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The Conclusion
Ecclesiastes 12:9-14
October 27, 2024 – D-Now

This morning we come to the end of the book of Ecclesiastes.
• The end of D-Now we had to skip to the end.

As we said from the beginning Ecclesiastes has an author.
It is a man who heard the sermon of the preacher
And was so moved by it that he was compelled to publish what he heard.

• THE PREACHER, we said, was an older man who had a message for the young man, all about life and wisdom and what to pursue.
• THE AUTHOR heard that message, published it, and is now giving it to his son.

You see the reference to “my son” in verse 12.

So here’s the best way I could explain to you what we see in this text.

• The author heard this sermon (or sermons) from the Preacher.
• The author was moved by it and wrote this book called “Ecclesiastes”
• It is a book recounting the sermon (or perhaps sermons) of the preacher.

And then, (figuratively) tucked inside the back flap of the book
It’s as though the author LEFT A NOTE to his son.

The note explains why the author wanted his son to read this book.
The note explains what the author hoped his son would learn.

It is a perfect way to bring this wonderful book to a fitting conclusion.

WHAT WE READ HERE IS VERY MOVING.
You sense the heart-felt passion of a father
Who desperately wants his son to hear this powerful message.

It is fatherly, it is sincere, and it is incredibly serious.

IN MY MIND, it would be the kind of note
• A father would write to his son
• As he hands him a Bible
• And sends him off to college.

The message has inspired the father.
The preacher has hit the nail on the head.
And the father now is giving it as the finest of gifts to his son.

There is such a weight of emotion here.

But it could almost move a man to tears
As he seeks to express how huge this advice as been.

As we conclude Disciple Now, I want each of you to know that
THIS IS THE HEART THAT EACH OF THE ADULTS HERE HAS FOR YOU.

This is why we do D-Now.
This is our heartfelt plea to you as well.

Let’s read this “Note” from the father to his son
Regarding this sermon he has heard.

We’ll break this text up into 3 points that this father has for his son.
#1 HIS COMMENDATION
Ecclesiastes 12:9-10

You will immediately notice that “the Preacher”
Is now being referred to in the 3rd person.

This isn’t “the Preacher” talking here, now this is the author.

And the note begins on somewhat of a light-hearted tone
With the author basically commending this Preacher to his son.

It’s as if to say, “Son, you really ought to listen to what this Preacher has to say.”
Or, “This guy knows what he’s talking about.”

He begins to sort of give the credentials of this preacher
That he is recommending to his son.

And the point is simple.
You should listen to this guy because he is telling you the truth.

Now, it is apparently understood that this preacher is “a wise man”

But the author wants his son to know that this guy
IS NOT just some “random philosopher” with a unique spin on life.

This preacher is a devoted, studying, seeking, proclaimer of truth.
He’s more than just “a wise man”

BUT “In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out and arranged many proverbs.”

This guy is no shallow scholar.

Son, listen to this man, he knows what he’s talking about.
• He teaches “knowledge”
• He “pondered”
• He “searched out”
• He “arranged many proverbs”

HE’S NOT the kind of guy
That speaks without knowing what he’s talking about.

• He’s done the work, he’s done the research.
• He’s wrestled in prayer.
• He’s meditated all night.
• He has found the truth.

(10) “The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly.”

As the father gives this recorded sermon to his son,
He opens with a commendation that the son should listen to this sermon
Because this preacher knows what he is talking about.

#2 HIS COUNSEL
Ecclesiastes 12:11-12

THE AUTHOR CONTINUES WITH
Why the son should listen so intently to this Preacher.

The author says:
(11) “The words of a wise man are like goads…”

A “goad” is a stick with a sharp point on it used to drive livestock along the road.

Ever hear the statement,
“They where goading him along” or “Stop goading me”

IT MEANT “Stop poking me with that sharp stick”

Remember before the apostle Paul was saved,
The Lord commented on his stubbornness and said:
Acts 26:14 “And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’”

Why do you fight the prompting of God?

So a goad is that which is meant to stimulate you
To do what you are supposed to do.

And the author says “The words of a wise man are like goads…”

• The words of this Preacher are the types of words that are going to push you to be the man you are supposed to be.

• The words of this Preacher are the words that will push you down the path you are supposed to walk.

ALL FAITHFUL PREACHERS CARRY A GOAD INTO THE PULPIT

WE KNOW THAT we are born in sin.
WE KNOW THAT foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child.
WE KNOW THAT a father’s job is to extract foolishness and to instill.

You can’t leave a child to their own logic or devices.
They’ll wreck their life if you let them choose their own path.

Ephesians 6:4 “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

And the truth is that sometimes that young man or woman
Has to be goaded into the right path.

This father wants his son to recognize the goad of the preacher.

He goes on to say:
“and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails;”

“collections” there is a confusing word translation.

It is a word that can mean “congregations”
It can even be a sort of figurative reference then to like “a heard or a flock”.

And that’s the idea in this verse.

When he says “masters”,
• He’s talking about those who are “masters” at “using the goad.”
• He’s talking about those who are “masters” at “directing the heard.”

When you have a wise man who is really good at using the goad
And pushing the herd down the right path
You’ve got the kind of guy you should listen to.

The Preacher was that kind of a guy.

The author said:
He is like “well-driven nails”

What does that mean?
What he builds lasts.
• His wisdom is tried and true.
• His wisdom is time-tested.

“Listen to this guy, he’ll goad you down the right path.
And the wisdom he gives you will last.”

But that’s not all.
“they are given by one Shepherd.”

• We have a guy here who is really good at using his goad to drive the flock
where they need to go.
• He puts them where they need to be and his direction lasts.

BUT THERE IS A REASON HIS ADVICE IS GOOD.
IT’S NOT because this particular Preacher is so smart or so astute.

Why is this Preacher so good at pushing you down the right path?
Because he got all of his instruction from the true “Shepherd”.

The “Shepherd” referred to here is none other than God.

AND THAT IS THE POINT OF THE AUTHOR TO HIS SON.

Son, listen, you need to pay attention to this Preacher.
• He’s a hard working, hard-studying wise man.
• He has done the work to bring you wisdom.
• He will drive you down the right path.
• And His counsel will last.

Because the wisdom and counsel he is imparting to you has come to him from God.
• His wisdom is NOT a secular wisdom.
• His wisdom is NOT even primarily an experiential wisdom.
• His wisdom IS supernatural wisdom.
• His wisdom IS divine wisdom.

We don’t have time to go read the whole chapter,
But you can write Job 28 in your margin.

It is the chapter where Job talks about mining for gold and other precious treasures.
And Job basically says if you want gold or silver or diamonds then man knows where it is and how to get it; you have to go dig for it.

But then Job asks the question, but where do you get wisdom?
• Can you dig for it?
• Where do you find it?

Job 28:20-28 “Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding? “Thus it is hidden from the eyes of all living And concealed from the birds of the sky. “Abaddon and Death say, ‘With our ears we have heard a report of it.’ “God understands its way, And He knows its place. “For He looks to the ends of the earth And sees everything under the heavens. “When He imparted weight to the wind And meted out the waters by measure, When He set a limit for the rain And a course for the thunderbolt, Then He saw it and declared it; He established it and also searched it out. “And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.’”

Wisdom only comes from God.

And the author here is telling his son,
You need to listen to this Preacher
Because he is imparting to you wisdom from God.

And I love what he says next:
(12) “But beyond this, my son, be warned…”

• There is a wisdom you need to hear and that is God’s wisdom.
• You should devote yourself to knowing that.
• But “beyond this” be careful.

God’s wisdom is necessary, but anything “beyond” God’s wisdom
Should be examined very carefully.

For while God has true wisdom that must be heeded
There is a whole lot of false wisdom that should be avoided.

And that is what he means here:
“But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body.”

NO, this isn’t some lament against reading.

It is a warning that there is NO END to “knowledge”
And “wisdom” that the world will throw at you.

The world will never quit writing books that tell you how to live.

When Paul preached in Athens.
• He went into the Areopagus and started preaching.

But this is how that crowd was described.
Acts 17:21 “(Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)”

Translation?
• There was no truth there.
• They never settled on anything.
• They just kept questioning and kept debating.

Listen there are a lot of highly educated people in this world
And they know a lot about a lot of things.

And NOT ALL of their knowledge is useless.
A man doesn’t have to be a Christian
To know how to build a bridge or remove an appendix.

BUT I WOULD REMIND YOU OF THIS.
If a man or woman does not believe in Jesus
Then regardless of what else they know
They are deceived at the very most important level.

So be very careful reading their books
And taking what they say to be true in every regard.

Some of it may be truth, but I promise you that some of it is not.

Don’t believe everything they tell you.
There is God’s wisdom and then there is everything else.
Saturate yourself with God’s wisdom and be very skeptical of everything else.

Paul summed up the difference:
1 Corinthians 2:7-8 “but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;”

You want the true value of the world’s wisdom?

The world is so smart and so educated and so knowledgeable
That they couldn’t even figure out why Jesus is so important.

THAT IS NOT WISDOM, THAT IS FOOLISHNESS.

1 Corinthians 3:19-20 “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS”; and again, “THE LORD KNOWS THE REASONINGS of the wise, THAT THEY ARE USELESS.”

Can you feel that plea from this father?
Can you hear the desperation he has?
He’s like a dad afraid of what the college will teach his kid.

We haven’t even gotten to the message yet.
I just want you to see how badly this father wants his son to listen.

SO YOUNG MAN LISTEN UP

His Commendation, His Counsel
#3 HIS CONCLUSION
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

In your life you’ll learn a great many things.
In your life you’ll process great amounts of information.

