We've been in this sermon series for a few months now.
We're in chapter 9.
We're getting rapidly close to the end of the book.
And for those of you who don't know me, my name is Sean,
and I'm one of the pastors of Trinity Cambridge Church.
And it's my joy to preach God's word to you this morning.
Let me pray for the reading and preaching of God's word.
Father, it is easy for us to, on the one hand,
get lost in the pleasures of this world,
to indulge in sin in an effort to forget the reality of death.
And to live for ourselves.
But on the other hand, Lord, it is also easy for us
to look at the condition of this world,
how broken and unjust and messed up it is,
and to be given to excessive sorrow, despair, depression.
But Lord, we ask that you will minister to us,
you would speak to us through your word this morning,
so that we are sober-minded about the reality of death
and the futility of life,
but at the same time, have the humility and the gratitude
to be able to enjoy the simple gifts of life that you give,
to enjoy life and its pleasures in accordance with your will,
and help us most of all to fix our eyes on Jesus,
our greatest treasure,
to enjoy him and life with him, our bridegroom forever.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Please stand in honor of God's word as I read from Ecclesiastes 9, 1-12.
Amen.
But all this,
but all this I lay to heart,
examining it all,
how the righteous and the wise and their deeds
are in the hand of God.
Whether it is love or hate,
man does not know.
Both are before him.
It is the same for all,
since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked,
to the good and the evil,
to the clean and the unclean,
to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice.
As the good one is,
so is the sinner,
and he who swears is as he who shuns an oath.
This is an evil in all that is done under the sun,
that the same event happens to all.
Also,
the hearts of the children of men are full of evil,
and madness is in their hearts while they live,
and after that they go to the dead.
But he who is joined with all the living has hope,
for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
For the living know that they will die,
but the dead know nothing,
and they have no more reward,
for the memory of them is forgotten.
Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished,
and forever they have no more share
in all that is done under the sun.
Go,
eat your bread with joy,
and drink your wine with a merry heart,
for God has already approved what you do.
Let your garments be always white.
Let not oil be lacking on your head.
Enjoy life with the wife whom you love
all the days of your vain life
that he has given you under the sun,
because that is your portion in life,
and in your toil at which you toil under the sun.
Whatever your hand finds to do,
do it with your might,
for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom
in Sheol to which you are going.
Again,
I saw that under the sun
the race is not to the swift,
nor the battle to the strong,
nor bread to the wise,
nor riches to the intelligent,
nor favor to those with knowledge,
but time and chance happen to them all,
for man knows,
does not know his time.
Like fish that are taken in an evil net,
and like birds that are caught in a snare,
so the children of man are snared at an evil time
when it suddenly falls upon them.
This is God's holy and authoritative word.
You may be seated.
Because of the lies of the enemy
and the persistently sinful heart of man
and the way sinful people tend to perceive God
and relate to God,
God appears when we examine our world,
he appears to have a PR problem,
a public relations problem.
Many people imagine God to be a cosmic killjoy,
a strict disciplinarian
who demands all work and no fun.
They wrongly think that God's favorite word to us,
his children,
is no,
and relate to God that way.
And my hope this morning
is that God would use the preaching of his word
to change that perception just a little bit.
And with that in mind,
let's play a little game of who said that, right?
Guess who said this in the Bible?
Do not handle,
do not taste,
do not touch.
That's great.
Does that sound to you like something God would say?
Do not handle,
do not taste,
do not touch.
Quite to the contrary,
that's the voice of the false teachers
in Colossians 2.21.
Here's another example,
not from the Bible,
this time from a children's novel
written by a Christian man named C.S. Lewis,
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
A character at one point in the book says this,
what is the meaning of all this gluttony,
this waste,
this self-indulgence?
Where did you get all these things?
Which character do you think says that?
Condemning,
gluttony,
self-indulgence?
Is it Aslan,
the lion,
the Christ figure in the book?
No, it's not.
It's the white witch
who's a satanic figure in the book.
The imposter queen
who condemns the good gifts of God.
And in that scene,
that's a great scene
where in that land of Narnia,
which is always winter and never Christmas,
finally,
as the true king,
Aslan,
approaches,
the land begins to fall
and Christmas begins to come
and Father Christmas
distributes these gifts.
And so instead of austerity and scarcity,
they have feasts
with decorations of holly
and bread
and wine
and plum pudding.
Do you find Christian life
to be burdensome?
But did not Jesus say
in Matthew 11, 29,
my yoke is easy,
my burden is light?
Does not 1 John 5, 3 say,
for this is the love of God
that we keep his commandments?
Commandments,
does that sound onerous to you,
burdensome to you?
It says in the rest of that verse,
and his commandments
are not burdensome.
In Ecclesiastes 9, 1 to 12,
he's a case in point.
This passage teaches us
to eat,
to drink,
be merry,
and enjoy
what God has allotted
to you in life.
