Sermon nuggets Week of March 2 Eccl 4:4-16
Sermon Nuggets Mon March 2, 2009
Theme- Life Still Isn’t Fair
Verses Eccl 4:10 If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!
Living in an Unfair World
How many examples are needed to build a case? Last week we identified some of the areas of life King Solomon uses to show the evils of our world.
It seems odd justice takes time. Gathering evidence for conviction can be a long process. When illegal drugs are continually affecting our society, the plan is not only to stop the seller on the street, but more time is taken allowing drug transactions to continue, so the law enforcement might be able to get to the supplier, and ultimately the source. Letting some go for awhile hopes to produce more evidence against producers and sellers on a higher level.
When there is graft in government, there are some who wait and let it continue until more clear examples are exposed for a guilty verdict. But what about all the abuse in the interim? Does that seem fair?
Since God knows the hearts and motives of each individual He doesn’t need to gather any evidence. I might get impatient with evil around me, but I am reminded that if God immediately judged evil, I would be the one found guilty. There would be no time for repentance or justification if evil was immediately dealt with.
I want fast justice done when I am the victim, but when I have committed a sin I certainly am glad I have been granted some time to be put under conviction and hopefully, ultimately allowing the power of the Spirit to bring repentance and cleansing from my sin of evil- for all sin is evil before a Holy God. His patience is only a testimony to His grace. He wants to see more repent and be saved.
Solomon looked at evil from the eyeglasses as one who was in power but aware of the ultimate power of the Lord. He saw himself as one anointed by the Lord to lead the people. He became aware that part of his part in God’s plan to deal with evil for now.
God’s plan for now is to invade our evil, change our hearts and allow us to be messengers of truth and righteousness as we carry out His work. We are to invade the world of darkness. It is taking the truth to people one by one and seeing hearts changed.
The Spirit filled servant girl, the soldier, the fisherman, or the teacher each affect lives in ways that go contrary to the works of Satan.
When Solomon was fed up with the injustices of the world around him it was his responsibility to bring justice to those he could. When he witnessed the oppression of others in power it was now awareness of that problem that now became his problem to stop it. When prejudice occurred he was to see where he might have been affected by prejudging others based on race, or economics, or position.
There is a day coming when God who knows the hearts and minds of each person and each action will make things right. The cross was the turning point in the defeat of evil. The Holy Spirit comes into our lives at our request to continue the cleansing process. When evil seeks to stop the spread of the truth, it cannot succeed.
We will continue this week with other things seen by Solomon that needs changing. It is not enough to just see it exposed, but become the hands and feet of the Lord to affect our lives, our families, our churches, our societies. IT is a job too large for any one of us. But it is God’s design to change us so we can be change agents in the world.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Tues March 3, 2009
Verses- Eccl 4:4-6 And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
The fool folds his hands and ruins himself. Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.
There is the Presence of Envy
Solomon sees another problem that pits neighbor against neighbor and person against people. People often do what they do out of sense of competition and jealousy instead of self fulfillment. Envy results in resentment instead of working together with others. Envy causes rivalry among the workers. Envy is the opposite of contentment.
What if an employer hires a secretary to work on getting report out? Toward the end of the working day he realizes that she isn't going to complete the task, so he brings in another secretary to work for a couple of hours until the project is completed. He gives the first secretary her regular salary but out of gratitude for coming in, he gives the second secretary the same amount of money. Is that just?
Part of our interpretation of justice is from man not from God. In fact, that is the very story that Jesus gives in Matthew 20:11-15 of people working in the field. Murmuring employees were motivated by greed. They wanted more money than those who did not work as long or as hard. Rather than rejoicing that the other laborers were treated with generosity and grace, there was resentment against the employer and those hired later. People who were content with their pay no longer were. The issue wasn’t that the employer didn’t keep his end of the bargain, they felt the rules changed when some others were hired. But who makes up the rules? Whose money was it? Can’t the owner give whatever he wants? Other people were able to feed their families and provide their needs. Would it have been better if the employer just gave money away as an act of charity?
Competition breeds discontent. When government lays out rules and local practices influence how we ought to act, people lose the concept of God's sense of justice. Honoring Him and receiving salvation is a matter of God's grace not our works. God forgives sin to all who truly repent, even if they are on the death bed. If a young person is taken at the age of 10 with cancer how would that affect his reward in heaven compared to someone who was granted good health and long life and served the Lord for 70 years? What is fair?
