WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.759 Well, good morning, everyone. It's good to see you this morning. As James mentioned, 00:00:06.839 --> 00:00:11.740 we're going to be continuing our walk through Ecclesiastes, coming to Ecclesiastes chapter 00:00:11.740 --> 00:00:18.280 five this morning. And as we begin, some of you may know that I enjoy running. And though 00:00:18.280 --> 00:00:23.620 I haven't done a whole lot of races in the past, a few years ago when I was living in 00:00:23.620 --> 00:00:28.859 South Carolina, some friends and I who ran together, we decided that we were going to 00:00:28.859 --> 00:00:35.939 sign up for a 50K race in the mountains of North Carolina. And so we planned that out months in 00:00:35.939 --> 00:00:40.899 advance, spent many months training and doing some hill exercises, increasing our mileage on a weekly 00:00:40.899 --> 00:00:48.120 basis until it was the weekend of the race. And so we drove up to North Carolina, a couple hour drive 00:00:48.120 --> 00:00:53.939 away. And as you do with ultra marathons, you actually check in the day before the race. So we 00:00:53.939 --> 00:00:58.820 arrived on a Friday evening. The race was the next morning. And as typical of these races, there's 00:00:58.820 --> 00:01:04.939 a social event the evening before the race. People hang out, get to talk with one another, 00:01:05.060 --> 00:01:10.340 have dinner together before your preparation for the race the next day. And it's really interesting, 00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:16.319 in these settings, you see two very different groups of people. You see those who are there 00:01:16.319 --> 00:01:23.439 simply for the experience. They want to have fun. They want to get the race t-shirt. They want to meet 00:01:23.439 --> 00:01:27.900 other people. And so that's very evident that night. There's not a whole lot of preparation that goes 00:01:27.900 --> 00:01:32.980 on for them. They hang out and they have a few beers and they eat a burger and not really concerned 00:01:32.980 --> 00:01:38.300 about what time they go to bed. And then there's those who are in the other camp, those who really 00:01:38.300 --> 00:01:45.760 care about the race they're going to run. And I fell into that camp. And not because I was in any 00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:51.160 illusion, under any illusion, I thought I had any chance of winning the race, but I had put in the time 00:01:51.159 --> 00:01:56.599 and the effort. I wanted to take this race seriously. And so that night it wasn't about 00:01:56.599 --> 00:02:01.799 drinking and eating. It was about getting rest and concentrating, eating a healthy meal and going to 00:02:01.799 --> 00:02:08.379 bed early. And so when we see in our passage today, we're going to be looking at two very similar 00:02:08.379 --> 00:02:14.439 groups of people that we can come across in the church. We have those that are really good at showing 00:02:14.439 --> 00:02:21.319 up. They are faithful at following ritual and tradition, but their heart is far from God. 00:02:22.620 --> 00:02:28.460 And then we have those who do more than just show up for worship, but they actually participate and 00:02:28.460 --> 00:02:34.639 are sincere in their worship. They demonstrate their sincerity through how they act in worship. 00:02:35.879 --> 00:02:42.460 And so we see these people that come before God in awe and reverence. Their worship is authentic 00:02:42.460 --> 00:02:50.020 and real. And so that's what I want us to consider today is why we're here. Why do we do all this 00:02:50.020 --> 00:02:55.860 stuff on Sunday that we willingly come and sit in a pew and we sing songs and we listen to scripture 00:02:55.860 --> 00:03:01.860 and a sermon being preached to us? What is the purpose of that and how ought we to do it in a way that is 00:03:01.860 --> 00:03:08.879 truly honoring to God? And so let's look at our passage, Ecclesiastes chapter five, verses one through 00:03:08.879 --> 00:03:16.539 seven. Guard your steps. When you go to the house of God, go near to listen rather than to offer the 00:03:16.539 --> 00:03:24.159 sacrifice of fools who do not know what they do, do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with 00:03:24.159 --> 00:03:30.479 your mouth. Do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on 00:03:30.479 --> 00:03:37.039 earth. So let your words be few. A dream comes when there are many cares and many words make the speech 00:03:37.039 --> 00:03:43.599 of a fool. When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools. 00:03:44.139 --> 00:03:50.180 Fulfill your vow. It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. Do not let your 00:03:50.180 --> 00:03:55.539 mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger. My vow was a mistake. 00:03:56.439 --> 00:04:02.680 Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? Much dreaming and many words 00:04:02.680 --> 00:04:09.300 are meaningless. Therefore, fear God. This is the word of God. Will you pray with me? 00:04:12.400 --> 00:04:18.819 God, we recognize that our hearts can be so easily captivated by the things of this world. 