WEBVTT 00:01.516 --> 00:04.676 Welcome to the Valley Baptist Church sermon podcast. 00:04.876 --> 00:08.316 We're so glad you're here and we hope this message inspires you, 00:08.516 --> 00:12.316 builds your faith and moves you toward a deep relationship with God. 00:12.516 --> 00:16.836 Today, you'll find great insight into the Bible and learn how you can apply it 00:17.036 --> 00:20.756 straight to your life. So welcome and enjoy the message. 00:21.074 --> 00:25.194 If you have your Bible, please open it with me to Ecclesiastes chapter 8. 00:25.314 --> 00:31.314 I think it's going to be helpful for you to keep a copy of God's word open for you 00:31.314 --> 00:34.714 so you can take a look at what God has to say this morning. 00:35.637 --> 00:40.957 For eight chapters now, Solomon has been taking us on his search for significance. 00:42.017 --> 00:48.497 Solomon, the widest man in the world, has set out on a journey to discover the meaning and the purpose of life. 00:48.637 --> 00:53.417 And Ecclesiastes sort of serves as a journal of his findings. 00:54.065 --> 00:57.065 Now, his journey took him down a lot of different roads, 00:57.065 --> 00:59.705 roads of incredible wealth and fame, 00:59.705 --> 01:03.665 of parties and sensuality, of knowledge and education, 01:03.665 --> 01:08.125 but every road he went down was a dead end. 01:08.125 --> 01:10.465 Solomon tried everything under the sun 01:10.465 --> 01:13.505 and it all left him empty. 01:13.505 --> 01:17.165 His conclusion was that life under the sun 01:17.165 --> 01:20.305 without God is vanity. 01:20.407 --> 01:22.647 We pick up in chapter 8, verse 16. 01:22.807 --> 01:23.726 He says, 01:23.727 --> 01:28.067 "...when I applied my heart to know wisdom and to see the business that is done on earth, 01:28.387 --> 01:35.947 even though one sees no sleep day or night, then I saw all the works of God, that a man 01:35.947 --> 01:39.847 cannot find out the good that is done under the sun." 01:39.847 --> 01:43.547 For though a man labors to discover it, yet he will not find it. 01:43.887 --> 01:49.247 Moreover, though a wise man attempts to know it, he will not be able to find it. 01:49.247 --> 01:55.947 We see here that our knowledge as human beings is very, very limited, isn't it? 01:56.627 --> 02:00.527 Now, throughout the book, Solomon has faced some very difficult realities, 02:00.687 --> 02:06.487 realities of injustice and oppression, realities of suffering and evil. 02:06.747 --> 02:09.167 And Solomon said, I applied my heart. 02:10.238 --> 02:12.978 my whole heart to understanding everything 02:12.978 --> 02:14.558 that God is doing in the world, 02:14.558 --> 02:16.938 and I now realize that no one could figure out 02:16.938 --> 02:18.318 all that God is up to. 02:19.267 --> 02:22.827 This past week, my family was on our family ranch in Oklahoma. 02:23.207 --> 02:26.647 And one morning I was sitting with my mom in the living room there. 02:26.747 --> 02:31.827 We were overlooking the pasture with all the cows and the granite mountains were in the distance. 02:32.087 --> 02:34.367 And we were just kind of taking it all in. 02:34.427 --> 02:39.987 And then she said, isn't it amazing how whether we're here or we're somewhere else, it all just keeps going. 02:40.687 --> 02:45.007 And then she said, everything has its purpose. 02:45.007 --> 02:45.996 Right? 02:45.997 --> 02:49.617 What a simple yet profound thought. 02:49.617 --> 02:52.277 Every blade of grass, every little bug, 02:52.277 --> 02:54.437 every fish in the pond, every cow, 02:54.437 --> 02:57.997 every mountain range from the expanse of the galaxies 02:57.997 --> 03:02.597 to the smallest of atoms, God knows it all intimately. 03:02.597 --> 03:05.617 And it all has its purpose. 03:05.617 --> 03:08.177 Solomon was coming to grips with the fact 03:08.177 --> 03:12.957 that no man can know all that God is up to in a moment. 03:12.946 --> 03:17.326 Now, in April, I remember reading a short article about a new island 03:17.326 --> 03:20.586 that has just been discovered near Antarctica. 03:20.586 --> 03:25.466 And I was amazed that with all of our sophisticated technology, satellite maps, 03:25.466 --> 03:29.626 we still haven't explored the entire Earth's surface. 03:29.626 --> 03:34.166 Only about 5% of the ocean has been explored by mankind. 03:34.166 --> 03:40.966 0.001% of the deep ocean floor has been seen by us on camera. 03:41.313 --> 03:44.493 Our knowledge is very limited. 03:44.953 --> 03:48.633 And yet sometimes people think, well, if I were God, I would do this or I would do that. 03:48.753 --> 03:51.113 Listen, if you were God, we'd all be in a heap of trouble. 03:53.227 --> 03:54.247 Our knowledge is limited. 03:54.427 --> 03:56.067 Chapter 9, verse number 1, he says, 03:56.167 --> 03:59.927 For I consider all this in my heart, so that I could declare it all, 04:00.007 --> 04:04.627 that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. 04:05.267 --> 04:09.207 People know neither love nor hatred by anything they see before them. 04:09.467 --> 04:12.767 Solomon says, Our knowledge is very, very limited, but take heart, 04:13.467 --> 04:14.507 because God is sovereign. 04:15.552 --> 04:18.172 He says, all of us, including all of our works, 04:18.552 --> 04:20.652 they're in the hand of God. 04:21.172 --> 04:23.672 Earlier in the book, Solomon asked the question, 04:23.792 --> 04:25.412 he said, can anyone make straight 04:25.412 --> 04:27.912 what God has made crooked? 04:28.392 --> 04:30.472 Solomon, he keeps reminding us 04:30.472 --> 04:32.592 that one of the keys to enjoying life 04:32.592 --> 04:34.552 is to recognize that God is God. 04:35.127 --> 04:36.467 and we are not. 04:36.467 --> 04:41.127 God is sovereign, and that means that he has got everything 04:41.127 --> 04:43.027 under his control. 