But if you can start to filter through it all
And start to rank it in order of importance,
Here is the truth that you should put at the top of your list.

We’ll call it the “absolute most important thing” you could ever know.

This is “The conclusion, when all has been heard:”

“Fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”

If you learn nothing else, learn that.
GOD (the Creator of the universe, the Sovereign over all)
GOD IS A RIGHTEOUS JUDGE

He will judge every single person.
• “this applies to every person”

He will judge every single deed.
• “everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil”

GOD KNOWS YOU.
• You have not escaped His radar.
• He meticulously and purposely created you.
• And He had kept extensive records on your entire life.

That thing you did that no one knows about.
You thought you were alone and no one was watching
God knows about it.

And in the great courtroom He will bring it light.
There is nothing hidden that God doesn’t know.

You may have your momma fooled (doubtful)
You may have your grandma fooled (probable)
But you don’t have God fooled.
HE KNOWS.

And because He will judge every single thing
The author tells his son the best advice he could possibly give.

“Fear God and keep His commandments”

Son, nothing is more important in this life
Than that you have such a fear of God
That you are motivated to obey Him at all times.

Do you feel the Father’s plea?
• Son, please don’t offend God!
• Son, please honor God!

This is a father who loves his son and does not want to bear the thought of his son bearing the wrath of God’s holy judgment.
• “Just do what He says!”
• “Obey Him!”

That’s the plea of this father.

Now, this plea is absolutely true and is absolutely the most important.

BUT, IT IS INCOMPLETE.
• This father lived on the other side of redemption.
• This father lived before Jesus came to earth and before Jesus died on the cross.

His message is 100% accurate, but it is incomplete.
• Jesus finished this message.
• Jesus completed this father’s point to his son.

We remember:
Matthew 16:27 “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.”

John 5:22-29 “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. “For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.”

We’ve read it many times:
Acts 17:31 “because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

And of course we are all aware:
Revelation 20:11-15 “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Jesus Himself preached that judgment is coming.

But Jesus also offered a way through the judgment
And that was by believing in Him.

John 3:16-18 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

AND THIS IS IT YOUNG MAN.
• I want nothing else for you.
• This father wanted nothing else for his son.
• This congregation wants nothing else for you.

We want you to know that God is not joking around.
JUDGMENT IS REAL.

There is a real lake of fire and people will really go there for all eternity.

The only people who escape it
Are those who turn from their sin and trust in Jesus Christ.
It is only for the people who confess Jesus as Lord.

There is not a more important piece of information
That you will ever hear than that.

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

That is it.
That is “The conclusion, when all has been heard”

When this father heard this sermon by the Preacher
He heard what he wanted his son to hear before he went into the world.

And this afternoon we conclude Disciple Now
By bringing it to you.

AND THIS AFTERNOON I AM ASKING YOU
To turn from your sin and to confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

I am asking you
• To believe that Jesus’ righteousness if enough to satisfy the Father.
• To believe that Jesus’ death is enough to satisfy the Father.
• To give your life to Him.
• Then to publicly confess Him.

Nothing matters to me or this church more than that.

And when you trust in Jesus the Bible says that
• Your sin will be imputed to Christ and He will have paid the penalty for that you have done – FORGIVENESS

• And not only that, but His righteousness will be imputed to you and you will instantly be made acceptable to God – JUSTIFICATION

• He will place His Spirit within you to set you free from the sin that has plagued your life – SANCTIFICATION

• And one day He will take you home to heaven to be with Him – GLORIFICATION

2 Corinthians 5:20-21 “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

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The Futility of Pleasure
Ecclesiastes 2:1-11
October 27, 2024 – D-Now

JUST A QUICK RECAP for all of you who have not been a part of our Disciple Now services this year.

In this year’s Disciple Now our them is “Chasing After Wind”

• The book of Ecclesiastes is written by a man who listened to a preacher and
liked what he said.
• He recorded the message of the preacher and is presenting it to a younger
man in order to instruct him.

The entire point is: DON’T WASTE YOUR LIFE

Think about 100 million years from now, we’ve your eternity is set,
And you are either in heaven or hell and there is no end in sight.
At that point will you regret how you used this life?

So the preacher is preaching to the young man
And he is giving him the cold hard truth about this life.

WE HAVE LIKENED HIM TO A PERSON LEAVING A REVIEW ON AMAZON.
• You have the advertiser who tells you how great the product is
• Then you have the customer who leaves the review.
• The smart shopper will listen to the customer.

THAT IS THE PREACHER.
He is giving you a review on life
And telling you whether or not the things that are offered are worth it.

LAST NIGHT we heard his first review and that was regarding knowledge.
And he informed us that while knowledge has its place in this life,
Worldly knowledge cannot save you.

1 Corinthians 1:20-21a “Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God…”

THIS MORNING WE LOOK AT HIS SECOND REVIEW

And that is PLEASURE

I think it is fairly safe to say that if you could list and rank all of the false promises of fulfillment that are tossed at young people.

• We could say that the most offered promise to young people is the promise
that knowledge brings satisfaction. I think that is probably the most offered.

• But if you wanted to say what is the most tried promise by young people then
we would say it is that pleasure brings satisfaction.

We’ve all seen it in the stereotype of the modern day COLLEGE STUDENT
• Many a student enrolled in college under the guise of getting an education,
• But what they were really after was the wild and raucous pleasure seeking life of the college student.

That is to say, some go to college for an education,
Some go to have a good time.

Well that certainly again makes the warning of the preacher so relevant,
For not only did he at one point give himself to knowledge,
But he also gave himself to pleasure.

This morning we examine his review or critique of that search.

We can break down this text into 4 points this morning.
#1 THE PURSUIT HE MADE
Ecclesiastes 2:1-2

“I said to myself…”

And I want to remind you that what we are talking about here is
A decision in the inner man, a decision of the heart.
• The KJV reads, “I said in mine heart…”
• These quests he’s talking about were not half-hearted searches.
• When he went in, he went all in.

After pursuing knowledge he then shifted to go after pleasure.

“I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself.” And behold, it too was futility. I said of laughter, “It is madness,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”

That the title of this review.
• I sought pleasure.
• I wanted to laugh
• I wanted to feel good
• I did it, I tried it, I experienced it, and there was no value in it.

What he is talking about here is a very common modern day mindset.
Philosophy actually has a name for this mindset.
It is called HEDONISM

Hedonism basically states that: “The meaning of life is found
Through acquiring pleasure and avoiding pain.”

That is the secret to happiness.
Store up as much pleasure as you can and avoid painful things.

The sort of chant or creed of hedonism would be:
“If it feels good, it is good” or “If it feels good, do it”

This is certainly the cry of our culture.
• Advertising actually runs on that premise.
• “Have it your way” or “Just do it”
• Many a young man or young woman have been lured into drinking or drugs or immorality under the promise of how good it will make them feel.

But LISTEN CAREFULLY here so that we don’t get our wires crossed.

Just as we said with knowledge, we say again with pleasure.
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH PLEASURE.
Pleasure is not intrinsically evil.

When the God of the universe created you,
He did so with a nervous system and with emotions and with feelings.

If God had no intention of you ever feeling any kind of euphoria
Then He would not have created you with the capacity to experience it.
Pleasure is not intrinsically evil or wrong.

Psalms 104:14-15 “He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, And vegetation for the labor of man, So that he may bring forth food from the earth, And wine which makes man’s heart glad, So that he may make his face glisten with oil, And food which sustains man’s heart.”

Pleasure is not necessarily wrong or evil.

HOWEVER: THE SOLE PURSUIT OF PLEASURE
AS THE SOURCE OF SATISFACTION WILL GET YOU IN TROUBLE.

And that is what the preacher did here.
• Like he had done earlier with knowledge, now he has done with pleasure.
• He has given himself over to hedonism.

This mentality will fail you every time.

The Pursuit He Made
#2 THE PLEASURES HE TRIED
Ecclesiastes 2:3-8

Here he gives you his list.

He wanted pleasure as the purpose and satisfaction of life;
Well, what pleasures did he pursue?

You can see 4 of them here.
1) WINE (3)

(3) “I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives.”

Again the POINT here is NOT
• That he drank a glass of wine.
• It’s actually not even that perhaps he got drunk a couple of times.

But here the picture is that he gave himself over to alcohol
To find his happiness there.

Again, the KJV says, “I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine.”

We don’t have to have the whole alcohol debate here.
• Jesus turned water into wine.
• Jesus drank wine.
• Paul told Timothy to add a little wine to his water.

And you can dance and spin all you want to call it grape juice or highly diluted or whatever, but if you want to be accurate to the text, it will never fly.
The Bible speaks of people drinking wine.

You also know that the Bible unequivocally condemns drunkenness
And our culture is filled with examples of ruined lives and broken homes
Due to the devastating effects of alcoholism.

Proverbs 23:29-35 “Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long over wine, Those who go to taste mixed wine. Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it goes down smoothly; At the last it bites like a serpent And stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things And your mind will utter perverse things. And you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea, Or like one who lies down on the top of a mast. “They struck me, but I did not become ill; They beat me, but I did not know it. When shall I awake? I will seek another drink.”

The issue isn’t wine, it’s lingering long there.
You know this.

But the even bigger issue here in verse 3 is that
Wine became for this man the means through which
He would find true happiness in life.

He wanted to understand the attraction to “folly”
He wanted to understand the attraction to drunkenness

It’s a peculiar attraction isn’t it?
• We see and hear people boast about the joys of getting drunk.
• We see and hear people boast about the stupid and even painful things other drunks do.
• And often times those stories are told as if they were the greatest and most fun moments of their entire lives.