00:04:20.060 --> 00:04:26.899 And even now there are distractions that can be around us that can keep us from knowing you and 00:04:26.899 --> 00:04:33.879 desiring to be in your presence. And so, God, we ask simply that you shed light on your word and you 00:04:33.879 --> 00:04:41.839 shed light on ourselves, that you shed light on our hearts. Show us ourselves and show us your glory, 00:04:41.839 --> 00:04:51.179 we pray. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, as has been mentioned, we've been walking through the book of 00:04:51.180 --> 00:04:57.280 Ecclesiastes. And it's been interesting to see the author of this book give his reflections as to 00:04:57.280 --> 00:05:03.620 the purpose of life. Over and over again, we see him repeat that life is meaningless. Vanity, vanity, 00:05:03.780 --> 00:05:10.079 all is vanity. We see him expressing his frustration or even his confusion when he tries to determine 00:05:10.079 --> 00:05:16.319 what the purpose of life truly is. And so now as we turn to chapter five, we start to see this 00:05:16.319 --> 00:05:22.959 transition. Because the first few chapters, it was all about observation and reflection. And so for 00:05:22.959 --> 00:05:28.279 the first time in this passage, in chapter five, we see him speaking directly to his audience and 00:05:28.279 --> 00:05:36.519 giving instruction. Ultimately, his instruction ends with what we see in verse seven, to fear God. 00:05:37.980 --> 00:05:42.339 And so before we actually look at these commands and look at a few of them specifically, I want us to 00:05:42.339 --> 00:05:49.019 think first about who is the audience that the author of Ecclesiastes is speaking to. Because 00:05:49.019 --> 00:05:54.339 he's been talking these past few chapters about the wicked, the self-indulgent, the workers. And we may 00:05:54.339 --> 00:05:59.559 think, well, now he's going to address these people that don't know God, that are far from God. But 00:05:59.559 --> 00:06:06.099 that's not what he does here. He actually addresses the religious. He's addressing those who actually have 00:06:06.100 --> 00:06:13.300 some sort of relationship with God, who are following God, supposedly. It's people that come 00:06:13.300 --> 00:06:19.200 to the temple, that offer sacrifices, that follow the law. So he's really addressing the church here 00:06:19.200 --> 00:06:27.300 and calling out the casual relationship that they have in worship. And so if you're new to work, 00:06:27.500 --> 00:06:32.000 if you're new to church, or maybe you're from another religious background, maybe you think that 00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:39.360 church, religion is just all about following rules. It's about jumping through hoops in order to earn 00:06:39.360 --> 00:06:45.199 God's pleasure. So when we come on Sunday, it's just going through the motions, sing the songs, 00:06:46.120 --> 00:06:51.079 listen to the sermon, pay attention when the scripture's reading. If we do those things, 00:06:51.139 --> 00:06:57.120 we will please God. And that's certainly not what the Bible says over and over again. We see just the 00:06:57.120 --> 00:07:01.860 opposite. In fact, if we look in the Old Testament, through the prophets, especially the prophet Isaiah, 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:07.819 that God spoke through the prophet Isaiah, and he was very clear on his rebuke to his people in 00:07:07.819 --> 00:07:13.259 regards to their worship. If we look in Isaiah 1, starting verse 11, a few verses I'm going to read 00:07:13.259 --> 00:07:21.180 here. The multitude of your sacrifices, what are they to me, says the Lord? I have more than enough 00:07:21.180 --> 00:07:26.740 of burnt offerings of rams and the fat, of fattened animals. I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and 00:07:26.740 --> 00:07:33.720 lambs and goats. When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my court? 00:07:33.819 --> 00:07:39.220 Stop bringing meaningless offerings. Your incense is detestable to me. New moons, 00:07:39.780 --> 00:07:46.100 Sabbaths, and convocations. I cannot bear your worthless assemblies. Your new moon feasts and your 00:07:46.100 --> 00:07:52.920 appointed festivals I hate with all my being. They have become a burden to me. I am weary of bearing them. 00:07:52.920 --> 00:07:58.480 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you. Even when you offer many prayers, 00:07:58.740 --> 00:08:07.460 I am not listening. Those are pretty harsh words. And we think about it, if we were to put that in 00:08:07.460 --> 00:08:12.920 common language in our current context, it's basically God saying to us, I hate the way that 00:08:12.920 --> 00:08:21.439 some of you do church. If we move to the New Testament, we see the same message from the lips of 00:08:21.439 --> 00:08:26.639 Jesus. You would think that his harshest critique may be of the sinners and the prostitutes