Life. change

Current Series
I’m very thankful for the many comments that I have heard from you about this series and the ways in which it has been helpful to me. Some of you have said that you have a new appreciation for the book of Ecclesiastes and the practical wisdom that it gives to me. That is music to my ears.

One person told me a story that they thought really captured the spirit of this series and the wonderful graphic that we have been using for it:

As a young, married couple, a husband and wife lived in a cheap housing complex near the military base where he was working. Their chief complaint was that the walls were paper-thin and that they had no privacy. This was painfully obvious when one morning the husband was upstairs and the wife was downstairs on the telephone. She was interrupted by the doorbell and went to greet her neighbor, holding a roll of toilet paper in his hands. “Give this to your husband,” he said. “He’s been yelling for it for 15 minutes.”

I’m so glad this series is touching you in many ways.

scripture reading:
Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NKJV) 1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:

A THEOLOGY OF CHANGE
Theology, as many of you know, is the study of God. It comes from two Greek words: ‘theos’, which means ‘God’, and ‘logos’ which means ‘word’ or ‘reason’ or ‘cause’ or ‘theory’ or ‘study’.

1. God doesn’t change.

The big word here is ‘immutable’. God is immutable, which means he doesn’t change. (It doesn’t mean that you can’t mute Him.)

2. God is the Author of life.

God spoke everything into existence. Life was His idea. He created it and set it into motion as He desired to do. This applies on a grand scale—to all of creation—and also on a individual scale. He is not just the Author of Life generally, but also the Author of your life and my life. Psalm 139 says that He knit you together in your mother’s womb every day of your life was written down before you lived even one of them.

3. Life is all about change.

As we will see today in scripture but also know all to well in our own experiences, life is constantly changing. I remember being shown around my first day of work at my new job and the veteran employee describing things to me said, “You will learn that the only thing around here that doesn’t change is the fact that things are constantly changing.”
That is true about life.

Take the seasons, for example. We are coming out of a season of ice and snow moving into the season of spring. I love the changing seasons. Yesterday, when Dalene and I were driving home east of Salem, we were enjoying the beautiful day all around us. At one time we could see Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, Mount Ranier and Mount Jefferson all stretched out before us. It was gorgeous.

4. God uses change for His purposes.

Here’s where it gets tricky. God Himself doesn’t change. God is the Author of Life, which is all about change. So God is the Author of Change (even though He doesn’t change.) Another way to say this is: God uses change for His purposes (“for every purpose under heaven” according to Eccl. 3:1).

Change, universally and individually, is part of God’s plan. It is a tool that God uses to change His changeable, or mutable, creatures.

The problem is that sometimes people see it this way: God worked this way at one time in my life (or in history). God doesn’t change. Therefore, this is the way it will always be. That is flawed thinking.

God doesn’t change, but that doesn’t mean that you can set Him in concrete and worship the idol of sameness. God doesn’t change, but He rarely does something the same way twice. There is a purpose for that. We will talk about that.

The verses that follow (v. 2-8) present 14 pairs of words that are contrasting with each other. One has a generally positive connotation and the other has a generally negative connotation. They teach us a lot about change.

[verse 3:2]
A time to be born and a time to die (circle the word 'born'; underline 'die'

Here is the first and perhaps biggest change that happens to you your entire life, you are born. You didn’t chose that direction for your life, it was chosen for you. In fact, you didn’t contribute to the process at all. You can take no credit for it.

From this very first event we learn that your life is at God’s direction and His will. We have to trust Him for the changes in life, starting from this very first one. I belong to God.

Speaking of change, I heard of a sign in a church nursery that was done in beautiful needlepoint, and it quoted the verse in 1 Corinthians 15:51, “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—”

A time to plant and a time to pluck up (circle the word ‘plant’; underline ‘pluck up’)

There is a field not far from here, on the corner of Cordon and Silverton Road, that was planted long ago but was never harvested or plucked up at harvest time. The bushy vegetables that were planted have just been left there, and they have begun to rot. It stinks. Late one night, after a council meeting, one of the council members gave me a ride home. It was dark out and we were talking when all of a sudden you could smell this foul smell. He quickly said, “That’s not me. We’re driving by that rotten field.”

If you and I would refuse to change, we would become rotten like that field. Change brings life and freshness to our lives.

[verse 3:3]
A time to kill and a time to heal (circle the word ‘heal’; underline ‘kill’)

By the way, this says, “A time to kill”, not “time to kill”, like having extra time.

I would clearly chose healing over killing every time. I have prayed for many at these altars, in hospitals and other places, and I have always prayed for healing. I have never prayed for someone to be killed. This one seems like a clear choice to me. Why would it ever be ‘a time to kill’? I don’t understand that choice.

I am reminded that I don’t always understand change. Sometimes it is not what I would have chosen. Sometimes I don’t understand the change. Why? What’s going on? Even in those times, God is at work to accomplish His purposes. Do I trust Him?