Well, the preacher heard those stories as a young man
And he decided to jump in with both feet
To find all the happiness he could there.

He wanted to “take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives.”

He decided to drink it up!

But that wasn’t all he tried.
2) WORKS (4-6)

(4-6) “I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself; I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees.”

Here he determined that happiness would be found in building something that lasts.
• He was going to accomplish great projects.
• He was going to build bridges and build parks and build reservoirs, etc.

Now it may seem strange
To link wine and works back to back like this under the same heading,
Because we perceive one of these things to be immoral
And the other we perceive to be noble,
BUT IN MANY WAYS THEY ARE THE SAME.

They both represent a man who is trying
To squeeze fulfillment and happiness out of life.

For a while he tried to find it in the bottle
And then he tried to find it in corporate America

But it’s the same guy.

There was a good feeling from WINE
And there was a good feeling from ACCOMPLISHMENT.

Both made him feel good and so that’s what he pursued.

And that’s not all.
3) WEALTH (7-8a)

(7-8a) “I bought male and female slaves and I had homeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces.”

Then he got rich.
Because money makes you happy right?
• He just bought everything he wanted.
• He just built the life of extravagance.

Like that guy in Jesus’ parable
Who had full barns so he tore them down and built bigger barns
So that he could just enjoy and be at ease the rest of his life.

Surely wealth was going to bring his sole the satisfaction he wanted.

But, like the first 2, it didn’t and so he moved on.
4) WOMEN (8b)

(8b) “I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men – many concubines.”

Next it is simply a search for SENSUAL PLEASURE.
Women to sing and dance and sleep with.

And we could spend a lot of time addressing all the passages in the Bible
About the dangers and consequences of sexual immorality.

Indeed WE COULD talk about the judgment of God on all these things.
• Drunkenness
• Pride
• Greed
• Sexual Immorality

We could talk about God’s judgment on all those things,
And the preacher will a little later.

But his point here is not that God judges those things,
But rather that those things never live up to what they promise.

And this is something that you should know.
Every young person should write this down in all caps.

SIN CAN NEVER BRING HAPPINESS

God won’t allow it.
The God who created you will not allow sin to bring happiness to your soul.

BUT…
Sin CAN bring pleasure…for a season.

Why else do you sin if it isn’t fun?
• That is in fact the lie we deal with when we are tempted.
• We believe that fun is found on the other side of sin, and we believe that if we don’t sin we won’t have fun.
• We actually link fun with sin because in our fallen mindset we think we can’t have fun without it.

And for a season sin does bring pleasure.

Proverbs 9:17-18 “Stolen water is sweet; And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” But he does not know that the dead are there, That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

Proverbs 20:17 “Bread obtained by falsehood is sweet to a man, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.”

How many drunks ever found pleasure in the bottle?
• (All of them, but they never find happiness there)

How many workaholics ever found pleasure in their work?
• (All of them, but they never find happiness there)

How many people ever found pleasure in shopping or money?
• (All of them, but they never find happiness there)

How many men ever found pleasure in sexual immorality or pornography?
• (All of them, but they never find happiness there)

And this is where pleasure leads us astray.
IT CANNOT SATISFY.

And that is what the preacher wants you to understand.
It will leave you just as empty as when you started.

In fact, it MAY LEAVE YOU EMPTIER
Because of the collateral damage you’ll do to those you love.

The Pursuit He Made, The Pleasures He Tried
#3 THE POSITION HE ATTAINED
Ecclesiastes 2:9-10

His point here to the younger man is that
When he pursued this life of pleasure, HE WENT ALL OUT.
He is eliminating the excuse that he just didn’t give it a chance.

HE’S NOT a teenage kid who went out one night, got drunk, woke up the next morning sick and said, “I’m never doing that again.”

Someone might well come up to that kid and say, “You didn’t try it enough, here try this and I’ll show you a good time.”

This guy was no light weight participant.
He went further after pleasure than anyone.

(9-10) “Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me. All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor.”

Did you catch that?
“I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure…”

This is what the preacher pursued.
You can’t talk about any pleasure that he didn’t try and try fully.

• You want to talk about drinking, he drank it all.
• You want to talk about accomplishments, he built it all.
• You want to talk about possessions, he made money and bought it all.
• You want to talk about women, he gave himself to it and experienced it all.

This guy is a QUALIFIED EXPERT to give a review on the life of pleasure.

You see that.

Well, let’s get to his conclusion.

The Pursuit He Made, The Pleasures He Tried, The Position He Attained
#4 THE PROFIT HE GAINED
Ecclesiastes 2:11

There it is. This is his REVIEW
“behold all is vanity and striving after wind and there is no profit under the sun.”

The promise of pleasure as the meaning of life was an empty promise.
• It brought no satisfaction.
• It brought no fulfillment.
• It was like grabbing smoke.
• It was like chasing wind.

There was “no profit” in it.
There was no advantage to it.
He left him just as empty as when he started.

I told you that the philosophical term for seeking a life of pleasure
Is called Hedonism.

Well in philosophy there is also a reality called:
THE HEDONISTIC PARADOX

The Hedonistic Paradox states this:
• If you seek pleasure and it alludes you, you are doomed to a life of frustration.
• If you seek pleasure and you find it, you are doomed to a life of boredom.

So even the philosopher realized that in pursuing pleasure
You are doomed to either a life of frustration or a life of boredom.

Can you not see that in our world?
• We see those who live life frustrated in sort of an unfulfilled covetous state where they are upset because they can’t have the pleasures they seek.
• But we also see those whose lives are filled with pleasure and success who also seem to never get enough.

THERE IS NO SATISFACTION.

And that is what the preacher said.
• Listen young man, you’re going to turn on the television and see a beer
commercial and it’s going to show you physically fit models drinking bear in
bathing suits and it’s going to look like the best life imaginable…

• Listen young man, you’re going to hear your buddies in the break room talk
about how much fun they had at the bar chasing women…

• Listen young man, you’re going to see the advertisements of wealth…

And this world is going to tell you that this is where satisfaction is found.
IT’S A LIE!

Even without discussing the ramifications of eternal judgment,
I’m here to tell you that even in this life it will not satisfy.

And so that’s review #2 from the preacher.
1. Don’t let someone tell you that knowledge and education is the secret to the
fulfilling life.
2. Don’t let someone tell you that pleasure is the secret to the fulfilling life.

Both are false advertising.
Both are fool’s gold.
Both are merely a vapor and a mirage.
That’s the truth young man.

Pleasure will not satisfy, but there is One who does.

TURN TO: JOHN 4:1-10

Now, we don’t have to go into great detail about this story for it is a familiar one, but it is suffice to say that we have here a woman who has chased pleasure and come up empty.
• You know all the stories about here:
• Gathering water in the heat of day…
• Married 5 times and now living with a man…
• The life of pleasure alluded her.

I want you to SEE WHAT JESUS OFFERS THIS WOMAN
She had bought the hedonistic lie that pleasure brings happiness.

(READ JOHN 4:1-10)

Did you hear Him?
“If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

There is a simple analogy there.
Namely that living (flowing) water is better than dead (stagnant) water.

Jeremiah used a similar analogy to describe the difference between seeking God and seeking false gods.
Jeremiah 2:13 “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns That can hold no water.”

• Obviously a fresh flowing spring is preferred over an old cracked cistern.

That’s the same analogy Jesus is making to this woman.

But His analogy isn’t so much to idolatry
(though here worldliness is clearly an idol),
Jesus is talking about the difference between
Seeking happiness through pleasure, or seeking it in Him.

Seeking pleasure is an old stagnant pool.
Seeking Christ is a fountain of living water.
That’s the analogy.

John 7:37-39 “Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'” But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

There it is again.
• Only Jesus satisfies because only Jesus can put inside of you that which brings satisfaction; namely His Holy Spirit.

Jesus is merely confirming the promise of another prophet; Isaiah.
Isaiah 55:1-2 “Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost. “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance.”

You hear that same promise and plea don’t you?
• That’s the plea of the preacher here in Ecclesiastes.
• That is certainly the plea and the offer of Jesus.

Jesus promises satisfaction over this world.
You are familiar with the parable of the treasure in the field or the pearl of great value.

• In both of those parables Jesus reveals a treasure so valuable and so fulfilling
that if you could catch a glimpse of its worth you would part ways with every
earthly treasure to obtain it.

That is the kingdom of heaven.
That is true fulfillment.
Only in Christ, not in pleasure.

In Philippians Paul spoke of finding this same fulfillment.
Philippians 3:7-11 “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

• There is Paul’s testimony (just like the preacher in Ecclesiastes).
• I tried it all, I experienced it all, and when I perceived Christ I gladly let it all go!
• Christ satisfied like this world never could.

Listen to the testimony of Moses.
Hebrews 11:24-26 “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.”

• Moses had it all in Egypt, but it was so empty he chose slavery with Christ as a
greater reward.

Listen to them young man, they are showing you the path to walk.
Fulfillment is not found in seeking a life of pleasure, only in Christ.

One more text I want to show you and we’ll end with it.
(There is not enough time for these messages, my goodness the book of Ecclesiastes hits the nail on the head)

TURN TO: PSALMS 73

Again, many of you are familiar and we don’t have to work all through it.
• Basically you have Asaph who was captivated by the world (1-2)
• He saw their pleasure and their comfort (3-9)
• He saw their abundance and even their godlessness (10-12)
• And he decided that by not seeking that life he made a mistake (13-14)

He was buying the lie.
The salesman nearly had him.

But something pivotal happened in his life.
(READ 17-20)

He saw what the writer of Ecclesiastes wrote about.
HE SAW THE END.