The problem we have is the question of jealousy and envy and rivalry. The question in our mind is how we compare to others, not how we relate to God. Are we carrying out what God’s call is on our life without regard to others?
Much of the motivation for achievement is envy. The reason professional sports and entertainment salaries have gotten so out of line is jealousy. The disciples will argue over who is the best of all the disciples, who will be able to sit on the right and the left hands of Jesus.
Envy is an evil. It leads to cheating neighbors, and cutting corners to improve profit and resent another’s accomplishments. Cooperation among Christians can easily fall into competition among Christians. Do we wish others will fail so that we can succeed? What is in our hearts?
Discontent, bitterness, and hatred result too often from envying or resenting others accomplishments or position.
Solomon looked around and noticed people who were at peace withdrew from the frenzy of competition. They looked to God for their inner contentment.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Weds March 4, 2009
Verses Eccl 4:7-8 Again I saw something meaningless under the sun: There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. "For whom am I toiling," he asked, "and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?" This too is meaningless-- a miserable business!
There is the Presence of Discontent
Solomon, in his discouraged state uses an example of a man who is all alone with no one to leave the fruits of his labor. The man thinks over his hard work but what is it worth? He is not content. Things do not satisfy the desires of his heart.
For many it doesn't matter how hard they work, they just don't seem to get ahead. If they do, they come to the startling realization that it has all been for nothing. How timely in our economy. Those who have saved for a lifetime find the downward spiral of the market leaving them very little. Those who put blood sweat and tears into a new home and borrowed what they could to have their place of dreams now face foreclosure. College funds have dwindled with a feeling of hopelessness. Another man finds he got a $100 raise a month to find his rent is not $150 more a month. What good is it you can't seem to get ahead? Why bother? All the effort, work, and savings amounts to nothing.
The man who lives for selfish interests never finds lasting happiness. Mental health professionals are finding business booming when economy gets tough. Suicides are up. Depression increases. Despair seems to be contagious.
Part of the context of this passage is not just whither someone is successful but the loneliness that comes with not sharing it.
How often did we get the very thing we wanted only to find it did not bring the contentment we sought? Discontent occurs through selfish pursuits when the person is all alone.
There is value in hard work, in doing a job well. But perhaps more than the product is the process that develops our character. Many women who are seeking careers over homes and family are starting to feel the pains of discontent. They have found, like Solomon, things that matter the most do not get our best attention
This weekend I watched Rain Man movie on TV. Due to bitterness of losing his mothers and having a wealthy, but hard father a son leaves home and never contacts his Dad for years. He is pursuing an expensive car dealership when he gets the news his father died. Out of obligation he attends the funeral. At the reading of the will he discovers he does not get the $3 million dollars. Further investigation reveals he has an autistic brother in an institution. He is brilliant in some areas of calculations, but cannot carry out normal activity. Enraged he “steals” his brother from the home thinking taking care of him would allow him to get the money.
The movie shows the contrast of the pursuit of material things compared to a new relationship with a brother he didn’t know he had. The things he wanted did not bring contentment. In time a new found relationship began to mean more to him than he could imagine.
Things that too often get our attention are soon gone and fly away.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thurs March 5, 2009
Verses- Eccl.4:13-16 Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take warning.
14 The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom.
15 I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king's successor.
16 There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
There is the Presence of Fickleness
What commands our loyalty? Are we loyal to traditions just because that is what we are used to? Are we loyal to a country right or wrong? Are we loyal to a political party regardless how things may change? At what point do we switch loyalties?
Maybe as an older king, Solomon realizes that his time is up and he does not have the support that he did has a young king. He observes people are basically a dissatisfied lot .Leaders find you can’t always please people.
Just because a person is older doesn’t mean he or she exhibits wisdom. Just because a person is younger or doesn’t look like we want them to look, doesn’t mean they don’t have insight and thoughts that should be accepted.
Our times change rapidly. Solomon shows that popularity fades quickly. People change allegiances. Someone can be imprisoned and become a king or ruler. I think of Nelson Mandela who was imprisoned for over 25 years becoming an influential African leader. Someone can come from poverty and with the right circumstances be very popular. Rags to riches as been an attraction in a nation that claims anything is possible. The reason so many were excited about the election of an African American President was that avenue was closed in the past solely based on racial prejudice.