A time to break down and a time to build up (circle the words ‘build up’; underline ‘break down’)

Have you ever heard a sermon about walls, maybe from the book of Nehemiah, when the preacher says, “What we need to do is, like Nehemiah, build up the walls of community!”, and then you go home, turn on your favorite tv preacher and hear him say, “The greatest need today is to tear down the walls and break down barriers”? So, are we tearing down walls or building up walls? It gets confusing. We must be discerning. In different applications, both are right.

[verse 3:4]
A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance
(circle the word ‘laugh’ and the word ‘dance’; underline ‘weep’ and ‘mourn’)

I am reminded that change is emotional and deals with great emotional energy. It would be wise to be sensitive to this fact when you are dealing with change or when someone else is dealing with change. Some people deal better with change than others.

Before my little nephew, Jared, was in kindergarten, he stayed at his grandparent’s my house (my mom and dad) in the mornings. Grandma would always make him eggs just the way he liked them and bacon.

One morning grandma wasn’t there, so grandpa cooked breakfast. He figure Jared was getting tired of the same old thing, so he decided to make him pancakes. He called Jared to the table and when Jared saw the pancakes he said, “Grandpa, where’s the eggs and bacon.” Dad told him he thought he might like something different this morning. Then this little three or four year old boy looked up at my dad and said, “Grandpa, I don’t deal well with change!”

[verse 3:5]
A time to cast stones and a time to gather (circle the word ‘gather’; underline ‘cast’)

This is a very interesting phrase. The reference here is to a practice that was done when an enemy was approaching against you. If it seemed that they were going to overthrow you and take your land it was a common practice to scatter stones around in your field to make it less desirous to the enemy. It made the field difficult to farm. Before farming it you would have to remove the stones. It is a ‘scorched earth’ policy, like Iraq lighting Kuwaits oil fields on fire as they retreated during the Gulf War.

When you were the conquerer and you gained additional lands, it was a time to gather stones and make the fields fruitful again.

Sometimes in change you feel like your gaining ground. Other times change comes and it feels as though you’re losing ground. How do you handle that?

A time to embrace and a time to refrain (circle the word ‘embrace’; underline ‘refrain’)

Change involves relationships. Relationships themselves need to change and mature over time. Two hard changes in relationships: starting them and stopping them. Some relationships are unhealthy and you know you need to stop those relationships, but that change is difficult. Sometimes relationships are healthy but for some reason or another, like a move or a death, the relationship has to end. That is also very difficult.

We all need healthy, changing relationships in our lives. Don’t stop building relationships.

[verse 3:6]
A time to gain and a time to lose; A time to keep and a time to throw away
(circle the word ‘gain’ and the word ‘keep’; underline ‘lose’ and ‘throw away’)

We always want to gain and not to lose (except for weight). I am terrible at keeping things that I don’t need and never throwing things away. I think, “Well, I may need this sometime.” Days, weeks, years go by and I never do. It becomes obsolete, creates clutter and becomes trash. Gaining is good, but sometimes you need to throw away for change to take place.

What about ideas, habits and beliefs? Do those ever become obsolete, creating clutter in our lives and need to be thrown out? If we’re growing and changing, I think they do. An immature idea of God is fine for a time but with greater understanding should give way to a greater understanding. Paul said to the Corinthians, “I want to feed you with solid food but you can’t get off of the milk.” (1Cor. 3:2) The writer of Hebrews says, “Let’s leave the elementary principles of Christ and move on to perfection.” (Heb. 6:1)

When was the last time that you tossed out an obsolete idea about God and replaced it with a new understanding? If never, then beware! You are in for some spiritual clutter.

[verse 3:7]
A time to tear and a time to sew (circle the word ‘sew’; underline ‘tear’)

Here is another interesting picture. On the one hand, it is talking about a routine, common chore. Things get torn and things get sewn. But there is more to it.

In scripture, tearing your garments was always a sign of mourning or grief. You would walk around in torn garments, showing everyone that you were in mourning. Then, when the reason for mourning had passed, you would sew your garment back together showing that

Some changes in life may bring a period of grief. That’s okay. What’s torn won’t always stay torn forever. It will be sewn once again. Have your sewing kit ready.

A time to keep silent and a time to speak (circle the word ‘speak’; underline ‘silent’)

I don’t even want to talk about this one… (just kidding)

There are some things of change that we can stay quiet about. The church changes the color of the carpet… that’s no big deal. The church changes from donut holes to muffins… okay, no doctrinal breach.

But when the church begins to say that the Bible is not really the fully inspired Word of God, wait a minute! I can’t sit quietly by. When it is preached that there is salvation other than in the Name of Jesus Christ, no I can’t hold my tongue.

The most important thing in change is knowing what not to change. Those are the non-negotiables. Everything else is up for discussion.