04:43.027 --> 04:46.967 You know, I find incredible comfort in that. 04:46.967 --> 04:50.547 I love knowing that the most painful experiences 04:50.547 --> 04:52.947 of my life have passed through the hand of God. 04:52.947 --> 04:56.487 Now, that does not mean that God's actively causing all 04:56.487 --> 04:58.787 of the painful experiences of my life, 04:58.787 --> 05:00.587 but he certainly has allowed it. 05:00.592 --> 05:04.252 Everything that comes our way is Father-filtered. 05:04.492 --> 05:05.331 And you know what? 05:05.332 --> 05:07.972 That means there's purpose behind it. 05:07.992 --> 05:09.552 Now, I may not like the purpose. 05:09.672 --> 05:11.632 I may not know what the purpose is, 05:11.732 --> 05:13.832 but I can know that there is purpose, 05:14.012 --> 05:15.092 and by faith, 05:15.695 --> 05:17.174 That's enough. 05:17.175 --> 05:19.355 Verse number two, he says, 05:19.855 --> 05:21.435 all things come alike to all. 05:22.075 --> 05:24.855 One event happens to the righteous and the wicked, 05:25.155 --> 05:27.355 to the good, the clean, and the unclean, 05:27.675 --> 05:31.595 to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. 05:31.855 --> 05:33.795 As is the good, so is the sinner. 05:34.095 --> 05:36.555 He who takes an oath is he who fears an oath. 05:37.278 --> 05:41.778 There's an evil in all that is done under the sun, that one thing happens to all. 05:42.358 --> 05:44.918 Truly, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil. 05:45.398 --> 05:49.658 Madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that, they go to the dead. 05:50.518 --> 05:54.878 Now, what's this one event that happens to us all? 05:55.840 --> 06:01.820 death, isn't it? The Bible says the soul that sins shall die. Well, we've all sinned, 06:01.820 --> 06:07.640 which means if the Lord tarries, we're all going to die. That righteous person who lived their life 06:07.640 --> 06:12.360 for the Lord is going to die just like the wicked person who lived their life all for themselves. 06:12.920 --> 06:17.980 Death is coming for us all. I read about a 06:18.908 --> 06:22.608 I read an old Arabian tale about a merchant in Baghdad 06:22.608 --> 06:24.148 who sent his servant to the market. 06:24.148 --> 06:26.728 And when the servant returned from the market, 06:26.728 --> 06:28.148 he was terrified. 06:28.148 --> 06:29.908 He said, when I was at the market, 06:29.908 --> 06:33.008 I was bumped by someone behind me in the crowd 06:33.008 --> 06:35.588 and I turned and I saw that it was death. 06:35.588 --> 06:39.248 And death made a threatening gesture towards me. 06:39.248 --> 06:42.008 And so he asked his master if he could borrow his horse 06:42.008 --> 06:44.988 so he could flee from death to Samara. 06:45.892 --> 06:47.732 And so the merchant lent him his horse. 06:47.872 --> 06:53.412 And later that day, he, the merchant, went to the market where death also was standing in the market. 06:53.512 --> 06:55.732 He saw him there, and so he approached death, and he asked, 06:56.172 --> 06:58.252 Why did you threaten my servant this morning? 06:58.992 --> 07:00.232 And he said, I didn't threaten him. 07:00.232 --> 07:06.232 I was just startled to see him in the market in Baghdad because I'm scheduled to visit him tonight in Samarra. 07:10.310 --> 07:12.330 We may ignore death. 07:12.450 --> 07:16.270 We may even try to run and hide and flee from it, 07:16.370 --> 07:18.530 but it's coming for us all. 07:18.890 --> 07:20.870 Hebrews 9, verse 27 says, 07:21.030 --> 07:23.870 as it is appointed for men to die once, 07:24.530 --> 07:25.850 but after this, the judgment. 07:25.850 --> 07:26.745 Amen. 07:26.746 --> 07:29.826 Our days are all numbered, and we don't know the number. 07:30.306 --> 07:31.285 Only God knows that. 07:31.286 --> 07:33.486 I mean, we know the number of minutes in an hour. 07:33.586 --> 07:35.166 We know the number of hours in a day, 07:35.166 --> 07:38.346 but no man knows the number of days in a lifetime. 07:38.926 --> 07:40.886 And so because we don't know that, 07:40.966 --> 07:43.686 sometimes we live as if we're never going to die. 07:44.166 --> 07:45.806 I mean, we've never experienced that before, 07:45.906 --> 07:49.086 and so we just kind of ignore that it's coming. 07:49.566 --> 07:52.726 And Solomon says that is a foolish way to live 07:52.726 --> 07:55.166 because you're ignoring reality, right? 07:55.467 --> 07:56.847 Death is coming for us all. 07:57.367 --> 08:00.207 If you're not ready for it, it's going to wreck you. 08:01.207 --> 08:04.867 I've done a lot of funerals in my ministry, 08:04.867 --> 08:08.367 and it's amazing how families grieve so differently 08:08.367 --> 08:11.187 based on whether they know Jesus as their Savior or not. 08:12.147 --> 08:15.207 Now, every family certainly grieves, even Christian families, 08:15.287 --> 08:16.807 they grieve the loss of their loved ones. 08:16.867 --> 08:19.287 But while Christians grieve with a sense of hope, 08:19.827 --> 08:25.167 those who don't know the Lord, their grief is often uncontrollable anguish. 08:25.302 --> 08:27.442 It's different, it's hard to watch, 08:27.442 --> 08:29.442 it's hard to be in the same room with them 08:29.442 --> 08:31.742 because there's no hope, they've lost everything. 08:31.742 --> 08:34.522 It's this deep sense of anguish, why? 08:34.522 --> 08:36.822 Because they know the person who died 08:36.822 --> 08:38.942 was not prepared to die. 08:38.942 --> 08:43.142 And their hearts are full of anguish and it haunts them. 08:43.142 --> 08:46.322 If you're ignoring death, you're playing the fool. 08:46.322 --> 08:48.622 Others though, instead of ignoring death, 08:49.383 --> 08:50.903 They're paralyzed by death. 08:50.903 --> 08:52.683 They live defeated lives because they think, 08:52.683 --> 08:56.043 well, I'm gonna die someday, and when is it going to happen? 08:56.043 --> 08:59.143 It's all gonna be over, so what's the point? 