First,
we're gonna talk about
the certainty of death,
and then secondly,
we're gonna talk about
the uncertainties of life,
and then finally,
we're gonna talk about
the joys of life
that we get to enjoy
because of those twin realities.
In order to relish
the joys of life,
we need to remember
both the certainty of death
and the uncertainties of life.
So in both verses 1 to 6
at the beginning
and verses 11 to 12
at the end,
the preacher speaks
of those two realities.
And these two sections
kind of frame
that middle section
and point to it
to emphasize that,
to enjoy life.
But it begins this way
in verse 1,
but all this I laid to heart,
examining it all,
how the righteous
and the wise
and their deeds
are in the hand of God.
Whether it is love or hate,
man does not know.
Both are before him.
The hand of God
is an expression
for the power of God.
Sometimes the hand of God
blesses,
and sometimes
the hand of God
punishes.
You see examples of that
in 2 Corinthians 30,
verse 12,
and 1 Samuel 5, 11,
where the hand of God
is heavy upon the Philistines
who have stolen
the ark of the testimony.
The preacher of Ecclesiastes
recognizes this aspect
of the hand of God
and notes that,
whether it is love or hate,
man does not know.
Both are before him.
Later in verse 6,
the preacher says
a similar thing.
He says that,
when people die,
their love and their hate
and their envy perish,
and that they have
no more share
in all that is done
under the sun.
So love or hate
in verse 1
describes the good things
and the bad things,
the ups and the downs
of life here under the sun.
And we share,
as human beings,
all of us share
in those things,
in love and hate,
but it is not for us
to determine or control
what comes in our life.
We cannot make sure
that we only get love
instead of hate.
Desperately,
we try to control our lives
and to grasp hold of it,
but it's like chasing
after the wind
and it slips right
through our fingers
because the times
of our lives
are not in our hands,
but in the hand of God,
as it says here
in verse 1.
So life is uncertain
and the preacher
will elaborate on this
more in verses 11 and 12,
but now he returns
to the theme
of the certainty of death.
In verses 2 to 3,
he says,
it is the same for all
since the same event
happens to the righteous
and the wicked,
to the good
and the evil,
to the clean
and the unclean,
to him who sacrifices
and him who does not sacrifice.
As the good one is,
so is the sinner,
and he who swears
is as he who shuns an oath.
This is an evil
in all that is done
under the sun
that the same event
happens to all.
The phrase same event
is repeated twice here
for emphasis,
and this same event
that happens to all
is the same event
that the preacher
has been speaking of
all throughout
the book of Ecclesiastes.
In chapter 2,
verses 13 to 14,
he said that while wisdom
is better than folly,
if you,
it just says light
is better than darkness,
if you have wisdom,
you at least know
how to navigate
the complexities of life,
you know what you're doing,
but in the end,
everybody dies.
That's what he says.
And that's the same event
that happens to all.
He says the wise
dies just like the fool.
The righteous and the wicked,
the good and the evil.
God's people
in the old covenant
were taught to distinguish
what is holy from the common,
what is unclean from the clean.
They were meant to be
a people who were holy,
meaning specially set apart
for God and for his glory
and for his purposes,
and because of that,
they had an extensive set
of regulations
to help them to live
in a manner that is set apart
from the rest of the nations.
They were to be clean,
not unclean.
And yet,
the writer of Ecclesiastes
who's very familiar
with the law of God
says that they both come to naught.
They both fall.
They both,
the same event happens to them both,
whether you are clean or unclean.
Likewise,
the person who gives sacrifices to God
and who does not make sacrifices to God,
they both come to the same end.
The person who swears an oath to God
and keeps it
versus a person who doesn't care
what God says at all.
They both come to the same end in death.
Whether you're Billy Graham
or Osama Bin Laden,
whether you're Corey Ten Boom
or Adolf Hitler,
the righteous and the wicked
all die.
No amount of your righteousness
or your good deeds
and no amount of your wickedness
or your evil
can reverse the tide of death
or control
and determine your fate.
And this is not a good thing.
It's an evil thing,
he says in verse three.
This is an evil
in all that is done under the sun
that the same event happens to all.
Yes, as Christians,
we do not fear death
because we have a hope
that goes beyond death
and we do celebrate that reality.
However, as Christians,
we never celebrate death
in and of itself.
Why?
Because Jesus wept
at Lazarus' tomb
because death is not the way
this world is supposed to be
because 1 Corinthians 15, 26
tells us the last enemy
to be destroyed is death.
Death is our enemy.
Christ defeated death
through his death on the cross
and through his resurrection
from the dead,
but death will be finally destroyed
only at the resurrection of the body
when we are resurrected.
And so it is an evil
that is presently part
of this fallen sinful world
that both the righteous
and the wicked perish in death.
And not only is this,
is the end of our lives,
namely death, evil,
our entire lives,
the duration of our life
is full of evil.