[verse 3:8]
A time to love and a time to hate; A time of war and a time of peace
(circle the word ‘love’ and the word ‘peace’; underline ‘hate’ and ‘war’)

The word hate (‘miseo’ in the Greek) is used forty times in the New Testament. The references are primarily to hatred towards Jesus: hatred towards us as His disciples; or references like, “You have heard it said, ‘Hate your enemies’. But I say… ‘Love…’”

There are only three references that I can find where we are told to hate anything, each one of those are refering to anything that gets in the way of your relationship with God:

· Mammon (money, success, abundance) (Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13 No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.)

· This life (John 12:25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.)

· Even close family members (Luke 14:26 If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.)

And we know that we are now in a war, a spiritual war. The weapons of our warfare are spiritual and we battle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers. When I made a change in my life and chose to follow Jesus, I entered a war. I will hate anything that stands between me and Jesus.

Conclusion

5. I have a choice in change.

The reason that our lives must involve change is to keep us dependent on God and on hearing Him. There is no pat answer. You can’t simply rely on what happened once for all time.

Will you listen to God today for what He is saying to you right now?

Go back and look at all the circled words on your outlines: born, plant, heal, build up, laugh, dance, gather, embrace, gain, keep, sew, speak, love and peace. Those are great words. They are much better than their underlined counterparts: die, pluck up, kill, break down, weep, mourn, cast stones, refrain from embracing, lose, throw away, tear, silent, hate and war.

Maybe you will say today, “I can trust God in the circles, but not in the underlines. I will serve God as long as He keeps me safely in the circles. I don’t want to change. I want to be in the circles and stay in the circles. Circles! Circles! Circles! It’s only circles for me. I won’t accept any movement into the underlines.”

But, God uses the underlines. There is a time for the underlines. He is accomplishing His purposes in the circles and in the underlines. There is a time for the circles and a time for the underlines and in between there is change.

Will you trust God in times of change, either in circles or in underlines?

Life. fun

My pleasure…
We have been following Solomon (traditionally believed to be the writer of Ecclesiastes) as he searches all the nooks and crannies of life to find meaning ‘under the sun’; that is, apart from a belief in eternity. Today he turns his attention on a popular spot where meaning is sought, pleasure. Doing whatever you want, whenever you want, however you want – is that the meaning of life?

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 (NKJV) 1 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely, this also was vanity. 2 I said of laughter—“Madness!”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?” 3 I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives. 4 I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. 5 I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove. 7 I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. 8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds. 9 So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10 Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, For my heart rejoiced in all my labor; And this was my reward from all my labor. 11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.

Notice the line in verse 10, “Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from pleasure.” This is a dangerous experiment that Solomon conducted to see if meaning could be found there. Many today are waging the same experiment, whether they know it or not. They are banking everything on pleasure providing for them meaning in life. The result of his experiment? Here is his conclusion:

· Pleasure can’t give meaning to life.

If that’s all there is to life, then it is all meaningless. There must be more than living your life chasing after pleasures, because they don’t satisfy ultimately.

What about pleasure then? Is it contrary to living a meaningful life? And where does God fit in. Most people see God as entirely opposed to pleasure. If he catches you enjoying yourself at anything, well, that’s the worst thing you can do. Is that true? Can pleasure and God go together?

Diets
I hate diets and I think they are from the devil. Food labels are not meant to be read or understood. I would rather read Leviticus backwards than even one food label. I can’t understand them. Dalene can, but I can’t. Trying to figure out what you can eat and how much is the ulitmate exercise in futility. And what you figure out you can eat isn’t really worth it anyway.

Here is my theory: Those diets have no biological/chemical basis. They claim that they do, but they don’t. What really happens is that you get so sick of reading food labels and eating nasty food, that you just eat less.

I don’t have to read food labels anymore because I have figured out the overriding principle: If I like the taste of something, I can’t have it. If I hate the taste, I can have all I want. That is my perception of diets.

That is what many people think of ‘religion’: “I don’t need to read the bible. If there is anything that I enjoy, then I know I can’t do it. There must be a commandment against it somewhere. If something is dull or void of the least little bit of fun, then that’s what God wants me to do.” Is this an accurate picture of God and pleasure?

THE PLEASURE PUZZLE
This issue of pleasure can be very puzzling. Today we want to look at ‘The Pleasure Puzzle.’ We are going to look at three key pieces of the puzzle: the God-piece, The Me-Piece, and the Peace-piece.

The big question: How do these three fit together? Have you ever been putting together a puzzle and you hold up a piece, determined to find where it goes. You search the whole picture on the box and decide it doesn’t go anywhere. They must have given you a piece that doesn’t go with this puzzle. Then, later it slips neatly into its intended place.

How do these three pieces – God, me and peace – fit together in this issue of pleasure?
1. The GOD-Piece.

Is God anti-pleasure as most people think? Did pleasure sneak in the back door when He wasn’t looking? Let’s look at the biblical evidence.

· God created pleasure.

