A Pocketful of Paradoxes

A Pocketful of Paradoxes

Ecclesiastes 7:2-4: It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. Sermon Outline 1. Ecclesiastes = a commentary on Genesis 3 Description of life in broken world Without a right view of God, life is vanity Ecclesiastes = one big paradox Seemingly negative message drives us to Christ Chapter 7 = a pocketful of paradoxes 2. We learn a lot about life by thinking about death “It will do us more good to go to a funeral than a festival.” — Matthew Henry Doesn’t mean parties are bad Banqueting table = picture of divine blessing But having fun doesn’t have profound impact In contrast, funerals force us to examine our lives Our culture reacts to death with fear, resignation, and contempt We avoid talking about it Funerals help us consider Brevity of life (Ps. 90) Final evaluation of our lives (2 Cor. 5:10, Matt. 5:36-37, Ecc. 12:14) Mourners will be comforted (Matt. 4) Suffering purifies us Thus, sorrow is better than laughter (vs. 3) 3. Thinking about death helps us prepare to die Too many people are not prepared to die Thanatophobia (“death anxiety”) Good way to prepare: grieve w/those who are grieving These experiences change us Only Christians can genuinely cry and smile at the same time 4. Ecclesiastes offers divine wisdom Jesus took his own advice Went to house of mourning (Jn. 11) Why did Jesus weep? Because grief paves the way for joy Lazarus’ resurrection = an appetizer Jesus stopped funerals, but not his own Ultimate paradox = paradox of the cross 5. Applications Go to funerals Suffering Christians, stay faithful Those who weep now will laugh (Lk. 6:21)

How to Live in the Fear of God

Ecclesiastes 6:10-7:29: Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he. The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun? A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools. For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fools; this also is vanity. Surely oppression drives the wise into madness, and a bribe corrupts the heart. Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools. Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask this. Wisdom is good with an inheritance, an advantage to those who see the sun. For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it. Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked? In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him. In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing. Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them. Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city. Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others. All this I have tested by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me. That which has been is far off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out? I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness that is madness. And I find something more bitter than death: the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her. Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things — which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found. See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes. Sermon Outline 1. Find a friend in sorrow 2. Be careful with your interpretations 3. Cherish God's providence more than your wisdom 4. Seek out forgiveness for sin

Troubled Waters Under the Sun

Ecclesiastes 6:1-9: There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil. If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life's good things, and he also has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. Moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he. Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy no good — do not all go to the one place? All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied. For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind. Sermon Outline 1. Introduction Thomas Watson on discontentment Main point: Contentment is Christ is safety for our souls 2. The prevalence of discontentment observed Contentment has more to do with God than our possessions 3. The pain of discontentment illustrated The blessing of children The blessing of age The blessing of wisdom 4. The pleasure of being at peace today A contrast A higher joy 5. Application Philippians 4:4-7, 12-13: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. "Satan takes great advantage of discontent; he loves to fish in these troubled waters. Discontent doth both eclipse reason and weaken faith; and it is Satan's policy; he doth usually break over the hedge where it is weakest; discontent makes a breach in the soul, and usually at this breath the devil enters by a temptation, and storms the soul. How easily can the devil by his logic dispute Christian into sin[.]" — Thomas Watson, The Art of Divine Contentment

When Riches Hurt

Ecclesiastes 5:8-20: If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields. He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep. There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind? Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger. Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil — this is the gift of God. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart. Sermon Outline 1. Money is an oppressive god 2. Money cannot truly be gained 3. Money is a gift that points to true joy

The Ruins of Folly

Ecclesiastes 4:13-16: Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice. For he went from prison to the throne, though in his own kingdom he had been born poor. I saw all the living who move about under the sun, along with that youth who was to stand in the king's place. There was no end of all the people, all of whom he led. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind. Sermon Outline 1. Introduction A marvelous mansion in ruins Main point: The ruins of this life are meant to lead us to the riches of God 2. An instructive contrast leads Wisdom does not necessarily come with age Foolishness can be so destructive that poverty is preferable 3. A pointful plot unfolds More years made it harder to listen More money brought relational poverty More fame did not mean remembrance 4. The wisdom of God is magnified The best we can hope for from this fallen world Redemptive historical contrast 5. Applications 1 Corinthians 1:26-27: For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. 2 Corinthians 8:9: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.