He says in verse three,
the hearts of the children of men
are full of evil
and madness is in their hearts
while they live
and after that,
they go to the dead.
These two realities are related
because we know
from other parts of scripture
that the wages of sin
is death from Romans 6.
The natural consequence
for humanity
whose hearts are evil
and because of their hearts
that are evil,
they do evil,
the natural consequence
of that is death.
So I think this is probably
alluding to Genesis 6.5
where before the flood judgment
of God,
this is his assessment
of humanity
that the man's heart,
the wickedness of man
was great in the earth
and that every intention
of the thoughts of his heart
was only evil continually.
The evil that you see,
that we see out in the world
and the evil that we see
in the tragedy of death
are all related to the fact
of the evil
that is in our own hearts.
The human heart
is deceitful above all things
and desperately sick.
Who can understand it?
This is why
when God sends his son Jesus
and sends his Holy Spirit,
he promises to give his people
a new heart
because we need it
and we can't be saved without it.
That all ends in death,
however,
isn't meant to make us depressed.
It's not meant to make us fatalistic.
So the preacher reminds us
in verses 4 to 6
that life is still better than death,
that death in and of itself
is not better than death.
I mean,
death in and of itself
is not worse than life itself.
It says in verses 4 to 6,
but he who is joined
with all the living
has hope
for a living dog
is better than a dead lion.
For the living know
that they will die,
but the dead know nothing
and they have no more reward
for the memory of them
is forgotten.
This doesn't contradict
what the preacher
has been saying all along.
For example,
in chapter 4, verse 2,
he said that because of oppression
and injustice
that filled this world,
he said that,
I thought the dead
who are already dead
more fortunate
than the living
who are still alive,
but better than both
is he who has not yet been
and has not seen
the evil deeds
that are done under the sun.
That's still true.
The preacher also said
in Ecclesiastes 6, verse 3,
that a stillborn child
is better off
than a man
who lives a long time
but has not learned humbly
to enjoy the good gifts
that God has given him.
Life is full of evil
and suffering
and that's why 7.1 says
the day of death
is better than the day of birth.
In one sense,
death is released from that.
Attending funerals
and numbering our days
and knowing that we'll die
gives us a heart of wisdom
and that's why
the preacher of Ecclesiastes
enjoins these things to us.
However,
that doesn't mean
that death in and of itself
is better than life
because in life
we still have hope
and the possibility
that we may learn
to humble ourselves
under the sovereignty of God
and enjoy our toil
and the lot
that he has given us in life.
However,
that doesn't change
the reality
that life is full of evil
and suffering.
So he says,
a living dog
is better than a dead lion.
That is true.
It's better to be a living dog
than a dead lion
but don't take that
as a compliment.
When we think of dogs,
we think of these cute pet dogs.
I know some of our church members
love these cute corgis.
They're probably useless
for most things
because their legs
are so short
but their food
is served to them
two to three times a day.
They don't have to do anything
to earn their food.
Just food is served to them
and it's served
usually on a silver platter.
Maybe not real silver
but silver platter.
And they can take a nap
whenever they want
during the day.
They sprawl themselves out
and whenever they want
a massage,
all they need to do
is go in front of somebody
or even a stranger
and just lie down
and then people will oblige
and give them a massage
and a rub.
I mean,
what a life,
right?
We think of dogs like that
when we think of dogs
but that's not the kind of dogs
that are in view here
because dogs in the ancient world
are scavengers
and that's the case still
in much of the world.
These are wild mutts
that survive by eating scraps
and any kind of food
they can find
and they are not very discriminating
with their food.
They eat garbage,
they eat carcasses,
they lick blood.
You see that even in the Bible
and for this reason,
in the Bible,
evildoers are sometimes
described figuratively as dogs.
A dog,
Proverbs 26, 11 tells us,
returns to his vomit.
That's what dogs literally do.
They'll return to their own vomit
and then smell it
and then lick it a little bit
and say,
oh, that doesn't taste that bad
and then they'll start eating it.
And in Proverbs 26, 11,
that dog that returns to his vomit
is compared to the fool
who repeats his folly.
So when you hear
a living dog
is better than a dead lion,
don't think of that cute corgi
but think of that wild scavenger dog.
It may be better for us
in our urban context
to think of living rats
because that's what
they're really more like.
It's better to be a living rat
than a dead lion.
And so what's the point here
that he's trying to make?
He's telling us
why the living are better off
than the dead
for the living know
that they will die
but the dead know nothing
and they have no more reward
for the memory of them
is forgotten.
Knowledge sets us apart
from the dead
but what is this knowledge
that sets us apart
from the dead?
The one thing
that is certain
for believers and unbelievers
that we all know is coming
is that we're going to die.
So here is this one knowledge
that you have
that sets you apart
from the dead.
You know you're going to die.
You're just not dead yet.
Same thing with the living rat
versus a dead lion.
Sure, you might only be a rat.
You're still alive
but you're a rat.
You're a dog.