There would be no pleasure if God had not created it. When God created us He gave us the ability to experience pleasure. Scientists think that they have identified the primary pleasure center in the brain: the limbic system in the brain, with the hypothalamus and the nucleus accumbens. This system is combined with an innumerable amount of sensors all throughout our body to give us the sensation of pleasure. God did that.
God created the place for Adam called Eden. The word ‘eden’ literally means in Hebrew, “delight” or “pleasure.”

Genesis 2:8-9 (NKJV) 8 The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.

The devil will try to convince you that he is the father of pleasure – that it was all his idea. That’s not true. God is the Father of pleasure. The devil is the one who perverts pleasure and makes it destructive.

· God takes pleasure.

Throughout scripture we are told that God Himself also takes pleasure. He takes pleasure in you. All things were created “for His pleasure.” (Rev. 4:11)

· God prescribes pleasure.

In fact, God makes sure that pleasure isn’t neglected. For His people Israel, He prescribed throughout the calendar year certain feasts and celebrations to be observed.
At one point in history, under the leadership of Nehemiah in Jerusalem, the people were hanging their heads low in shame and guilt on the day of a feast. God had Nehemiah break it up:
Nehemiah 8:10 (NKJV) 10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

God created pleasure, God takes pleasure and God prescribes pleasure. So what’s the problem?

2. The ME-Piece.

Surprisingly enough, the problem isn’t with God but it is with me. I’m the one that has a problem with pleasure, not God.
· I can become a slave to pleasure.
Here is the real issue. It is not that we would enjoy the pleasures of life, but that we would pursue those things at all cost. One of the ways that this happens is what we refer to as ‘addictions.’
Romans 6:16 (NKJV) 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?


1 Corinthians 6:12 (NKJV) 12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

· My pleasure may lead others to be enslaved.

There may be pleasures that I can withstand well enough, but if someone else sees me doing it, they may give it a try and they become a slave to it. Well, is that my problem? Scripture says we should make it our problem.

· My pleasure may hurt me or others.

Pursuing my own pleasures may also hurt other people. You may like partying with the music up loud until four in the morning, but does your neighbor enjoy it?

3. The PEACE-Piece.

So, how do I reconcile these things? How do I enjoy life without letting pleasures have a destructive influence in my life or in the lives of others around me? Here are the five R’s:

· Repent. Seek the Lord’s deliverance.

God can cleanse me and make me new! That’s good news! It must start here. Until I repent, pleasure that is self-destructive, others-destructive or destructive in my relationship with God continues to have power over my life. Once I repent its power is taken away by God.

1 Corinthians 6:11 (NKJV) 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

1 John 1:9 (NKJV) 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If anything has power over you today, you can repent and be completely clean.

· Remove. Keep a safe distance.

Once you have been made clean, it would be wise to keep a safe distance from the people, places and activities that can lead you back into those same problems. This is where we really show our true intentions, do we really want to be free, or not?
There’s an old saying: “If you don’t want to eat of the fruit, then don’t hang around the tree.” Honestly, we spend a lot of time around the trees of temptation.

Hugaholic
Let’s say that I have a hugging problem. I am a real hugaholic. It has cost me my job, important relationships and my relationship with God but I just can’t help it. I can’t stop hugging people. It is an illness.

If I really wanted to stop, I wouldn’t hang around this church. I know if I come here that I am going to end up hugging people, it is a forgone conclusion. I can predict it. There are a lot of places I can go and not hug people. The DMV comes to mind. I have never hugged anyone in the DMV.

You can tell a person’s real desire to be free from temptation by how far away they stay from it.

· Retreat. Look for the way out.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV) 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

If you do find yourself face to face with temptation, there is always a way out. It’s not too late. There is always an escape plan, provided by God Himself.
How different is it to be trapped in a place where there is no way out, versus a place where there is a way out? If there is a way out, it isn’t really a trap.

I would like to think of temptation as a trap. I would like to think of it that way so that I would become a victim of temptation. It is a perfect excuse for failure. I couldn’t help it. It was a trap and once it sprang shut, my options were eliminated. What could I do but succumb to the temptation?

I would like to think of it that way, but I can’t. The truth is, whenever I am staring temptation square in the face, I do have an option. There is a way of escape. I still have a choice. I can get away.

What temptation are you facing? There is a way out. There is a way out of drug and alcohol addiction. There is a way out of pornography and sexual sins. There is a way out of gossip. There is a way out of stealing, out of pride, out of greed, out of lust.
There is a way out. You can escape.

· Replace with healthy actions.

Psalm 119:9-11 (NKJV) 9 How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. 10 With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! 11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

This is one of the biggest reasons why we don’t stick with the resolutions we make in our lives: we stop something without starting something else in its place. We create a void or a vacuum.

Indiana Jones and the Lost Ark
Remember in ‘Indiana Jones and the Lost Ark’ in the opening scenes where Indy makes his way through a booby-trapped cave to pedestal with a valuable golden idol on it? Before taking the idol off, he filled a bag with sand to about the same weight as the idol. Then he made a quick switch of the two. Unfortunately, he miscalculated the weight and a huge boulder was released.
When you take something away you have to replace it with something else, something healthy.