And the end was not only futility, but also judgment.
The promises pleasure made, it could not fulfill.

And it changed Asaph’s perspective.
(READ 21-24)

• Only in Christ is there glory.
• Only in Christ is there fulfillment.
• Only in Christ is there eternal life.

And so listen to Asaph’s Review.
Listen to his answer to the false promises of pleasure.
(READ 25-28)

• Asaph learned what the preacher is talking about.
• Asaph learned what Jesus told the woman at the well.
• Asaph learned what Paul was talking about.
• Asaph learned what Moses had learned.

That the only true satisfaction you will find in this life
Is not through worldly knowledge and it is not through pleasure.
It is only found in Christ.

Young man listen!
Don’t let the flashy advertisements of this world drag you into a world of seeking happiness through pleasure.
• Sin brings momentary pleasure, but it cannot bring happiness.
• Seeking happiness anywhere other than in Christ is like chasing the wind.

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The Futility of Knowledge
Ecclesiastes 1:12-18
October 25, 2024

You know the premise.
The old man is quoting the preacher to the young man
Because the preacher is sounding a warning that needs to be heard.

DON’T WASTE YOUR LIFE
This life is all vanity.

Perhaps my favorite quote that the preacher makes to the young man is this:
Ecclesiastes 11:9 “Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes. Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things.”

• Every year our church gives Bibles to the graduating seniors.
• Many seniors have received a reference to Ecclesiastes 11:9 in their Bible.

But you see the preacher here, presumably now an old man,
Is preaching to the young man,
And he is seeking to cut through all the nonsensical fluff
That is commonly peddled to young people.

Many have referred to the preacher by a different title.
Many have called him “THE CRITIC”

That’s sort of what he feels like.
• He just doesn’t seem to be able to find anything good to say about life at all.
• He comes across as that angry co-worker in the breakroom who you only wish
him a good day as you walk out the door.

BUT THAT IS NOT THE PREACHER AT ALL.

The preacher here is merely an honest man
Who is filled with experience and who wants to save a young man
From the same pitfalls he made when he was younger.

Do you ever read the reviews before you purchase on AMAZON?
Whose advice carries more weight with you;
The advertiser or the reviewer?

This preacher is giving you honest reviews about the world is selling.
• He has seen all the commercials…
• He has heard all the sales pitches…
• He has tried all the gimmicks…
• He bought most of it when he was younger…

Now he’s giving you the review
SO THAT you don’t make the same mistakes that he did.

This world is filled with millions of shiny objects
That seek to attract your attention and devour your resources,
And all of them are FOOL’S GOLD.

THERE IS ONLY 1 TRUE TREASURE.
There is only 1 object that is truly worth your sincerest affection.

Matthew 13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

The Preacher is making sure you search for the right treasure.
And when you find it, it is the goal of the preacher to make sure that
You too will gladly sacrifice every other earthly treasure to obtain it.

SO LET’S READ THIS BOOK LIKE AN AMAZON REVIEW

THIS MORNING we saw the title of his review?

When asked to review life, what was the title of the preachers review?

Ecclesiastes 1:2 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”

Again “Vanity” is the Hebrew word HEBEL (he-vel)
It means “vapor” or “breath”

It’s all a Mirage!
It’s all False Advertising!
It won’t last!
It won’t satisfy!

To which he went on to say:
Ecclesiastes 1:3 “What advantage does man have in all his work Which he does under the sun?”

There is no advantage.
There is no benefit to all the worldly endeavors.

Listen young man!
All the things that the world is offering you as satisfaction are not true! They won’t satisfy.
• It’s like trying to catch smoke!
• It’s like trying to catch the wind!
• You’ll chase it your whole life and never find it.

What a message!

THIS EVENING the preacher starts getting specific in his review,

And first on the list is KNOWLEDGE

THIS IS OFTEN THE FIRST THING THE WORLD OFFERS

I think every young man or women ABOUT TO GRADUATE
Can identify with this one.

How many times do you suppose the question will be asked: “Where are you going to go for college?”

And we understand why people ask that.
• Much of our culture runs on the expectation of higher education.
• Many jobs require college degrees.
• Most see college as a necessary step to obtaining the successful and fulfilling and satisfying life.

And know from the outset here,
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH EDUCATION.

In fact, the Bible speaks highly of the importance of knowledge.

Proverbs 10:14 “Wise men store up knowledge, But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.”

Proverbs 19:2 “Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, And he who hurries his footsteps errs.”

Proverbs 24:5 “A wise man is strong, And a man of knowledge increases power.”

KNOWLEDGE IS A GOOD THING.
If you want to be able to contribute to society you need knowledge.

Knowledge is even required for salvation
• For it was Paul who asked how can a man call on One in whom he has never heard?

The quest and THE GOAL of the preacher here IS NOT
To convince you that knowledge is bad and that it is preferred
That you just go out into life as an uneducated buffoon.

CERTAINLY NOT.

However, if you think knowledge is going to somehow
Be what brings you a fulfilling and satisfying life,
I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news for you.

Listen to the preacher.

Let’s break our text down into 3 points this morning.
#1 THE QUEST
Ecclesiastes 1:12-13

“I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.”

As we said, most think this to be Solomon.
• And we certainly remember Solomon as the man who prayed for wisdom.
• We certainly remember Solomon who was called the wisest man to ever live.
• And we also remember how Solomon fell prey to the temptations of life and didn’t finish as well as he started.
• We know about Solomon.

Well here he is passing on the lessons of his life to the next generation.

And he begins with the first item on his list
That HE THOUGHT would bring him satisfaction.

(13) “And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.”

Very simply put,
Solomon set out to be the man who was finally able to make sense of life.
(Many a philosopher after him has attempted the same thing)

Solomon could see, as could so many others, that this life “is a grievous task which God has given the sons of men to be afflicted with.”

Would we agree with that?
Life is hard

Sure you would, because life is hard.

There are all sorts of struggles and tragedies and hardships and frustrations that we face every day.
• Suffering is real
• Injustice is real
• Tragedy is real
• Disaster is real

Now, we are not confused as to why life is hard.
The gospel has given us this answer.
It’s called sin, and it’s called the curse.

This world wasn’t created bad, it was created good,
But when sin entered the world, God cursed this world.

• By the sweat of your brow you bring forth food – God said.
• And by the pain of your body you bear children – God said.

LIFE IS HARD.
SOLOMON KNEW THAT.

His ambition was to make sense of it all.
“I set my mind to seek and explores by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven.”

Now there’s a few things that need to be understood here.

1) You see the phrase “under heaven”

This is an IMPORTANT PERSPECTIVE that Solomon likes to reference.
Typically you read it as “under the sun”

• You already heard him use it last week twice (vs. 1:3 and 1:9)
• He uses it in our text this morning in verse 14.
• And he uses it a total of 29 times throughout the book.

The reason he speaks of “under the sun” or “under heaven”
Is because he is reminding you of your vantage point.

God is above the sun.
• God is in heaven.
• He sees and knows things that we do not see or know.

We are “under the sun” or “under heaven”
And we simply are not privy to the information that God has.

So very simply you have Solomon saying here
That his objective was to observe what happens under heaven
And see if he could make sense of it all
As though he were in heaven with God.

He’s seeking to gain that eternal divine perspective and understanding.

2) We also see the phrase “I set my mind to…”

He uses such language often.
• (16) “I said to myself…”
• (17) “I set my mind to know wisdom…”
• (2:1) “I said to myself…”
• (2:3) “I explored with my mind…”

What we are talking about here
Is a man who literally gives himself to these things.

When he says “I set my mind to seek and explore”
He is saying “I gave my heart and soul to this endeavor.”

My point is, he’s not a halfway kind of guy.

3) The other thing we need to clarify before we move on here is what he means by “I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom”

We need to clarify what is this “wisdom” he speaks of.

Now first, there is a difference between knowledge and wisdom.
• Knowledge = what you know.
• Wisdom = what you do with what you know.

But the greater distinction we need to make is the SOURCE of wisdom.

There is in Scripture true wisdom from above
And there is natural wisdom from below.

Wisdom from God begins where?
“the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom”

But earthly wisdom comes not from a fear of God but from ambition and desire.

James 3:13-17 “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.”

We might better make a distinction by altering the terms.
• We might refer to wisdom as that which is from God.
• We might refer to philosophy as that which is from man.

When you read verse 13 and he says, “I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom”
• He’s NOT talking about the fear of the LORD kind.
• You’d be more accurate to understand him speaking about philosophy or
worldly wisdom.

He went searching through all of academia
To try and find the meaning of life and to gain an understanding
For why life is so hard, and how to fix it.

THAT IS HIS QUEST.

“And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.”

So just to make sure you see what is happening here.
• He recognizes the perplexity and hardship of life.
• He thinks the answer to life’s hardship is through knowledge and education.
• So he devotes his heart and soul to searching out that answer.

That is philosophy.
That is his first ambition in life.

He’s going to seek knowledge and education and reason
Until he understands life and how to fix it.

The Quest
#2 THE CONCLUSION
Ecclesiastes 1:14-15

And there it is.
“I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.”

He gave his heart and soul to understanding the human condition through education and philosophy and WHAT WAS HIS CONCLUSION?

It’s “vanity and striving after wind.”
It’s his honest review.
It’s his critique.

AT THE END OF HIS QUEST HE FOUND NO FULFILLMENT.
WHY?

(15) “What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted.”

• There’s his problem.
• Actually it is two problems.

1) DEPRAVITY
“what is crooked cannot be straightened”

It is a moral depravity.
• The word for crooked there actually means “perverted”

That is a good way to describe our world.
It is morally deprave and perverse.

Solomon realized all the knowledge in the world couldn’t straighten it out.