and the 00:08:26.639 --> 00:08:31.600 tax collectors. No, he reserves his hardest critiques for the religious leaders of the day. 00:08:32.399 --> 00:08:34.379 In Matthew 23, 27, it says this, 00:08:34.379 --> 00:08:40.039 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, 00:08:40.259 --> 00:08:44.820 which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of bones of the dead and everything 00:08:44.820 --> 00:08:49.159 unclean. In the same way, on the outside, you appear to people as righteous, 00:08:49.159 --> 00:08:56.379 but on the inside, you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. And so over and over again, 00:08:56.419 --> 00:09:01.539 we see in the Bible what true worship is. It's not about our actions. It's not about our rituals 00:09:01.539 --> 00:09:07.740 or traditions. It's about our hearts. And so that's what I want us to focus on today. What is the heart? 00:09:07.839 --> 00:09:14.799 What should our heart be in offering true worship to God? And so if we follow along with what the writer 00:09:14.799 --> 00:09:20.139 of Ecclesiastes talks about, the three points that are easily laid out for us when we think about the 00:09:20.139 --> 00:09:26.919 heart are actually three other body parts. He refers to our feet and our ears and our mouth. 00:09:27.120 --> 00:09:31.819 And so those are going to be our three points today. As we consider true, authentic worship, 00:09:31.819 --> 00:09:36.319 we're going to look first at our feet. If we look in verse one, it says, 00:09:36.320 --> 00:09:42.560 guard your steps when you go to the house of the Lord. A little translation would be to walk 00:09:42.560 --> 00:09:50.660 prudently. And so the author is not only referring how we worship when we actually enter a church in 00:09:50.660 --> 00:09:57.000 the presence of other saints, he's concerned also with how we prepare ourselves for worship. 00:09:58.260 --> 00:10:03.280 And so this may remind us, we think back in the book of Exodus, when Moses comes to God for the first 00:10:03.279 --> 00:10:09.459 time, God presents himself in a burning bush in Exodus three, you may remember what God says to 00:10:09.459 --> 00:10:14.039 Moses. He says, do not come near, take off the sandals from your feet for the place on which you 00:10:14.039 --> 00:10:22.699 are standing is holy. Moses hid in his face in fear and God is communicating his holiness to his people. 00:10:23.039 --> 00:10:29.879 And so we must be careful in how we approach God in his presence. And so this raises questions for us 00:10:29.879 --> 00:10:36.419 now today. How do we approach worship? What does it mean when we need to come into the house of the 00:10:36.419 --> 00:10:44.779 Lord cautiously? Do we prepare ourselves on a Sunday morning with awe and reverence? If your house is 00:10:44.779 --> 00:10:49.439 anything like mine on a Sunday morning or really any day of the week, probably the answer is a resounding 00:10:49.440 --> 00:10:57.500 no. There is lots of instructions being offered that is maybe followed by fighting or arguing. 00:10:58.520 --> 00:11:02.440 There can be complaining or bickering in your last minute. You're rushing out the door to get the 00:11:02.440 --> 00:11:07.940 church. And even if you get here on time, there may be some frowning faces that you say, please smile and be 00:11:07.940 --> 00:11:16.260 happy. You sit in the pew, but really your heart is far from God. And so how do we guard our steps 00:11:16.259 --> 00:11:23.419 when we go to the house of the Lord? It's important to consider not only for ourselves, but for our 00:11:23.419 --> 00:11:28.200 families. How do we set that tone that we are prepared to come into the house of God and worship with 00:11:28.200 --> 00:11:35.439 sincerity? But the thing is, it's not just about the Sunday morning. It's not just about putting on the 00:11:35.439 --> 00:11:43.259 right attitude before we enter into the house of God. It's much more farther reaching here. It's this overall 00:11:43.259 --> 00:11:48.600 spiritual behavior that we need to exhibit. If you think back to what I talked about, the race that I 00:11:48.600 --> 00:11:54.080 did, if I had just shown up on a Friday before the race and decided that I was going to take this race 00:11:54.080 --> 00:12:00.200 seriously, it really wouldn't have made much of an effect, right? It was the months ahead of time where 00:12:00.200 --> 00:12:05.860 I planned and I prepared and I logged the miles and I ran the hills that made the difference in that race 00:12:05.860 --> 00:12:12.620 that proved that I was sincere and serious about wanting to do well. And so we can't just flip a switch 00:12:12.620 --> 00:12:17.379 on a Sunday morning and think that we can be genuine and sincere in our worship when the whole week 00:12:17.379 --> 00:12:24.799 through we've been far from God. Our worship doesn't begin and end on a Sunday morning. That's what 00:12:24.799 --> 00:12:30.700 God calls out his people for as hypocrites. We need to recognize that we are always in the presence of 00:12:30.700 --> 