You repeat your folly.
You live in this life
under the sun
that is vanity
of all vanities.
That's the kind of
that doesn't diminish
the suffering
of this life
the brokenness
of this life.
So here are three truths
that we have to
try to hold together.
Life is better than death.
Two,
remembering death
is better than trying
to forget it in life.
And three,
living in light
of the end
gives us
the heart of wisdom
which then enables us
to enjoy life
as we're going to talk about.
So that's the certainty of death.
Now let's turn
to the uncertainties of life.
Verses 11 to 12
are a succinct summary
of chapter 8
which I talked about last week
how good things happen
to bad people
and bad things happen
to good people.
It says,
Again,
I saw that under the sun
the race is not to the swift
nor the battle to the strong
nor bread to the wise
nor riches to the intelligent
nor favor to those with knowledge
but time and chance
happen to them all
for a man does not know his time
like fish that are taken
in an evil net
and like birds
that are caught in a snare
so the children of man
are snared at an evil time
when it suddenly falls upon them.
Race is not to the swift.
How many of you guys
have experienced this
in reality?
Man o' War
I know some of you guys
are into the horse racing.
Some Kentuckians here.
Man o' War
is a thoroughbred racehorse
that is widely considered
to be the greatest racehorse
of all time.
I disagree with that assessment
but that's okay.
Spurts Illustrated voted
the best American racehorse
of the 20th century
beating out even Secretariat.
During its career
the horse won 20 races
and earned a 2024 equivalent
of $4 million
during its short career
in prize money.
The horse was undefeated
in all races
except for one.
And in that one race
he was defeated
by a horse
that was fittingly named
Upset.
That's not where
we get the word Upset.
It existed before that
but that's the rumor.
This is a horse
that Man o' War
had beaten before
and this is a horse
Upset
that will never go on
to win another race.
And yet
the greatest racehorse
of all time
lost to Upset.
On February 10th, 1990
Buster Douglas
was a 42-1 underdog
against the undefeated
heavyweight champion
boxer of the world
Mike Tyson.
It was such a lopsided
bout
that Mike Tyson's corner
didn't even bring
an ice pack
to the match
because they were like
we're not going to need
the ice pack.
He needed much more
than an ice pack
because he's the one
that got knocked out.
One of the greatest upsets
in sports history.
The race is not
to the swift
nor the battle
to the strong.
In June 1694
400 Polish soldiers
defeated 40,000 Ottomans
at the Battle of Hodo.
Maybe we can chalk that up
to superior strategy.
They're more intelligent.
Fight smarter
not harder.
Maybe that's why.
But we can't do that either
because the intelligent
don't always prevail.
Things don't always go well
for the people
who are smart.
It says in verse 11
nor bread to the wise
nor riches
to the intelligent.
Bread doesn't always
go to the wise.
Edgar Allan Poe
was a brilliant writer,
poet,
editor,
and literary critic
and he only made
$6,200
in his entire life.
Adjust that for inflation
that's almost $200,000
like $190,000.
Some of you guys
make that in a year.
I mean this is,
he made that
throughout his entire life
and even accounting
for his short life
he was not
financially successful.
His poem,
one of the most famous
poems in the world,
The Raven,
earned a measly $9.
Bread doesn't always
go to the wise.
Nor riches
to the intelligent.
To the Serbian-American
engineer,
Nikola Tesla,
called a father
of electricity
because of his
contribution to the design
of the modern
alternating current,
the electricity supply system.
His subsystem
was superior
to the one designed
by Thomas Edison.
He was brilliant
by any measure.
He had 300 patents,
over 300 patents
to his name worldwide
and yet in the later years
of his life
as his patents ran out
and his new experience
began to fail.
He became bankrupt
and couldn't even
afford his rent.
The bread
is not to the wise
nor riches
to the intelligent.
Nor is favor
always to those
with knowledge.
When Absalom
staged a successful
coup against his dad,
King David,
in 2 Samuel 17,
he had a counselor
named Ahithophel
who gave sure
and intelligent counsel
related to everything
and yet when Ahithophel
gave Absalom
this counsel,
he opted
to not follow
his advice
and followed
a different advice
which eventually
led to his defeat
and death.
Favor is not always
to those with knowledge.
Time and chance
happen to them all
for man knows
not his time.
None of us know
whether we will be
rich or poor,
full or hungry,
famous or forgotten,
favored or spurned,
victorious or defeated
in the future.
Sometimes people
less deserving
than us
will get into
the program
that you want
to get the grant
that you want,
to get the job
that you want,
get the promotion
that you want,
and get the wealth
that you want,
get the recognition
that you want,
or get the man
or the woman
that you want.
And sometimes
people who are
more deserving
than us
will not get
those things.
It is not
the lot of humanity
to know our time,
to know what kinds
of times and seasons
will come to us.
This is not to say
that life is completely
chaotic and random.
