WEBVTT 00:01.516 --> 00:04.176 Welcome to the Valley Baptist Church sermon podcast. 00:04.896 --> 00:08.256 We're so glad you're here, and we hope this message inspires you, 00:08.476 --> 00:12.036 builds your faith, and moves you toward a deep relationship with God. 00:12.576 --> 00:15.156 Today, you'll find great insight into the Bible 00:15.156 --> 00:17.856 and learn how you can apply it straight to your life. 00:18.236 --> 00:20.396 So welcome and enjoy the message. 00:20.936 --> 00:25.976 If you have your Bible, please open it with me to Ecclesiastes chapter 7, 00:26.736 --> 00:30.676 and we're going to learn about why we need a Savior. 00:30.676 --> 00:32.278 Okay. 00:32.279 --> 00:40.899 King Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes, and he really had experienced the best that this world has to offer. 00:41.059 --> 00:47.419 He had untold riches, he had a thousand wives and concubines, and he was unbelievably accomplished. 00:48.479 --> 00:54.279 And yet, throughout the book, he keeps saying, vanity of vanities, all is vanity. 00:54.279 --> 00:57.959 And what he means is, life without God is empty. 00:58.519 --> 01:00.156 And he's right. 01:00.157 --> 01:06.537 We're all going to die someday, and if there is no God, that means that nothing in your life actually mattered. 01:07.437 --> 01:13.797 Jesus said, what good is it if a man gains the entire world, and yet he loses his own soul? 01:14.417 --> 01:19.197 We're all going to die, and if there is no God, then life has simply been a cruel joke. 01:20.238 --> 01:26.458 Now, there's a reason that Ecclesiastes is right in the middle of the wisdom section of your Bible. 01:26.938 --> 01:31.438 It's chocked full of practical wisdom about how to enjoy life. 01:31.558 --> 01:35.958 Now, much of it is a depressing read about how not to enjoy life. 01:36.598 --> 01:41.638 But here and there, Solomon sprinkles a few verses in about how to enjoy life. 01:41.638 --> 01:48.118 And he says the key is to fear God and to enjoy the life he's given you. 01:48.740 --> 01:55.400 Now, the immediate context is Solomon has just told us that bad times aren't always bad 01:55.400 --> 02:03.660 because God takes those bad times and he uses them to build within us the character of Jesus. 02:05.092 --> 02:13.992 And one of the things that's so refreshing to me to the book of Ecclesiastes is that Solomon, he doesn't ignore the hardest questions of life. 02:13.992 --> 02:19.992 He addresses head-on issues such as oppression and evil and suffering. 02:20.667 --> 02:25.367 How can a good God allow evil and suffering into the world? 02:25.447 --> 02:28.227 How could things be so unfair? 02:29.227 --> 02:31.207 Solomon continues in verse 15. 02:31.407 --> 02:34.387 He says, I've seen everything in my days of vanity. 02:35.047 --> 02:38.207 There's a just man who perishes in his righteousness, 02:38.207 --> 02:42.747 and there's a wicked man who prolongs life in his wickedness. 02:43.087 --> 02:47.727 Here we see that life often seems unfair, doesn't it? 02:48.427 --> 02:52.447 There's an old saying in our culture, only the good die young. 02:52.587 --> 02:54.407 Well, Solomon's struggling with that. 02:54.407 --> 03:01.607 Why do righteous people often suffer and sometimes wicked people, they end up prospering? 03:02.011 --> 03:04.131 The prophet Habakkuk in the Old Testament 03:04.131 --> 03:07.971 asked God that very question and God responded to him, 03:07.971 --> 03:11.131 "'The just shall live by his faith.'" 03:11.131 --> 03:14.631 In other words, Habakkuk, trust me. 03:14.631 --> 03:16.551 Nearly every week I run into people who say, 03:16.551 --> 03:19.851 "'Pastor, I still can't believe what happened to your dad. 03:19.851 --> 03:23.271 "'Why would God take someone like him 03:24.016 --> 03:26.896 And we've all struggled with that, right? 03:26.976 --> 03:30.236 Why do bad things happen to good people? 03:30.336 --> 03:31.876 It seems so unfair. 03:32.016 --> 03:34.036 And yet I understand the question, 03:34.216 --> 03:38.076 but I think we're going to see from this chapter that the question's flawed. 03:38.896 --> 03:41.196 Why do bad things happen to good people? 03:41.276 --> 03:43.489 Well, they don't. 03:43.490 --> 03:47.690 Not when the goodness, the standard of goodness is Jesus Christ. 03:47.950 --> 03:49.890 None of us are good when he's the standard. 03:50.590 --> 03:58.250 I think our problem is that we start thinking that God in his judgment, you know, sort of grades on a curve, right? 03:58.710 --> 04:06.430 We've all failed the test, we know, but you say, hey, I got a 16% on the test, but that guy over there got a 3%. 04:06.423 --> 04:07.883 I think I'm good. 04:07.883 --> 04:09.683 No, you still fail. 04:09.683 --> 04:12.263 The standard isn't that guy's 3%. 04:12.263 --> 04:14.223 The standard is Jesus Christ. 04:14.223 --> 04:17.223 100% goodness. 04:17.223 --> 04:19.063 Solomon says in verse 20, he says, 04:19.063 --> 04:21.483 for there's not a just man on the earth 04:21.483 --> 04:24.603 who does good and does not sin. 04:24.603 --> 04:26.943 Solomon's reminding us that, you know, 04:26.943 --> 04:30.203 that just guy who perishes in his righteousness 04:30.203 --> 04:32.583 isn't actually just. 04:32.583 --> 04:34.163 Romans 3 23. 04:34.537 --> 04:39.397 It says, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. 04:39.737 --> 04:44.277 Now, the word sin in the scriptures is an archery term. 04:44.677 --> 04:48.177 It's the picture of a guy shooting at a target. 