The other problem was:
2) DEFICIENCY
“what is lacking cannot be counted”

It is not enough, it can’t satisfy.
(This world is a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle with only 999 pieces)

• He took this life which was full of grief and pain
• And sought to bring correction and meaning to this life
• Through human knowledge and education and philosophy
• But it brought him no comfort.

All the knowledge in the world couldn’t fix his depravity.
All the knowledge in the world couldn’t fix his deficiency.

AND THAT IS SO TRUE.
Consider the even the Law of God.

The Law is full of knowledge and instruction and clarification
About the holiness of God and the mandate for human living.

But the Law never fixed anyone.
TURN TO: Romans 7:9-11 “I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.”

• Knowledge didn’t make Paul more upright, it only revealed how wicked he was.
• Knowledge didn’t give his life fullness, it only revealed his deficiency.

Knowledge won’t make you righteous.
Knowledge won’t make you complete.
All it will do is reveal that you aren’t.

And that is exactly what Solomon learned.
• Despite all that he knew.
• Despite all that he had learned.
• Knowledge provided no answers for how to actually turn depravity into
righteousness or deficiency into something satisfying.

Continue on with Paul in Romans 7.
Listen to him lament his powerlessness to turn his knowledge into actual righteousness.

Romans 7:14-20 “For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.”

• Paul knew the Law.
• Paul agreed with the Law.
• Paul desired to obey the Law.

What was the problem?
Sin wouldn’t let him!

“What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted.”

And the point?
While knowledge has great value in this life,
Knowledge alone will not bring you satisfaction and fulfillment.
And it certainly will not bring salvation.

It has been the misunderstanding of our culture.
Our culture thinks you can fix moral problems with education.

• I’ve seen the “shattered dreams” presentations where you instruct kids on
the facts about drunk driving.
• My kids just told me about a school program to give the facts about the
dangers of vaping.
• Countless sex education courses have sought to educate people to the
dangers of sexual immorality.

And yet, drinking, vaping, and sex are still going on!
If you want to overcome sin
You’re going to need more than knowledge!

Education and knowledge and philosophy
Cannot straighten what is crooked and cannot complete what is lacking.

That was Solomon’s Conclusion.

His Quest, His Conclusion
#3 HIS LAMENT
Ecclesiastes 1:16-18

Do you hear his despair?
“I said to myself, “Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.” And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this is striving after wind.”

• What good did it do?
• What benefit did I receive from all my study?
• What advantage did I gain from my knowledge?

NONE!
It couldn’t make me righteous and it couldn’t bring me fulfillment.

WHY?
(18) “Because in much wisdom there is much grief and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.”

It is exactly what Paul spoke about.
• The more I knew the worse it hurt.

There is a sense in which the axiom “Ignorance is bliss”
Is a true statement.

There is a sense in which immoral sinners are actually happier
Without the truth of the knowledge of God.

Solomon sought to fix his problems through knowledge.
It didn’t fix anything.
It only brought more grief and more pain.

NOW LISTEN TO HIM YOUNG MAN.

As I said, knowledge and education are NOT BAD THINGS.
Scripture unequivocally says they are good things.

HOWEVER – If You Think that an education or knowledge or philosophy is going to provide you with the answers for life you are gravely mistaken.

• Your education may teach you how to coach a sport or work with children…
• Your education may teach you how to perform physical therapy…
• Your education may teach you how to install an air conditioning unit…

All those are fine things to know.

But your education will NEVER make you righteous
And will NEVER bring you fulfillment in life.

It is an empty hope to assume that it will.
1 Corinthians 1:20-21a “Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God…”

It is “striving after wind”
It is trying to catch what cannot be caught.

1 Corinthians 3:18-20 “Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS”; and again, “THE LORD KNOWS THE REASONINGS of the wise, THAT THEY ARE USELESS.”

All the promises of our culture that fulfillment is found
In education and degrees are a lie.

I have no problem with you pursuing them,
But if you give your heart and soul to them
With the hope that it will give you fulfillment it will not.

Solomon learned it the hard way.
Learn from him.

And let Solomon drive you to the gospel.

Paul said:
1 Corinthians 1:30 “Christ Jesus…became to us wisdom from God”

1 Corinthians 2:6-10 “Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; but just as it is written, “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.” For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.”

There is a wisdom available in Christ that the world does not have.
• It is wisdom that can straighten what is crooked.
• It is wisdom that can complete what is lacking.

Because Christ CAN do those things.

PAUL LAMENTED in Romans 7 that all his knowledge in the Law couldn’t not help him.
Romans 7:24 “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?”

But Paul also found satisfaction in Christ.
Romans 7:25-8:4 “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

• Knowledge couldn’t make Paul righteous, but Jesus could.
• Knowledge couldn’t bring Paul fulfillment, but Jesus did.

Jesus straightened what was crooked and completed what was lacking.

Listen to Paul speak to the Colossians.
TURN TO: COLOSSIANS 2:8-15

Do you hear Paul warn of the “empty deception” of philosophy and worldly wisdom?

Listen, human philosophy is totally unnecessary.
• When human philosophy is accurate it will agree with Scripture and therefore unneeded.
• When human philosophy is wrong it will disagree with Scripture and therefore dangerous.

It is not needed.
It only promises what it cannot offer.

And so Paul tells the Colossians not to be sucked into it.
Literally not to be “carried away” by it.

“takes you captive” is actually a Greek word which means “to carry off the booty” (as in a Pirate)

Where is fulfillment?
• If you have a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle and you’re missing a piece, there’s ONLY ONE who can count what is lacking…the manufacturer of the puzzle.
• Where is true righteousness? Only the creator can fix what is crooked.

True fulfillment and true righteousness are only found in Christ.

(Read 9-15)

Do you see that?
• Only Christ is complete and only Christ makes you complete.
• Only Christ can clean up your flesh (spiritual circumcision).
• Only Christ can forgive you of sin
• Only Christ can cancel out your debt
• Only Christ has authority over the enemy

Education and knowledge and philosophy certainly can’t do that.

And that is the message of Solomon this evening to the young man.

There’s nothing wrong with education
But if your whole life is spent in search of human wisdom
You will only find yourself still in your sin and still unfulfilled.

It is commonly said that “Knowledge is Power”
To an extent that is true.

But it’s not power to fulfill
• It’s not power to sanctify
• It’s not power to forgive
• It’s not power to redeem
• It’s not power to deliver

Only Christ is that.

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The Circle of Life
Ecclesiastes 1:1-11
October 25, 2024 (D-Now)

You’ve probably noticed by now that we’re basing our Disciple Now weekend this year around the book of Ecclesiastes.

Ecclesiastes is not a book you hear quoted from very often
So it’s possible that you’ve never heard of it or read it.

But I want you to know that the message of the book
Is one of the most important messages you’ll ever hear in your life.

“Ecclesiastes” is a Latin word that means “Preacher”

Now the preacher referred to here did not write the book of Ecclesiastes.
• Someone else listened to countless sermons from the preacher
• And wrote this book which sort of summarized the message of the preacher.
• We’ll talk about that more tomorrow afternoon.

But if you’ve ever heard a sermon or maybe a podcast
Or some other informational message
And you were so moved by it or maybe entertained by it
That you couldn’t wait to pass it on to someone else
Then you understand what’s going on here.

The book of Ecclesiastes is a book that was written by an old man to a young man to get him to listen to this profound message by the preacher.

AND WE MIGHT WONDER:
What did the preacher say that was so amazing that the old man wanted to make sure the young man heard it?

All you have to do is look at the first two verses of the book.
“The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”

That is the message.
EVERYTHING IS VANITY!
EVERYTHING IS FUTILE!
EVERYTHING IS POINTLESS!

That is what the old man wants the young man to know.
• Everything that this world says is so important…
• Everything that this world tells you to pursue…
• Everything that social media tells you to obtain to be important…
• Everything that advertising says will make you happy…

IS VANITY OF VANITIES
He says it’s like “Chasing After The Wind”

Why would the old man pass that message along to the young man?
Why would he give him such a pessimistic message?

TO KEEP HIM FROM WASTING HIS LIFE
CHASING WHAT WILL NOT SATISFY
AND WHAT WILL ONLY BRING HIM JUDGMENT.

AND I CAN’T STRESS ENOUGH
How relevant such a message is for our culture today.

We live in a nation that wastes everything.
• We waste food…
• We waste time…
• We waste money…
• We often waste relationships…

Sometimes this is done out of laziness or apathy,
But most of the time it is done out of misdirection.
We run after and pursue the wrong things.

• Kids waste their supper because they want the treat…
• We waste time when we engage in non-profitable engagements…
• We waste money buying what we don’t need…
• We waste relationships when we throw away one because another looks
better…

But our world is filled with people
Who don’t just waste and afternoon, or a paycheck,
But who literally waste their entire lives.

The Bible says that after this life every human
Will spend eternity either in heaven enjoying fellowship with God
Or in hell suffering the wrath of God.

And what we do with this life determines where we spend our eternity.

And what could be worse than to totally waste our opportunity?
In 100 million years to look back at the 70 or 80 years we had here
And wish we had not wasted our life.

THAT IS THE CONCERN OF THE OLD MAN
WHO WROTE DOWN THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER.

I can’t think of a more important message for a teenager to hear.

So this weekend, listen to an old man, tell you about a preacher
Who gave some of the best wisdom I have ever heard.

If you will, not only will it change the direction of your life,
But it will also change the destination of your eternity.