08:59.143 --> 09:00.623 Verse number four, Solomon says, 09:00.623 --> 09:02.843 that's an unnecessary way to live. 09:02.843 --> 09:03.682 Look what he says, he says, 09:03.683 --> 09:07.683 but for him who is joined to all the living, there is hope. 09:07.683 --> 09:10.523 For a living dog is better than a dead lion. 09:10.523 --> 09:12.583 For the living know that they will die, 09:12.583 --> 09:14.423 but the dead know nothing. 09:14.423 --> 09:16.043 And they have no more reward, 09:16.043 --> 09:17.823 for the memory of them is forgotten. 09:17.817 --> 09:21.217 Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished. 09:21.997 --> 09:25.777 Nevermore will they have a share in anything that's done under the sun. 09:26.057 --> 09:30.897 We see here that there is hope for those of us who are still alive, right? 09:31.657 --> 09:34.337 Ever heard the saying, where there's life, there's hope? 09:34.337 --> 09:38.537 Well, that came right out of Ecclesiastes 9, verse 4, I can tell you. 09:39.417 --> 09:44.757 Solomon, he says a living dog is better than a dead lion. 09:45.397 --> 09:54.497 Now, a dog in biblical times was a detested animal, but on the other hand, the lion, it's a respected animal, right? 09:54.517 --> 09:55.777 It's king of the jungle. 09:55.777 --> 10:01.617 So Solomon's saying even if your life seems detestable to you, if you're still alive, there's still hope for you. 10:03.110 --> 10:07.190 Now, our hope is only as good as the reality we place it in, right? 10:07.610 --> 10:11.910 And as Christians, our hope is in Jesus Christ, the source of all reality. 10:12.530 --> 10:16.350 Now, in verse number five, Solomon's making not a theological point. 10:16.470 --> 10:20.790 He is making a poetic point, an under the sun point. 10:21.390 --> 10:24.330 If you're dead, there's no more life for you to live. 10:24.670 --> 10:25.710 Things are over for you. 10:25.710 --> 10:31.950 But if you're alive, you not only have time to prepare for death, you also have time to enjoy life. 10:31.949 --> 10:35.169 You have time to enjoy the life that God has given you. 10:35.869 --> 10:39.129 Now, in verse number seven, Solomon transitions to some application. 10:39.309 --> 10:40.969 He's been saying death is a certainty. 10:41.229 --> 10:42.369 It's coming for us all. 10:42.469 --> 10:45.949 Now he says, in the meantime, here's how you live. 10:45.949 --> 10:46.949 Verse seven. 10:48.009 --> 10:49.177 Go. 10:49.178 --> 10:52.898 Eat your bread with joy and drink your wine with a merry heart, 10:53.038 --> 10:55.658 for God has already accepted your works. 10:55.918 --> 11:00.398 Let your garments always be white and let your head lack no oil. 11:00.478 --> 11:01.518 Here's what Solomon is saying. 11:01.578 --> 11:04.598 He said, live with joy. 11:04.598 --> 11:05.479 Live with joy. 11:05.480 --> 11:07.720 You're dying, in the meantime, live with joy. 11:08.100 --> 11:11.360 Now, joy is very different than happiness. 11:12.160 --> 11:14.920 Happiness is connected to the happenstance of life, 11:15.020 --> 11:16.300 the circumstances of life. 11:16.840 --> 11:19.060 And if bad things happen, I'm sad. 11:19.160 --> 11:21.580 If good things happen, I'm happy. 11:22.080 --> 11:23.620 That's not how joy works. 11:24.240 --> 11:26.280 Joy is much deeper than that. 11:26.340 --> 11:28.680 It does not come from our circumstances without, 11:28.680 --> 11:31.040 it comes from the Lord within. 11:32.075 --> 11:38.895 Like Pastor Matt illustrated last week when a hurricane is tossing the waves back and forth on the surface of the sea. 11:38.995 --> 11:44.475 Deep down on the ocean floor, there's a little crab walking along in peace, undeterred by the storm. 11:45.235 --> 11:48.475 That can be you and I as Christians in the midst of the storms of life. 11:48.475 --> 11:54.375 We can have a true sense of joy and peace down deep because joy and peace is an inside job. 11:55.565 --> 12:00.865 Now, it's important to recognize we cannot muster up that joy on our own. 12:01.205 --> 12:03.305 Joy is a gift from God. 12:03.505 --> 12:07.125 Just like all the fruit of the Spirit, joy is a gift from the Lord. 12:07.245 --> 12:09.765 But simultaneously, it's a choice by man. 12:10.505 --> 12:13.305 Unless God gives you joy, you're not going to have joy. 12:13.585 --> 12:16.945 But unless you choose joy, you're not going to have joy. 12:18.211 --> 12:22.071 As I was working on this part of my message, 12:22.071 --> 12:26.091 Thursday morning, joyfully writing about choosing joy, 12:26.091 --> 12:29.591 my computer glitched and I got kicked off my notes. 12:29.591 --> 12:31.011 I couldn't get back on it. 12:31.011 --> 12:32.991 I tried everything I knew how to do. 12:32.991 --> 12:35.631 I was immediately frustrated because I was on a roll. 12:35.631 --> 12:37.591 I was about to knock this thing out. 12:38.531 --> 12:42.011 And then in a moment, it was as if God said, 12:42.011 --> 12:44.171 "'I'm testing you to see if you'll practice 12:44.171 --> 12:45.811 "'what you're gonna preach.'" 12:48.147 --> 12:51.087 So I called our IT team, Tim came over, 12:51.087 --> 12:54.307 and as he was trying to resurrect my document, 12:54.307 --> 12:55.947 I went down the hall to Ben Krupla 12:55.947 --> 13:00.227 to see how his new role was going on our team. 13:00.227 --> 13:01.507 And you know what? 13:01.507 --> 13:04.387 I maintained joy throughout the whole morning. 13:04.387 --> 13:05.587 Why? 13:05.587 --> 13:07.087 Because I chose joy. 13:07.537 --> 13:11.817 You see, joy is connected to the posture of one's heart. 13:12.077 --> 13:13.256 It's a mindset. 13:13.257 --> 13:17.557 It's an attitude that God gives us through his son, that God gives us through his spirit, 13:17.697 --> 13:19.077 and that we also choose. 13:19.897 --> 13:23.677 Solomon is saying, enjoy the life that God has given you. 13:24.017 --> 13:27.417 Enjoy the little things in life, like eating and drinking. 13:27.977 --> 13:34.777 Now, it's amazing how often the Bible tells us to enjoy our food, right? 