· Relate. Don’t do it alone.

Sin has tremendous power over you as long as you keep it covered up. Once you expose it you would be amazed at how much power it loses. The process is called confession or accountability. Do you have someone in your life that you can be real with and can encourage you to keep pleasures in check?

James 5:16 (NKJV) 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Conclusion
In a poem entitled, "Autobiography in Five Short Chapters," Portia Nelson writes these words: (I’m going to read you all five chapters.)
Chapter I: I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. I am lost … I am helpless. It isn't my fault. It takes forever to find a way out.
Chapter II: I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don't see it. I fall in again. I can't believe I am in the same place,but it isn't my fault.
Chapter III: I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.I see it is there. I still fall in … it's a habit. My eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately.
Chapter IV: I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it.
Chapter V: I walk down another street.

God wants you to experience pleasure, but not seek it for the meaning in your life, and not to become a slave to it. If you are caught in destructive pleasures (sin), He can cleanse you and you can be free.

Life. work

Feeling Overworked?
Do you ever feel overworked, over-regulated, under-leisured, under-benefited? Take heart. This notice was found in the ruins of a London office building. It was dated 1852.
1. This firm has reduced the hours of work, and the clerical staff will now only have to be present between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays.
2. Clothing must be of a sober nature. The clerical staff will not disport themselves in raiment of bright colors, nor will they wear hose unless in good repair.
3. Overshoes and topcoats may not be worn in the office, but neck scarves and headwear may be worn in inclement weather.
4. A stove is provided for the benefit of the clerical staff. Coal and wood must be kept in the locker. It is recommended that each member of the clerical staff bring four pounds of coal each day during the cold weather.
5. No member of the clerical staff may leave the room without permission from the supervisor.
6. No talking is allowed during business hours.
7. The craving for tobacco, wine, or spirits is a human weakness, and as such is forbidden to all members of the clerical staff.
8. Now that the hours of business have been drastically reduced, the partaking of food is allowed between 11:30 and noon, but work will not on any account cease.
9. Members of the clerical staff will provide their own pens. A new sharpener is available on application to the supervisor.
10. The supervisor will nominate a senior clerk to be responsible for the cleanliness of the main office and the private office. All boys and juniors will report to him 40 minutes before prayers and will remain after closing hours for similar work. Brushes, brooms, scrubber, and soap are provided by the owners.
11. The owners recognize the generosity of the new labor laws, but will expect a great rise in output of work to compensate for these near Utopian conditions.
Series review
Last week we began a brand new series in the book of Ecclesiastes. We talked about the unique message of this book of the Old Testament, that if this life is all there is (life ‘under the sun’) then it is ultimately meaningless (‘vanity of vanities’). That is the introduction to the book and also its conclusion.
What Solomon does next, (Solomon is traditionally held to be the writer of the book), is he systematically brings us through the significant and practical arenas of life where we might try to find meaning or value and basically asks the question: “Is there meaning ‘under the sun’ here?” The answer is repeatedly no. He turns over every rock in searching for meaning ‘under the sun’ until he is satisfied that there is no meaning within the bounds of this life so it must be sought beyond this life, in eternity. We will be following right behind him.
Basically put, and we talked about it last week, “If there is no eternity, then life doesn’t make sense. If there is an eternity, then everything has great meaning.”
This week: work
This week we take our first look at one of the places where Solomon goes to find meaning: the workplace. We have a love/hate relationship with work, don’t we? We spend a great deal of our time there, it pays our bills, and for some people work is the place where value, purpose and meaning are sought, as if desperately grasping for some reason to live.
On the other hand, many of us don’t see any connection between spirituality and work. It is kept separate from our ‘spiritual lives.’ I have my spiritual life at church and my work life at the job. “…Never the ‘twain shall meet.”
‘Work’ in the Bible
You might be surprised to know the following:
· Of Jesus' 132 public appearances in the NT, 122 were in the marketplace.
· Of 52 parables Jesus told, 45 had a workplace context.
· Of 40 divine interventions recorded in Acts, 39 were in the marketplace.
· Jesus spent his adult life as a carpenter, until age 30 when he went into a preaching ministry in the workplace.
· Jesus called 12 workplace individuals, not clergy, to build his church.
· Work is worship. The Hebrew word avodah is [the] root for the word from which we get the words work and worship. [Avodah (Ah´-voe-dah) is a Hebrew word used in the Bible that has two distinct yet intertwined meanings: worship and work.]
· Work in its different forms is mentioned more than 800 times in the Bible, more than all the words used to express worship, music, praise, and singing combined.
· 54 percent of Jesus' reported teaching ministry arose out of issues posed by others in the scope of daily life.
There is something God wants to speak to us about this very practical area today.
SLIDE
# History of work: Genesis 3:17-19
Let’s take a look at the early history of work.
Genesis 3:17-19 (NKJV) 17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. 19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.”
There was actually work before this passage, but this passage marks an important change from work as it was to work as it will be from this time forward. Man had already been tending the garden and had the job of naming all the animals.
As a result of sin, three things entered the garden, changing our concept of work forever.
·
SLIDE
# Toil. There was work, but not toil. This word indicates sorrow, pain, labor, struggle and hardship. It is the same word used one verse earlier when God says to Eve, “I will greatly multiply your sorrow (toil) and your conception.” And we call it ‘labor’. Toil was not always a part of work or childbirth. It came as a result of sin and the fall.
· Weeds. (Aka: “Thorns and thistles”) These are things that only serve to increase the labor and increase the pain but give nothing of value.
