WEBVTT 00:01.516 --> 00:04.176 Welcome to the Valley Baptist Church sermon podcast. 00:04.836 --> 00:08.256 We're so glad you're here, and we hope this message inspires you, 00:08.456 --> 00:12.036 builds your faith, and moves you toward a deep relationship with God. 00:12.576 --> 00:15.176 Today, you'll find great insight into the Bible 00:15.176 --> 00:17.856 and learn how you can apply it straight to your life. 00:18.236 --> 00:20.376 So welcome and enjoy the message. 00:21.125 --> 00:26.545 If you have your Bibles this morning, open them to Ecclesiastes chapter 8. 00:27.045 --> 00:35.005 We're going to continue to study Solomon's pursuit of meaning and purpose within life. 00:35.505 --> 00:41.425 Now the passage that we're going to look at today is about how to enjoy life 00:41.729 --> 00:44.249 in a broken world. 00:44.249 --> 00:49.249 The Bible says that this world is broken by sin, 00:49.589 --> 00:53.949 that it is fallen from the way that God created it 00:53.949 --> 00:56.649 and the way that God intended it. 00:56.649 --> 00:59.429 But Solomon is going to share with us, 00:59.429 --> 01:01.989 and he does throughout the book of Ecclesiastes, 01:01.989 --> 01:06.429 that even in the midst of a sin-soaked world, 01:06.434 --> 01:12.674 you can experience the joy that comes from a relationship with God. 01:12.674 --> 01:18.934 Now, Solomon tells us that the key to joy is wisdom. 01:18.934 --> 01:24.054 Not a wisdom that comes through revelation or through observation, but a wisdom that 01:24.054 --> 01:31.454 comes through revelation, a wisdom that comes from having a relationship with God. 01:31.454 --> 01:35.114 So let's begin in verse number 1. 01:36.505 --> 01:39.445 who is like a wise man, 01:39.445 --> 01:43.185 and who knows the interpretation of a thing. 01:43.185 --> 01:46.405 A man's wisdom makes his face shine, 01:46.405 --> 01:51.405 and the sternness of his face is changed. 01:51.425 --> 01:55.985 Solomon says a wise person has so much joy 01:55.985 --> 01:58.625 that you can see it on their face. 01:58.625 --> 01:59.905 Why? 01:59.905 --> 02:04.225 Because they have learned how to enjoy life 02:04.433 --> 02:06.613 in a broken world. 02:06.613 --> 02:13.533 They have learned how to live above the sun in a relationship with God while at the same 02:13.533 --> 02:18.273 time living below the sun with sin. 02:18.273 --> 02:25.953 Now notice that Solomon says the wise are happy even though they don't have all of the 02:25.953 --> 02:26.953 answers. 02:27.535 --> 02:37.095 You know, pride focuses on what you know, but wisdom is knowing what you don't know. 02:37.915 --> 02:43.595 Wisdom is knowing and understanding what you don't understand. 02:43.855 --> 02:46.735 And that kind of takes the pressure off, doesn't it? 02:46.735 --> 02:52.535 It's easier for me to trust God when I'm aware of my own limitations. 02:53.793 --> 03:04.593 And Solomon is going to tell us that trusting God is one of the keys to enjoying your life in a sinful world. 03:04.593 --> 03:08.753 Notice what he says in verses 2-5. 03:11.174 --> 03:15.854 He says, I say, keep the king's commandment for the sake of your oath to God. 03:16.734 --> 03:19.354 Do not be hasty to go from his presence. 03:19.534 --> 03:25.214 Do not take your stand for an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him. 03:25.874 --> 03:29.134 Where the word of a king is, there is power. 03:29.574 --> 03:31.734 And who may say to him, what are you doing? 03:31.734 --> 03:35.234 He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful. 03:36.154 --> 03:41.014 And a wise man's heart discerns both time and judgment. 03:42.207 --> 03:49.347 Solomon says we enjoy life more by obeying the authorities that God has put within our life. 03:49.427 --> 03:50.447 And so here's the principle. 03:51.567 --> 03:58.827 Don't let what you don't know keep you from doing what you do know is right. 04:00.107 --> 04:04.767 Wisdom doesn't do any good until it is applied. 04:05.798 --> 04:15.298 And Solomon was the wisest man on earth, and yet so often within his life he didn't apply the wisdom that God had given him. 04:15.298 --> 04:23.938 And all of us know more than we're actually applying and doing within our life. 04:24.867 --> 04:31.967 Now, wisdom says there's a lot of things that I don't know, and there's many things in life that I don't understand. 04:32.327 --> 04:38.127 But I'm just going to focus on doing the things that I know to do. 04:39.387 --> 04:47.867 Now, this morning, you may be a new believer in Christ, and you don't really know a whole lot of the Bible yet. 04:48.762 --> 04:56.522 I want to encourage you to just take the part that you do know, to absorb it, apply it, 04:56.522 --> 05:02.102 and follow it within your life, and then continue to learn more. 05:02.313 --> 05:06.773 I remember Pastor Brian said after he got saved, he didn't know the Bible. 05:06.873 --> 05:10.113 He had never read it until the day he got saved, really. 