13:35.330 --> 13:42.990 And enjoying my food is one of those commands in the Bible that I regularly look forward to obeying multiple times a day, right? 13:44.830 --> 13:48.830 I actually went through a long season of life where I didn't enjoy my meals. 13:48.830 --> 13:53.610 Through the years, I've developed a lot of food allergies and intolerances. 13:53.850 --> 13:55.250 I cannot have corn. 13:55.730 --> 13:57.190 I can't have most nuts. 13:57.350 --> 14:01.770 I realize I don't feel very good when I have breads with gluten. 14:02.170 --> 14:06.950 And so now you may not think corn's that big of a deal to have an allergy to, 14:07.030 --> 14:08.970 but corn is like in everything. 14:09.210 --> 14:10.395 Read your labels. 14:10.396 --> 14:12.376 It's an everything process just about. 14:12.376 --> 14:15.716 And so when you combine the two, no corn and no gluten, 14:15.716 --> 14:17.816 I'm pretty limited on what I can eat. 14:17.816 --> 14:19.476 And so there was a long season of my life 14:19.476 --> 14:22.516 where nearly every meal I was discouraged 14:22.516 --> 14:24.496 that I couldn't eat what I wanted to eat. 14:24.496 --> 14:27.856 Everyone around me is having these amazing things, 14:27.856 --> 14:30.536 things like tacos with tortillas, 14:30.536 --> 14:34.856 things like burgers with buns, cold Dr. Pepper, 14:34.856 --> 14:36.736 can't have that, corn syrup. 14:37.345 --> 14:38.805 I can't have any of these things. 14:38.865 --> 14:41.625 So I was discouraged, but eventually I realized 14:41.625 --> 14:44.505 that's kind of a miserable way to live. 14:45.405 --> 14:47.045 And so what I did is I learned to focus 14:47.045 --> 14:48.785 on what I do get to eat. 14:49.428 --> 14:53.088 And now I enjoy my food more than ever before 14:53.088 --> 14:55.688 because I know it's a gift from God. 14:55.688 --> 14:59.528 My meals are full of amazing things like meat and potatoes, 14:59.528 --> 15:01.148 like beans and rice, right? 15:01.148 --> 15:03.948 Like eggs and cheese, fruits and vegetables. 15:03.948 --> 15:08.768 And you know, I still get to eat my favorite food group, 15:08.768 --> 15:11.467 steak. 15:11.468 --> 15:13.388 Praise God I'm not allergic to that. 15:13.388 --> 15:15.528 In fact, I praise him and thank him regularly. 15:15.528 --> 15:16.588 I'm not allergic to that. 15:18.031 --> 15:19.471 I told Kelsey the other day, I said, 15:19.471 --> 15:21.871 when our kids move out of the house, 15:21.871 --> 15:23.711 we've got four teenagers we're trying to feed, 15:23.711 --> 15:24.771 it costs a lot of money. 15:24.771 --> 15:25.730 I said, when they move out, 15:25.731 --> 15:28.471 let's keep our grocery budget exactly the same 15:28.471 --> 15:31.491 and we'll shift all that extra money to steak. 15:32.611 --> 15:34.731 That's what I want to spend my extra money on, 15:34.731 --> 15:36.731 enjoying a whole lot of steak. 15:36.731 --> 15:38.431 I think it's biblical, right? 15:38.431 --> 15:40.491 Enjoy your food, he says. 15:42.179 --> 15:45.519 Now Solomon also says, let your garments always be white. 15:45.519 --> 15:48.679 Let your head be anointed with oil. 15:48.679 --> 15:51.959 In biblical times, white garments were worn to a party. 15:51.959 --> 15:53.439 So Solomon, I think is saying, 15:53.439 --> 15:56.439 treat every day like it's a party. 15:56.439 --> 15:59.239 Have fun, enjoy your life. 15:59.239 --> 16:02.199 If you're working out, have a good time exercising. 16:02.199 --> 16:03.759 If you're on kid duty, 16:03.759 --> 16:05.539 have fun playing with those little guys. 16:05.539 --> 16:08.239 If you're driving down the road, enjoy your road trip. 16:09.379 --> 16:11.719 You know who does this better than anyone that I know? 16:12.790 --> 16:17.070 My wife, Kelsey, is actually the main thing that attracted me to her. 16:17.210 --> 16:18.650 She keeps my life fun. 16:18.730 --> 16:23.990 In fact, she says that sometimes I'm boring and that it's her job to bring fun into my life. 16:24.810 --> 16:27.010 She actually does a really good job of it, right? 16:27.010 --> 16:28.350 Verse number nine. 16:28.754 --> 16:32.834 He says, live joyfully with the wife whom you love 16:32.834 --> 16:34.874 all the days of your vain life 16:34.874 --> 16:36.254 which he has given you under the sun. 16:36.454 --> 16:39.214 All your days of vanity for this is your portion in life 16:39.214 --> 16:41.694 and in the labor which you perform under the sun. 16:41.974 --> 16:44.394 Solomon is saying here, not only live with joy, 16:44.474 --> 16:46.534 he's also saying live with love. 16:47.418 --> 16:52.418 Relationally, Solomon moves from enjoying our food 16:52.518 --> 16:54.998 and our dress, the simple things of life, 16:54.998 --> 16:57.818 to enjoying our most valued relationships 16:57.818 --> 17:00.918 that we have, specifically our spouse. 17:02.058 --> 17:04.858 Now remember, I think that Solomon's writing Ecclesiastes 17:04.858 --> 17:07.558 as an old man and he's filled with a lot of regrets. 17:08.090 --> 17:12.830 Instead of enjoying the wife of his youth all the days of his life, he traded love for lust. 17:13.210 --> 17:17.530 He had a thousand wives and concubines, and he's telling us, please learn from my mistake. 17:18.270 --> 17:23.550 Find a spouse and enjoy the love that you have one for another. 17:24.890 --> 17:26.170 That's a choice, isn't it? 17:26.922 --> 17:28.882 I love the marriage motto that says, 17:28.882 --> 17:33.062 choose your love and then love your choice. 17:33.062 --> 17:36.902 Every day we make a choice of whether or not 17:36.902 --> 17:39.902 we're going to love and enjoy our spouse. 17:39.902 --> 17:43.062 And that choice really has to do 17:43.062 --> 17:46.902 with what we choose to focus on, right? 