THE MEANING OF LIFE IS NOT FOUND IN:
1. PHILOSOPHY: What I think – Ecclesiastes 1:12-18.
For his first experiment Solomon looks to education. He calls in the best teachers, the finest tutors and gifted scholars. This is like a pastor who misses the joy of shepherding people in order to retire with a Master’s Degree. It’s about priorities! Wholesome activity is not wrong but if our work leads to neglecting relationships, it’s wrong. Other brilliant man may fail to feed the flock of God while totally pouring life into an academy. Sometimes it’s just better to release one of the roles and just ask for help.
2. PLEASURE: What I enjoy – Ecclesiastes 2:1-3.
Are Christian leaders vulnerable to hedonism? Solomon evaluates the things that most people think of as worthwhile and tests them with abandon. One church listened to the continual mountain experiences of when their pastor was in another state. Apparently, his heart was elsewhere as he lasted about a year. Others choose their geographic locations for the joy of the wilds or the excitement of the hunt. Their congregations sense a secondary place in his heart. As Solomon, we must never lose our good sense or testimonies for pleasure. It’s like Solomon got burned out on books to say, “Let’s party!”
3. PROJECTS: What I do – Ecclesiastes 2:4-6.
The verbs assure us that he is busy and the nouns speak of gain. To some the necessity for secular work draws their ministry into the mundane and routine. We sympathize as it gets very hard! Other’s projects are more enjoyable but less important as they just get intense about old tractors or nice cars. If they ever had equal passion for the people and the ministry of the church, the fire and blessing would return. Solomon’s great building projects as the temple, his palace and cities could never satisfy the ache in his soul for the real meaning of life.
4. POSSESSIONS: What I have – Ecclesiastes 2:7-11.
The stuff of living became like a forest to Solomon as he hiked deep into the woods until it was like he was lost. A pastor failing in health would hang to the pulpit like his martyr’s badge. For some a financial package spells security until they are deep into their retirement years. Yet what happens when the passion and dynamic for God’s work into the hearts of people is gone? The church begins to die as members drift away, some leaving the church forever? How can anyone watch this happen without overwhelming grief? Solomon was great in power while controlling lots of people. But the cluttered life becomes a consumed life for the stuff of this world. Self-gratification can go on for years, undetected as such a person is often the last one to know. Reading the pronouns, he was all about “me, myself, I, and mine” to smother out the will of God for the work of God. That is like to miss the value of a kingdom, a life and a crown to find it empty in the end. Such vanity if the people suffer as the church dies! We are not here to accumulate the stuff of life for ourselves.
5. POSTERITY: What we pass on – Ecclesiastes 2:12-23.
Having children is not the problem solver either. They bring happiness to a happy home; misery to a miserable home. Eyes off the Scriptures, pastor’s missing godly discipline can destroy their testimony in the church. Others favor or over-protect certain kids to the lasting injury of some other precious lives. We work hard for the goals of our lives but we will leave it all behind; maybe to one child or maybe to many. Solomon’s lament was realistic as he left his own wasted inheritance to the fool of a son named Rehoboah. And as the prodigal king discovered, one event awaits both the wise and the fool, they both die! But it’s better not to die the fool.
The Hebrews would often posed their points as one speaker against another. Draw a line between Heaven and earth and you get this “under the sun” view over 30 times in the Book. The secular humanist sees this life as if there is no God. Then Solomon turns to the godly, spiritual view of Heaven; but he does not start with that. In the end, there is life beyond this one with all of the meaning that you and I have been seeking for.
Pastors and Christian friends, never fall for the deceitful lure of the stuff of this life! God is watching to see if you will honestly finish as Paul, who said, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). So now for all of us, where will you turn for your own significance in life? – To God or to the meaningless secular ambitions of vanity?
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A similar outline from Tom L. Bright, http://www.oabs.org
THE ELUSIVE MEANING OF LIFE
Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:11
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INTRODUCTION
1. People are searching for the meaning of life.
2. Solomon engaged himself in an experiment to uncover the meaning of life.
I. THE MEANING OF LIFE IS NOT FOUND IN HUMAN PHILOSOPHY [WHAT I THINK (Ecclesiastes 1:12-18)].
A. Solomon’s experiment would make use of wisdom (both his wisdom and the wisdom of the world).
1. Solomon was given a great offer (1 Kings 3:5).
2. He made a noble decision (1 Kings 3:8, 9).
3. God blessed Solomon with unparalleled wisdom (1 Kings 3:10-12), and he was also given riches and honor (1 Kings 3:13).