05:10.273 --> 05:16.513 And so he began to just read it every day and look for opportunities to do what it said 05:16.513 --> 05:18.013 and what he had read that day. 05:18.073 --> 05:20.773 Well, that's wise advice. 05:20.773 --> 05:27.793 Now, the example that Solomon gives is obeying authority. 05:28.857 --> 05:35.457 Now the Bible says that authority and accountability comes from God. 05:36.197 --> 05:40.757 That God has given us authorities within our life for our own good. 05:40.757 --> 05:47.857 And he calls us to obey the authorities that he has placed within our life. 05:48.888 --> 05:52.228 Now I know what you're thinking on your way to church. 05:52.228 --> 05:54.168 You were probably saying to your spouse, 05:54.168 --> 05:57.248 "'Honey, I really hope the pastor preaches 05:57.248 --> 05:59.248 "'on obeying the government, 05:59.248 --> 06:04.068 "'because it just brings so much joy into my heart 06:04.068 --> 06:07.228 "'when I think about obeying authority.'" 06:08.068 --> 06:10.828 Well, the truth is that is an important part 06:10.828 --> 06:11.807 of enjoying life. 06:11.808 --> 06:12.767 If you don't believe me, 06:12.768 --> 06:14.868 then go talk to some people in prison. 06:15.550 --> 06:18.770 It's important that we obey the authorities in our life. 06:18.770 --> 06:33.330 And so if obeying God is the key to enjoying life, then obeying the authorities God has put over us is also a key to enjoying our life. 06:34.350 --> 06:36.150 In verse 3, he says, 06:36.150 --> 06:39.810 "...don't be hasty to go from the presence of the King." 06:40.508 --> 06:43.068 It's kind of like, don't walk away from me 06:43.068 --> 06:45.548 while I'm talking to you, you know? 06:45.548 --> 06:48.948 In other words, Solomon is saying show respect 06:48.948 --> 06:51.648 to those who are in authority within your life. 06:52.708 --> 06:56.628 Show respect to your parents, to your teachers, 06:56.628 --> 07:00.748 to your coaches, to police officers, 07:00.748 --> 07:05.748 to those who exercise authority within the world. 07:06.188 --> 07:08.408 Now, we have kind of made 07:09.027 --> 07:13.967 disrespect of virtue within the United States. 07:13.967 --> 07:17.527 We have kind of made disrespect of authority 07:17.527 --> 07:21.127 a national pastime in America. 07:22.027 --> 07:26.367 But the Bible says that we are to respect the office 07:26.367 --> 07:28.727 even if we don't agree with, 07:28.727 --> 07:31.587 and even if the person who holds the office 07:31.587 --> 07:34.607 is far from perfect. 07:35.470 --> 07:40.070 Now I understand that that's a lot easier to say 07:40.070 --> 07:41.470 than it is to do. 07:42.490 --> 07:47.430 And if I'm honest, I have been disrespectful at times 07:47.430 --> 07:51.330 both within my heart and also with my lips 07:51.330 --> 07:54.950 towards those who are in government office. 07:54.950 --> 07:59.150 And so this past week as I was reading this passage 07:59.150 --> 08:02.450 and praying and asking the Lord, Lord is it I? 08:03.230 --> 08:06.310 Yes, it's you. 08:06.310 --> 08:08.330 This applies to you. 08:08.330 --> 08:10.790 And that's what the Lord showed me this past week. 08:10.790 --> 08:14.690 And so I have had to ask the Lord for forgiveness 08:14.690 --> 08:18.670 and that God would take that disrespect 08:18.670 --> 08:23.390 out of my heart and out of my life. 08:24.370 --> 08:28.890 See, submission is not just external. 08:29.707 --> 08:34.707 It is a posture of respect for authority within our heart. 08:36.427 --> 08:40.207 It is a faith-filled understanding 08:40.207 --> 08:45.207 that authority is a good thing that comes from God. 08:45.927 --> 08:49.087 You say, well, what about civil disobedience? 08:49.087 --> 08:53.367 Well, the only time we are to disobey 08:53.367 --> 08:56.347 is if the law of the land demands 08:56.347 --> 08:58.187 that we disobey the law of God. 08:59.221 --> 09:06.501 And even when that is the case, we ought to do so with the greatest and most utmost respect 09:06.501 --> 09:10.381 that we possibly can show. 09:10.381 --> 09:15.561 Now one of the reasons Solomon says that we need to obey authority is because when we 09:15.561 --> 09:21.681 disobey authority, there are horrible consequences within our life. 09:21.681 --> 09:23.041 There's spiritual consequences. 09:23.842 --> 09:27.522 God has given us authority for our protection. 09:27.522 --> 09:29.902 And when we disobey authority, 09:29.902 --> 09:33.222 we are stepping out from under the umbrella 09:33.222 --> 09:36.402 of God's protection within our life. 09:36.402 --> 09:40.722 And it's a scary thing to step outside of the umbrella 09:40.722 --> 09:44.302 of God's design for your life. 09:44.817 --> 09:46.777 not only their spiritual consequences, 09:46.777 --> 09:48.517 but also physical consequences, 09:48.517 --> 09:52.237 because Solomon says, look, those who are in authority 09:52.237 --> 09:55.657 have power to execute punishment 09:55.657 --> 10:00.437 for those who disobey their commands. 