04:48.177 --> 04:53.497 And the bullseye that we're aiming at is the moral perfection of God. 04:54.449 --> 04:58.369 And we've all missed, not only the bullseye, we've missed the entire target. 04:58.729 --> 05:02.129 We're not even close to the moral perfection of God. 05:02.749 --> 05:06.709 When my dad was dying of cancer, he appealed to James chapter 5 05:06.709 --> 05:11.069 for the elders of the church to come and lay hands on him, anoint him with oil, 05:11.229 --> 05:14.169 and pray for him that God might heal him. 05:14.689 --> 05:17.889 Well, he had some words for us before we prayed. 05:18.109 --> 05:22.009 He said, I want you guys to know that God doesn't owe me anything. 05:23.069 --> 05:25.389 He said, God's treated me so much better 05:25.389 --> 05:26.569 than what I deserve. 05:26.569 --> 05:28.869 You can ask God to heal me, 05:28.869 --> 05:33.289 but just know God doesn't owe me healing. 05:33.289 --> 05:36.149 See, my dad understood that while it may seem 05:36.149 --> 05:37.949 like his cancer was unfair, 05:37.949 --> 05:40.929 that it might seem like his impending death was unfair, 05:40.929 --> 05:42.409 it only seems that way. 05:42.409 --> 05:45.389 God had actually treated my dad a whole lot better 05:45.389 --> 05:47.549 than what dad deserved. 05:47.549 --> 05:48.909 Verse number 16. 05:49.698 --> 05:54.338 He says, do not be overly righteous, nor be overly wise. 05:54.578 --> 05:56.558 Why should you destroy yourself? 05:57.478 --> 05:59.198 That's kind of a strange verse. 05:59.318 --> 06:03.338 In fact, I think it's one of the most misunderstood verses in all of the Bible. 06:03.338 --> 06:07.298 Some quote it to justify having a lukewarm faith. 06:07.438 --> 06:13.938 They say, well, you know, I must not, you know, God must not want me to be too godly because of this verse. 06:14.453 --> 06:23.193 One of the rules of interpreting the Bible is that we should always interpret Scripture in light of other Scripture. 06:23.853 --> 06:28.353 So with that in mind, obviously, this verse does not mean we shouldn't be too godly, 06:28.393 --> 06:31.233 because the whole rest of the Bible says the opposite of that. 06:31.853 --> 06:33.173 Instead, here's what it's saying. 06:34.028 --> 06:37.828 It's a warning against self-righteousness. 06:38.008 --> 06:41.108 It's a warning against the person who flaunts their righteousness. 06:41.448 --> 06:44.708 They flaunt their goodness and their piety for everyone else to see. 06:44.788 --> 06:48.088 They flaunt their Bible knowledge and all of their wisdom. 06:48.088 --> 06:53.688 This verse is addressing the Pharisee type person who Jesus said. 06:54.413 --> 06:56.213 He said, you're like whitewashed tombs. 06:56.313 --> 06:59.953 You're all pretty on the outside, but inside are dead men's bones. 07:00.773 --> 07:04.193 That's the person who is all about the externals of religion, 07:04.313 --> 07:08.373 all about keeping rules and rituals, and inside they're spiritually dead. 07:09.133 --> 07:13.033 Solomon says, if you live life like that, you're going to destroy yourself. 07:13.033 --> 07:18.613 You see, self-righteousness will always destroy your life. 07:19.726 --> 07:22.766 Now, the Pharisee types, they love attending church. 07:22.906 --> 07:24.405 Did you know that? 07:24.406 --> 07:30.966 Sometimes they're hard to spot at first, but most of the time, eventually they service. 07:31.166 --> 07:33.506 Most of the time, you can smell them before you can see them. 07:33.566 --> 07:34.825 And here's what I mean. 07:34.826 --> 07:40.206 You'll smell the stench of their arrogance before you're able to see the nastiness of their heart. 07:41.377 --> 07:43.677 I was writing this message. 07:43.857 --> 07:49.977 I started down this long path of warning against the Pharisees within the church. 07:49.977 --> 07:55.097 But then I got to thinking, well, I've got more to say in the message. 07:55.637 --> 07:57.877 Can't just tee off on the Pharisees. 07:57.977 --> 08:03.317 And the other thing is, I really think we need to come to grips with what this means for us. 08:04.158 --> 08:07.998 Because the truth is, all of us are capable of being self-righteous. 08:08.658 --> 08:10.698 And so I think we need to honestly deal with this passage. 08:11.178 --> 08:18.678 Self-righteousness, at its core, is a focus on doing rather than being. 08:19.598 --> 08:23.778 Really, that's the motto of every world religion outside of Christianity, 08:23.918 --> 08:27.918 that in order to be saved, in order to be right with God, I must do something. 08:28.038 --> 08:31.238 I must keep this ritual. I must do something good. 08:31.378 --> 08:31.984 Right? 08:31.985 --> 08:34.645 Proverbs 3, verse 7 says, 08:34.645 --> 08:37.545 "'Do not be wise in your own eyes. 08:37.965 --> 08:39.805 "'Fear the Lord and depart from evil.'" 08:39.805 --> 08:42.825 That's basically what Solomon's saying in our passage today. 08:43.705 --> 08:47.345 Now, if you ask the average person on the street, 08:47.445 --> 08:49.245 do you think you're gonna go to heaven when you die? 08:49.925 --> 08:52.145 Most of them will say yes. 08:52.745 --> 08:56.185 And they'll say yes because I'm a pretty good person. 08:56.645 --> 08:58.105 I've never killed anyone. 