17:46.902 --> 17:50.202 I mean, every wife in the room has some things 17:50.202 --> 17:52.142 about her husband she doesn't enjoy, 17:52.142 --> 17:54.102 things that irritate her. 17:54.108 --> 17:58.088 And every husband in the room has some things he doesn't enjoy about his wife, 17:58.208 --> 17:59.828 things that irritate him. 17:59.968 --> 18:03.628 And yet I know of a bunch of amazing marriages in our room. 18:04.748 --> 18:11.808 A great marriage develops in part when we choose to focus on things we like about our spouse 18:11.808 --> 18:15.188 instead of things that irritate us about our spouse. 18:16.468 --> 18:21.608 You know, the reason so many people, I think, are miserable in their marriage 18:21.608 --> 18:23.188 is because they're thinking about themselves. 18:24.348 --> 18:28.388 They think that their spouse is there to make them happy. 18:28.468 --> 18:31.688 And so if you're not happy, you're thinking, well, my unhappiness is their fault. 18:31.748 --> 18:32.808 They're supposed to make me happy. 18:33.488 --> 18:40.148 Listen, the best husband in the world, the best wife in the world is not capable of bringing you joy and contentment. 18:40.388 --> 18:41.688 Only the Lord can do that. 18:42.408 --> 18:45.428 God did not design them to fulfill your deepest needs. 18:45.428 --> 18:51.728 So stop setting your relationship up for failure by expecting something that's unrealistic. 18:52.985 --> 18:54.825 Now, the question becomes how, right? 18:54.985 --> 18:58.145 How do we start enjoying our spouse more? 18:58.265 --> 19:00.205 Well, I think one of the starting places 19:00.205 --> 19:04.305 is to stop thinking about how you need to be loved 19:04.305 --> 19:07.605 and to start thinking about how you can love. 19:08.695 --> 19:11.115 When you make that shift within your mind, 19:11.115 --> 19:12.435 and it's a conscious shift, 19:12.435 --> 19:15.175 it is a decision that you will make. 19:15.175 --> 19:18.555 When you decide to embrace God's calling upon your life 19:18.555 --> 19:20.935 as a Christian of unconditional love, 19:20.935 --> 19:22.495 when you do that, 19:22.495 --> 19:25.195 that's when life really begins to blossom. 19:25.195 --> 19:28.235 That's when your marriage will begin to blossom. 19:28.235 --> 19:30.875 You'll be able to enjoy the wife of your youth 19:30.875 --> 19:32.075 all the days of your life 19:32.075 --> 19:34.655 because you've decided to love her every day 19:34.655 --> 19:36.115 whether she deserves it or not. 19:37.585 --> 19:44.905 Now, I think this extends beyond the marriage relationship into all the relationships of life that we are to love. 19:45.405 --> 19:51.425 I have got a list of people in my mind who I have consciously decided to love. 19:52.405 --> 19:53.444 Now, why would I do that? 19:53.445 --> 19:56.165 Well, it's because they're not easy for me to love. 19:57.160 --> 20:03.720 And so I've decided I'm going to love this person even though they may never return my love. 20:03.900 --> 20:07.700 The history shows they're not ever going to return it, but I'm going to give it to them anyway. 20:07.880 --> 20:08.499 And you know what? 20:08.500 --> 20:11.240 That allows me to enjoy those interactions with them. 20:11.300 --> 20:11.659 Why? 20:11.660 --> 20:14.640 Because my goal is not to get something from them. 20:14.720 --> 20:16.900 My goal is to give something to them. 20:17.444 --> 20:19.404 Love God's love. 20:19.704 --> 20:22.664 And that gives me joy as a Christian. 20:23.104 --> 20:25.024 So Solomon says, live your life with joy. 20:25.504 --> 20:26.243 Live with love. 20:26.244 --> 20:29.084 And the last thing he says is live with some passion. 20:29.744 --> 20:35.284 He says in verse number 10, whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might. 20:35.284 --> 20:40.084 For there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you're going. 20:40.524 --> 20:42.964 Solomon says, life is very short. 20:43.651 --> 20:48.751 So enjoy it, love it, and live with some passion. 20:49.131 --> 20:52.631 Whatever you do, do it with all you've got. 20:53.711 --> 20:59.551 Now Solomon specifically in this context is talking about being passionate at work, right? 20:59.551 --> 21:04.911 I read that a man or a woman who is about 50 years old, 21:05.471 --> 21:11.611 who's worked consistently since they got out of school, has worked about 56,000 hours. 21:12.371 --> 21:13.451 That's a lot of work. 21:14.414 --> 21:17.754 Sometimes, though, people spend a lifetime at a job that they hate. 21:18.514 --> 21:19.534 They're bored by it. 21:19.594 --> 21:20.353 They're miserable. 21:20.354 --> 21:22.754 They don't believe in the purpose of it. 21:23.054 --> 21:24.614 And so they just kind of show up. 21:24.674 --> 21:25.734 They just kind of go through the motions. 21:25.954 --> 21:27.494 That's no way to live life. 21:27.774 --> 21:33.294 Find a job that you're passionate about, that you believe in, and do it with all your might. 21:34.154 --> 21:36.654 Now, I think we desperately need to teach this to our kids. 21:37.465 --> 21:40.705 As parents, coaches, teachers, we've got to teach this. 21:40.705 --> 21:44.745 So let me ask you, in sports or in athletics or a school, 21:44.745 --> 21:49.145 whatever it might be, what do you praise your kids for? 21:49.145 --> 21:52.045 Do you praise them for their talent and their performance, 21:52.045 --> 21:56.445 or do you praise them for their character and their effort? 21:56.445 --> 21:58.645 Because whether you realize it or not, 21:58.645 --> 22:04.285 your praise of them is shaping their values. 22:04.285 --> 22:05.485 What's important? 22:05.731 --> 22:07.151 What is important in life? 22:07.151 --> 22:09.351 Your praise is telling them what's important. 22:09.351 --> 22:12.131 It's very important that we praise our kids' character 22:12.131 --> 22:14.831 and their effort, their passion. 22:14.831 --> 22:18.371 Passion is a very important thing in life. 22:18.371 --> 22:20.211 It's very hard to define, 22:20.211 --> 22:23.791 but we know it when we see it, right? 