10:00.437 --> 10:04.417 You see, wisdom respects God. 10:04.882 --> 10:08.802 and the authority that he has set up in our lives. 10:08.802 --> 10:13.142 And Solomon says that when we follow those authorities, 10:13.142 --> 10:16.102 that it leads to a more enjoyable life, 10:16.102 --> 10:19.422 that it leads to greater human flourishing, 10:19.422 --> 10:24.422 and it leads to more enjoyment within your life. 10:25.102 --> 10:28.402 Notice once again what he says in verse five. 10:29.536 --> 10:49.856 It says, 10:50.512 --> 10:55.272 No one has power over the spirit to retain the spirit, and no one has power in the day of death. 10:55.612 --> 11:00.652 There is no release from that war, and wickedness will not deliver those who are given to it. 11:01.272 --> 11:05.652 All this I have seen and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun. 11:05.952 --> 11:09.352 There is a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt. 11:09.352 --> 11:14.072 Then I saw the wicked buried who had come and gone from the place of holiness, 11:14.512 --> 11:18.732 and they were forgotten in the city where they had done so." 11:19.132 --> 11:23.252 This also is vanity. 11:23.252 --> 11:27.252 Solomon says there's a lot of injustices in the world 11:27.252 --> 11:31.652 that government doesn't always address. 11:31.652 --> 11:36.432 And then he says some of those injustices within life 11:36.432 --> 11:40.392 are at the hands of government and are perpetuated 11:40.392 --> 11:43.372 by the corruption of government. 11:44.613 --> 11:47.873 Now, there are two types of authority within life. 11:47.993 --> 11:54.493 There's derivative authority, and then there is moral authority. 11:55.273 --> 11:59.613 Now, derivative authority says, I have authority to tell you what to do. 12:00.695 --> 12:05.695 But moral authority says, well, I am living this out myself. 12:07.275 --> 12:09.675 I'm repenting of my sin. 12:09.675 --> 12:11.675 I'm not going to call you to do anything 12:11.675 --> 12:14.895 that I also am not doing myself. 12:14.895 --> 12:18.015 I have spent time in prayer with the Lord 12:18.015 --> 12:22.755 and God is working on me and I'm seeking to pursue the Lord 12:22.755 --> 12:24.935 and to do what is right. 12:25.935 --> 12:29.575 Now Solomon is pointing out that it's very confusing 12:30.749 --> 12:34.549 when there are those who have derivative authority 12:34.549 --> 12:39.509 but don't also have moral authority as well. 12:39.509 --> 12:43.909 It's kind of like a personal trainer who's way overweight, 12:43.909 --> 12:46.609 way out of shape and extremely unhealthy. 12:46.609 --> 12:50.349 And you sit there and you go, what exactly is going on? 12:50.349 --> 12:52.809 I don't know how to make sense of all of this. 12:52.809 --> 12:55.749 And we've all seen that before. 12:55.910 --> 13:03.390 It creates cognitive dissonance when you look at a situation and you don't understand it, 13:03.410 --> 13:07.210 and it doesn't seem to be consistent or cohesive. 13:08.330 --> 13:14.090 It's kind of like someone trying to teach you about finances when you know that their 13:14.090 --> 13:17.290 finances are a complete wreck and a complete mess. 13:18.134 --> 13:23.134 I don't want to learn about finances from someone whose finances are a mess. 13:23.134 --> 13:30.774 I want to learn about finances from someone who has been a wise and good steward of the resources that God has given them. 13:31.154 --> 13:47.334 And so Solomon is pointing out that there are times where there is a disconnect between what authority says and how authority behaves or how authority lives within life. 13:48.526 --> 13:54.286 I think part of what Solomon is doing here in this passage and often in Ecclesiastes 13:54.286 --> 14:04.906 is he's trying to manage our expectations of what it's like to live in a fallen and broken world. 14:06.106 --> 14:13.246 Solomon is pointing out over and over that life is hard and people are sinners and life is 14:13.246 --> 14:17.326 difficult and it's rough out there at times. And he says, look, 14:18.395 --> 14:21.675 Government doesn't have all the answers 14:21.675 --> 14:24.575 because the problem with government is it's made up 14:24.575 --> 14:29.575 of sinners just like you and me. 14:29.575 --> 14:33.295 So Solomon says, how are we to relate 14:33.295 --> 14:36.375 to the world that we live in? 14:37.275 --> 14:39.855 I think there are four wrong ways 14:39.855 --> 14:43.215 that Christians often relate to the world. 14:43.387 --> 14:49.947 The first is some Christians relate to the world and they're afraid of the world. 14:50.896 --> 14:57.156 You know, the world is bad, and so the idea is, well, we need to retreat from the world, 14:57.216 --> 15:00.516 and we need to separate ourselves from the world. 15:00.516 --> 15:08.676 They kind of view sin like a virus, and if you get too close, then you might catch the infection, you know. 15:09.076 --> 15:18.676 And primarily, these kind of Christians relate to the world in fear instead of relating to the world in faith. 