08:58.245 --> 09:00.725 I do the best that I can. 09:01.313 --> 09:06.133 That person is wise in their own eyes. 09:06.673 --> 09:14.193 They are self-righteous, relying on the righteousness, the goodness of their self to earn favor with God. 09:14.193 --> 09:21.633 That mentality will not only not earn you favor with God, it will be destructive within your life. 09:21.833 --> 09:25.813 Because no matter how much good you do, you'll always wonder, is it enough? 09:26.288 --> 09:28.888 Have I done enough to earn favor with God? 09:29.028 --> 09:36.188 You see, that person will never live with the peace and the joy of having an intimate relationship with God who saved them. 09:37.148 --> 09:38.268 Now, verse number 17. 09:39.168 --> 09:40.688 He says, do not be why. 09:42.008 --> 09:43.028 Verse 17. 09:43.188 --> 09:46.128 Do not be overly wicked, nor be foolish. 09:46.128 --> 09:49.408 Why should you die before your time? 09:49.888 --> 09:54.848 We see here that self-indulgence also will destroy your life. 09:55.600 --> 10:03.100 How many young, promising people have died before their time because of some stupid act of wickedness? 10:03.180 --> 10:04.980 They were drunk and they got in an accident. 10:05.120 --> 10:05.899 They were angry. 10:05.900 --> 10:06.879 They got in a fight. 10:06.880 --> 10:09.100 Someone pulled out a knife and stabbed them. 10:09.160 --> 10:10.099 They were on drugs. 10:10.100 --> 10:12.120 They accidentally overdosed. 10:12.644 --> 10:17.904 Sin's going to destroy your life, and sometimes it'll even cause you to die before your time. 10:18.664 --> 10:24.224 So Solomon here gives two extremes, and he says both are going to destroy you, 10:24.324 --> 10:27.744 self-righteousness and self-indulgence. 10:28.744 --> 10:33.604 In Luke chapter 15, Jesus told us a story about a father who had two sons, 10:33.664 --> 10:35.484 and the younger son came to his dad and said, 10:35.564 --> 10:37.784 Dad, I'd like my inheritance early. 10:38.648 --> 10:45.028 And he gets this inheritance, all that money, and he goes and he just blows it on this wild party lifestyle. 10:45.228 --> 10:50.448 And he blows through all the money, and eventually he's found and he's in a pig pen. 10:50.868 --> 10:55.228 He's desiring what those pigs eat, and finally it says that he came to his senses. 10:55.625 --> 11:01.445 And he thought, man, maybe if I go back home to my father, he'll treat me like a servant. 11:01.625 --> 11:03.485 I'll have it better off than I currently do. 11:03.585 --> 11:05.405 And so he goes to his father. 11:05.405 --> 11:11.185 And Jesus said the father saw him from a long ways off, a distance off on the horizon. 11:11.485 --> 11:15.765 And the father goes running to his son and he embraces him. 11:15.825 --> 11:16.804 He picks him up. 11:16.805 --> 11:20.425 He kisses him on the neck and he forgives him. 11:20.768 --> 11:22.568 He throws this big old party. 11:23.088 --> 11:31.388 It's a wonderful story illustrating God, our Father's love for us and how he accepts us as sinners. 11:32.699 --> 11:36.199 We often forget that there's two sons in the story. 11:36.199 --> 11:39.939 There's the younger son who lived in self-indulgence, 11:39.939 --> 11:42.299 but there also was the older son 11:42.299 --> 11:44.779 who lived in self-righteousness. 11:44.779 --> 11:46.739 And when his younger brother came home 11:46.739 --> 11:51.259 and dad threw a party for him, it made him really mad. 11:51.259 --> 11:52.419 Why? 11:52.426 --> 11:57.606 because he in life was focused on rules instead of relationships. 11:57.606 --> 12:00.066 He was self-righteous. 12:00.386 --> 12:05.806 Both of those brothers illustrate, I think, what Solomon is warning against. 12:06.306 --> 12:10.906 Solomon is saying, do not live a self-centered life, 12:11.186 --> 12:14.986 whether you're self-righteous or whether you're self-indulgent. 12:14.986 --> 12:17.206 Both are terrible ways to live. 12:17.198 --> 12:21.038 Verse number 18, he says, it's good that you grasp this. 12:21.118 --> 12:24.118 I think that's verse 16 about self-righteousness. 12:24.418 --> 12:26.918 And it's also not remove your hand from the other. 12:27.018 --> 12:28.958 That's verse 17 about self-indulgence. 12:29.818 --> 12:32.358 For he who fears God will escape them all. 12:33.098 --> 12:38.038 Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten rulers of the city. 12:38.118 --> 12:39.217 Here's what we learn. 12:39.218 --> 12:42.718 Trusting God will save your life. 12:43.793 --> 12:49.693 It's good to come to grips with the fact that self-righteousness is a miserable way to live 12:49.693 --> 12:52.833 and self-indulgence is a dangerous way to live. 12:52.913 --> 12:54.233 Here's what you do instead. 12:55.133 --> 12:57.292 You fear God. 12:57.293 --> 13:00.713 Don't trust yourself whether you're good or whether you're bad. 13:00.813 --> 13:01.933 Don't trust yourself. 13:02.213 --> 13:03.633 Trust God. 13:04.330 --> 13:09.370 Then he says, wisdom strengthens the wise, more than ten rulers of the city. 13:09.770 --> 13:17.450 In the book of Proverbs, when Solomon was a younger man, he said, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. 13:17.890 --> 13:23.570 You see, whenever you fear God, whenever you trust in the Lord, you're going to be given wisdom from above. 13:23.570 --> 13:28.170 And you're going to be a whole lot better off than the most powerful rulers of a city. 13:28.900 --> 13:32.960 Why? Because those rulers might be rich and yet they're still miserable. 