4. Solomon had “great experience of wisdom and knowledge” (Ecclesiastes 1:16).
B. “For in much wisdom is much grief” (Ecclesiastes 1:18). Who better than Solomon to right those words!? This expression has puzzled many readers.
1. “We become more sensible of our ignorance and impotence, and therefore sorrowful, in proportion as we discover more of the constitution of nature and the scheme of Providence in the government of the world; every discovery serving to convince us that more remains concealed of which we had no suspicion before” (Barnes).
2. “The more we know of ourselves the less satisfied shall we be with our own hearts; and the more we know of mankind the less willing shall we be to trust them, and the less shall we admire them” (Clarke).
3. Trying to make sense of the world without God leads to “vexation of spirit.” Solomon contrasts human wisdom with heavenly wisdom (Proverbs 1:7 ; 2:1-9 ; 4:5-7 ; 9:10).
II. THE MEANING OF LIFE IS NOT FOUND IN PLEASURE [WHAT I WANT (Ecclesiastes 2:1-3)].
A. Whatever Solomon wanted, Solomon got (Ecclesiastes 2:10).
B. Christians do have an enjoyable and abundant life (John 10:10).
C. Solomon’s experiments left him with feelings of vanity (Ecclesiastes 2:1).
III. THE MEANING OF LIFE IS NOT FOUND IN PROJECTS [WHAT I DO
(Ecclesiastes 2:4-6)].
A. Solomon felt that meaning of life could be found by being a workaholic.
B. These efforts, however, did not bring true satisfaction.
C. “The workaholism issue is a real one for me. I am never more than a couple steps –mentally –from the computer. What keeps me tethered is the fear that if I stop, my whole world will come crashing in on me. It’s hard to get out of that mindset for even a few minutes” (Ron, Confession of a Workaholic, www.businessweek.com ).
IV. THE MEANING OF LIFE IS NOT FOUND IN POSSESSIONS [WHAT I HAVE
(ECCLESIASTES 2:7-11)].
A. Solomon was extremely rich (1 Kings 9:10-28).
B. “A man’s life consisteth not of the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15).
1. Though this was taught by Jesus, materialism is at all time highs.
2. Luke 12:16-20
V. THE MEANING OF LIFE IS NOT IN PEOPLE [WHO I KNOW].
A. Solomon was a great king.
B. He was visited by the Queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10:1-13).
C. In the Judgment, we will all stand as individuals (2 Corinthians 5:10).
CONCLUSION
1. The meaning of life cannot be understood without God.
2. Solomon eventually reached this exact conclusion (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
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PAST MONTH DRUG USE BY HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS, BY DRUG TYPE:
1990 to 2001
PERCENTAGE REPORTING USE
YEAR MARIJUANA COCAINE ANY DRUG
1990 14.0 1.9 17.2
1991 13.8 1.4 16.4
1992 11.9 1.3 14.4
1993 15.5 1.3 18.3
1994 19.0 1.5 21.9
1995 21.2 1.8 23.8
1996 21.9 2.0 24.6
1997 23.7 2.3 26.2
1998 22.8 2.4 25.6
1999 23.1 2.6 25.9
2000 21.6 2.1 24.9
2001 22.4 2.1 25.7
SOURCE: MONITORING THE FUTURE STUDY. http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/factsht/druguse
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PAST MONTH DRUG USE BY 8TH AND 10TH GRADERS, BY DRUG TYPE:
1991 TO 2001
PERCENTAGE REPORTING USE
ANY DRUG COCAINE MARIJUANA
Grade: 8th 10th 8th 10th 8th 10th
YEAR
1991 5.7% 11.6% 0.5% 0.7% 3.2% 8.7%
1992 6.8 11.0 0.7 0.7 3.7 8.1
1993 8.4 14.0 0.7 0.9 5.1 10.9
1994 10.9 18.5 1.0 1.2 7.8 15.8
1995 12.4 20.2 1.2 1.7 9.1 17.2
1996 14.6 23.2 1.3 1.7 11.3 20.4
1997 12.9 23.0 1.1 2.0 10.2 20.5
1998 12.1 21.5 1.4 2.1 9.7 18.7
1999 12.2 22.1 1.3 1.8 9.7 19.4
2000 11.9 22.5 1.2 1.8 9.1 19.7
2001 11.7 22.7 1.2 1.3 9.2 19.8
SOURCE: MONITORING THE FUTURE STUDY.