15:19.837 --> 15:22.177 Another false way is apathy. 15:23.077 --> 15:25.177 A lot of Christians are just kind of indifferent 15:25.177 --> 15:26.517 to the world. 15:26.517 --> 15:28.317 You know, the world's gonna do its thing 15:28.317 --> 15:31.857 and as Christians we're gonna kinda do our thing 15:31.857 --> 15:34.857 and I'm not gonna worry about the world 15:34.857 --> 15:38.517 as long as the world just kinda leaves me alone. 15:38.517 --> 15:41.517 They're indifferent to the lost 15:41.517 --> 15:45.037 and what's going on in the world. 15:45.037 --> 15:47.697 Another false way is just to assimilate. 15:48.338 --> 15:51.678 You know, kind of go along to get along. 15:51.678 --> 15:52.698 There are a lot of Christians who say, 15:52.698 --> 15:55.638 well, we're just gonna become like the world 15:55.638 --> 15:57.398 because we're in the world. 15:57.398 --> 15:59.358 We're gonna compromise what we believe. 15:59.358 --> 16:02.138 We're gonna compromise our obedience to Christ. 16:02.138 --> 16:03.958 We're gonna compromise the life 16:03.958 --> 16:05.778 that God has saved us to live 16:05.778 --> 16:07.858 and God has called us to live. 16:07.858 --> 16:10.298 We're just gonna go along with the world. 16:11.478 --> 16:14.958 Another false way people relate to the world is with anger. 16:16.198 --> 16:17.578 You know, we're gonna fight the world. 16:18.730 --> 16:21.330 And so often I think that the anger 16:21.330 --> 16:23.390 that some Christians feel towards the world 16:23.390 --> 16:27.630 is based on false expectations and bad theology. 16:28.690 --> 16:33.690 Why would we expect the lost to live like they're not lost? 16:35.670 --> 16:39.130 Why would we expect sinners who don't know Christ 16:39.875 --> 16:42.715 to live as if they know Christ 16:42.715 --> 16:45.495 and understand what it means to live 16:45.495 --> 16:47.975 in the power of the Holy Spirit. 16:47.975 --> 16:52.535 We so often have unrealistic expectations 16:52.535 --> 16:56.815 of those who do not know the Lord. 16:56.815 --> 17:01.035 I think the biblical approach is not to retreat, 17:01.660 --> 17:05.340 not to get angry, not to be apathetic, 17:05.340 --> 17:07.580 not to assimilate and compromise. 17:07.580 --> 17:10.060 The biblical approach to relate to the world 17:10.060 --> 17:14.640 is to be an affectionate ambassador for Christ. 17:15.720 --> 17:19.880 You see, we are not to be angry at the world. 17:19.880 --> 17:22.520 We have to be very careful 17:22.520 --> 17:26.500 not to make our mission field our enemy. 17:27.395 --> 17:29.615 The Bible says that we are to love the world. 17:29.735 --> 17:30.074 Why? 17:30.075 --> 17:34.335 Because God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. 17:35.095 --> 17:40.135 We are to love the world and we are to do anything and everything we can to bring the 17:40.135 --> 17:41.215 world to Christ. 17:41.455 --> 17:44.215 We are not to compromise with the culture. 17:44.215 --> 17:52.335 We are to be a counterculture of love and grace within the world that God has placed 17:52.335 --> 17:52.834 us in. 17:52.835 --> 17:56.375 You see, you are here for such a time as this. 17:57.753 --> 17:59.653 And I understand it's easy to be afraid. 18:00.933 --> 18:06.993 And it's easy to be angry at times and be afraid of your children and the world they're living in. 18:06.993 --> 18:15.333 But did you know that God brought them into the world at this time and in this place for His plan and for His purpose? 18:16.293 --> 18:17.833 We have to trust that. 18:18.353 --> 18:27.133 That God has an eternal plan and purpose for our lives and the lives of our children and the life of our church. 18:28.145 --> 18:30.525 Notice what he says in verse 11. 18:32.285 --> 18:36.465 Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, 18:36.585 --> 18:39.805 therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. 18:40.865 --> 18:45.885 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, 18:45.885 --> 18:51.105 yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before him. 18:51.820 --> 18:57.720 But it will not be well with the wicked, nor will he prolong his days which are as a shadow, 18:58.100 --> 19:01.940 because he does not fear before the Lord. 19:03.360 --> 19:11.060 You see, one of the ways that we enjoy life more is that we expect injustices in a world that's separate from God. 19:12.060 --> 19:16.860 And we trust God with the injustices of life. 19:16.860 --> 19:18.320 And so here's the principle. 19:19.462 --> 19:30.162 Don't let the injustices or the false expectations of life ruin your trust and faith in God. 19:30.982 --> 19:35.182 Solomon says, listen, no one gets away with even one sin. 19:36.082 --> 19:38.822 No one's going to pull a fast one on God. 19:38.822 --> 19:42.442 There will be a payday someday. 19:43.711 --> 19:46.951 And it may not be on our timeline, 19:46.951 --> 19:49.331 but it will be in God's timeline. 