It is still
generally true
that race is
to the swift,
the battle,
to the strong,
bread to the wise,
riches to the intelligent,
favor to those
with knowledge,
and that's what
the book of Proverbs
is all about.
Proverbs 20,
verse 13,
verse 19,
teaches that people
who work hard
will have plenty
of bread.
So bread is
to the wise.
But there are
always exceptions
in this sinful,
broken,
fallen world.
And that's
the preacher's point
in Ecclesiastes.
There is
no such thing
as a foolproof path
to the ten
steps towards success
that will guarantee
outcomes for you
no matter how many
self-help gurus
tell you that.
Anybody who offers
you a foolproof path
towards success
is a person
who is not wise.
But does knowing
this make us lazy then?
Absolutely not.
Look at verse 10.
Whatever your hand
finds to do,
do it with your might.
For there is no work
or thought
or knowledge
or wisdom
in Sheol
to which you are going.
Sheol is the realm
of the dead.
It's speaking of death,
the grave.
We still work hard
in this life
because now
is the time
for toil.
Now is the time
for craftsmanship.
Now is the time
for artistry.
We're not going
to have work
to do on earth
once we die
until the time
of the new heavens
and the new earth.
Our goal in work
then is not success
or gain
but it is faithfulness
to God.
Remember verse 1
which said
that all our deeds
are in the hand
of God.
So we can't guarantee
the outcomes
of our work,
the fruit
of our labor.
We can't control
the times
that come to us
so then what does it
look like for us
to work hard
in this life?
Whatever our hand
finds to do,
we do it
with our might
while humbly
recognizing
that all our deeds
are ultimately
in the hand
and not of our own hands
but in the hand of God.
That's what it looks like.
Faithfulness.
There's also a parallel
between verse 12
and verses 2 to 3.
Twice we are told
in verses 2 to 3
that the same event
happens to all
and then in verse 12
it says chance,
time and chance
happens to all.
That expression
chance happens
is the same Hebrew word
that was translated
earlier twice.
It's the same event
happens to all
and again
it's speaking of death.
Look at the illustrations.
Verse 12
for man does not
know his time
like fish
that are taken
in an evil net
and like birds
that are caught
in a snare
so the children of man
are snared
in an evil time
when it suddenly
falls upon them.
What happens
when an unsuspecting
fish that is swimming
around gets caught
in a net?
It's killed.
What happens
to an unsuspecting
bird that
is caught
ensnared?
It's killed
for plumage
or feathers
or for food.
Death comes
for us all
and we know
not when
we are caught
unawares
like a fish
caught in a net
or a bird
caught in a snare.
Time and chance
happens to them all
for man does not
know his time.
The certainty
of death
uncertainties of life.
So in this way
then now
these two realities
are going to point
us to how we
are supposed
to live
and enjoy life
and that brings
us to verses
7 to 10
which is the fifth
and final
carpe diem passage
in the book
of Ecclesiastes.
If you've been
with us through
this series
what I mean
by carpe diem
is the Latin
expression
seize the day.
These are
insightful passages
that are scattered
throughout the entire
book of Ecclesiastes
and it's meant
to teach us
to take advantage
of the present
opportunities
and to enjoy
life today
while it still
lasts
rather than
counting on
tomorrow
that may
never come.
That's the idea
of the wisdom
of Ecclesiastes.
Instead of chasing
after life
regain
humbly
and gratefully
receive life
from the Lord
as a gift.
It says in
verse 7
go
eat your bread
with joy
and drink
your wine
with a merry
heart
for God
has already
approved
what you do.
if you think
of bread
and wine
it's representing
food and drink
here
if you think
of food
and drink
as a means
for gain
then you're
probably the type
of person
that scarves
down his food
every meal
and then chugs
his drink
whatever the choice
of beverage is
just so that you can
get to that next
appointment
or get onto
that next item
on your to-do list.
But if you do that
then you can't
slow down enough
to savor
your bread
and your drink.
