to find this better way

00:35:24.539 --> 00:35:27.920
 through faith in Jesus Christ,

00:35:28.920 --> 00:35:30.740
 find this better way

00:35:30.740 --> 00:35:32.400
 to be able to know God,

00:35:32.740 --> 00:35:33.579
 to know His will,

00:35:33.699 --> 00:35:34.599
 to do His will,

00:35:34.900 --> 00:35:36.059
 to bring glory to Him

00:35:36.059 --> 00:35:36.880
 as we do it,

00:35:37.300 --> 00:35:39.179
 and to make a good difference,

00:35:40.179 --> 00:35:41.139
 a positive difference

00:35:41.139 --> 00:35:41.780
 in the lives of people

00:35:41.780 --> 00:35:42.699
 around about us.

00:35:42.699 --> 00:35:44.239
 You know,

00:35:44.279 --> 00:35:44.599
 when we,

00:35:44.759 --> 00:35:45.500
 this world is

00:35:45.500 --> 00:35:47.579
 over and done with,

00:35:48.399 --> 00:35:50.599
 we're going to leave

00:35:50.599 --> 00:35:51.319
 it all behind.

00:35:52.939 --> 00:35:54.099
 We're not going to gain,

00:35:54.159 --> 00:35:54.779
 as He talks about

00:35:54.779 --> 00:35:55.259
 at the very beginning,

00:35:55.299 --> 00:35:55.839
 we're not going to have

00:35:55.839 --> 00:35:57.179
 anything gained

00:35:57.179 --> 00:35:58.480
 as far as this world goes.

00:36:02.099 --> 00:36:02.859
 But when life

00:36:02.859 --> 00:36:03.719
 is over and done with,

00:36:04.379 --> 00:36:07.199
 as Christians,

00:36:08.059 --> 00:36:09.299
 people who believe

00:36:09.299 --> 00:36:10.299
 in Jesus Christ,

00:36:10.719 --> 00:36:11.199
 our commitment

00:36:11.199 --> 00:36:12.059
 is to Him,

00:36:12.519 --> 00:36:13.579
 God is our Father,

00:36:13.879 --> 00:36:15.239
 we're living life His way,

00:36:16.379 --> 00:36:16.839
 for us,

00:36:17.179 --> 00:36:18.339
 death will be gain,

00:36:19.500 --> 00:36:21.019
 death will be heaven,

00:36:21.799 --> 00:36:23.439
 death will be perfection,

00:36:25.000 --> 00:36:26.339
 death will be more,

00:36:27.419 --> 00:36:28.879
 far more than we could

00:36:28.879 --> 00:36:30.419
 ever have attained

00:36:30.419 --> 00:36:31.439
 or even dreamed about

00:36:31.439 --> 00:36:33.239
 in this life.

00:36:34.379 --> 00:36:35.819
 So what is your perspective?

00:36:37.500 --> 00:36:38.839
 What is your perspective

00:36:38.839 --> 00:36:39.379
 on life?

00:36:39.380 --> 00:36:41.320
 Is it one you are

00:36:41.320 --> 00:36:42.780
 satisfied with now?

00:36:44.280 --> 00:36:45.660
 And even more importantly,

00:36:46.360 --> 00:36:47.680
 is it one,

00:36:47.880 --> 00:36:48.920
 your perspective one,

00:36:49.380 --> 00:36:50.680
 that you will be satisfied

00:36:50.680 --> 00:36:53.240
 with for all eternity?

00:36:54.320 --> 00:36:55.260
 Let's pray together.

00:36:56.099 --> 00:36:56.480
 Dear God,

00:36:57.480 --> 00:36:58.960
 help us this morning

00:36:58.960 --> 00:37:00.519
 to see how we're living life,

00:37:00.660 --> 00:37:01.119
 the way that we're

00:37:01.119 --> 00:37:01.860
 looking at it.

00:37:03.320 --> 00:37:03.920
 And dear God,

00:37:03.980 --> 00:37:04.519
 help us just,

00:37:04.519 --> 00:37:07.039
 just boil it all down to,

00:37:08.340 --> 00:37:09.800
 is Jesus Christ,

00:37:10.239 --> 00:37:10.599
 Lord.

00:37:15.820 --> 00:37:18.079
 It's our ultimate goal in life

00:37:18.079 --> 00:37:19.320
 to know and do Your will,

00:37:20.320 --> 00:37:22.019
 to serve Your purpose,

00:37:23.019 --> 00:37:24.739
 to experience life

00:37:24.739 --> 00:37:26.679
 as You intend.

00:37:26.679 --> 00:37:29.859
 Father,

00:37:29.919 --> 00:37:30.919
 show us where we are.

00:37:33.059 --> 00:37:34.219
 Help us to be honest.