19:49.331 --> 19:53.331 And so eventually our sin and the sin of others 19:53.331 --> 19:56.071 is going to catch up with us. 19:57.671 --> 20:02.671 Now sometimes in life we can't always see God's purpose 20:03.671 --> 20:06.751 and God's plan and everything that happens 20:06.751 --> 20:08.711 within our life and within the world. 20:10.154 --> 20:15.694 There's a lot of divine mysteries about life, and Solomon's pointing them out one after another. 20:16.734 --> 20:22.834 And sometimes we struggle to understand the mysteries of life. 20:24.094 --> 20:26.414 For me, it's kind of like the mystery of traffic. 20:27.714 --> 20:31.674 It doesn't matter what lane I move to, it immediately slows down. 20:31.674 --> 20:34.354 And I've never really been able to figure out. 20:34.554 --> 20:37.694 It's a mystery within my life. 20:38.588 --> 20:50.848 And if I can't explain simple things, how am I going to explain the mysteries of God and the eternal purpose and plan of God in all of the universe? 20:51.828 --> 20:54.808 You see, God brings some mysteries into your life. 20:54.908 --> 20:56.428 Sometimes there's some trials. 20:56.428 --> 20:58.331 Sometimes. 20:58.332 --> 21:06.392 You can't see the end from the beginning, and you don't understand what God is doing in your heart and your life through those difficulties. 21:06.772 --> 21:11.372 And you can't clearly understand God's plan and God's purpose for those. 21:11.472 --> 21:15.032 But Solomon is saying that God does have a plan and a purpose. 21:15.252 --> 21:16.752 It's just not in our timeline. 21:17.532 --> 21:18.852 It's in his timeline. 21:18.852 --> 21:20.539 Right? 21:20.540 --> 21:27.400 And so Solomon says one of the keys to enjoying life is to not get all caught up in what you can't understand, 21:28.420 --> 21:33.920 but to get caught up in trusting God to do what is right. 21:34.360 --> 21:46.080 That God is working in such a way to bring about good in His eternal plan and His purpose for your life. 21:47.219 --> 21:50.599 One of the things to think about is that God brought judgment right now. 21:51.939 --> 21:54.639 You and I would be caught up in that judgment as well. 21:55.539 --> 22:00.039 Because the Bible says all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 22:01.023 --> 22:06.583 If God were to bring judgment for every sin, you and I would experience the judgment of God. 22:06.583 --> 22:13.763 In the New Testament, Peter tells us that God is being patient for Christ to return 22:13.763 --> 22:18.323 because He's not willing that any would perish, but that all would come to repentance. 22:18.783 --> 22:24.423 One of the reasons we have this broken world, as long as we've had it, 22:24.463 --> 22:28.023 is so that you and I could have the opportunity to come to Christ and be saved. 22:29.204 --> 22:36.044 And one of the reasons that God is waiting to bring about His justice to an unjust world 22:36.044 --> 22:42.444 is that God is waiting for those who are going to be saved to be saved. 22:44.024 --> 22:49.544 You see, there are some religious people who say there are good people and there are bad people, 22:49.964 --> 22:52.444 and all the bad people are out there in the world. 22:53.892 --> 22:55.112 That's not what the Bible teaches. 22:55.272 --> 22:59.952 The gospel says there are bad people and there is Jesus and that's it. 23:01.512 --> 23:05.072 We are all sinners saved by grace. 23:05.852 --> 23:13.372 Some religious people say, well, the people out there need to repent of sins that we don't really struggle with in here. 23:13.452 --> 23:16.512 But the gospel says we all need to repent. 23:17.032 --> 23:20.032 We all need the grace of God. 23:20.622 --> 23:31.222 Jesus came to save sinners, and that's you and I. That's all of us. Now, the Bible 23:31.222 --> 23:39.942 says that we are to live our lives in light of the gospel, and so we want to be gospel-centered 23:39.942 --> 23:41.062 Christians. 23:41.935 --> 23:49.915 We want to be gospel-centered in our marriages and in our parenting, in our church, and out in the world. 23:49.915 --> 23:56.995 And what that means fundamentally is that you live as a sinner who is saved by God's grace. 23:58.375 --> 24:02.935 That means that you're not surprised by other people's sin. 24:04.497 --> 24:09.817 You're not surprised when other people sin because you know that you are a sinner yourself. 24:10.737 --> 24:14.357 And so you don't try to hide your sin and act like you don't sin. 24:15.297 --> 24:21.237 And you're really humble because you know that you need the grace of God within your life. 24:21.237 --> 24:27.397 And you're really willing to extend grace to others because you know other people need it because you need it. 24:29.388 --> 24:34.248 The more deeply we understand God's grace within our life, 24:34.248 --> 24:45.968 the more that that grace transforms us and causes us to extend grace to other sinners like us. 24:46.488 --> 24:49.928 Look what he says in verse 14. 24:51.967 --> 24:56.927 He says, there is a vanity which occurs on earth, that there are just men to whom it 24:56.927 --> 24:58.447 happens according to the work of the wicked. 