That
we got some good
bread makers
in our church
that's not Lance's
but Lance makes
good challah bread
Lauren makes
good focaccia bread
you guys have
favorite focaccia bread
I think Brittany
makes sourdough bread
and different things
I think
that crusty
crispy
edges of a bread
and then
when you bite
into it
the inside
is moist
and juicy
the crumbs
and then it just
in your body
I don't know
what it does
it creates all
these dopamins
or something
it gives you
that sense
of home
and comfort
or maybe
you really enjoy
that earthy
and smoky
flavor
of well
barbecued
meat
you know
who's laughing
here
you guys
it says
drink wine
here
but I know
not everybody
drinks
and also
if you struggle
with alcohol
you should not
drink
and so
I will use
a different
illustration
maybe coffee
tea
that
fruitiness
and sweetness
and bitterness
and that
intricate mixture
that just
clears your palate
you guys
know what
I'm talking
about
one day
we're all
going to be
dead
so learn
to enjoy
the simple
pleasures
of life
as gifts
from God
for God
has already
approved
what you do
so this is
again
an indication
that God
is here
in the picture
these simple
pleasures
of life
are gifts
from God
that we
receive
from him
not pleasures
that we
enjoy
apart from
him
or instead
of him
1 Timothy 4
4-5
echoes this
thought
for everything
created by
God
is good
and nothing
is to be
rejected
if it is
received
with thanksgiving
for it is
made holy
by the word
of God
and prayer
and this
raises an
important caveat
there are
places in the
Bible
where the
what the
preacher
commands
here
eat
and drink
and be
merry
seems to be
condemned
and we're
going to look
at two of
those examples
right now
briefly
1 Corinthians
15
32-34
Paul says
this
if the dead
are not
raised
let us eat
and drink
for tomorrow
we die
do not
be deceived
bad company
ruins good
morals
wake up
from your
drunken
stupor
as is right
and do
not go
on sinning
Paul's saying
don't think
let us eat
and drink
for tomorrow
we die
what he's saying
is if there
is no
resurrection
from the
dead
then yeah
you should
think
well let's
eat and drink
for tomorrow
we die
because there's
no point
but he's
saying you
cannot think
that because
there is a
resurrection
from the
dead
so the
difference
here however
is not that
you're receiving
these pleasures
of life
as gifts
from God
but you're
seeing them
you're enjoying
them apart
from God
as replacements
for him
in sinful
ways
that's why
Paul says
wake up
from your
drunken
stupor
as is right
and do not
go on sinning
that's something
that the
preacher in
Ecclesiastes
never approves
earlier in
Ecclesiastes
chapter 2
he said that
he tried
wine
he tried
getting
getting into
alcohol
as a way
of fulfilling
his life
and he said
it was all
vanity
he knows
that ultimate
fulfillment
and pleasure
is not found
in alcohol
itself
but he's
telling us
to enjoy
responsibly
not in a
sinful way
but as
gifts
from God
this is why
the Bible
in many
places
condemns
pleasures
toward a
hedonistic
end
pursuing
pleasure
as the
end
of life
rather than
pursuing
God
and enjoying
pleasures
on the way
as gifts
from God
the Bible
condemns
those who
are lovers
of pleasure
rather than
lovers of God
2 Timothy 3
4
those who
are slaves
to various
passions and
pleasures
Titus 3
3
those who
enjoy
the fleeting
pleasures
of sin
Hebrews 11
25
but the
Bible
commands
those who
are lovers
of God
and because
of that
enjoy the
pleasures
of life
that God
himself
gives
let's also
look at
another one
Luke 12
13 to
21
Jesus tells
the parable
of the rich
man
right
who has
land
has produced
plentifully
has so much
in his barn
but instead
of being rich
toward God
and instead
of being
open-handed
with the poor
he decides
you know
I can't keep
all my stuff
to myself
so I'm just
going to tear
down my barns
bigger
bigger barns
and keep
all my produce
to myself
and then God
judges him
and he perishes
the next day
that is not
an example
of a proper
humble
grateful
enjoyment
of God's
gifts
that's an
example of
idolatrous
worship
of God's
gifts
and as soon
as soon as
you turn
God's
good gifts
into an
idol
that you
love
above
God
it loses
all this
pleasure
and it
starts
enslaving
you
so ask
yourselves
these diagnostic
questions
think about
the things
that you
enjoy
in life
the pleasures
in life
that you
enjoy
that you
desire
and ask
yourself
these
questions
are you
greedy
for those
pleasures
or do
you always
need more
or are you
grateful
and content
because that
will tell you
if you're
receiving these
gifts as
pleasurable
gifts from
God
or not
are you
possessive
of these
pleasures
or are you
humble in your
relation to
them
you're open
handed about
them
you recognize
that they
are all
ultimately
from God
and may be
gone the
next day
are you
controlling
or anxious
about these
pleasures
these gifts
of life
or do you
have peace
in your
heart
because you
trust God
with them
ultimately
let's keep
going
verse 8
let your
garments be
always white
and let
that oil
be lacking
on your
head
in the
hot and
dry ancient
near east
oil upon
your head
was a
particularly
delightful
gift
for a
couple
reasons
one is
that in
really dry