00:12:37.519 God. And so worship is not reserved only for this building. We need to guard our steps. As it says in 00:12:37.519 --> 00:12:45.399 Ephesians 5 15, be careful how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of your time 00:12:45.399 --> 00:12:53.759 because the days are evil. So we see that true worship is much more than sitting here in a pew on Sunday 00:12:53.759 --> 00:13:03.120 morning. It is about how we walk daily with the Lord. And so that turns to our second point then. Not only do we 00:13:03.120 --> 00:13:10.980 worship with our feet, we worship with our ears. Second part of verse one, go near to listen rather 00:13:10.980 --> 00:13:17.519 than to offer the sacrifice of fools who do not know that they do wrong. Now, if you're not familiar 00:13:17.519 --> 00:13:22.399 with the Bible, it's important to recognize that worship in Old Testament times was much different 00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:27.100 from how we worship today. And one of those main differences was the sacrifices that were offered 00:13:27.100 --> 00:13:32.940 by God's people. There's whole lists of rules as far as what sacrifices are to be offered, why you offer 00:13:32.940 --> 00:13:38.880 sacrifices, how it's supposed to be done. And so while there's great meaning and great significance and 00:13:38.880 --> 00:13:48.620 symbolism in these sacrifices, oftentimes the people of God came to the Lord and really just a mindless 00:13:48.620 --> 00:13:54.280 following of these rituals. And so this is what God was so angry about, what we read in Isaiah one, 00:13:54.360 --> 00:13:59.160 that people are coming to offer these sacrifices without any heart behind it. And he says, I hate this, 00:13:59.159 --> 00:14:06.500 stop it. This is not what I'm requesting from you. And so as I mentioned there, I think a lot of people, 00:14:06.639 --> 00:14:11.600 outsiders, when they think of Christianity, they think it's just about following these rules, right? 00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:17.139 You come to church, you do good things in order that God will be pleased with you. We need to make 00:14:17.139 --> 00:14:22.419 God happy with our actions as if God is some egomaniac that demands our obedience. 00:14:22.419 --> 00:14:29.399 Unfortunately, I think a lot of people think the message of Christianity is that if you follow the 00:14:29.399 --> 00:14:38.360 rules, then God will be happy with you. But we need to be clear here that God does not need us. 00:14:39.539 --> 00:14:46.240 God doesn't need you and he doesn't need me. And it may sound a little awkward. I mean, 00:14:46.299 --> 00:14:50.599 from our humanly perspective, if you were to offer someone help and they say, no, I don't need you, 00:14:50.600 --> 00:14:56.920 we can be offended by that, right? But this news of the gospel shouldn't be offensive to us. This 00:14:56.920 --> 00:15:02.100 should be encouraging to us because when we think about it, how powerful could our God truly be if 00:15:02.100 --> 00:15:12.440 he requires help from the likes of you and me? Paul says this in Acts 17, 24 and 25. 00:15:13.180 --> 00:15:20.259 The Lord who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live 00:15:20.259 --> 00:15:25.399 in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands as if he needed anything. 00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:30.539 Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 00:15:32.360 --> 00:15:36.960 And so if we go back to our passage in Ecclesiastes and the author is calling out these religious people 00:15:36.960 --> 00:15:43.139 for this mindless ritual that they've been involved in. And he says they're doing it so casually at the 00:15:43.139 --> 00:15:46.960 end of verse one, it says this, they don't even know what they are doing is wrong. 00:15:46.960 --> 00:15:52.820 They're so used to performing this mindless ritual that sinning has just become second nature to them 00:15:52.820 --> 00:15:59.120 and they're confusing it with worship. And so rather than continue to do this, author offers 00:15:59.120 --> 00:16:08.340 instructions. He says to draw near and listen. And so when we come to God, God isn't asking us to act 00:16:08.340 --> 00:16:14.580 or to speak. He calls us first to listen. And it's interesting, this, this verb in the Hebrew, 00:16:14.580 --> 00:16:19.540 it says to listen. It doesn't just mean to hear what someone is saying. It's actually to hear and 00:16:19.540 --> 00:16:25.340 to respond. So when it says, listen in this passage, it's saying to listen and to obey. 00:16:27.879 --> 00:16:32.120 For those of us who have children, I'm sure there's been occasion where you've given instruction 00:16:32.120 --> 00:16:39.340 and you've had to give that instruction more than once, maybe more than twice. If you think about 00:16:39.340 --> 00:16:44.279 just school routine, right, there's lots of things that need to be done in order to get out the door 00:16:44.279 --> 00:16:50.580 in the morning, brush your teeth, pack your bag, get