24:59.027 --> 25:02.507 Again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. 25:03.207 --> 25:05.627 I said, this also is vanity. 25:05.627 --> 25:12.007 So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, 25:12.187 --> 25:13.247 drink, and be merry. 25:13.467 --> 25:18.847 For this will remain with him in his labor all the days of life which God gives him under 25:18.847 --> 25:20.607 the sun." 25:22.105 --> 25:30.045 Solomon says we enjoy life by enjoying the good gifts that God has given us within our life. 25:30.665 --> 25:31.705 And so here's the principle. 25:32.965 --> 25:39.105 Don't let what you can't control or understand destroy what you can enjoy. 25:39.105 --> 25:42.625 Now this is a perennial theme. 25:43.115 --> 25:45.435 within the book of Ecclesiastes. 25:45.995 --> 25:52.315 Solomon keeps telling us to enjoy life and to have a good time. 25:53.175 --> 25:55.875 You say, well, it kind of sounds hedonistic, doesn't it? 25:56.935 --> 25:59.715 It almost sounds like an Epicurean philosophy, 26:00.035 --> 26:03.355 eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die. 26:03.455 --> 26:05.015 But that's not what Solomon says. 26:05.015 --> 26:10.655 Solomon says, eat, drink, and be merry, because life is a gift from God. 26:11.785 --> 26:19.405 He says the key to enjoying life is to live every aspect of your life in light of your 26:19.405 --> 26:23.885 relationship with God and the grace of God within your life. 26:23.885 --> 26:31.025 To recognize that even in a sin-soaked world that God has given you a relationship with 26:31.025 --> 26:32.785 Him to enjoy. 26:32.795 --> 26:40.935 and a purpose to live, and he's calling you to live out the joy of your relationship with him 26:40.935 --> 26:49.955 in every single aspect of life. And so here is Solomon's formula for enjoying life. 26:51.295 --> 27:00.175 Accept what you can't control, change what you can change, and enjoy what you can enjoy. 27:01.212 --> 27:07.652 Stop focusing in your life on things that you can't control, like the sin of other people, 27:07.772 --> 27:16.372 the injustices of life, the broken fallenness of the world, and start focusing on enjoying God 27:16.372 --> 27:20.832 and the good gifts that he has given you to enjoy. 27:22.120 --> 27:27.220 I mean, think about it. We spend so much of our life focused on the things we can't control, 27:28.060 --> 27:34.660 and it keeps us from enjoying the good things that God has given us to enjoy. 27:36.160 --> 27:41.880 Now, I want to encourage you to make five choices each and every day. 27:42.995 --> 27:45.795 The first four are very clear in the passage. 27:45.995 --> 27:51.155 The last one is kind of what the first four are based on. 27:51.375 --> 27:54.315 The first choice I want to encourage you to make is to choose obedience. 27:55.755 --> 27:57.715 Every day say, God, this is your day. 27:59.015 --> 28:04.075 I'm going to rejoice in it, and I'm going to obey whatever it is you want me to do. 28:05.215 --> 28:07.335 Whatever it is you want me to hear, I want to hear it. 28:07.415 --> 28:09.235 Whatever it is you want me to do, I want to do it. 28:10.180 --> 28:14.560 The next choice is to choose respect. 28:14.560 --> 28:18.180 God, I am going to show you respect 28:18.180 --> 28:21.400 as my Lord and as my King, 28:21.400 --> 28:24.480 and I'm gonna show respect to whatever authorities 28:24.480 --> 28:27.480 that you have placed within my life. 28:28.422 --> 28:33.902 Sometimes rebellious teenagers think that they'll be more happy if they rebel against the authority 28:33.902 --> 28:40.422 in their life, and they're absolutely miserable. But they're stuck in this downward spiral of 28:40.422 --> 28:45.762 disrespect and disobedience, and Solomon says that's not the key to life. In fact, 28:45.822 --> 28:53.122 that kills your joy instead of feeding your joy. The third choice is to choose faith. 28:54.702 --> 28:57.531 God today 28:57.532 --> 29:00.232 I'm going to trust you with the things that I don't understand. 29:02.032 --> 29:05.632 And I'm going to accept the things that you have allowed within my life 29:05.632 --> 29:09.152 and trust that you have a plan and a purpose for all of these things. 29:09.392 --> 29:12.412 I'm going to trust you to be the potter and I'm just going to be the clay. 29:14.732 --> 29:18.112 God, not my will, but your will be done. 29:19.351 --> 29:23.231 Because God has got an eternal plan that's bigger than this moment. 29:23.651 --> 29:24.791 It's bigger than you. 29:24.911 --> 29:25.931 It's bigger than me. 29:26.251 --> 29:28.111 It's as big as all eternity. 29:29.371 --> 29:31.451 And we need to trust Him each and every day. 29:32.531 --> 29:34.351 The fourth choice is to choose joy. 29:35.131 --> 29:37.851 Do you know that joy can be a choice? 29:38.611 --> 29:42.171 Now, happiness is based on outward circumstances. 29:42.171 --> 29:47.131 And sometimes, you know, we can't choose our circumstances. 