climates
your scalp
is dry
and oil
nice
cold
viscous
oil on
your head
it
moisturizes
your scalp
and feels
refreshing
and also
you guys
notice I
have kids
in
young kids
in school
so I
just got
another
letter
this week
saying that
there was
lice
in the
classroom
and
furiously
checked the
kids hair
but lice
was a lot
more common
in the
ancient
world
and when
you have
lice
and you
get oil
on your
head
it kills
the lice
because the
oil is
of its
viscosity
and imagine
that
you're getting
these little
critters
sucking on
your blood
on your scalp
and then the
oil
it's refreshing
doesn't that
sound just
delightful
that's a
it's great
relief and
refreshment
for these reasons
oil is often
associated with
parties and
festivities
and special
occasions
similarly
white is a
symbol of
purity and
glory and
beauty and
festivity
not only
does that
help in
hot climates
it keeps
you cool
but it's
also a
sign of
festivity
the bride
wears white
at a
wedding
mourners
wear black
at a
funeral
this is
another
concrete
example of
what it
looks like
to enjoy
life as
a gift
from God
it's still
true
that we
ought to
reflect on
the day
of death
remember
number our
days as
Ecclesiastes
7
told us
but that's
not meant
to make
us depressed
Eeyores
through our
life
gloomy
no we
still in
the midst
of
with death
in view
enjoy the
present gifts
of life
because God
intends for
these things
to be
bombs to
our souls
in a
sick and
sorrow filled
world
the preacher
put it this
way in
Ecclesiastes
5 18
to 20
behold what
I have seen
to be good
and fitting
is to eat
and drink
and find
enjoyment
in all
the toil
with which
one toils
under the sun
the few days
of his life
that God
has given
him for
this is
his lot
everyone
also to
whom God
has given
wealth
and possessions
and power
to enjoy
them
and to
accept
his lot
and rejoice
in his
toil
this is
the gift
of God
for he
will not
much
remember
the days
of his
life
because God
keeps him
occupied
with joy
in his
heart
he intends
for these
simple pleasures
of life
as gifts
to be
bombs
to our
souls
so that
we can
weather the
sorrows
and the
sufferings
of this
sin sick
world
in fact
only those
who keep
the
uncertainties
of life
and the
certainty
of death
in view
can rightly
enjoy
pleasures
of life
in their
proper
bounds
I read
recently
that despite
the constant
bombardment
from Russia
the conductor
Vitaly Alexino
and his
orchestra
refused
to cancel
their annual
Kharkiv
music festival
in Ukraine
so they've
been
performing
in bomb
shelters
and subways
and hospitals
during the
Russo-Ukrainian
war
oftentimes
bringing the
audience to
tears
because of
their beautiful
soul-stirring
music
that's what
enjoying
the gifts
of life
in the midst
of this
fallen
death-ridden
world
looks like
it's an
act of
defiance
it's a
declaration
of faith
yes
this world
is not the
way it's
supposed to
be
but this
world will
not always
stay that
way
verse 9
continues
enjoy life
with the
wife whom
you love
all the
days of
your vain
life that
he has
given you
under the
sun
because that
is your
portion in
life and
in your
toil at
which you
toil under
the sun
this is
really important
for us to
remember
especially for
married couples
marriage is
hard
marriage does
come with
its own
share of
sorrows and
sufferings
because it's
a union of
two sinful
people
that is
reality
however
note that
verse 9
doesn't say
live with
your wife
and put
up with
her
he says
enjoy life
with the
wife whom
you love
if you see
your husband
or wife
as a means
for gain
as an
accessory
to burnish
your reputation
as a
stepping stone
and a way
to get to
a stage
in life
or in
your career
or to
accomplish
your next
goal
then you'll
end up as
little more
than housemates
or you'll end
up trying to
use the other
person
and end up
taking and
taking
and you'll
have a
miserable
marriage
early in
my marriage
I was
very
irritated
by the
fact that
Hannah
often
my wife
Hannah
often
misspoke
or spoke
imprecisely
because
I was a
prideful man
and controlling
man
I didn't
want people
to perceive
Hannah a
certain way
like
they're gonna
think you're
not smart
and that's
gonna reflect
badly on you
and it's
gonna reflect
badly on me
because she's
not smart
she's very
smart
but as
I've
grown
and God
has humbled
me over
the years
I've learned
to enjoy
the way
she misspeaks
and her
self forgetfulness
and humility
and not taking
those things
too seriously
is actually
a huge
gift to me
so I keep
a running
list of all
the Hannah-isms
because they
make me
smile
she'll say
things like
nip it
in the
butt
instead of
nip it
in the
bud
you guys
know
she'll say
oh that
sail has
shipped
instead of
saying that
ship has
sailed
when I'm
trying to
think of
doing something
risky or
something
she'll say
why would
you play
with water
she means
why would
you play
with fire
when we're
playing a
game she
says you
win to
play
instead of
saying you
play to
win
and when
she's talking
about something
she's really
good at
sometimes she
will say
that's my
cream and
butter
instead of
that's my
bread and
butter
and about
our church
she once
asked me
in a very
serious way
is our
church
too brick
and mortar
and I