your shoes on, make your bed. In our household, 00:16:50.679 --> 00:16:55.159 these things have to be reminded on a daily basis. And oftentimes when they're said, you go away for 00:16:55.159 --> 00:17:01.879 five minutes, come back and it's still not done. And so if you're like me, Lord willing, in done with 00:17:01.879 --> 00:17:09.119 all calmness, you come to your child and you get their attention and you say, stop doing what 00:17:09.119 --> 00:17:19.680 you're doing. Listen to my instruction and do it. It's easy to pick on kids because we see this so 00:17:19.680 --> 00:17:23.859 often displayed, but this is something that's truly displayed in our lives as well. This is an attitude 00:17:23.859 --> 00:17:28.539 that we often exhibit. When we go to church, we sing songs, we sit in the pew, we listen to the sermon, 00:17:28.539 --> 00:17:34.779 but that's not what God is telling us to do. He tells us to stop, stop it with the mindless ritual. 00:17:36.379 --> 00:17:44.000 That's not what I want you to do. I want you to truly listen. I want you to obey me out of authentic 00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:52.799 reverence and worship. And so I think we need to ask ourselves, how are we failing to listen to God? 00:17:52.799 --> 00:18:00.559 What distractions surround us even here right now? Not externally necessarily, but even within our 00:18:00.559 --> 00:18:06.099 own minds, in our own hearts. Do we get caught up thinking about what we're going to have for lunch 00:18:06.099 --> 00:18:09.200 or what's on my calendar this week or this work that I still have to complete? 00:18:13.159 --> 00:18:18.299 See, having a posture for worship is having a proper posture is something that we're going to 00:18:18.299 --> 00:18:25.779 truly crave relationship with God. And it's really going to affect how we view church. 00:18:27.220 --> 00:18:31.700 Because there's certainly those who think, oh, church is boring. I don't really get anything out of it. 00:18:33.180 --> 00:18:35.259 We need to have to recognize, well, where is that person's heart? 00:18:37.039 --> 00:18:41.940 When we recognize the opportunity to be in authentic relationship with God, church will not be boring. 00:18:42.079 --> 00:18:47.220 It will be a blessing. Church, we're not going to view as an obligation. We're going to see as an invitation. 00:18:47.220 --> 00:18:53.880 From God to enter into his presence with his people in order to praise our God. 00:18:56.200 --> 00:19:01.799 And so the author, he's discussed our feet and our ears, and then he moves on to our mouths. 00:19:01.900 --> 00:19:06.400 This is where he spends most of his time, the main emphasis of this passage. 00:19:06.700 --> 00:19:07.640 We look at verse two. 00:19:07.640 --> 00:19:14.839 Do not be quick with your mouth. Do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. 00:19:14.839 --> 00:19:18.819 God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your words be few. 00:19:20.459 --> 00:19:23.059 I don't know if many of you are into politics. 00:19:23.439 --> 00:19:26.980 I've always enjoyed politics ever since I was a child, really. 00:19:27.099 --> 00:19:32.759 I studied politics at university. I still love reading the news and books and podcasts that have to do with politics. 00:19:33.379 --> 00:19:37.859 And especially when politics and law intersect with my background in law in the United States, 00:19:37.859 --> 00:19:42.939 I've always been interested when there is a new nominee to the Supreme Court of the United States. 00:19:43.519 --> 00:19:48.000 So if you don't know U.S. politics, there's nine justices that sit on the Supreme Court. 00:19:48.179 --> 00:19:51.819 They're nominated by the president. They have to be confirmed by the Senate. 00:19:53.000 --> 00:19:56.379 And so it's interesting, after they're nominated by the president, 00:19:56.380 --> 00:20:02.660 there's a lot of preparation that these nominees go through because they have to sit in front of the Senate in these Senate hearings. 00:20:03.460 --> 00:20:09.540 And there's always one important point of advice that's always given to these nominees. 00:20:11.620 --> 00:20:14.600 It says, over and over again, I've heard this said, they say, 00:20:14.599 --> 00:20:33.419 And so I wonder how often that's our approach to prayer. 00:20:34.500 --> 00:20:37.619 That we speak, but we say very little. 00:20:38.619 --> 00:20:44.019 Oftentimes we use this very formal and flowery language when we pray, especially in the presence of others. 00:20:44.019 --> 00:20:48.859 And our focus can turn more to impressing God or impressing those who are listening 00:20:48.859 --> 00:20:51.059 than really caring about the substance of what we're saying. 00:20:53.079 --> 00:20:55.700 And so as a guard against this, the author says, 00:20:56.019 --> 00:20:58.579 To remember that God is in heaven and that we are on earth. 