13:33.300 --> 13:36.180 They might be self-righteous and yet they're spiritually dead. 13:36.180 --> 13:41.680 They might be self-indulgent and yet spiritually or physically compromised. 13:42.420 --> 13:45.680 But the person who fears the Lord, he shall be praised. 13:46.860 --> 13:50.660 Jesus said in Luke chapter 9, verse number 24, he said, 13:50.840 --> 13:54.280 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it. 13:54.938 --> 13:58.898 Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 13:59.598 --> 14:00.918 That's a strange verse. 14:01.138 --> 14:02.858 It's what's called a paradox. 14:03.338 --> 14:06.938 It seems like it couldn't possibly be true, but it is. 14:06.938 --> 14:14.078 If you hold on to your life and self-righteousness or you hold on to your life and self-indulgence, you're going to lose your life. 14:14.678 --> 14:20.218 But if you choose to lose your life to Jesus, then you'll save it. 14:20.656 --> 14:26.496 And what Jesus means is if you surrender control that you have of yourself, which always is going to lead to destruction, 14:26.836 --> 14:34.156 if you surrender that control and you give that control, you hand it over to Jesus, he'll rescue your life. 14:34.156 --> 14:35.376 Verse 20. 14:43.420 --> 14:48.180 Also, do not take to heart everything people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. 14:48.540 --> 14:54.120 For many times also your own heart has known that even you have cursed others. 14:54.180 --> 14:55.399 Here's what we see. 14:55.400 --> 14:58.020 None of us are as good as we think we are. 14:59.620 --> 15:03.320 Solomon says, don't take it to heart when people say all these bad things about you. 15:03.380 --> 15:06.020 Now, that's easier said than done, isn't it? 15:06.020 --> 15:10.880 I struggle with this because I like when people like me. 15:11.399 --> 15:13.779 I like when people say good things about me. 15:15.019 --> 15:17.279 It's really hard when people criticize, right? 15:17.279 --> 15:23.279 It's hard for me not to take it to heart, for it not to affect me more deeply than it should. 15:24.039 --> 15:29.219 Now, whenever we're criticized in life, we should always consider the source. 15:29.219 --> 15:30.279 It's wise to do so. 15:30.939 --> 15:34.779 Whenever I receive a critical note from anonymous person, 15:37.488 --> 15:41.908 I take that very differently than if someone signs their name to it, right? 15:43.028 --> 15:44.828 Yogi Berra says, I just make it a practice. 15:44.988 --> 15:47.168 I never respond to anonymous notes. 15:48.328 --> 15:50.167 You know, me neither. 15:50.168 --> 15:54.428 I wish I could sometimes, but I don't have that opportunity. 15:55.348 --> 15:59.588 When someone says something bad about us, we should consider the source. 15:59.588 --> 16:01.588 But Solomon also says, ha ha. 16:02.378 --> 16:07.338 Be sure you recognize that you also have said some bad things about other people. 16:07.398 --> 16:10.638 In other words, remember, you're no saint. 16:11.878 --> 16:13.298 Solomon's reminding us of that. 16:13.298 --> 16:18.538 We tend to hold other people to higher expectations than we hold ourselves. 16:18.918 --> 16:20.198 And Solomon's pointing that out. 16:21.160 --> 16:28.240 George Whitefield, who was an 18th century preacher in the first great awakening, he was often criticized. 16:28.640 --> 16:32.960 And in one of his responses to a critic, he wrote this. 16:33.020 --> 16:34.140 He said, thank you for your letter. 16:34.800 --> 16:41.100 As for what you and my other enemies are saying against me, I know worse things about myself than you're saying. 16:41.380 --> 16:44.346 Right? 16:44.347 --> 16:46.387 Isn't that the truth? 16:46.387 --> 16:48.687 I'm sure glad that none of you, 16:48.687 --> 16:50.967 only the Lord Jesus knows some awful things 16:50.967 --> 16:52.607 I've ever thought or done, right? 16:52.607 --> 16:56.807 None of us are as good as we think we are. 16:56.807 --> 17:00.208 Verse 23. 17:00.209 --> 17:14.689 Here we learn that none of us are as wise as we think we are. 17:14.992 --> 17:17.752 Now Solomon, he's the wisest man in all the world. 17:17.892 --> 17:19.352 God had granted him one request. 17:19.692 --> 17:22.512 He said, anything you ask, I'll give it to you. 17:23.052 --> 17:26.912 And Solomon asked God for wisdom and God gave it to him. 17:26.912 --> 17:35.052 And yet here we see that the wisest man in all the world realized there were significant limitations to his wisdom. 17:35.815 --> 17:38.255 There were some issues that were so deep. 17:38.255 --> 17:40.275 There were questions that were so big 17:40.275 --> 17:42.935 that he could not fully explore them. 17:43.875 --> 17:45.655 You know, one aspect of wisdom 17:45.655 --> 17:49.195 is that you recognize the limitations of your own wisdom. 17:50.055 --> 17:52.395 Because for every answer that wisdom provides, 17:52.395 --> 17:54.435 there are new questions it raises. 17:54.435 --> 17:56.215 The more that we know about God, 17:56.215 --> 18:00.035 the more we realize there is to learn, right? 18:00.035 --> 18:00.874 My dad used to say, 18:00.875 --> 18:04.995 it's what you learn when you know it all that really counts. 18:04.995 --> 18:07.084 And that's true. 18:07.085 --> 18:11.165 Really wise people are people who are always learners. 18:11.325 --> 18:12.825 They never arrive in life. 18:13.285 --> 18:13.684 Why? 18:13.685 --> 18:18.765 Because the more that they learn, the more they realize how much they don't know. 18:19.345 --> 18:22.204 Verse 25. 