00:37:36.399 --> 00:37:36.899
 And dear God,

00:37:36.960 --> 00:37:37.859
 help us to respond

00:37:37.859 --> 00:37:38.819
 the way that we

00:37:38.819 --> 00:37:39.559
 as individuals

00:37:39.559 --> 00:37:40.639
 need to now.

00:37:42.019 --> 00:37:42.419
 Father,

00:37:42.500 --> 00:37:42.940
 if there are people

00:37:42.940 --> 00:37:43.460
 in this room

00:37:43.460 --> 00:37:45.159
 whose life is just

00:37:45.159 --> 00:37:46.179
 basically meaningless

00:37:46.179 --> 00:37:47.419
 because they do not

00:37:47.419 --> 00:37:48.179
 know You,

00:37:48.279 --> 00:37:49.259
 they have no relationship

00:37:49.259 --> 00:37:49.879
 with Christ,

00:37:50.699 --> 00:37:51.940
 make that clear.

00:37:53.000 --> 00:37:53.699
 Help them to know

00:37:53.699 --> 00:37:54.359
 that if they will

00:37:54.360 --> 00:37:55.340
 admit that,

00:37:55.539 --> 00:37:56.840
 turn from that mindset,

00:37:57.079 --> 00:37:57.980
 that way of life,

00:37:58.720 --> 00:37:59.880
 and truly trust Jesus

00:37:59.880 --> 00:38:00.559
 and call upon Him

00:38:00.559 --> 00:38:01.720
 to save them.

00:38:03.039 --> 00:38:03.680
 Help them to see

00:38:03.680 --> 00:38:04.940
 that You will

00:38:04.940 --> 00:38:05.720
 change them

00:38:05.720 --> 00:38:06.620
 from the inside out

00:38:06.620 --> 00:38:07.280
 now.

00:38:08.500 --> 00:38:08.780
 Lord,

00:38:08.820 --> 00:38:09.320
 if there are Christians

00:38:09.320 --> 00:38:09.820
 in this room

00:38:09.820 --> 00:38:10.360
 and they know

00:38:10.360 --> 00:38:10.940
 what it's like

00:38:10.940 --> 00:38:13.079
 to truly live life

00:38:13.079 --> 00:38:14.280
 with You as the focus,

00:38:14.420 --> 00:38:15.260
 You in the center,

00:38:16.180 --> 00:38:17.180
 that they've drifted away

00:38:17.180 --> 00:38:18.200
 or even rebelled,

00:38:20.300 --> 00:38:20.500
 Lord,

00:38:20.559 --> 00:38:21.320
 help them to confess

00:38:21.320 --> 00:38:21.820
 their sin

00:38:21.820 --> 00:38:22.820
 and come back to You.

00:38:24.360 --> 00:38:25.099
 Help them this morning,

00:38:25.200 --> 00:38:25.539
 dear God,

00:38:25.620 --> 00:38:26.380
 to know that they

00:38:26.380 --> 00:38:27.099
 can be forgiven,

00:38:27.340 --> 00:38:28.019
 cleansed,

00:38:28.400 --> 00:38:29.500
 given a fresh start.

00:38:31.539 --> 00:38:32.880
 Show us how we should respond.

00:38:33.760 --> 00:38:34.820
 Help us to do that now.

00:38:35.640 --> 00:38:36.140
 And let's just have

00:38:36.140 --> 00:38:37.000
 an attitude of prayer

00:38:37.000 --> 00:38:37.940
 and listen to the Lord

00:38:37.940 --> 00:38:38.680
 and obey Him.

00:38:39.240 --> 00:38:39.960
 I'd be happy to pray

00:38:39.960 --> 00:38:40.820
 with you during this time.

00:38:41.140 --> 00:38:41.900
 If you want to come forward,

00:38:41.960 --> 00:38:42.620
 I'll be here at the front.

00:38:42.620 --> 00:38:42.720
 Amen.

00:38:42.720 --> 00:38:42.780
 Amen.

00:38:42.780 --> 00:38:42.840
 Amen.

00:38:42.840 --> 00:38:42.940
 Amen.

00:38:42.940 --> 00:38:43.120
 Amen.

00:38:43.120 --> 00:38:43.240
 Amen.

00:38:43.240 --> 00:38:43.340
 Amen.

00:38:43.340 --> 00:38:43.420
 Amen.

00:38:43.420 --> 00:38:43.480
 Amen.

00:38:43.480 --> 00:38:43.579
 Amen.

00:38:43.579 --> 00:38:43.820
 Amen.

00:38:43.820 --> 00:38:43.900
 Amen.

00:38:43.900 --> 00:38:44.019
 Amen.

00:38:44.019 --> 00:38:44.039
 Amen.

00:38:44.039 --> 00:38:44.500
 Amen.

00:38:44.500 --> 00:38:44.579
 Amen.

00:38:44.579 --> 00:38:44.700
 Amen.