00:20:59.480 --> 00:21:03.660 And you may think, well, is that supposed to emphasize the distance between us and God? 00:21:03.779 --> 00:21:07.980 So don't really worry about your words because God's too far off that he can't hear us? 00:21:09.400 --> 00:21:10.319 No, not at all. 00:21:10.319 --> 00:21:16.299 But he's giving us this information to say, God is in heaven. 00:21:16.419 --> 00:21:22.139 We are on earth making this point so that rather that we can be aware of who we are approaching in prayer. 00:21:22.779 --> 00:21:27.159 That we're talking to the sovereign, holy God of the universe. 00:21:28.439 --> 00:21:30.980 And so the point is to not be flippant in our prayers, 00:21:31.179 --> 00:21:34.139 not to be motivated merely by ritual or tradition, 00:21:34.359 --> 00:21:38.519 recognize the honor and the privilege we have when we come before God. 00:21:38.519 --> 00:21:42.099 Jesus actually talked about this tendency himself. 00:21:43.119 --> 00:21:45.500 In Matthew 6, he's talking to his disciples. 00:21:46.099 --> 00:21:47.619 Chapter 6, verse 7, he says this, 00:21:47.619 --> 00:21:51.500 When you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, 00:21:52.500 --> 00:21:55.180 for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 00:21:56.079 --> 00:22:00.680 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask. 00:22:00.680 --> 00:22:08.299 It's interesting here that Jesus calls his Father, our Father. 00:22:09.779 --> 00:22:13.259 He says, your Father knows what you need before you ask. 00:22:14.299 --> 00:22:16.860 I think we can often overlook the significance of that. 00:22:18.500 --> 00:22:23.140 We fail to recognize that those who've received God's gift of grace through faith in Jesus, 00:22:23.620 --> 00:22:26.440 we have become children of God. 00:22:26.440 --> 00:22:30.019 And that should truly transform the way that we pray. 00:22:31.640 --> 00:22:33.100 I mean, thinking of children again, 00:22:33.200 --> 00:22:36.360 how often if you have children do they come to you with requests, 00:22:36.460 --> 00:22:38.759 asking you to do something for them or with them, 00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:40.400 countless times in the day. 00:22:41.680 --> 00:22:42.620 And how do they do it? 00:22:42.640 --> 00:22:45.940 There's no formality or pretense in the way that they speak to us. 00:22:46.039 --> 00:22:46.980 They don't care what we're doing. 00:22:47.059 --> 00:22:48.200 They don't care if they interrupt us. 00:22:48.440 --> 00:22:50.340 They're not concerned with how they ask their question. 00:22:50.339 --> 00:22:54.879 And so it should be with our Heavenly Father. 00:22:55.939 --> 00:22:58.179 When he says, let our words be few, 00:22:58.919 --> 00:23:03.240 he's not saying, limit what you say to God because we don't want to annoy him. 00:23:04.199 --> 00:23:08.220 He's saying this, when we pray, meet it. 00:23:08.220 --> 00:23:15.980 And so let's not fool ourselves into thinking that our sincerity of our prayers 00:23:15.980 --> 00:23:20.339 or the quality of our prayers is dictated by the words that we use 00:23:20.339 --> 00:23:23.059 or the length of the prayers that we pray. 00:23:24.200 --> 00:23:26.900 And I think this is a good reminder for all of us as we approach prayer. 00:23:27.059 --> 00:23:29.920 Those who have been Christians a long time who are very comfortable praying, 00:23:30.360 --> 00:23:34.500 those who may not be of the faith or very new to Christianity 00:23:34.500 --> 00:23:36.539 and are not comfortable in prayer. 00:23:36.539 --> 00:23:40.139 For those who are very confident in their prayers, 00:23:40.659 --> 00:23:46.039 we need to ask what kind of formality has crept into our prayer life 00:23:46.039 --> 00:23:47.859 that we need to eliminate. 00:23:49.740 --> 00:23:53.180 When we think about praying in public with other people, 00:23:54.180 --> 00:23:57.720 how can we pray in such a way that doesn't necessarily intimidate people 00:23:57.720 --> 00:24:00.139 but can encourage others? 00:24:01.799 --> 00:24:05.000 For those of us who may not be comfortable with praying 00:24:05.000 --> 00:24:07.519 or haven't had much experience praying, 00:24:08.059 --> 00:24:13.759 how can we train ourselves to be more concerned with what God thinks of our prayers 00:24:13.759 --> 00:24:15.359 than those around us? 00:24:15.599 --> 00:24:20.759 How can we grow in an eagerness and a willingness to speak to our Heavenly Father? 00:24:20.759 --> 00:24:28.379 When we pray, we need to remember that we come before our Father who loves us, 00:24:28.759 --> 00:24:31.839 who listens to us, who is ready to receive us, 00:24:31.900 --> 00:24:33.819 and knows our requests before we even ask them. 00:24:38.460 --> 00:24:44.940 Not only does the author of Ecclesiastes talk about our words in regards to prayer, 00:24:44.940 --> 00:24:47.640 but he also mentions them in regards to vows. 00:24:47.920 --> 00:24:49.539 We look at verse 4 and 5. 00:24:50.500 --> 00:24:52.559 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. 00:24:53.120 --> 00:24:54.660 He has no pleasure in fools. 00:24:55.440 --> 00:24:56.539 Fulfill your vow. 00:24:57.100 --> 00:24:59.960 It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. 