18:22.205 --> 18:27.225 He said, I applied my heart to know, to search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things, 18:27.325 --> 18:31.365 to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness. 18:31.905 --> 18:38.965 Now remember, throughout the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon has been taking us on a journey for his pursuit of purpose. 18:38.965 --> 18:42.785 He's telling us about his quest for meaning and significance in life. 18:42.845 --> 18:51.105 And he experienced and tested everything under the sun, everything that life has to offer, luxury and riches. 18:51.972 --> 18:59.272 Parties, entertainment, women, accomplishment, knowledge, even wickedness and foolishness. 18:59.292 --> 19:02.752 He tried it all, trying to find out what is the purpose of life. 19:03.072 --> 19:07.152 And so he's reminding us here in verse 25 of that. 19:07.565 --> 19:12.505 And now in verse 26, he tells us the most miserable experience of all. 19:12.505 --> 19:13.764 He said, 19:13.765 --> 19:32.805 I think it's safe to say that Solomon had a women problem in more ways than one. 19:34.598 --> 19:40.898 Instead of loving the wife of his youth all the days of his life, he traded love for lust. 19:41.922 --> 19:46.022 And he had a thousand wives and concubines, and yet Solomon knew better. 19:46.402 --> 19:51.382 We know that because as a younger man, he wrote in Proverbs 5, verse 3, 19:51.382 --> 19:51.861 he says, 19:51.862 --> 20:09.442 So Solomon, he clearly knew better, but he rejected his own advice. 20:10.660 --> 20:17.540 Many men, even men who should know better, are destroyed by their lust for women. 20:18.980 --> 20:21.140 And women, you're not immune from this. 20:21.200 --> 20:26.880 I'm counseling more and more couples who the woman's fallen into a lustful trap. 20:28.220 --> 20:33.420 Now here's the deal about the snare of sexual temptation. 20:33.420 --> 20:35.600 It's especially destructive. 20:36.952 --> 20:42.992 Yes, it's certainly a luring, but just like a lure that a fisherman uses to fish, there's a hook on it. 20:43.832 --> 20:45.612 Now, the fish, it only sees lure. 20:45.712 --> 20:46.711 It only sees the bait. 20:46.712 --> 20:47.791 It looks so tasty. 20:47.792 --> 20:48.751 It looks so appealing. 20:48.752 --> 20:49.671 So it strikes it. 20:49.672 --> 20:51.572 And with the lure comes a hook. 20:52.257 --> 20:54.297 It comes death, it comes destruction. 20:54.297 --> 20:58.557 It's the same with sexual sin and sin of any nature. 20:58.557 --> 21:01.357 Solomon, I think, is reminiscing about perhaps 21:01.357 --> 21:06.197 his greatest downfall in life, and that was sexual sin. 21:06.197 --> 21:08.877 Look at Proverbs 26, verse 11. 21:08.877 --> 21:13.237 It says, as a dog returns to his own vomit, 21:13.237 --> 21:15.517 so a fool repeats his folly. 21:16.657 --> 21:19.197 Solomon kept returning to his own vomit. 21:19.932 --> 21:24.852 destroying himself over and over again with the same exact sin. 21:26.192 --> 21:28.312 Verse 27, he says, 21:28.352 --> 21:29.732 Here's what I found, says the preacher. 21:29.812 --> 21:31.692 He often referred to himself as the preacher. 21:32.504 --> 21:36.604 adding one thing to the other to find out reason, which my soul still seeks, but I cannot find. 21:36.884 --> 21:41.664 One man among a thousand I've found, but a woman among these I have not found. 21:42.304 --> 21:49.424 Truly, this only I have found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes. 21:50.624 --> 21:53.524 Now, this is autobiographical on Solomon's part. 21:53.604 --> 21:54.824 It's hyperbolic language. 21:54.944 --> 21:56.704 It's poetic language to make a point. 21:57.462 --> 22:00.662 I don't think he's saying there are no good women out there. 22:00.722 --> 22:02.442 He's saying he never found one. 22:03.642 --> 22:08.822 And he's also saying, I don't think that he's saying that there's only one good man. 22:08.922 --> 22:13.442 I think he's trying to make poetically the point there's no one that's good. 22:13.902 --> 22:16.062 We're all really, really messed up. 22:16.122 --> 22:18.386 The world is broken. 22:18.387 --> 22:20.907 Now, remember, this is Solomon's experience. 22:21.527 --> 22:28.567 And he keeps saying, I experienced everything that life had to offer, and it all left me bitter inside. 22:29.327 --> 22:31.026 Here's what we learn. 22:31.027 --> 22:36.747 Exploring all the schemes of man will leave you empty and bitter inside. 22:37.675 --> 22:42.015 Solomon ends this chapter by saying, this one thing I know. 22:42.915 --> 22:44.455 God made man upright. 22:44.455 --> 22:49.895 He made man perfect, but we have pursued many schemes. 22:50.395 --> 22:52.018 Isn't that the truth? 22:52.019 --> 22:53.739 Sometimes we get so upset with God, 22:53.739 --> 22:56.439 we shake our fist with God, at God. 22:56.439 --> 22:59.519 How could you allow such evil and suffering into the world? 22:59.519 --> 23:02.159 Listen, God didn't make the world this way. 23:02.159 --> 23:04.939 The Bible's clear, God made man upright, 23:04.939 --> 23:08.119 perfect in his sight, in the book of Genesis. 23:09.099 --> 23:11.379 After each thing that God created, 23:11.379 --> 23:13.639 there's this little repeating phrase that says, 23:13.639 --> 23:17.539 and it was good, and it was good, and it was good. 23:17.539 --> 23:19.099 And then finally he created man and woman, 23:19.099 --> 23:21.799 and he said, and it was very good. 23:22.360 --> 23:24.700 God's not to blame for the condition of our world. 