22:23.791 --> 22:25.911 It comes from this deep place within a person 22:25.911 --> 22:28.371 and then it kind of oozes out of them. 22:28.371 --> 22:31.171 Now, the good thing about passion is it can be caught. 22:31.786 --> 22:34.666 It's not often taught, but it is caught. 22:34.666 --> 22:37.686 I mean, you cannot command a person to have passion, 22:37.686 --> 22:38.866 but you can give it to them. 22:38.866 --> 22:40.906 You can spread it to them, right? 22:40.906 --> 22:42.206 It's kind of contagious. 22:42.206 --> 22:44.366 And that's certainly the case 22:44.366 --> 22:47.686 with our relationship with Jesus. 22:47.686 --> 22:51.026 Nothing should bring us more passion in life 22:51.026 --> 22:52.466 than our relationship. 22:52.778 --> 22:56.118 with Jesus. 1 Corinthians 10, verse 31 says, 22:56.118 --> 23:00.378 therefore, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, 23:00.378 --> 23:02.778 do all to the glory of God. 23:03.718 --> 23:05.198 That means whatever we do in life, 23:05.198 --> 23:08.678 it should be done passionately for the glory of God. 23:08.678 --> 23:11.718 So that's what I try to do in my life. 23:11.718 --> 23:18.018 Work hard for God, play hard for God, rest well for God. 23:18.952 --> 23:21.812 I've told you this before about my habit on Sunday afternoons. 23:21.892 --> 23:24.992 I love to lay down and take a Sunday afternoon nap. 23:26.152 --> 23:30.272 Well, the other day, Desi Claffey, who sings in our choir, told Kelsey, 23:30.392 --> 23:33.812 she said, on Sundays after church, I lay before the Lord. 23:34.532 --> 23:35.631 I like that. 23:35.632 --> 23:36.832 I'm still in that, right? 23:37.032 --> 23:39.832 That's living life with passion, with purpose. 23:39.832 --> 23:42.492 I want to take a nap for the glory of God, right? 23:42.732 --> 23:44.550 Right? 23:44.551 --> 23:45.991 We should be passionate people. 23:46.151 --> 23:48.611 Now, passion, let me caution this. 23:49.011 --> 23:51.071 Passion does not always mean rah-rah. 23:51.911 --> 23:53.491 God has made us all differently. 23:53.611 --> 23:55.591 We have different personalities and wirings. 23:55.911 --> 23:58.671 Sometimes the most quiet and unassuming people 23:58.671 --> 24:00.891 are the most passionate people in all the world. 24:01.111 --> 24:02.710 Here's what I'm saying. 24:02.711 --> 24:06.231 Don't live a life of boredom on autopilot, 24:06.331 --> 24:07.831 just kind of coasting through life, 24:08.091 --> 24:10.071 endless scrolling, mindless entertainment. 24:10.071 --> 24:13.471 Live life with passion for the Lord. 24:13.831 --> 24:15.921 Why? 24:15.922 --> 24:17.881 Because life is short. 24:17.882 --> 24:19.002 It's really short. 24:20.262 --> 24:24.822 Now remember, Solomon is writing and talking about life under the sun. 24:25.962 --> 24:28.982 What about life beyond the sun? 24:30.062 --> 24:34.002 Because for the believer, for you and I, death is not the end. 24:34.042 --> 24:36.782 And that's actually what allows us to enjoy life. 24:36.962 --> 24:38.922 Because we know that there's eternal purpose. 24:40.171 --> 24:43.571 Solomon has been describing his life under the sun, 24:43.571 --> 24:46.271 his journey in life and how every path he went down, 24:46.271 --> 24:47.911 he went down a lot of paths. 24:47.911 --> 24:51.611 He said every path was a dead end, literally a dead end. 24:51.611 --> 24:53.391 Yes, what he said throughout the book, 24:53.391 --> 24:55.251 that life without God is meaningless, why? 24:55.251 --> 24:57.351 We're all gonna die and it's gonna end. 24:58.751 --> 25:01.491 For the Christian, for you and I who have trusted Christ, 25:01.491 --> 25:04.371 our journey of life does not lead to a dead end. 25:04.371 --> 25:05.391 No, no, no, no, why? 25:06.331 --> 25:08.471 Well, because sin has been paid for 25:08.471 --> 25:09.751 and death has been defeated. 25:09.888 --> 25:12.568 Jesus accomplished that on the cross and through the resurrection. 25:12.808 --> 25:16.568 We know that God offers us resurrection life, eternal life. 25:17.408 --> 25:22.868 Death for you and I is simply a transition point to eternal life in heaven. 25:23.828 --> 25:27.248 Revelation chapter 21, speaking of heaven, says in verse number four, 25:27.248 --> 25:30.248 and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. 25:30.868 --> 25:34.428 There should be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. 25:34.768 --> 25:39.508 There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. 25:40.803 --> 25:43.483 Listen, eternity changes everything, doesn't it? 25:44.503 --> 25:48.783 Eternal life gives us a perspective that changes everything. 25:50.423 --> 25:55.623 In April, our church hosted world-renowned Christian apologist J. Warner Wallace. 25:55.883 --> 25:58.323 And if you weren't here, it was kind of a packed house, 25:58.443 --> 26:01.803 but if you weren't here, I highly recommend go to our YouTube page, 26:01.903 --> 26:03.263 find that apologetics conference. 26:03.363 --> 26:05.102 It was outstanding. 26:05.103 --> 26:06.583 While Wallace was... 26:07.229 --> 26:08.789 discussing the problem of evil, 26:08.909 --> 26:12.929 he pointed out that atheists view the timeline of life 26:12.929 --> 26:15.449 as a line segment, right? 26:15.729 --> 26:17.648 A line segment. 26:17.649 --> 26:20.149 You've got a starting point of birth 26:20.149 --> 26:23.489 and you've got death at the end. 26:24.009 --> 26:26.949 And in between, you've got sin and suffering 26:26.949 --> 26:31.369 and evil and oppression and all of these horrible things. 26:31.929 --> 26:35.529 This is life under the sun, as Solomon described it. 26:36.558 --> 26:43.758 But then Wallace reminded us that the geometry actually changes when we start describing the Christian worldview. 26:44.558 --> 26:52.558 You see, a line segment has a beginning point and an end point, but a ray, it has a beginning point that continues in to infinity. 