00:25:01.500 --> 00:25:04.320 Now, in the Old Testament, we talked about sacrifices being normal. 00:25:04.460 --> 00:25:08.400 Now, vows would have been much more of commonplace in the Old Testament. 00:25:08.400 --> 00:25:13.380 They served as a promise of someone to worship God through offering 00:25:13.380 --> 00:25:15.300 if God would answer their prayers. 00:25:15.560 --> 00:25:20.900 Maybe the most familiar or potentially famous vow that we know in the Old Testament 00:25:20.900 --> 00:25:22.500 is that of a woman named Hannah, 00:25:22.980 --> 00:25:25.300 a woman who is barren, who couldn't have children, 00:25:25.420 --> 00:25:28.519 who pled to the Lord that God may gift her a son. 00:25:29.660 --> 00:25:31.460 We know that she made a vow to God, 00:25:31.920 --> 00:25:33.759 that if God would bless her with a child, 00:25:33.759 --> 00:25:36.980 she would commit that child to the service of the Lord 00:25:36.980 --> 00:25:39.180 for the entirety of that child's life. 00:25:40.160 --> 00:25:42.379 We know that God answered Hannah's prayer, 00:25:43.039 --> 00:25:45.559 and she gave Hannah a son, Samuel. 00:25:47.099 --> 00:25:50.720 We know that Hannah took her son, Samuel, to the temple 00:25:50.720 --> 00:25:52.680 and dedicated him there to the Lord. 00:25:53.220 --> 00:25:55.180 And so we see that vows are very important. 00:25:55.339 --> 00:25:58.279 They're not, it's a costly matter that are not to be broken. 00:25:59.819 --> 00:26:01.379 And so the author here says, 00:26:01.380 --> 00:26:04.860 fulfill your vow quickly or don't make one at all, 00:26:04.920 --> 00:26:08.640 because he recognizes the human tendency for us to cool in our enthusiasm 00:26:08.640 --> 00:26:10.460 after we've made a promise like this. 00:26:10.660 --> 00:26:12.220 So often when time passes, 00:26:13.060 --> 00:26:15.520 we may get the tendency to break that vow 00:26:15.520 --> 00:26:17.860 or kind of change the conditions of it 00:26:17.860 --> 00:26:20.380 that may be more suitable to our current situation. 00:26:22.960 --> 00:26:26.540 We may not be in the habit of making vows like they did in the Old Testament. 00:26:26.660 --> 00:26:29.280 We still have vows within the church today. 00:26:29.279 --> 00:26:33.079 If you want to be a member of this church or any other church, 00:26:33.160 --> 00:26:35.639 there's membership vows that you have to take. 00:26:35.700 --> 00:26:39.079 In this church, if you are becoming a member, you need to vow. 00:26:39.559 --> 00:26:42.759 You vow to submit yourself to the government and discipline of the church 00:26:42.759 --> 00:26:45.819 and promise to seek its purity and peace. 00:26:47.299 --> 00:26:50.180 You vow to support the church in its worship and work 00:26:50.180 --> 00:26:54.339 by your prayers and presence and gifts and service. 00:26:54.339 --> 00:27:00.199 And so vows are still important in the life of the church today. 00:27:00.359 --> 00:27:01.759 They shouldn't be entered into lightly. 00:27:01.980 --> 00:27:06.059 And the problem is we see so often what happens after these vows are made. 00:27:07.099 --> 00:27:10.879 Again, that tendency creeps in 00:27:10.879 --> 00:27:13.299 where that enthusiasm of our commitment can wane. 00:27:14.959 --> 00:27:18.399 Maybe there's busyness in your life. 00:27:18.400 --> 00:27:20.700 What's the first thing to go? 00:27:20.759 --> 00:27:21.940 Probably your commitment to the church. 00:27:23.019 --> 00:27:25.080 Maybe there's disagreement within the church. 00:27:25.240 --> 00:27:26.540 Decisions are made that you don't like. 00:27:27.040 --> 00:27:28.240 So you stop showing up. 00:27:29.360 --> 00:27:31.280 Even thinking of our current situation, 00:27:31.860 --> 00:27:33.280 two years on in a pandemic, 00:27:34.280 --> 00:27:38.540 when it's so easy to be focused solely on our personal health 00:27:38.540 --> 00:27:40.780 to the exclusion of the health of the church. 00:27:40.779 --> 00:27:45.079 It's something we need to consider. 00:27:46.099 --> 00:27:48.119 That vows are meaningful. 00:27:48.819 --> 00:27:51.240 And Jesus really simplifies it for us in Matthew 5. 00:27:51.759 --> 00:27:52.559 He says simply this, 00:27:52.660 --> 00:27:54.920 Let your yes be yes and your no be no. 00:27:55.899 --> 00:27:57.160 Every commitment we make, 00:27:57.240 --> 00:27:58.599 every promise we make, 00:27:59.299 --> 00:28:01.139 is just as though we make a vow 00:28:01.139 --> 00:28:02.720 and should be kept in the same way. 00:28:04.319 --> 00:28:05.680 And so we need to ask ourselves, 00:28:05.779 --> 00:28:07.180 are we keeping our vows to the church? 00:28:07.240 --> 00:28:08.240 If you're a member of this church, 00:28:08.319 --> 00:28:10.539 have you kept your vows to God and to one another? 00:28:10.779 --> 00:28:14.460 Are we committed to authentic worship 00:28:14.460 --> 00:28:16.720 even when it may not be convenient? 00:28:17.680 --> 00:28:21.599 Are we committed to the service of the church, 00:28:21.660 --> 00:28:22.980 to the mission of the church, 00:28:22.980 --> 00:28:24.599 even when it's difficult? 