23:25.060 --> 23:26.680 We are to blame. 23:27.760 --> 23:28.860 But here's what Solomon is saying. 23:28.960 --> 23:33.320 He said, I sought out wisdom and understanding by experiencing all this sensuality 23:33.320 --> 23:35.600 and everything else the world had to offer, 23:35.600 --> 23:41.740 and it all left me bitter and also realizing this world's really messed up. 23:42.680 --> 23:46.980 We've all pursued schemes of destruction, and he's right. 23:48.010 --> 23:53.790 Now the word scheme here refers to crafty and clever plans that go against God. 23:55.450 --> 24:01.090 Each one of us, we have our own schemes, individual schemes against God, 24:01.150 --> 24:04.790 but there are also, I think, some worldwide schemes against God. 24:05.670 --> 24:09.470 Schemes of man and what Ephesians 6 calls schemes of the devil. 24:11.062 --> 24:14.002 When I think about the dominant worldview that's 24:14.002 --> 24:16.842 being taught to our young people of naturalism and evolution, 24:16.842 --> 24:18.922 I think, what a scheme. 24:18.922 --> 24:20.662 The evidence is simply not there, 24:20.662 --> 24:23.962 and yet it's presented in such a crafty and deceptive way 24:23.962 --> 24:27.202 that millions of young people are falling for it. 24:27.211 --> 24:32.331 See, every scheme of man, every scheme of the devil will leave you bitter and empty inside. 24:32.931 --> 24:33.990 There's no substance. 24:33.991 --> 24:35.131 The reality is not there. 24:35.191 --> 24:36.191 The truth is not there. 24:36.411 --> 24:38.031 It will leave you bitter. 24:38.731 --> 24:42.951 So Solomon's thinking, we think we're so good, but we're not good. 24:43.431 --> 24:46.090 We're broken. 24:46.091 --> 24:50.871 Now, here's what I think is underneath these verses. 24:53.131 --> 24:54.251 We need a Savior. 24:55.780 --> 24:56.860 That's what's behind these verses. 24:57.380 --> 25:02.880 We need someone to do something for us that we couldn't possibly do for ourselves. 25:03.020 --> 25:06.140 And that is the message of the Bible, that God loves us so very much, 25:06.480 --> 25:13.380 that he sent his only eternal son of God to take on human form and flesh. 25:13.860 --> 25:16.400 And he became one of us, and he dwelt among us, 25:16.400 --> 25:19.100 and he lived the perfect life that we have all failed to do. 25:19.620 --> 25:20.960 He was good for us. 25:21.280 --> 25:25.220 He was righteousness for us by becoming sin. 25:25.767 --> 25:33.867 for us. He took on our sin upon a cross, a criminal's death, and He died for us so that 25:33.867 --> 25:39.787 we could live and have forgiveness. And it is only by faith in Jesus that a person can be saved 25:39.787 --> 25:45.567 from the impending destruction of self-righteousness or the impending destruction of self-indulgence. 25:48.025 --> 25:53.505 Now, speaking of Jesus, hundreds of years before he was ever born, 25:53.505 --> 25:59.525 the prophet Isaiah prophesied about his coming and the cross. 25:59.625 --> 26:03.425 In Isaiah chapter 53, verse 3, it says he, speaking of Jesus, 26:04.748 --> 26:06.828 He's despised and rejected by men. 26:07.628 --> 26:09.828 A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. 26:10.268 --> 26:12.548 And we hid, as it were, our faces from him. 26:12.808 --> 26:15.208 He was despised and we did not esteem him. 26:15.368 --> 26:18.828 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. 26:19.188 --> 26:20.668 Yet we esteemed him stricken. 26:21.387 --> 26:23.147 smitten by God and afflicted. 26:23.467 --> 26:26.567 But he was wounded for our transgressions, that is our sin. 26:26.947 --> 26:29.627 He was bruised for our iniquities, that is our sin. 26:30.307 --> 26:36.127 The chastisement for our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed. 26:36.687 --> 26:38.687 All we like sheep, we've gone astray. 26:39.207 --> 26:42.747 We have turned everyone to his own way, his own schemes. 26:43.127 --> 26:47.847 And the Lord has laid on him, that's Jesus, the iniquity of us all. 26:49.433 --> 26:57.033 Friends, we are all great sinners, but Jesus is a greater Savior. Amen? 27:02.832 --> 27:06.892 I heard about a little boy who was begging his dad to go outside and play with him one afternoon, 27:06.992 --> 27:11.392 but the dad was very busy doing paperwork at the desk. 27:11.652 --> 27:14.772 But the boy kept persisting to go play, 27:14.892 --> 27:17.892 and so finally the dad took him down the hallway to another room, 27:17.952 --> 27:20.112 and he said, here's what I want you to do, son. 27:20.132 --> 27:21.852 I want you to put this puzzle together. 27:22.576 --> 27:26.036 And when you're finished with it, then we'll go outside and play. 27:26.176 --> 27:29.596 Well, the puzzle was a detailed map of the world. 27:29.596 --> 27:33.936 This is the little guy, so he's thinking, it's going to take this guy hours and hours to put this puzzle together. 27:35.266 --> 27:39.186 He goes back to his paperwork, and a few minutes later, the little boy came out and said, 27:39.246 --> 27:40.645 I'm all done. 27:40.646 --> 27:41.666 And the dad said, okay. 27:41.826 --> 27:43.166 So he goes in and he checks. 27:43.746 --> 27:48.906 Sure enough, the little guy had finished the puzzle, put together this complicated map of the world. 27:49.006 --> 27:50.226 So he says, how in the world? 