26:53.198 --> 26:57.638 Christians, you and I, we view life as a ray, right? 26:57.818 --> 27:01.638 There's a beginning point of birth, and you may not be able to read those words. 27:01.634 --> 27:03.594 words underneath there, but it's birth, 27:03.594 --> 27:05.474 and then quickly followed, death. 27:05.474 --> 27:07.274 And then you've got this eternal life 27:07.274 --> 27:09.234 that extends for you and I. 27:09.234 --> 27:12.554 Now, the further we live into eternity, 27:12.554 --> 27:16.014 the shorter that gap between birth and death 27:16.014 --> 27:19.074 is going to be on our graphic, right? 27:19.074 --> 27:21.274 Where eventually, in light of eternity, 27:21.274 --> 27:25.814 this current life, filled with evil and suffering and death, 27:25.814 --> 27:30.014 is just a millisecond compared to eternal life. 27:30.406 --> 27:33.406 Now, the Bible says that that millisecond, 27:33.406 --> 27:36.626 that brief life, that life is like a vapor, 27:36.626 --> 27:39.066 it's here for a moment and then it's gone. 27:39.066 --> 27:43.286 That brief life, it echoes into eternity. 27:43.286 --> 27:45.026 It matters a lot, doesn't it? 27:46.326 --> 27:48.726 Now, you may not agree with that. 27:48.726 --> 27:50.546 You may not like that, 27:50.546 --> 27:53.026 but Solomon has made clear throughout his book, 27:53.026 --> 27:54.306 you're not God. 27:54.306 --> 27:56.486 You don't get to decide, He does. 27:57.305 --> 28:04.005 Jesus said, what good is it if a man gains the entire world and yet he loses his own soul? 28:05.645 --> 28:10.405 Solomon has told us today that our knowledge is very, very limited. 28:10.525 --> 28:11.804 But don't worry. 28:11.805 --> 28:13.664 God is sovereign. 28:13.665 --> 28:16.285 Yes, you are going to die. 28:16.365 --> 28:17.504 We're all going to die. 28:17.505 --> 28:21.545 But since you're listening to this message and you haven't died, you're still alive. 28:21.805 --> 28:23.125 There's hope for you. 28:24.005 --> 28:25.604 You know what? 28:25.605 --> 28:27.712 There is. 28:27.713 --> 28:30.072 God loves you. 28:30.073 --> 28:32.793 He loves you more than anyone's ever loved you before. 28:32.913 --> 28:34.493 He loves you with an infinite love. 28:34.653 --> 28:39.813 And no matter what you've done, all of your failures, all of your guilt that weighs upon you, 28:39.873 --> 28:43.473 the way you've treated people, the way that you have rebelled against him, 28:43.533 --> 28:48.933 all of that you feel, but he still loves you so much that he sent his only son, Jesus. 28:49.887 --> 28:51.587 to die on the cross for your sins, 28:52.027 --> 28:54.347 so that you could have forgiveness 28:54.347 --> 28:57.187 and experience his love and his grace 28:57.187 --> 28:59.767 if you give your life to Jesus. 29:00.767 --> 29:02.827 You see, you could trust Jesus as your savior 29:02.827 --> 29:05.767 and be given eternal life. 29:06.827 --> 29:10.227 Now, those of us who have already done that, 29:10.967 --> 29:13.967 we've already experienced the forgiveness of God in our life, 29:13.967 --> 29:16.447 the life, abundant life that he offers 29:16.447 --> 29:18.187 and the eternal life that he offers. 29:19.233 --> 29:23.933 God wants us to live in a way that honors him in the meantime. 29:24.933 --> 29:26.173 We're all going to die. 29:26.773 --> 29:28.612 We're going to go to heaven. 29:28.613 --> 29:31.533 But in the meantime, live with joy. 29:33.133 --> 29:35.153 Live with love for one another. 29:36.293 --> 29:37.573 Live with some passion. 29:39.033 --> 29:43.413 Let's bow together in an attitude of prayer, if you will, both here and at Olive Drive. 29:47.033 --> 29:48.873 I want to invite you right now. 29:54.417 --> 29:57.097 to meet God by faith 29:57.097 --> 29:59.677 and to experience his love and his grace 30:01.297 --> 30:03.277 by trusting Jesus as your savior. 30:06.017 --> 30:09.977 Maybe you came today or you started tuning in today 30:09.977 --> 30:12.877 with no thought that your eternity 30:14.277 --> 30:16.917 would be changed in this moment, 30:16.917 --> 30:18.517 but God's speaking to you today 30:18.517 --> 30:20.837 in a way that's clearer than ever before. 30:22.337 --> 30:24.057 And you recognize your own sin 30:25.315 --> 30:27.174 You feel the weight of it. 30:27.175 --> 30:30.975 You feel the distance that that sin has caused between you and the Lord. 30:32.755 --> 30:39.195 And yet, you're understanding and believing that God loves you 30:39.195 --> 30:42.955 and sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for your sins. 30:45.397 --> 30:48.157 And that through faith in him, you can be forgiven. 30:49.337 --> 30:54.797 And you can be restored and reconnected to a real, genuine relationship with God 30:54.797 --> 30:58.477 so that from the inside out, he can bring transformation to your heart. 30:59.177 --> 31:02.277 He can touch the deep places of your soul that have felt empty, 31:02.417 --> 31:05.757 and he can fill them with his love, his joy, his peace. 31:09.275 --> 31:15.215 I want to invite you to get to know God today, to trust his son, Jesus. 31:15.375 --> 31:16.675 In just a moment, I'm going to pray. 31:18.175 --> 31:20.855 And after I pray, we're going to stand to our feet at both campuses. 31:21.095 --> 31:22.835 There's going to be pastors and leaders here at the front, 31:22.895 --> 31:26.295 and we're just going to invite you to step out from wherever you're at. 31:27.435 --> 31:32.515 That might feel intimidating, but so many of us have walked the same aisle. 31:35.448 --> 31:38.848 For you just to step out and take one of these leaders by the hand and say, 31:38.928 --> 31:40.208 I want to give my life to Jesus. 31:40.708 --> 31:42.587 It's time. 31:42.588 --> 31:46.308 I want to experience what God has in store for me. 31:46.628 --> 31:47.668 Then you do that. 31:48.128 --> 31:49.868 We're going to have pastors and leaders here. 31:50.048 --> 31:52.068 They're not going to embarrass you in any way. 31:52.128 --> 31:54.808 They're not going to ask you a question you don't know how to answer. 