· Sweat. It’s going to be hard. It won’t be easy.
Here is where we began our love/hate relationship with work.
God has redemptive purposes.
There is more to this story than meets the eye. These pronouncements by God were not done out of spite or just to make things difficult for us. Work is part of God’s redemptive plan for us. He has redemptive purposes for your job. There are things happening, things being accomplished, in the unseen realm.
*** Video: “Unseen” ***
Now let’s read from Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes.
SLIDE
# *** Scripture Reading: ***
Ecclesiastes 2:11-24 (NKJV) 11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun. 12 Then I turned myself to consider wisdom and madness and folly; For what can the man do who succeeds the king?— Only what he has already done. 13 Then I saw that wisdom excels folly As light excels darkness. 14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head, But the fool walks in darkness. Yet I myself perceived That the same event happens to them all. 15 So I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, It also happens to me, And why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart, “This also is vanity.” 16 For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, Since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come. And how does a wise man die? As the fool! 17 Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind. 18 Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun. 21 For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22 For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun? 23 For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity. 24 Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.
MORE THAN JUST A JOB
SLIDE
# Four important things we must bring with us into the workplace:
1. Who you are is more than what you do.
SLIDE
# What’s tragic is the number of people who define themselves – gaining their value and worth – from what they do for a living. For some this becomes an obsession, and it can be very destructive.
· Know your real value to God.
Work will never satisfy your search for value. Knowing your value to God will. Jesus said that even the sparrows have great value to God, and you are far more valuable than many sparrows.
King David is the most revered king in the history of Israel. Yet, he didn’t find his identity or value in being king. He never sought the job, it was appointed to it. When he could have destroyed his chief rival and got the promotion himself, he wouldn’t do it. When his son Absalom tried to take over his throne in Jerusalem, David left the king’s palace reasoning it was God Who made him king and God could make someone else king or bring him back to the palace. He wasn’t defined by his job.
SLIDE
# (Say together, “Who I am is more than what I do.”)
2. How is more than what.
SLIDE
# In other words, how I do what I do is more important to God than what I do. He will use the rough edges of your work – whatever you do – to sharpen the how, the decisions that show your character.
· God is developing your character.
There’s a great scene in Luke 3 that I have often thought about. John the Baptist is calling people to repentance and to baptism. He tells them to “bear fruits worthy of repentance.” The people that are there ask, “What shall we do?”
Then two specific groups of people are mentioned by occupation: tax collectors and soldiers. These are probably the two most hated professions by the people at that time. The tax collectors were despised because they worked for the enemy, Rome, and they took enough from people to keep a cut for themselves. The soldiers were a Jewish militia that, among other things, provided the force to help the tax collectors collect their taxes. They were very corrupt.
Here’s the interesting thing: When the tax collectors and soldiers came to John and asked, “What shall we do?” he didn’t tell them, “Well, that’s easy. Quit your job.” That is what I would have said. Instead, he told them to do their job with character. “Don’t take more than you’re due.” “Don’t intimidate people with force.” Almost any job can be done to the glory of God.
SLIDE
# How does God want to develop your character right where you are?
3. For whom is more than what.
If you look back at verses 18 & 19 of our reading today, you see one of the reasons why toil under the sun is such a burden: Because I end up working for someone else. He said he will leave the result of his diligent work to someone else—someone who may not even deserve it.
Do you feel this way? Is your job a drain because you don’t like who you’re working for? Then you need to change employers. Don’t work for people. Work for God instead.
Brother Lawrence
One of the greatest teachers on this has been Brother Lawrence, a monk who wrote the book The Practice of the Presence of God. Here are some quotes:
We ought not to grow tired of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.
The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer, and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God as if I were upon my knees at the blessed sacrament.
We must do our business faithfully, without trouble or disquiet, recalling our mind to God mildly, and with tranquility, as often as we find it wandering from him.
The most excellent method of going to God is that of doing our common business without any view of pleasing people but purely for the love of God.
SLIDE
# You are on assignment from the Lord in your workplace. You work for Him. That truth alone, if we really understand it, can revolutionize the way we approach our work.
· Lay up treasures in heaven.
SLIDE
# Work for Him and not only will your efforts go to Someone who is genuinely worthy, but He also pays well. And He pays in eternal currency.
4. Enjoy your labor.
Girl will be tired when she grows up
A photographer was snapping pictures of first graders at an elementary school, making small talk to put his subjects at ease. "What are you going to be when you grow up?" he asked one little girl. "Tired," she said.
That was one smart little girl, but is that really all we have to look forward to out of our jobs, being tired? Let’s look at the last two verses in today’s reading:
Ecclesiastes 2:23-24 (NKJV) 23 For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity. 24 Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.
God wants you to enjoy your work. He made you with particular giftings and talents so that you can get joy out of what you do – whether it is a job that you get paid for or not. Work is hard, and frustrating at times, but should still be a source of joy. The lack of joy may indicate that your perspective needs to be changed. Enjoy what you do by doing what you enjoy.
Conclusion
You cannot, by your performance, gain meaning in life. Only Jesus can give you meaning and significance. Once that has happened, He can transform your everyday work and activity into something of which heaven will take note.