27:50.386 --> 27:52.586 How did you do that so fast? 27:53.886 --> 28:01.206 He said, well, Daddy, I turned the puzzle over, and on the other side was the face of a man. 28:02.106 --> 28:04.326 And when I got the man right... 28:05.168 --> 28:07.408 The world became right. 28:09.608 --> 28:14.108 The world is a very broken, complicated mess, isn't it? 28:15.248 --> 28:18.248 When you get Jesus right. 28:18.248 --> 28:20.348 The world becomes right. 28:21.288 --> 28:24.728 It begins to make sense of how God created, 28:24.888 --> 28:30.808 how we have sinned and fallen and how God is restoring it starts to. 28:31.190 --> 28:38.410 come together and purpose starts to emerge. You see, you're never going to piece together the 28:38.410 --> 28:46.610 meaning of this broken world apart from Jesus. Without Jesus, it will remain vanity for you. 28:47.030 --> 28:54.110 It will remain empty. Jesus said, apart from me, you can do nothing. 28:55.321 --> 28:58.641 Now, on one occasion, Jesus said, I came, and he told us why. 28:59.321 --> 29:03.301 He said, I came to give you life, and life more abundantly. 29:04.741 --> 29:07.881 Maybe you're listening today, and you say, that's exactly what I need. 29:09.074 --> 29:12.814 I need some life. I'm living, but man, I'm not really living. 29:13.394 --> 29:16.774 You say, I need some life. Well, guess what? Jesus offers you life today. 29:17.394 --> 29:22.254 Maybe you say, Pastor, I need some purpose. Jesus offers purpose in spades. 29:22.834 --> 29:26.574 Maybe you say, you know what? What I really need is forgiveness. 29:27.954 --> 29:29.654 Oh, that's Jesus' specialty. 29:30.794 --> 29:32.434 He loves forgiving sinners. 29:33.610 --> 29:35.370 Sinners that will come back to Him. 29:35.850 --> 29:37.610 He looks from a long ways off, 29:37.830 --> 29:39.090 and He sees you, 29:39.670 --> 29:40.990 and He loves you, 29:40.990 --> 29:43.050 and He'll come running to you, 29:43.330 --> 29:44.870 and He'll embrace you, 29:45.050 --> 29:46.130 and He'll kiss you, 29:46.250 --> 29:48.070 and He'll throw a party for you 29:48.070 --> 29:50.770 if you'll just give your life to Christ. 29:52.390 --> 29:53.570 See, whatever it is, 29:54.870 --> 29:56.070 Jesus has the answer. 29:57.250 --> 29:59.950 Jesus is the answer. 30:01.070 --> 30:02.850 Let's bow together in an attitude of prayer. 30:04.981 --> 30:06.221 Both here and at Olive Drive. 30:06.921 --> 30:10.481 This is not simply a formality. 30:10.901 --> 30:12.261 Please don't see it that way. 30:13.101 --> 30:18.481 This is a moment in time that God has orchestrated. 30:19.141 --> 30:21.621 I don't think it's an accident that you're here today. 30:21.621 --> 30:24.441 I don't think it's an accident that you're tuning in right now. 30:29.332 --> 30:31.352 In just a moment, I'm going to pray. 30:31.692 --> 30:34.532 And when I finish praying, we're going to stand to our feet. 30:34.612 --> 30:35.992 We're going to sing a song together. 30:36.132 --> 30:39.112 There's going to be pastors and leaders here at the front of both campuses. 30:39.112 --> 30:41.432 And we're going to ask you to give your life to Jesus. 30:44.952 --> 30:46.652 See, God loves you so much. 30:51.117 --> 30:52.417 Yet we have sinned, haven't we? 30:52.997 --> 30:54.857 And maybe you're coming to grips with that today. 30:54.977 --> 30:56.757 That is a good thing to come to grips with. 30:57.077 --> 30:58.937 The Bible says if you confess your sin, 30:59.317 --> 31:03.457 he, that's God, is faithful and just to forgive you of your sin 31:03.457 --> 31:06.517 and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. 31:07.517 --> 31:10.957 See, we have failed God, but God still loves us. 31:12.076 --> 31:15.196 While we were still sinners, the Bible said Christ died for us. 31:15.476 --> 31:18.656 The Bible says if we confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus 31:18.656 --> 31:21.416 and we believe in our heart that God has raised Him from the dead, 31:21.636 --> 31:22.956 we will be saved. 31:23.316 --> 31:24.476 And that's what we need, don't we? 31:24.596 --> 31:27.135 We need a Savior. 31:27.136 --> 31:27.895 The Bible says, 31:27.896 --> 31:31.596 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son 31:31.596 --> 31:35.296 that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, 31:35.396 --> 31:40.176 shall not experience destruction, but have everlasting life. 31:42.485 --> 31:47.105 Maybe today you know you're in need of some everlasting life. 31:47.185 --> 31:48.545 Well, Jesus offers it today. 31:48.865 --> 31:52.345 But maybe you're here today and you recognize, man, I need life right now. 31:54.618 --> 31:55.918 I'm at the end of my rope. 31:56.958 --> 31:59.218 I don't know how much longer I can hang on. 32:00.098 --> 32:06.278 Listen, Jesus is here to carry you, to lift you up and do for you what you can't do for yourself. 32:06.558 --> 32:07.658 It's called grace. 32:08.678 --> 32:10.458 Grace means unearned favor. 32:10.598 --> 32:13.678 It's when God shows us favor even though we don't deserve it. 32:13.678 --> 32:17.278 It's when he loves us and forgives us even though we couldn't possibly earn it. 32:21.263 --> 32:30.743 In just a moment, I'm going to ask you just to step out where you're at and walk down one of these aisles or walk down one of these staircases and say, I want to trust Jesus as my Savior. 