(2) “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”

It is no doubt the redundant cry of the book.
• Over 20 times the book contains the word “vanity” or “vanities”
• 11 times we read the word “futility”
• 9 times we read the phrase “striving after wind”

The Hebrew word translated “vanity” here is HEBEL (hev-el)
It means “vapor” or “breath”

And the preacher uses it 30 times in the book
As his best descriptive word about life on this planet.

The preacher says that “All is vanity.”
• Everything here is a vapor.
• Everything here is a mirage, an illusion.

If you spend your life
Chasing the things this world says are important
Then at the end you will be left with a handful of smoke.

It’s like spending your life “chasing after wind”.

DON’T WASTE YOUR LIFE.

In 1965 that great theologian Mick Jagger wrote his masterpiece to sum up this life; and he sang, “I just can’t get no satisfaction.”

And that is the message of the preacher too.
This life does not offer what truly satisfies.

• How much money will finally satisfy?
• How many cars will finally make you happy?
• How many super bowls do you need to win?
• How much land do you need to own?

• What is that one purchase that will finally satisfy the craving of you heart?
• What earthly relationship has finally given you everlasting contentment?
• What award finally left you feeling like all the work was worth it?

You know the answer: NOTHING

Do you know why?

BECAUSE GOD HAS FIXED IT TO MAKE SURE
THAT YOU NEVER FIND SATISFACTION WITH THIS LIFE.

To best understand the book of Ecclesiastes
ONE MUST FIRST TURN TO THE BEGINNING OF THE BIBLE.

TURN TO: GENESIS 3:17-19
• If you’ll remember, God created man in a paradise of a garden.
• He gave man everything he could ever ask for or desire.
• But when that man sinned against God we found that God, from that day forward, would refuse to allow this world to ever satisfy man again.

WE CALL IT THE CURSE
If man was going to get any benefit from this earth,
It would be only by sheer force, labor, and determination.
• This world would not easily yield up satisfaction and fulfillment.
• This world would fight him.

AND THAT HAS BEEN SO TRUE.

But not only did God curse this world, He also CONDEMNED it.
• In Genesis 6 God flooded it.
• Next time God will burn it.

2 Peter 3:7 “But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.”

That is the Bible also says:
TURN TO: 1 John 2:15-17

How foolish would it be to waste your life
Obtaining that which cannot satisfy and that will not last?

WE’LL LET THE PREACHER ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

These first 11 verses which we look at this morning
We have basically THE SUMMARY of the author.

If he were to summarize for you the message of the Preacher,
It would be found in these first 11 verses.

And it all centers around this question:
(3) “What advantage does man have in all his work which he does under the sun?”

The word “advantage” there is YITH-RONE in the Hebrew.
It is a word only used in the book of Ecclesiastes
And it is used in this book 10 times.

Sometimes translated “advantage”
Sometimes translated “profit”
Sometimes translated “excel”

It is the foundational question of life.
• What are you really gaining for all your labor?
• What are you really gaining from all your effort?

• You get up in the morning…
• You go to school and someday work…
• You come home from work, you clean the house…
• You cook a meal…
• You mow the grass…

What are you gaining in all of that?
WHAT ADVANTAGE is there to all the work you do in this life?

Well the eye-opening answer to the question is actually stated in verse 2.
“Vanity of vanities,” Says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”
• It’s breath!
• It’s vapor!
• It’s smoke!

The Preacher says there is NO ADVANTAGE; there is NO PROFIT.

WHY DOES HE SAY THAT?
Because he sees that we are all stuck in this giant hamster wheel that no one really ever gets out of. (The Circle of Life)

Look at verses 4-11.
(4) “A generation goes and a generation comes, But the earth remains forever.”

I’ve been reading a book called “The Empire Of The Summer Moon”
• It’s all about the Comanche Nation.
• It’s really interesting because their battles happened all over right here where
we live.

Do you understand that?
• There was a time when the Comanche was virtually unchallenged.
• This was his land and he did whatever he wanted here.

If you go to the theme park in Arlington
• You’ll see the “Six Flags over Texas”
• And remember that there was a time when the land where you sit today
• Was Spain, or France, or Mexico, or just Texas, or the Confederacy, or the
United States.

There was a person who lived on your land before you lived there.
There will be a person who lives on your land after you are gone.
All that work you put into it, someday it will be for someone else.

Psalms 49:10-12 “For he sees that even wise men die; The stupid and the senseless alike perish And leave their wealth to others. Their inner thought is that their houses are forever And their dwelling places to all generations; They have called their lands after their own names. But man in his pomp will not endure; He is like the beasts that perish.”

Do you see the foolishness in making that the purpose of your life?

(5-7) “Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; And hastening to its place it rises there again. Blowing toward the south, Then turning toward the north, The wind continues swirling along; And on its circular courses the wind returns. All the rivers flow into the sea, Yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, There they flow again.”

Do you see the futile circle of creation?
It just keeps going on and nothing ever changes.
• The sun never gets to quit rising…
• The rivers never get to quit flowing…
• The wind never gets to quit blowing…
• Their job is never finished.

They are the old “Dunkin Donuts” guy
Saying, “Time to make the donuts”

IT NEVER ENDS AND NEVER RESTS.

(8a) “All things are wearisome; Man is not able to tell it.”

That is to say that LIFE IS EXHAUSTING.
Man can’t even express how exhausting.

There is a CERTAIN DISCONTENTMENT that goes along with it.
(8b)“The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor is the ear filled with hearing.”

• You may reach a time where circumstances force you to be content without
seeing or hearing,
• But no one ever reaches a point where they just say, “Well, I am satisfied. I
don’t need to see anything else.”

The simple point is that there is a “Never Enough” mentality
That permeates our thinking and our world.

Humanity is always searching for more.

And the problem is that in their search,
They never find what they are looking for.

THEY JUST CAN’T GET NO SATISFACTION.

(9-11) “That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one might say, “See this, it is new”? Already it has existed for ages Which were before us. There is no remembrance of earlier things; And also of the later things which will occur, There will be for them no remembrance Among those who will come later still.”

What a passage!
It pictures a man who is ON A QUEST
To find that new thing that will finally satisfy his life.

And we think about the industrial revolution that occurred here,
And all the inventions that were supposed to make life so much better.

And the question is, “Did they?”

Think about all the innovation and technology and advances…

Now I know, there have been some good inventions.
• I like indoor plumbing…
• I like air conditioning…
• Automatic windshield wipers are great…

But think about it, has any of it brought fulfillment to life?
Has any of those things caused you to say,
“Well now I don’t need or want anything else.”

NO, NOT AT ALL.

And many of the advancements one could argue have only made things worse.
Many of these new technologies are only destroying society, not satisfying it.

AND THAT IS THE PREACHER’S POINT.

You have man on this massive quest to find satisfaction in this life, BUT HE CAN’T. There is no satisfaction.

It’s all just one big circle.

You are on a hamster wheel.
• And there are people who are just running and running and running;
• Turning that wheel nonstop, until one day they die,
• They fall out of the wheel,
• And without missing a beat another hamster jumps right in and takes over.

And someone might approach that hamster and say,
“Hey, come over here to the edge of the cage for a second.”

But that hamster yells, “Can’t, gotta keep this wheel moving!”

Can you see, that is life?

• What is your hamster wheel?
• What is it that you are seeking and pursuing?
• What is it that will finally bring you satisfaction?

YOU’LL NEVER FIND IT IN THIS WORLD.
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”

You were not created to find satisfaction here.
• This world is cursed.
• This world is fallen.
• This world is passing away.

And what a tragedy to spend this whole life
Seeking what you will never find.

So that at the end you can show God your shell collection…
Do you see it?
Do you understand?

How FRUSTRATED and ANGRY people become
Because they work their whole lives for that which doesn’t satisfy.

I’ve seen it and you’ve seen it.
• That retirement party for the man or woman who gave 50 years to the
company. (a store bought cake and a cheap watch)
• That graduated senior who wants to come back to the glory.

If your life is wrapped up in that,
What a lonely and frustrating thing you have to look forward to.

And that goes for everything.
What award is ever enough?
What recognition will ever make all the hours truly worth it?

One of the saddest things I’ve seen recently is:
Tom Brady in the broadcasting booth
(He’s terrible, but he’s a forgotten has been without it)

THIS WORLD IS NEVER SATISFIED
• Cook the meal, they’ll be hungry in a few hours.
• Clean the floor, they’ll mess it right up again.
• Wash the clothes, the hamper will be full in 2 days.
• Mow the grass, it will be uneven in the morning.
• Prepare the baseball field and the t-ballers will absolutely tear it to pieces!

I’m not saying you shouldn’t serve or work or volunteer.

But the point is that in all your labor this life
Will never produce for you the satisfaction you long for.

AND if you are bent on running this race for some piece of earthly satisfaction then you are going to end up gravely disappointed.

And that is the message of the preacher.
That is the message this old man wants you young men to know.

• It’s all futile! It’s all vanity! It doesn’t last!
• This world will forget you and move on without you.
• Don’t waste your life seeking that which cannot satisfy and doesn’t last.
WELL WHAT SHOULD I PURSUE?

THERE IS ONE who called you to forsake this life.
• One who told fishermen to start fishing for men.
• One who told an adulteress to be a true worshiper.
• One who told a tax collector to leave his wealth and find true life.
• One who tells you to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him.

There is life available.
True, fulfilling, satisfying, abundant, eternal life…

John 1:1-4 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.”

When Jesus stepped into this world “life” came with Him.

And the promises of Jesus are extremely clear.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

John 4:13-14 “Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

John 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”

John 6:35 “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”

John 7:37-38 “Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'”

John 8:12 “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

John 11:25-26 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

It was the continual cry.
Life; true life; fulfilling life; satisfying life; eternal life;
Is NOT found in this world,
IT IS ONLY FOUND IN CHRIST.