29:47.451 --> 29:48.531 But joy... 29:48.528 --> 29:55.368 is a choice to enjoy God and to enjoy the things that God has given us, 29:55.388 --> 29:58.648 to be grateful for the things that God has given us. 29:58.648 --> 30:07.228 And so every day to say, God, I am going to be as grateful and thankful for the good gifts that you've given me, 30:07.388 --> 30:11.888 and I'm going to enjoy all of them to the best ability that I can. 30:11.888 --> 30:12.979 Amen. 30:12.980 --> 30:19.420 I'm just going to give myself to enjoying whatever good gifts that you have placed within my life. 30:20.380 --> 30:23.740 Now, the last choice is to choose love. 30:25.200 --> 30:31.140 Now, that is not explicitly in the passage here, but it really is the foundation for the other four. 30:32.352 --> 30:39.452 Because in your life, you cannot feed disobedience, disrespect, anger, injustice, and hurt, 30:39.812 --> 30:43.012 and feed love at the same time. 30:43.672 --> 30:45.072 You have to choose. 30:45.672 --> 30:54.392 You have to choose to love God and to give yourself to what He wants. 30:55.112 --> 30:56.732 You have to choose. 30:57.985 --> 31:04.705 To love other people and to give yourself to their good as best you can. 31:06.245 --> 31:11.025 Now Solomon is saying, look, if you make those four and finally that fifth decision, 31:11.025 --> 31:22.825 you are going to enjoy your life exponentially more than if you try to fight those five decisions each and every day. 31:24.935 --> 31:33.955 Now the book of Ecclesiastes at times can be dark because Solomon is very honest about the problems of life and the difficulties that we face. 31:33.955 --> 31:40.355 But I think fundamentally the message of Ecclesiastes is good news. 31:41.489 --> 31:46.489 That even in the midst of a broken and fallen world, 31:46.989 --> 31:51.989 that you can experience joy in your relationship with God 31:52.129 --> 31:56.229 and you can enjoy the good and gracious gifts 31:56.229 --> 31:58.209 that God has given you. 31:59.689 --> 32:02.389 It's kind of like a hurricane 32:02.389 --> 32:04.689 that's raging out over the sea. 32:05.975 --> 32:10.355 and the swells of water that are huge are coming, 32:10.355 --> 32:14.475 and the wind is blowing over 100 miles an hour, 32:14.475 --> 32:17.555 and the waves are crashing down. 32:17.555 --> 32:19.435 It's a horrible storm. 32:20.815 --> 32:25.815 But deep under the surface, on the ocean floor, 32:27.255 --> 32:31.835 there's a little crab that's enjoying the calm. 32:33.025 --> 32:42.405 And he is completely content and just enjoying the life that God has given him. 32:42.405 --> 32:51.285 We spend so much of our energy and time living our life on the surface, trying to understand 32:51.285 --> 32:55.825 the things that we don't understand, trying to fight the storms of life. 32:55.825 --> 33:02.785 We're trying to hold back the wind and to fight the wind instead of abiding. 33:04.058 --> 33:08.638 and resting in the loving sovereignty 33:08.638 --> 33:10.098 of our heavenly Father, 33:11.338 --> 33:16.338 instead of resting in God's amazing grace. 33:18.238 --> 33:22.918 In other words, the message of Solomon in this passage 33:22.918 --> 33:26.298 and throughout Ecclesiastes is if you want to really, 33:26.298 --> 33:30.998 really enjoy life, stop trying to be God, 33:32.273 --> 33:37.273 and start enjoying God and His grace. 33:40.213 --> 33:43.953 Let's bow together in an attitude of prayer. 33:48.493 --> 33:50.853 This morning you may be here and you may say, 33:50.853 --> 33:54.693 well, you know, I've tried all these things 33:54.693 --> 33:55.833 that Solomon tried. 33:55.833 --> 33:59.633 I've tried lust, I've tried money, 34:01.163 --> 34:04.203 I've tried popularity and pleasing people. 34:06.203 --> 34:09.683 I've tried work and achievement and accomplishment. 34:09.963 --> 34:11.123 I've tried all of these things. 34:11.223 --> 34:15.363 And like Solomon, you found that at the end of the day, it's like grasping the wind. 34:15.463 --> 34:17.943 It doesn't ultimately fully satisfy. 34:18.843 --> 34:20.263 You think you're going to be satisfied. 34:20.263 --> 34:25.063 You get there, and then you realize you haven't got there. 34:28.214 --> 34:34.834 The message of Ecclesiastes is to stop trying to fight the wind and start trusting in God. 34:36.834 --> 34:44.954 The Bible says that you and I are separated from God because of our sin. 34:45.174 --> 34:51.334 And that sin has kept us from having a relationship with God, which is the purpose of life. 34:51.434 --> 34:54.634 And we were made to have a relationship with God. 34:54.694 --> 34:57.494 And when that relationship is broken, we're broken. 34:58.387 --> 35:00.347 Nothing works right. 35:00.347 --> 35:02.787 Nothing works according to design. 