32:31.003 --> 32:32.083 I need him. 32:33.523 --> 32:35.803 These folks aren't going to embarrass you in any way. 32:35.883 --> 32:37.003 They're going to know how to help you. 32:37.503 --> 32:40.297 They're going to help you. 32:40.298 --> 32:44.218 You may say, I want to be baptized like others today to go public with my faith. 32:45.158 --> 32:48.958 Or I'd like to become a part of this church family. 32:49.038 --> 32:51.418 I'd like to become a family member here formally. 32:52.118 --> 32:53.057 You come. 32:53.058 --> 32:53.897 Let us know. 32:53.898 --> 32:55.418 We'd love to visit with you about that. 32:55.418 --> 32:59.218 Or maybe you say, Pastor, I don't really need to talk to anyone other than the Lord. 33:01.122 --> 33:05.002 You can come to these steps, both here and at Olive Drive. 33:05.102 --> 33:09.362 It's a wonderful opportunity for you to kneel at these steps. 33:10.102 --> 33:13.562 Let them serve as an altar, a meeting place between you and the Lord. 33:14.062 --> 33:15.562 You just do business with God. 33:15.662 --> 33:17.262 You can rededicate your life to Him. 33:17.322 --> 33:20.102 Maybe you want to pray for someone else, however God leads. 33:20.102 --> 33:24.042 Maybe you want to come and ask one of our leaders or our pastors to pray for you. 33:25.642 --> 33:30.642 You want to renew your faith and your walk with Jesus. 33:31.262 --> 33:32.161 We're here to help you. 33:32.162 --> 33:34.022 However God leads, you come in just a moment. 33:34.022 --> 33:35.342 Let's pray. 33:35.342 --> 33:37.902 Our heavenly Father, thank you so much 33:37.902 --> 33:39.502 for your grace in our life. 33:40.482 --> 33:42.722 We're reminded today from this passage 33:42.722 --> 33:46.742 that we owe everything to you. 33:47.762 --> 33:48.922 We've blown it, Lord. 33:48.922 --> 33:51.362 And sometimes even when we've blown it, 33:51.362 --> 33:53.102 we point the finger at you. 33:54.127 --> 33:57.667 We get upset when things don't go our way. 33:57.667 --> 34:00.667 We get upset when things are broken. 34:00.667 --> 34:05.667 And really, Lord, it's not your fault that they're broken. 34:05.687 --> 34:08.066 It's our fault. 34:08.067 --> 34:12.887 Thank you, Lord, for not wiping your hands clean of us, 34:12.887 --> 34:16.527 but Lord, instead, becoming one of us, 34:17.407 --> 34:19.127 taking on human flesh, 34:21.177 --> 34:22.937 So you could identify with us. 34:23.637 --> 34:25.637 So that you could be one of us. 34:26.057 --> 34:27.857 So that you could die for us. 34:28.717 --> 34:30.597 Thank you for finding a way. 34:31.197 --> 34:32.956 The way. 34:32.957 --> 34:35.677 Jesus dying on the cross and raising the third day. 34:36.597 --> 34:38.496 Help us, Lord. 34:38.497 --> 34:42.717 Live with the hope that you've given us. 34:43.697 --> 34:44.877 Help us, Lord. 34:45.917 --> 34:50.997 Live with the humility that a passage like this should bring to us. 34:52.278 --> 34:55.798 And I pray, Lord, that no one in our church family, 34:55.898 --> 34:59.198 that you would help all of us not live here, 35:00.518 --> 35:02.958 but that this would show us where we were 35:02.958 --> 35:05.478 and where you want to take us, 35:05.578 --> 35:08.598 that we have a new identity in Christ, 35:08.738 --> 35:12.938 that we, you tell us that there were new creations in Christ. 35:12.938 --> 35:14.518 Jesus, all things have passed away. 35:14.598 --> 35:16.178 Behold, all things have become new. 35:16.298 --> 35:19.078 Help us live in light that we have been saved. 35:20.442 --> 35:26.522 that we have an elevated, exalted, privileged position as your sons and your daughters, 35:28.682 --> 35:32.762 that we've been given every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places that 35:32.762 --> 35:38.942 awaits us, an inheritance that is unimaginable. Help us, Lord, live with that in mind. 35:41.536 --> 35:44.676 Father, I pray for our church family, 35:44.676 --> 35:47.496 but I also pray for those who are at the fork 35:47.496 --> 35:50.576 in the road of their life, of their eternity. 35:53.536 --> 35:57.456 I pray, Lord, that you would touch their heart 35:57.456 --> 35:59.856 and their mind in such a way that they, 36:01.376 --> 36:04.296 you make it easy for them to choose you. 36:04.296 --> 36:06.476 Show them how amazing you are, Lord. 36:06.476 --> 36:09.196 Help them see your love that you have for them. 36:09.196 --> 36:10.856 We ask in Jesus' name. 36:11.337 --> 36:13.356 Amen. 36:13.357 --> 36:14.637 Thanks for listening today. 36:14.897 --> 36:16.457 We hope you enjoyed this message. 36:16.637 --> 36:19.837 And if you did, we would be so grateful if you left us a review. 36:20.477 --> 36:22.597 Also, go ahead and subscribe to the podcast 36:22.597 --> 36:25.457 if you would like to be notified when a new sermon is released. 36:25.817 --> 36:29.177 If you feel the Lord calling you to take the next step in faith 36:29.177 --> 36:31.837 through salvation, service, or giving, 36:31.837 --> 36:33.697 don't wait. 36:33.697 --> 36:37.157 reach out to us by texting podcast to 88988. 36:37.157 --> 36:40.697 That's podcast to 88988 or connect with us 36:40.697 --> 36:43.077 on one of our social media platforms. 36:43.077 --> 36:46.217 You can also visit our website, valleybaptist.org 36:46.217 --> 36:48.797 to find even more great resources. 36:48.797 --> 36:50.997 No matter where you are in your journey, 36:50.997 --> 36:53.717 know that we love you, we're praying for you 36:53.717 --> 36:56.677 and we can't wait to see what God will do in your life.