That is what I want to show you this weekend.

This world is lying to you!
It is offering up all kinds of shiny prizes that promise to satisfy.
But it won’t.
• It’s all a mirage.
• It’s all a vapor.
• It won’t last.

BUT JESUS WILL
He will satisfy and He will save.

Chase Him, don’t chase the wind.

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Isaiah’s Passion – part 1
Isaiah 61:1-62:12 (61:1)
October 20, 2024

Tonight we come to a wonderful section of Scripture
In this wonderful book of Isaiah.

We get a couple of chapters where we move inward
To the heart of the prophet who is preaching it.

Chapters 61 and 62 give us a look at the heart and passion of Isaiah.

This is the man who has seen all that God has revealed.
• He has seen God’s salvation.
• He has received God’s salvation.
• He has been commissioned to preach God’s salvation.

And here we get a look at his heart in all of this.

And one of the things that makes this extremely interesting to us,
Is because not only do we see here the heart of Isaiah,
BUT WE ACTUALLY SEE HERE THE HEART OF CHRIST.

Jesus quoted the beginning of this passage
When He went to His hometown of Nazareth.

Luke 4:16-21 “And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.” And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

What we are looking at in Isaiah is not just the passion of Isaiah,
It is the passion of Christ.

And why wouldn’t it be,
For they were both anointed with THE SAME SPIRIT who is from God.

This is why we have also repeatedly said
That in this final segment of Isaiah; Chapters 50-66,
It is not just Isaiah preaching to Israel, it is Christ preaching to Israel.

So we get a wonderful look and a wonderful reminder
Of the missionary heart of God.

And we get a reminder of the effect of God’s Spirit upon His people
And what sort of passions He produces in their lives.

I suppose the best way to get started would be to say it like this.

Christ will save His people Israel.
• The means through which He will save them is His own sacrifice.
• The method through which He will save them is the preaching of the gospel.
• The motivation for preaching the gospel comes from His Spirit.

With that, let’s begin looking at this wonderful section of Scripture
Which quite frankly should make missionaries out of us all.

We cover two chapters here.
Chapter 61 shows us: THE PROPHET’S COMMISSION
Chapter 62 shows us: THE PROPHET’S COMMITMENT

Both are important.

#1 THE PROPHET’S COMMISSION
Isaiah 61:1-11

There are a couple of general observations that must be noticed
Before we get into the specifics of the message here.

ONE is that clearly the commission of the prophet is A PREACHING COMMISSION.

• We see in verse 1 he is commissioned “To bring good news to the afflicted”
• We also see in verse 1 that he is commissioned “To proclaim liberty to captives”
• We see in verse 2 he is commissioned “To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD”

The commissioning here is a preaching commission.
And hopefully everyone understands that aspect
Of the calling of Christ upon our lives.

Romans 10:13-15 “for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.” How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!”

Paul himself was gripped by that understanding.

Romans 1:13-15 “I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.”

And again:
Romans 15:20-21 “And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation; but as it is written, “THEY WHO HAD NO NEWS OF HIM SHALL SEE, AND THEY WHO HAVE NOT HEARD SHALL UNDERSTAND.”

We could really spend a great deal of time here
Just reading and commenting on all the verses in the New Testament
Where Paul either spoke of his own preaching
Or where he encouraged someone else to do it too.

We just make sure we all understand that
The universal expectation for all believers
Is that we proclaim the gospel to the world.

We are NOT here talking about the specific role of pastor or even the set-apart role of missionary as those who are vocational ministry.

What we are talking about here is the expectation that
ALL BELIEVERS ARE TO BE PROCLAIMERS OF THE GOSPEL.

THIS IS THE METHOD that God has ordained as that which will bring salvation to the lost.

God is sovereign.
• We certainly believe in His sovereign election.
• We see that even with Israel; He has chosen them and He will one day save them.

BUT THE METHOD God will use to draw His elect to Himself
Is the preaching of the gospel.

God’s election is NOT A LOOPHOLE.

FOR EXAMPLE:
God has chosen to save Israel,
• But He will not save them apart from their faith in Christ.

Being elect does not mean that you don’t have to believe in Christ,
It simply means that God will one day bring that person to faith in Christ
Because He has chosen them.

God has chosen to save Israel,
• But He will not save them apart from them hearing the gospel proclaimed to
them.

Being elect does not mean that you don’t need to hear the gospel,
It simply means that God will make sure that they one day hear the gospel
And believe it so that they may be saved.

And this is the role of believers in the mighty plan of God’s salvation.

We aren’t sovereign – we don’t do the electing.
We aren’t sufficient – we don’t do the saving.
But we are sent – we do the proclaiming.

You see that clearly here
In Isaiah’s understanding of his commission from the LORD.

And certainly that makes sense, for we have all read Isaiah 6.

Isaiah 6:8-10 “Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!” He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.’ “Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed.”

So hopefully that part is clear to you.
• We are not just commissioned to be nice people; though kindness is important.
• We are not just commissioned for good works; though good works adorn our
gospel.
• We are not just commissioned to smile and be happy; though certainly
believers ought to be.

We are commissioned to take the good news of the gospel
And proclaim it to a lost and dying world,
For it is through the gospel that God will draw out His elect to Himself.

ISAIAH KNEW THAT.
• He knew that Israel was lost.
• He knew they were deaf, dumb, and blind.
• He knew they had rebelled against God.
• He knew that only a remnant was going to be saved.

But he also knew that the only way that was going to happen
Was if he went and proclaimed the gospel to them.

That is clear here in our understanding.

The SECOND thing that is clear here is that the catalyst that caused Isaiah to be a preacher of the gospel was God’s Spirit.

He said in verse 2, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me…”

And what an important understanding we get from this as well.

IF I WERE TO PUT IT BLUNTLY
We would just say that what makes someone a proclaimer of the gospel
Is very simply that they are filled with God’s Spirit.

When the Spirit of God moves in, the gospel starts being proclaimed.

And again we could spend a long time here.
Think about the apostles:
Luke 24:44-49 “Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. “You are witnesses of these things. “And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Up until this point
• We know them only as cowardly men who fled during times of difficulty.
• Even at the giving of this command they are hiding in the upper room out of fear of the Jews.
• Jesus knew that they had no power in and of themselves to take the message of the gospel to the Jews.

They needed the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:8 “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

• It is the Holy Spirit who provides the power to proclaim the gospel.
• It is the Holy Spirit who provides even the desire to proclaim the gospel.

For one, this is who He is.
John 15:26 “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me,”

Make no mistake, the Holy Spirit is a missionary.

Or we could read in John 16
Of what we have commonly called “The Fingerprints of the Holy Spirit”
• And we find that His main role and purpose it to convict of sin, to guide into
the truth, and to glorify Christ.

He is the catalyst who gives us the desire to proclaim the gospel
And He is the source of the power for us to do it.

Consider Paul here again.
Remember when Jesus blinded him on the Damascus road?

God then sent Ananias to him:
Acts 9:17-22 “So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; and he took food and was strengthened. Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ.”

Where did Paul all of a sudden get this zeal to proclaim the gospel to everyone?
• He was “filled with the Holy Spirit”.

And though Paul doesn’t always mention it that way,
You see the effect of the Holy Spirit all throughout His ministry.

Romans 1:11-13 “For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine. I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.”

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Where did that passion come from?
It was the effect of the Holy Spirit in his life.

I’m just telling you that when the Holy Spirit moves into your life
The first thing He will do is make you a missionary.

You see that throughout the Scriptures.
• He gives the desire.
• He gives the boldness.

That is why Spurgeon said:
“Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter.”

Now, I would NOT be so brass so as to say
That if you are not currently preaching the gospel
Then that means you do not have the Holy Spirit.

But I will say this.
If you are saved and you are not preaching the gospel
It is because you have fallen into a state of carnality and fleshliness
And you need to repent and ask God to use you once again.

We can look to Timothy as an example here.
Life was hard, Timothy was afraid, and he wanted to quit.

Paul wrote to him:
2 Timothy 1:6-11 “For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher.”

Timothy had backslidden.
And let’s be honest, that happens to us sometimes.
Paul told him he needed “to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you”.

For it is the Spirit who would give Timothy
The boldness and eagerness to preach the gospel once more.

So it is possible for a true believer, who is indwelt by the Holy Spirit,
• To backslide and become fleshly
• And sort of start to put their light under a bucket,
• But that would be in opposition to the work of the Spirit in their lives.

The Holy Spirit is a missionary.

So those are just two observations we make pretty quickly
Here in Isaiah 61 that I think are important.

When the Spirit of God indwells a person
He makes them a proclaimer of the gospel.

Certainly that is what happened with Isaiah.

But with that being said, let’s take a little closer look
At this commissioning of Isaiah.

We understand that it was a commission to proclaim truth.

We’ll ask:
What was it that he was commissioned to proclaim?

Well there were two things:
1) THE GOSPEL OF SALVATION (1)

(1) “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners;”

Here Isaiah reveals WHAT He was called to preach.

We remember in His commissioning in chapter 6
He was commissioned to, “Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim”

That is to say that, he was told at the outset that his ministry would not be successful in the way we like to measure success.

• When he went out to preach he was not going to see the masses flock to him in salvation.
• He was not going to see scales fall off of eyes and people repenting of sin.

Isaiah’s ministry would be an exposing ministry.
He was going to preach and prove the hardness of their hearts,
The blindness of their eyes, and the deafness of their ears.

I don’t know a single preacher or witness today who does not experience that same ministry on some level today.

Everyone who proclaims the gospel in our culture knows what it is to explain the gospel and get no response from those you preach it to.