00:28:27.000 --> 00:28:27.899 If you're not in church, 00:28:27.980 --> 00:28:29.039 maybe you think of church membership. 00:28:29.200 --> 00:28:29.319 You think, 00:28:29.379 --> 00:28:30.619 This doesn't really sound like something 00:28:30.619 --> 00:28:31.740 I'd ever want to commit to. 00:28:31.980 --> 00:28:33.059 Look around at the people here. 00:28:33.139 --> 00:28:34.599 This is not the bunch of people 00:28:34.599 --> 00:28:35.559 I want to be committed to. 00:28:36.779 --> 00:28:37.819 And the truth is, yeah, 00:28:37.819 --> 00:28:40.839 we're surrounded by a group of sinners here. 00:28:41.200 --> 00:28:42.159 But we need to recognize 00:28:42.159 --> 00:28:44.839 that when we make a commitment to one another, 00:28:45.179 --> 00:28:48.720 it's not because we think that one another 00:28:48.720 --> 00:28:50.480 are worthy of this commitment. 00:28:51.879 --> 00:28:53.119 We commit to one another 00:28:53.119 --> 00:28:55.700 because God is worthy of our commitment. 00:28:57.460 --> 00:28:58.700 We don't commit to God 00:28:58.700 --> 00:29:00.960 in an effort to earn favor with God 00:29:00.960 --> 00:29:02.379 or think He's going to be pleased with us. 00:29:02.380 --> 00:29:04.560 We commit to God out of gratitude 00:29:04.560 --> 00:29:06.760 for His commitment to us. 00:29:08.680 --> 00:29:10.360 See, at the very beginning of the Bible, 00:29:11.100 --> 00:29:13.200 God comes to a man named Abraham 00:29:13.200 --> 00:29:15.940 and He commits to be His God 00:29:15.940 --> 00:29:18.500 and promises Him that all nations 00:29:18.500 --> 00:29:20.740 would be blessed through Him. 00:29:22.100 --> 00:29:23.720 And He promises to send a Messiah 00:29:23.720 --> 00:29:25.960 to save His people from their sins. 00:29:26.000 --> 00:29:27.080 And He fulfills that promise 00:29:27.080 --> 00:29:29.380 by the sending of His Son, Jesus, 00:29:29.520 --> 00:29:32.100 through His life and death and resurrection. 00:29:32.099 --> 00:29:33.779 We are brought into relationship 00:29:33.779 --> 00:29:35.079 with the Father. 00:29:36.480 --> 00:29:38.919 And so those who believe our sins are forgiven 00:29:38.919 --> 00:29:40.859 and God remembers them no more. 00:29:41.139 --> 00:29:42.619 And so that is the reality 00:29:42.619 --> 00:29:44.079 with which we need to remember 00:29:44.079 --> 00:29:46.899 that should affect every aspect of our worship 00:29:46.899 --> 00:29:49.240 because it's ultimately going to lead 00:29:49.240 --> 00:29:51.959 where the author here concludes 00:29:51.959 --> 00:29:55.699 in this passage that we must fear God. 00:29:55.799 --> 00:29:57.199 That is our ultimate goal. 00:29:57.319 --> 00:29:59.659 It doesn't mean to just be scared of God, 00:29:59.660 --> 00:30:01.200 but it means to come with Him 00:30:01.200 --> 00:30:02.940 in awe and reverence, 00:30:03.019 --> 00:30:04.940 to worship Him in sincerity 00:30:04.940 --> 00:30:06.420 for what He has done to us. 00:30:08.320 --> 00:30:09.779 And so if we fear God, 00:30:10.340 --> 00:30:12.360 that's going to affect the way that we walk. 00:30:14.019 --> 00:30:15.040 If we fear God, 00:30:15.080 --> 00:30:17.460 that's going to affect the way that we listen and obey. 00:30:17.840 --> 00:30:19.000 If we fear God, 00:30:19.040 --> 00:30:21.000 that's going to affect the way that we speak. 00:30:21.000 --> 00:30:24.480 And so the question again, 00:30:24.579 --> 00:30:25.880 why are we here today? 00:30:27.279 --> 00:30:29.500 Are you here simply because you have friends here 00:30:29.500 --> 00:30:30.480 and you're looking for community? 00:30:31.980 --> 00:30:34.460 Are you here out of obligation or duty 00:30:34.460 --> 00:30:36.579 to think that this is what God expects of you? 00:30:38.220 --> 00:30:40.420 Are we here just simply out of tradition and ritual 00:30:40.420 --> 00:30:42.059 because this is something you've done your whole life 00:30:42.059 --> 00:30:43.299 and you're going to continue doing it? 00:30:43.299 --> 00:30:49.379 Or are you here out of a heart of genuine worship? 00:30:51.139 --> 00:30:54.680 James read for us from Hebrews 10 earlier in the service. 00:30:55.919 --> 00:30:57.759 To paraphrase what it says there, 00:30:57.839 --> 00:31:00.599 it says that we enter the most holy place 00:31:00.599 --> 00:31:03.440 with confidence in the blood of Jesus. 00:31:03.440 --> 00:31:08.539 We are invited to draw near to God with sincere hearts, 00:31:08.620 --> 00:31:10.259 with a full assurance of faith, 00:31:10.539 --> 00:31:12.100 having our hearts cleansed 00:31:12.100 --> 00:31:14.100 and our bodies washed with pure water. 00:31:16.320 --> 00:31:20.799 And so God extends that invitation to each one of us 00:31:20.799 --> 00:31:23.299 to come in worship. 00:31:23.900 --> 00:31:25.120 Not to come in worship 00:31:25.120 --> 00:31:26.980 because you think you owe something to God, 00:31:27.980 --> 00:31:29.740 but to come in worship 00:31:29.740 --> 00:31:32.720 because of what he has done for us. 00:31:33.440 --> 00:31:34.440 Come. 00:31:35.940 --> 00:31:36.580 Let's pray.