Life. life under the sun

Hopeful headlines for 2007
Last week, on January 2, the Statesman Journal printed a list of hopeful headlines for the coming year. It is an annual tradition where they create headlines for news stories that they would like to see come true in 2007. Here are some of them:
· Pontoon span relieves West Salem bridge woes
· Potholes forever filled
· Solar power replaces gas in cars
· Troops coming home
· New Delta flights popular at Salem’s McNary field
· All teens drive safely
· Paris Hilton joins Peace Corps ‘Time to give something back’
· Peace at home
· Peace in Darfur
· Peace in Afghanistan
· Peace in Iraq
· Glut of shops cuts coffee tab to 50 cents a cup
· Kroc Center fund drive exceeds goal; family center to open ahead of schedule
And my personal favorite… the headline I would most like to see in 2007…
· Invention quiets cell phones in churches and theaters

New year, new sermon series, new opportunities for growth
Today we begin, with just a brief introduction, our new sermon series through the book of Ecclesiastes. We are calling it, “Life. Making Every Bit Count.” We have also begun our new term for many small group opportunities. We’ll tell you more about that later.
So, what is an ‘ecclesiastes’ anyway? It is a book of the Old Testament, after Psalms and Proverbs and before the Song of Solomon. It is categorized as one of the Poetical Books, along with Job, Psalms, Proverbs, and Song of Solomon.

The word ‘ecclesiastes’ is a greek rendering of the Hebrew word ‘qohelet’. Each comes from the root word ‘to call out from’ or ‘to assemble’. They refer to ‘one calling out’, ‘one who assembles’ or ‘one who gathers people together’, the word used for ‘preacher’. ‘Ecclesiastes’ means, ‘the preacher’.

Ecclesiastes: “The Preacher”

I would just like to point out that there is a book in the Bible called, “The Preacher.” There is not a book in the Bible called ‘The Doctor’, or ‘The Movie Star’, or ‘The Sports Hero,’ or ‘The Plumber’, etc. Just ‘The Preacher.’ I just wanted you to know that.

As you will see from the very first words of Ecclesiastes 1:1, this title is very significant. The writer identifies himself as ‘The Preacher’ (or qohelet, or ecclesiastes). He also identifies himself as: the son of David (1:1), king in Jerusalem (1:1), someone who had gained more wisdom than all who were before (1:16), someone who had more wealth and greatness than anyone before him (2:4-9), and someone who set out many proverbs (12:9). For these reasons, Solomon is traditionally and commonly believed to be The Preacher.

Let’s read the first few verses of the book of Ecclesiastes and then talk about an important overview that you must understand in order to read this book.

Ecclesiastes 1:1-9 (NKJV) 1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” 3 What profit has a man from all his labor In which he toils under the sun? 4 One generation passes away, and another generation comes; But the earth abides forever. 5 The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, And hastens to the place where it arose. 6 The wind goes toward the south, And turns around to the north; The wind whirls about continually, And comes again on its circuit. 7 All the rivers run into the sea, Yet the sea is not full; To the place from which the rivers come, There they return again. 8 All things are full of labor; Man cannot express it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor the ear filled with hearing. 9 That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.

So, what a depressing start, huh? What a preacher! What if you went to church, the preacher got up and preached, “Vanity of vanities. All is hopeless. Everything is meaningless. There’s nothing new anywhere. Everything is futile. Life has no meaning.” And then he said, “Okay, now let’s take the offering…” Would you be encouraged? I don’t think so.

INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES
That is why we need this introduction. If you don’t understand what I’m about to tell you, then Ecclesiastes is the most depressing and confusing book in the Bible.

The last time we read the book of Ecclesiastes in our Life Journal reading, Dalene told me she was getting depressed from reading it. I shared these things with her and she said, “Oh, now it makes sense. You should share that with everyone at church.” Who am I to argue? So, here we are.

1. Two key phrases to note:

There are two phrases that you will see repeatedly and uniquely in the book of Ecclesiastes.