35:04.087 --> 35:08.467 Nothing satisfies except for Him. 35:09.867 --> 35:13.207 So the Bible says God gave His only begotten Son 35:13.207 --> 35:16.587 and Jesus succeeded in every way that we have failed 35:16.587 --> 35:20.847 and He went to the cross and God put our sin upon Jesus 35:20.847 --> 35:23.347 and Jesus paid the penalty for our sin. 35:24.965 --> 35:27.865 Then the Bible says three days later he rose from the dead, 35:28.285 --> 35:34.825 proving that he is the Son of God and that his sacrifice was acceptable to the Father. 35:37.105 --> 35:42.465 The Bible says that God offers you forgiveness and grace. 35:43.565 --> 35:49.365 All you have to do is to receive it by faith. 35:51.405 --> 35:52.865 You know, that takes a lot of humility. 35:54.344 --> 35:56.304 To say, you know, I can't save myself. 35:57.424 --> 36:00.064 I can't come to God based on my goodness. 36:02.404 --> 36:06.264 I need the goodness of Jesus to save me. 36:08.244 --> 36:11.304 Here in just a moment, we're going to have an invitation. 36:11.684 --> 36:12.443 We're going to sing. 36:12.444 --> 36:13.984 There'll be people standing here at the front, 36:14.104 --> 36:16.884 and we want to invite you to come and to give your life to Christ. 36:19.164 --> 36:20.384 To say, I want... 36:21.648 --> 36:24.888 the forgiveness and the grace that God offers me in Christ. 36:25.148 --> 36:26.908 I want Jesus to be my Savior. 36:27.028 --> 36:29.708 I want Jesus to be my Lord. 36:31.188 --> 36:32.988 We want to invite you to come today. 36:33.088 --> 36:34.608 Maybe the Lord is leading you to be baptized, 36:35.008 --> 36:37.168 and we can set up a time for you to do that. 36:37.228 --> 36:39.668 Maybe the Lord is leading you to join this church family 36:39.668 --> 36:42.328 and to serve the Lord and to grow here 36:42.328 --> 36:44.668 with a band of brothers and sisters 36:44.668 --> 36:46.748 and pursuing Christ together. 36:46.748 --> 36:49.748 Or maybe... 36:51.500 --> 36:56.500 God's working on your heart at some area or some level. 36:58.940 --> 37:01.440 Maybe there's disrespect in your heart. 37:03.120 --> 37:05.480 Maybe there's rebellion towards God. 37:07.940 --> 37:12.940 Maybe you are holding on to the injustices of life 37:13.100 --> 37:17.740 and you haven't released that struggle 37:17.740 --> 37:19.200 and that pain to the Lord. 37:24.440 --> 37:27.820 Maybe you're not really enjoying the things that God has given you to enjoy 37:27.820 --> 37:30.740 because you're trying to control things that you can't control 37:30.740 --> 37:34.140 instead of trusting the Lord. 37:35.360 --> 37:36.940 This is a time where we can pray. 37:37.060 --> 37:38.580 You can come forward and pray at these steps. 37:38.720 --> 37:41.120 There will be people who want to pray with you. 37:41.800 --> 37:43.500 You can pray right where you are 37:43.500 --> 37:47.020 and ask the Lord to work on your heart 37:47.020 --> 37:49.660 to have His way and His will within you. 37:50.520 --> 37:52.820 Our Heavenly Father, thank You for this time. 37:54.798 --> 37:56.738 where we can hear from your word. 37:57.998 --> 38:03.938 Holy Spirit, I pray that you would apply your word to our hearts, 38:05.118 --> 38:10.638 that we would receive it in faith, that it would transform us and change us. 38:11.858 --> 38:18.038 Lord, that you would produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit within our life. 38:20.380 --> 38:23.880 And so, Father, I pray that if there's anyone here that doesn't know Christ, 38:23.980 --> 38:26.540 that today would be the day of their salvation, 38:26.700 --> 38:30.560 that you would open their eyes to the glory of your grace 38:30.560 --> 38:33.300 and the beauty of your love for them. 38:34.560 --> 38:36.720 Lord, that today they would be saved. 38:36.720 --> 38:39.720 Lord, lead us and guide us according to your loving kindness. 38:41.180 --> 38:42.680 May we follow you. 38:43.360 --> 38:44.660 May we love you. 38:45.240 --> 38:46.460 May we trust you. 38:47.752 --> 38:50.792 May we surrender all to you. 38:51.052 --> 38:52.292 In Christ's name we pray. 38:53.312 --> 38:55.371 Amen. 38:55.372 --> 38:56.692 Thanks for listening today. 38:56.932 --> 38:58.532 We hope you enjoyed this message. 38:58.692 --> 39:01.872 And if you did, we would be so grateful if you left us a review. 39:02.472 --> 39:04.652 Also, go ahead and subscribe to the podcast 39:04.652 --> 39:07.512 if you would like to be notified when a new sermon is released. 39:07.772 --> 39:11.252 If you feel the Lord calling you to take the next step in faith 39:11.252 --> 39:15.132 through salvation, service, or giving, don't wait. 39:15.764 --> 39:18.864 reach out to us by texting podcast to 88988. 39:19.204 --> 39:21.484 That's podcast to 88988 39:21.484 --> 39:24.424 or connect with us on one of our social media platforms. 39:25.104 --> 39:28.204 You can also visit our website, valleybaptist.org 39:28.204 --> 39:30.184 to find even more great resources. 39:30.584 --> 39:32.544 No matter where you are in your journey, 39:33.204 --> 39:34.423 know that we love you. 39:34.424 --> 39:35.504 We're praying for you 39:35.504 --> 39:38.524 and we can't wait to see what God will do in your life.