That was primarily Isaiah’s ministry.
That would be the effect of his ministry.

But it doesn’t tell us specifically what he would preach.

“So what did Isaiah preach?”
• Did he just go out and talk about people’s blindness?
• Did he just go out and talk about people’s deafness?

NO.

What did he do?
He preached the gospel.

LOOK AT IT HERE.

He said that God’s Spirit had “anointed” him.

“To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners;”

That is to say, God sent him to the blind and deaf and stubborn
And told him to go and tell them how to be free.

Certainly when we approach those in sin
Part of preaching the gospel is showing them their sin.
• That is what the Law is for.
• If you don’t show them their sin they are never going to be prone to repent of it.

But calling out sin is not the end game of our preaching.
We call out sin because we have the answer for it.

We expose iniquity because we know how it is forgiven.
We expose sinfulness because we know where freedom is found.

Isaiah didn’t relish that these people were blind.
He went to blind men and offered them sight.

It was in their refusal to listen to his offer
That they revealed how debilitating their blindness had become.

But Isaiah didn’t enjoy them staying there.
• He was an optometrist for the spiritually blind.
• He was an ear doctor for the spiritually deaf.
• He was a cardiologist for the spiritually hard-hearted.

The grief he faced was that so few patients would listen to him.

When he went into his vile world he went “To bring good news to the afflicted;”

“afflicted” is AW-NAWV
It means “poor, humble, needy”
It is people who have been run over by the truck of life.

Certainly they were in that condition as a consequence of their sin,
But Isaiah had “good news” for them.

That good news was that there is mercy and forgiveness in the Lord.

Do you remember Isaiah’s first sermon?

He spoke to afflicted people.
Isaiah 1:5-9 “Where will you be stricken again, As you continue in your rebellion? The whole head is sick And the whole heart is faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head There is nothing sound in it, Only bruises, welts and raw wounds, Not pressed out or bandaged, Nor softened with oil. Your land is desolate, Your cities are burned with fire, Your fields—strangers are devouring them in your presence; It is desolation, as overthrown by strangers. The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, Like a watchman’s hut in a cucumber field, like a besieged city. Unless the LORD of hosts Had left us a few survivors, We would be like Sodom, We would be like Gomorrah.”

That is what you call afflicted people.
• They had been beaten from the top of their head to the sole of their feet.
• They had been run over by their enemies.

In that same sermon Isaiah told them why they were in that condition.
Isaiah 1:4 “Alas, sinful nation, People weighed down with iniquity, Offspring of evildoers, Sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned the LORD, They have despised the Holy One of Israel, They have turned away from Him.”

• You are run over and afflicted
• The reason is that you have sinned against God and abandoned Him.
• Your iniquity has put you under a place of discipline.

He even revealed that their religion had done nothing to fix the problem.
Isaiah 1:11 “What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?” Says the LORD. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats.”

And:
Isaiah 1:14 “I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them.”

But is that how Isaiah ended the sermon?

He just showed up and said, “Boy you sure have angered God and now God is thumping you. Good luck!”

NO.

He offered “good news to the afflicted”

What was the “good news”?

Isaiah 1:18-20 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. “If you consent and obey, You will eat the best of the land; “But if you refuse and rebel, You will be devoured by the sword.” Truly, the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

That is what he preached.
• There is forgiveness.
• There is restoration.
• There is cleansing.

I have good news for sinners!
God is merciful and He will save.

That is what Isaiah preached.

We read that:
(1) “He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted”

Isaiah spoke here of a “broken” or “crippled” or “wrecked” person.
The word speaks literally of broken bones.

That is what he said in chapter 1.
Isaiah 1:6 “From the sole of the foot even to the head There is nothing sound in it, Only bruises, welts and raw wounds, Not pressed out or bandaged, Nor softened with oil.”

That word “bandaged” there is the same word
Translated “bind up” here in chapter 61.

Isaiah looked at a people who had been beaten and broken and no one was caring for them.
• Sure it was their own fault.
• Sure it was God who had beaten them.

But it was also God who commissioned Isaiah
To go and offer them a sling.

And that was his message.
• I have come to offer you healing in your affliction.
• I have come to offer you peace in your suffering.

The God whom you have offended, who has afflicted you
Is offering you mercy and restoration.

He came “To proclaim liberty captives And freedom to prisoners;”

What kind of “liberty”?
What kind of “freedom”?

Something kind of interesting here.

We know that Jesus quoted this verse as He was the fulfillment of it.

Luke 4:18 “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED,”

So when Jesus quoted it, He said:
“to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed”

Well I see two of those here in Isaiah’s statement,
But I don’t see Isaiah mentioning about “recovery of sight to the blind”.

Did Jesus just add that?

No, He gave the amplified version.

The phrase “freedom to prisoners” is one word in the Hebrew.
It is PI-KAKH-KO-AKH.
It is also translated as “opening eyes wide”

What Jesus did when He quoted Isaiah
Was give both understandings of the passage.

On one hand it meant to “set free those who are oppressed”
And it also meant “to proclaim…recovery of sight to the blind.”

The reference is to a person blinded in their sin.
• Their prison is not a literal one with iron bars.
• Their prison is sin; it is their blindness to the truth.

Isaiah was commissioned to a blind people
His calling was to go and proclaim to them the truth to open their eyes.

Isaiah went like an eye-doctor to the blind.
He went trying to cure blindness.

The unfortunate result was that these people were so stubborn
That they would not see even though Isaiah sought to help them.

But his ministry was one of light in darkness.

Listen to him preach:
Isaiah 2:5-11 “Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the LORD. For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with influences from the east, And they are soothsayers like the Philistines, And they strike bargains with the children of foreigners. Their land has also been filled with silver and gold And there is no end to their treasures; Their land has also been filled with horses And there is no end to their chariots. Their land has also been filled with idols; They worship the work of their hands, That which their fingers have made. So the common man has been humbled And the man of importance has been abased, But do not forgive them. Enter the rock and hide in the dust From the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty. The proud look of man will be abased And the loftiness of man will be humbled, And the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.”

• Do you see him recounting all the trouble that their blindness has caused?
• Do you see him grieving over their rejection of the Lord and the affliction that came with it?

They are in prison!

And what is his message?
“Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.”

He is not rejoicing in their blindness, he is calling them to sight.

We heard him preach:
Isaiah 50:10 “Who is among you that fears the LORD, That obeys the voice of His servant, That walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.”

This is the call!
This is the gospel message!

Isaiah was filled with God’s Spirit
And it prompted him to go and take the gospel to his people.

He was commissioned to proclaim the gospel of salvation.

But there is more to grasp here.

TURN TO: LUKE 4:16-21

Obviously Jesus made the remarkable claim in verse 21,
“Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

What did that mean?
It means, He is the salvation Isaiah was talking about.

• Isaiah could see God’s offer of forgiveness.
• Isaiah could see God’s offer of healing.
• Isaiah could see God’s offer of freedom.
• Isaiah could see God’s offer of restoration.

Jesus showed up and said – IT’S ME HE WAS TALKING ABOUT!

Jesus came to offer grace to the poor.
(18) “He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.”

• He is talking about people who have been run over by life and their sin.
• He is talking about the afflicted who should now be poor in spirit.

Jesus even uses the word PTOCHOS for “the poor”,
It is the most extreme kind of poor.

The Greek word literally means “to cringe”
It speaks of a beggar so hideous
He was forced to hide in the shadows out of fear.

It is the word used for the poor beggar Lazarus in Luke 16.

And Jesus came offering salvation to them.

Jesus came to offer forgiveness to captives.
“He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives”

• He was talking about people who had become slaves to sin.
• He was talking about people who had been held captive by the enemy to do his will.

Jesus came to offer them forgiveness.

The word “release” there is (OFFEE-CEASE)
It is usually translated “forgiveness”

These are people who are in prison because they sinned.
Jesus came to offer forgiveness and parole.

Jesus came to offer sight to the blind.
“and recovery of sight to the blind.”

This is to those who suffered the blindness Isaiah confronted.
• It was a spiritual blindness.
• They couldn’t see the truth.

Jesus came to open those eyes and proclaim His truth.

Jesus came to offer rest.
“to set free those who are oppressed.”

“oppressed” is a word that means
“to crush or to bruise or even to run through”

Matthew 9:36 “Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.”

These were people who had been chewed up by the world
And even by their empty religion and Jesus came to offer them rest.

He came to offer salvation.

He came with the same Spirit Isaiah had
He came preaching the same message Isaiah preached.

The difference was that
Jesus was more than just a proclaimer of the gospel,
He was the reason for it; He is the fulfillment of it.

But it makes things certainly clearer for us now.

We understand where Isaiah is coming from.
We understand why he preached.
• He had the Holy Spirit upon him.
• He had the Spirit of Christ within him.
• He couldn’t help but proclaim the gospel of Christ because that is what the
Spirit does.

And while there is a lot more to talk about in these next two chapters…

Perhaps a good place to start tonight
Is to ask if you are allowing the Holy Spirit to do His work in you?

If you have been saved and the Holy Spirit has moved into your heart,
I can assure you His passion is to proclaim the gospel, that is who He is.
Is He doing that through you?

IF NOT,
• It is either because He does not actually dwell in you,
• Or it is because you have backslidden and sought to quench Him.

In which case you need to
kindle afresh the gift that was given you at salvation.

Allow Him to use you.
Allow Him to speak through you.

Go out into this world and offer the good news of the gospel
To those who need to hear it.

Some may listen, some may not, but that is not the point.
The point is that no one is going to be saved if they don’t hear it.

The gospel is the method through which God calls sinners to salvation.
And you see why Isaiah preached it.