· Vanity of Vanities.

The word ‘vanity’ (is not a small dressing table in front of a mirror), is from the Hebrew word for breath or vapor and is used for meaningless, empty, vanity. When spend hours, thought or money on something that has no return we say, “It was all in vain.” That’s what the meaning is here.

This Hebrew word for vanity is used 97 times in the Old Testament. Of those, 58 are in this one book, the book of Ecclesiastes. In other words, 58 times in Ecclesiastes and only 39 times in all of the rest put together. You can say it is a major theme of this book.

Now, put it together twice and you have ‘vanity of vanities’. This same way of expressing an extreme is used in the phrase ‘holy of holies’. It is a statement of extreme meaninglessness. It is used only three times in all of scripture. All three are in the book of Ecclesiastes.

· Under the Sun.

This is also a very unique phrase. It is used 29 times in scripture. Every single one of those references is in the book of Ecclesiastes.

2. Two essential understandings to gain:

The understanding of this book comes when we put those two key phrases together. Apart… nothing. Together… one of the most powerful messages for us today out of the pages of scripture.

· If this life is all there is, then nothing makes sense.

The context of the comments in this book are stated again and again: under the sun. So, all of the observations and statements of wisdom are made with this context in mind, life under the sun.

According to Genesis chapter one, God created the sun and the moon on the fourth day of creation. (There was already light, but not a sun or moon.) According to the book of Revelation, there will come a day when the sun will not be needed anymore, because God will be our light.
What are the ‘days under the sun’? They are everything between Genesis 1:16 and Revelation 22:5. Individually, the ‘days under the sun’ are more specifically from the time someone spanks you on the behind and you start crying and take your first breath until somebody else closes the lid on your coffin. This book says if that is all there is, and nothing more, then everything we do is futile, it is meaningless, it doesn’t make sense.

· If there is an eternity, then everything has great meaning.

The converse of that is also true. If there is an eternity. If life is more than just what we live and experience and know ‘under the sun’, then that changes everything and it changes it dramatically.

Don’t fool yourself. Your life is more than a 70 or 80 year practical joke only if there is more. And there is. And it gives new meaning to every second ‘under the sun.’

3. Two critical errors to avoid:

Very quickly we will make practical application that will apply to every other study in this series. It is avoiding these two critical errors:

· Living as though this life is all that matters.

One phrase that comes from Ecclesiastes and expresses this lifestyle is: “Let us eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die!” If this life is all there is, that is the ultimate in wisdom. If it is not all there is, then it is the ultimate in foolishness.

· Living as though this life doesn’t matter at all.

Some live as though life is just a series of unrelated, chance occurrences.
When teaching a parable from everyday things like children playing (Matt 11:15-19), or seed being planted in different types of soil (Matt 13:3-9, Mark 4:2-9, Luke 8:5-8), or reaping wheat from a field with weeds in it (Matt 13:37-43), or how a lamp is placed in a room (Mark 4:21-23), or washing hands (Mark 7:15-16), or building a house or going to war or the importance of salt (Luke 14:25-35), He would often say, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Your everyday life has eternal meaning. God speaks meaning everyday.

Romans 15:4 (NKJV) For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
Things that happened thousands of years ago have meaning to me today.

Psalm 19:2 (NKJV) Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. Every day and every night things are taking place, not without meaning, but to teach me something that will have meaning on a deeper level – if I have ears to hear.
Let me give you and example from my life.

An impatient father
During the summer, Dalene and I were coast. We can’t go to the coast without going to Mo’s and the outlet stores. Actually, I could go without going to the outlet stores, but Dalene can’t.
I’m a great shopper. While Dalene was going from store to store, I sat on a bench with a book and read. It was a beautiful summer day.
My attention was drawn to a young father with a little girl. The little girl was being a little girl—playful and energetic. She was enjoying the day and being outdoors. What caught my attention was how impatient and harsh he was to her in his tone and in his words. I found myself becoming ‘righteously indignant’ over his attitude and the way he treated this little girl. Admittedly, I didn’t know the full story, but I felt like I knew enough to be angry with this father. In fact, I was surprised at just how angry I felt. Not that he was abusing her, but he was just so impatient. What could be the big hurry? If he would just loosen up, he would enjoy her more and enjoy himself more. That poor little girl deserves to be appreciated, not to be rushed and treated as an imposition.
I thought about why I felt so strongly and so personal about this impatient dad, and then it hit me. I had two little girls. Too often I treated them as an imposition instead of a blessing. Too often I was in a big, fat hurry for no reason. I wasn’t just mad at this guy, I was mad at myself. How could I have been so impatient and unappreciative? More importantly, how can I make sure that I don’t let that happen to me again?
God spoke to me that day through a father and a daughter walking through the outlet malls. He wants to speak to me and to you everyday. It’s called life.

Conclusion
We are going to go through the book of Ecclesiastes together. We are going to look at life and see what it has to say to us.