looked at
her
stared at
her
confusedly
I was
like what
we don't
even have
a building
what do
you mean
our church
is too
brick
and mortar
she's like
oh no
no
wait
no
is our
church
too fire
and brimstone
yes
Hannah
we are
yeah
do you
enjoy
life
with your
children
if you
see your
children
as a
means
for gain
and seek
to live
vicariously
through their
successes
then you
will become
a helicopter
parent
and a
tiger mom
and you
will suffocate
your children
under your
expectations
that's not
what it
looks like
to love
them
do you
enjoy
them
do you
enjoy
their
tiny
humanness
enjoy
their
interesting
meal
habits
the way
they pronounce
certain
words
and
the way
they talk
their embrace
their
idiosyncrasies
their wild
hair
and
their
general
childishness
do you
enjoy
them
brothers and
sisters
this is a
command from
the Lord
God
he says
go
enjoy
life
verse 7
go and
enjoy the
pleasures of
life that
God has
given you
and has
already
approved
beforehand
go and
savor that
post church
meal
and instead of
scarfing it
down eat
slowly and
enjoy it
go enjoy
that
sweep
sunday
nap on
the couch
that I
know you
guys
some of
you guys
take
go on
that fall
foliage hike
that some of
us are doing
go and play
some basketball
like some of
us are doing
after church
go and make
some music
go make
some art
go run
a race
go take
your kids
out for
something
sweet
go do
a puzzle
in the
afternoon
like some
of you
guys are
planning on
doing
spend some
time with
good friends
and above
all enjoy
and cherish
Jesus who
is your
greatest
treasure
and talk
about him
and worship
him
enjoy him
that brings
me to the
last thing I
want to say
Jesus did
this better
than anyone
else in all
of human
history
Jesus if
you look
through the
gospels is
always eating
and drinking
theologian
David Ford
puts it this
way Jesus
literally ate
his way
through the
gospels
that's why
people who
his critics
said of him
in Matthew
11 19
look at him
a glutton
and a drunkard
a friend of
tax collectors
and sinners
even though Jesus
was not a
drunkard
and he was
not a glutton
he just knew
how to enjoy
life
Jesus can do
this
knowing full
well that he
is headed
to the cross
he knows
that he's
destiny
in life
is to
die
on the
cross
a gruesome
death
for the
sake of
sinners
like you
and me
he knows
that he's
living
toward that
end
and yet
on his
way to
the cross
he enjoys
life
and on
the cross
he dies
he defeats
death
he is raised
from the
dead
so that all
sinners who
repent of
their sins
and believe
in him
and entrust
their lives
to him
our promise
not just
pleasures that
will eventually
be lost
but eternal
pleasures
an eternal
feast
isn't that our
destiny brothers
and sisters
how does the
bible describe
our eternal
life with
god
it's a
wedding
feast
an eternal
one with
our bridegroom
jesus christ
and that's
why jesus
in luke
4
reads this
prophecy
in isaiah
isaiah 61
and says
that this
is fulfilled
in his
hearing
he's fulfilled
in his
person and
work
and this
is what
was prophesied
and promised
in isaiah 61
the spirit
of the lord
god is upon
me
because the
lord has
anointed
me to
bring good
news to
the poor
he has
sent me
to bind
up the
brokenhearted
to proclaim
liberty to
the captives
and the
opening of
the prison
to those
who are
bound
to proclaim
the year
of the lord's
favor and
the day of
vengeance of
our god
to comfort
all who
mourn
to grant
to those
who mourn
in zion
to give
them a
beautiful
headdress
instead of
ashes
the oil
of gladness
instead of
mourning
the garment
of praise
instead of
a faint
spirit
and that
they may
be called
oaks of
righteousness
the planting
of the lord
that he may
be glorified
and then
we're supposed
to respond
this way
in verse
10
Isaiah 61
i will
greatly
rejoice
in the lord
my soul
shall exalt
in my god
for he has
clothed me
with the
garments of
salvation
he has
covered me
with the
robe of
righteousness
as a
bridegroom
decks himself
like a
priest with
a beautiful
headdress
and as a
bride adorns
herself with
her jewels
yes this
life is
broken
and is
full of
death
and suffering
but because
christ has
come and
already begun
the process
of renewing
all creation
we already
have a
glimpse
and we
get to
enjoy
life
and enjoy
jesus
knowing
ultimately
that we'll
have
that in
the end
that we'll
get to
enjoy
pleasures
unending
dressed
as a
bride
sanctified
glorified
for the
sake of
our
bridegroom
so with
that in
view
let's live
life and
enjoy life
and accept
the lot
that god
has given
us
let's pray
together
father
give us
wisdom
to slow
down
and when
to say
no to
things
and when
to declutter
our lives
our days
our schedules
our souls
so that we
can be more
present to the
simple gifts
you have given
us
and to enjoy
them
genuinely
and most
of all
help us
to enjoy
you
enjoy
our savior
Jesus Christ
who gave
his life
as spiritual
bread
the bread
of life
who poured
out his
blood
as wine
for us
to drink
help us
to enjoy
him
above all
other
pleasures
cherish
him above
all other
treasures
so that
even when
there seems
to be
nothing in
life to
enjoy
we might
rejoice
in him
fill
all of us
in this room
now with
that joy
unending
Lord God
in Jesus
name
we pray
amen