But Solomon is losing popularity. Is it because he is becoming senile? Is it because even in his day, there is a movement to a youth culture? People are attracted to young and new ideas, but are quick to reject them and the persons when those ideas do not work.
Ruth Graham wrote in Christianity Today a number of years ago , “Some people seem more prone to fall than others. One young Christian was impulsive and older Christians were waiting for him to fall and it wasn't long before they obliged. He said later that the greatest stumbling block in the beginning of his Christian life was not his old drinking buddies, but skeptical Christians waiting for him to fall and sin and be flat on his face so they could say, "I told you so."
Many have the gift of discernment when it comes to the faults and the failures of others. Jesus said, "If a brother be overtaken in a fault you who are spiritual restore such a one. The nicest thing we can do for our heavenly father , wrote St Teresa of Avilla, "Is to be kind to one of his children."
Solomon unfortunately started out with an intimate walk with the Lord. Through the years as his popularity and riches increased other things took more of his attention and wandering away from the Lord is not uncommon. Before one notices they have lost their first love.
Fads come and go. Unfortunately so do Christian fads. Fads might be seen in churches to become popular. Change is not always bad, but fickleness is jumping from attraction to attraction. Stability comes when we know what we believe and from that foundation explore the world and thought through the lens of our Creation and His truth as it is revealed for us in the Bible.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Fri March 6, 2009
Verses -Ecc 4:9-12 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
There is the Presence of Help
These verses are in the middle of the list of evils we have been looking at. How do we deal with an unfair world?
There is advice that Solomon gives in our evil world. We need friends and other people.
Solomon emphasizes three reasons for friends and family. First, if one falls down, one can help him up. We can assist one another in need. If you have a need others will help you and you can help them. I am so grateful for folks willing to stop for stalled cars. I can do nothing to help another stalled car on the road other than a ride or a phone call. But people are a tremendous resource of support and assistance.
Secondly, one can help keep another warm. There was a variety of areas where shepherds were keeping their sheep. There were travelers on trade routes sometimes through deserts and open areas which were cold. Often people had only their outer garment. At night they would sleep in a huddle or close together for added warmth or for defense and safety.
The third example of the importance of others is safety. Walking down a street or riding with another gives added security and deters robbers and muggers and others who want to prey on the defenseless. A cord of 3 strands is not quickly broken. The more that are united in efforts the stronger the alliance. Man's most important relationships next to God are family and society and church.
I have used these verses at weddings. It makes a nice devotional as husband and wife become each other’s best friend. The third part of the cord is the Lord that builds a strong relationship.
As Adam was lonely and sought a helper fit for him, helper fulfilled development of personality when love and truth and devotions with another is ideal according to God's great plan and relationship. Society means government to regulate community life and provide order for living together. The church is a spiritual family with various gifts needs for fellowship, for balance in teaching and training in righteousness in supporting God's work financially and praise and worship. These principles work as well. But without friendship one is discontent, and without God we all stand discontent and life looses its meaningfulness.
What do we do with evil? We have acknowledged that our times are not God’s times and He will make things right eventually. That involves faith in the righteous and fair judge of the universe. Another important point to consider is defining fairness. Everyone and everything is not the same. Fairness is not sameness, nor is it treating everyone with man’s standards. What is fair? I am afraid we are pretty subjective about those answers and look to one another. Such comparisons bring us back to envy and jealousy, competition and dissatisfaction.
God has done something about it. He sent His Son to be our savior. The evil around us is only for a time. As mentioned, this passage was introduced by saying God does have all things in his hands. There is a time when all evil will be done away with. There is judgment. It will come to you and me. Things are not the way God designed them. There is grace that Jesus Christ came to have the punishment for our sin and our evil that we may trust Him, repent from our sin and ask him to saves us from all its effects. For all outside of Jesus Christ there is payment of Hell. For those saved by the blood of Jesus Christ there is Heaven. Now is the time.
God gave His son Jesus, to correct the wrongs and make them right. He came to bring to us resurrection so that all will be justified. He suffered so we might be approved unto God. He said I will never leave you nor forsake you.
Pastor Dale
