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the gift of joy withheld Daniel Patz, Lead Pastor Grace Church, Sunday Worship Ecclesiastes 6:1-12 February 20th, 2011
INTRODUCTION Movie Star Christopher Reeves Football players with everything Our own experiences – having things and then finding them not as grand and satisfying
The TEXT Ecclesiastes 6:1-12 ESV (1) There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: (2) a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil. (3) If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life's good things, and he also has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. (4) For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. (5) Moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he. (6) Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy no good--do not all go to the one place? (7) All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied. (8) For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? (9) Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind. (10) Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he. (11) The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? (12) For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?
SUMMARY Explain this passage A reality that is common with mankind – the rich don’t enjoy their riches. He says in this passage that a type of enjoyment is so important that it would be better to be stillborn than to live richly and not find fulfillment and joy in your life. This points us to the theme of the entire book – only God gives the power to enjoy His good gifts and He gives it to those who enjoy him first (fear Him…long to please Him).
MAIN POINTS
This is implied in this passage when he says that it is a great evil to be rich and not enjoy it. It would be better to never be born than to never find satisfaction. God made us for something great and joyful! The longing we have to be happy is not a sinful longing. God made us with it, but sins messes up everything. Sin looks for happiness in all the wrong places.
This is much of what this book is saying. The end of chapter 2 – there is nothing in man that brings satisfaction…it is not in man to do it. Riches will not secure satisfaction Work will not secure it Family will not secure it Wisdom (earthly) will not secure it Godly children will not satisfy Health with not satisfy Comfort will not satisfy
We see this at the end of 2 and at the end of chapter 5. Only God gives the power to enjoy. It is a gift. You can not grasp it for yourself, it must be given to us by God. We are helpless beings regarding this. This should humble us and remind us of our dependence.
This is seen throughout this book. Those who fear God, please God, know their place before God…trust in God receive the gift to enjoy and find satisfaction. God gives enjoyment of the good things He gives us but only as we learn that true enjoyment is centered in God Himself. Our enjoyment of family, riches, possessions, food, work, everything…can only come from a overflow of love, trust, security and joy in the Giver. Psalm 16 Psalm 37 Psalm 73 Psalm 39 Psalm 34:8
CONCLUSION Joy in the things of God only come when we find joy in Him alone. We need to die and rise again in Christ. The GOSPEL
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