31:55.968 --> 31:58.988 They're going to meet you where you are, just as God's going to meet you where you are, 31:58.988 --> 32:02.008 and then they're going to help you take the next step of trusting him. 32:04.000 --> 32:06.540 Maybe you say, I want to be baptized like others today. 32:06.700 --> 32:07.719 And you let us know. 32:07.720 --> 32:11.440 We'd love to visit you with you about the meaning of baptism, why it's important, 32:12.360 --> 32:15.280 how you can make known and public your faith in Jesus. 32:16.160 --> 32:19.780 Maybe you say, I want to be a family member here at Valley. 32:20.977 --> 32:22.437 I'm part of the family of God. 32:22.537 --> 32:25.057 I've trusted Jesus, but I want to be a part of this family. 32:25.117 --> 32:29.377 I want to be a member here of this local church family. 32:29.537 --> 32:33.837 We would love to visit with you about what that means and how you can do that. 32:34.157 --> 32:35.056 You come and let us know. 32:35.057 --> 32:36.797 Maybe you just want to come in for prayer. 32:37.777 --> 32:41.857 Just say, you know what, I'm going through this or I'm going through that or I'm just, I'm not. 32:43.589 --> 32:46.169 I'm not experiencing God like I should. 32:46.309 --> 32:47.549 I've walked away from him. 32:47.569 --> 32:51.349 Or whatever it might be that you're facing, you just want one of our leaders to pray for you. 32:51.429 --> 32:52.589 We would love to pray for you. 32:53.949 --> 32:59.169 Maybe you don't need to talk with any person here except for God. 32:59.549 --> 33:04.049 These steps are open for you to kneel and pray, do business with him. 33:04.709 --> 33:07.089 However God leads, please come in just a moment. 33:07.189 --> 33:07.508 Let's pray. 33:07.509 --> 33:11.989 Father, thank you for loving us with a perfect love. 33:13.576 --> 33:21.296 Thank you, Lord, that the mess that we have made of life through our sin, the mess that causes death, 33:22.776 --> 33:29.056 you came to fix, to clean up through your son Jesus. 33:29.736 --> 33:31.456 And we thank you, Lord, for your patience. 33:31.616 --> 33:36.736 Sometimes we're frustrated by what seems to be the lack of justice in the world. 33:36.736 --> 33:37.841 Amen. 33:37.842 --> 33:41.122 We want justice, Lord, but we're also grateful 33:41.122 --> 33:44.462 that you've been patient in extending your justice 33:44.462 --> 33:46.962 because, Lord, we would be judged as well. 33:48.342 --> 33:50.802 And so, Lord, we're just grateful that you're waiting 33:50.802 --> 33:53.362 for more people to come to faith in you 33:53.362 --> 33:57.122 until you return and make all things new 33:57.122 --> 33:58.462 and all things right. 33:59.602 --> 34:04.242 Until that day, Lord, we await what you do in our lives 34:04.242 --> 34:07.462 and we ask you to do a special work today in our midst 34:08.858 --> 34:16.198 First of all, I ask you, Lord, to really just open the eyes of people that have had their eyes closed to you. 34:17.598 --> 34:19.738 And that you would soften their heart. 34:19.818 --> 34:21.818 Maybe they've gone through some stuff. 34:22.778 --> 34:24.718 Some really, really bad stuff. 34:25.418 --> 34:34.698 And over time, whether that's some of their own failures or other people's failures on their life, it's resulted in their heart hardening. 34:35.605 --> 34:36.945 And they haven't been open to you. 34:37.225 --> 34:40.885 I pray, Lord, that they would have an open heart and an open mind today. 34:41.805 --> 34:43.225 And they would receive you. 34:44.145 --> 34:47.305 Please, Lord, by your spirit, would you touch them in a deep place? 34:48.185 --> 34:53.745 Would you do that which I've been unable to do by my own words and my own study and my own preparation? 34:53.945 --> 34:56.645 Lord, would you take your word that you gave us? 34:56.645 --> 35:00.965 And would you impart it to us? 35:02.943 --> 35:05.543 Lord, I pray that you touch people and give them life. 35:06.483 --> 35:07.402 Help them believe. 35:07.403 --> 35:10.743 Give them the courage that's going to take the step out and come and give their lives to you. 35:11.463 --> 35:16.623 Lord, I also pray for our church family and everyone who already knows you as Savior. 35:16.823 --> 35:18.872 We're your children. 35:18.873 --> 35:25.153 Lord, help us live as your children in the meantime before we die and go to be with you. 35:25.693 --> 35:31.053 In the meantime, Lord, would you give us joy and love and passion? 35:31.933 --> 35:35.433 And Lord, may we choose joy, love, and passion. 35:35.573 --> 35:36.653 We know it comes from you. 35:37.193 --> 35:39.533 So help us, Lord Jesus, we pray in your name. 35:40.193 --> 35:42.075 Amen. 35:42.076 --> 35:43.516 Thanks for listening today. 35:43.516 --> 35:45.176 We hope you enjoyed this message. 35:45.176 --> 35:47.276 And if you did, we would be so grateful 35:47.276 --> 35:48.956 if you left us a review. 35:48.956 --> 35:51.396 Also, go ahead and subscribe to the podcast 35:51.396 --> 35:52.696 if you would like to be notified 35:52.696 --> 35:54.596 when a new sermon is released. 35:54.596 --> 35:56.236 If you feel the Lord calling you 35:56.236 --> 35:57.856 to take the next step in faith 35:57.856 --> 36:02.176 through salvation, service, or giving, don't wait. 36:02.174 --> 36:05.614 reach out to us by texting podcast to 88988. 36:05.614 --> 36:11.534 That's podcast to 88988 or connect with us on one of our social media platforms. 36:11.534 --> 36:14.734 You can also visit our website valleybaptist.org 36:14.734 --> 36:19.534 to find even more great resources. No matter where you are in your journey, 36:19.534 --> 36:23.054 know that we love you, we're praying for you, and we can't wait 36:23.054 --> 36:25.174 to see what God will do in your life.