The Futility and Fruitlessness of Following Your Heart
Living A Meaningful Life • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Handout
Welcome
Intro
Have you ever heard the Phrase “Listen to your heart”?
1988 - By Roxette (Sweedish)
Turned EDM Classic
Read first 2 verses of the song…
Proverbs 14:12–14 “12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. 13 Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, And the end of mirth(Pleasure, Gladness, Laughter(NL)) may be grief.
This is the Realization that Solomon had as he had his “little piece of heaven turn dark” as the song says……
Ecclesiastes 2:1–11 (NKJV)
1 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth (Pleasure, Laughter); therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely, this also was vanity. 2 I said of laughter—“Madness!”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?” 3 I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine (NL “Cheer Myself Up”), while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives. 4 I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. 5 I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove. 7 I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. 8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds. 9 So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10 Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, For my heart rejoiced in all my labor; And this was my reward from all my labor. 11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.
Pride will leave you Empty Handed
“I” - Used 19 times in these 11 verses
It demonstrates the self reliance and self determination that Solomon had
I-
Thought
Searched
Built
Gathered
Made
Looked
Became Great! …Yikes…
1 Peter 5:5b–8 God resists the proud,But gives grace to the humble.”“6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
Testimony from a couple years after HS.
Testimony of God’s Grace - Drawing me back to Him
God
“My/Myself/Me”- Used 16 times
Demonstrates possession, a thought that Solomon was in control
My
Heart
Flesh
Houses
Silver and Gold
Servants
Reward
We often think of our things/positions/accomplishments as “Ours”
James 1:17 “17 Every good gift and every perfect gift (Thing/Role of Title/Accomplishments/Relationship) is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”
He Only Gives Good Things……
We think of our lives as our own, but they are not...
Jesus said of His life…
John 6:38 “38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”
The same is true of us who have committed our lives to Him……
1 Corinthians 6:20 “20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
We are NOT Our OWN
He purchased and paid to get us out of the muck and mire that we are destined for as sinners
Comparison Devalues others and Distorts our Perspective
Have you ever compared yourself to someone else?
We all Have!
V:7 and V:9 - I have more and have done more than everyone else that has ever lived in Jerusalem
Romans 12:10 “10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;”
It Says…i have more Ive done more…SO Im worth more
Which distorts our perspective
Track Illustration- 7th grade
I was waaay off
Ecclesiastes 2:12–17 “12 Then I turned myself to consider wisdom and madness and folly; For what can the man do who succeeds the king?— Only what he has already done. 13 Then I saw that wisdom excels folly As light excels darkness. 14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head, But the fool walks in darkness. Yet I myself perceived That the same event happens to them all. 15 So I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, It also happens to me, And why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart, “This also is vanity.” 16 For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, Since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come. And how does a wise man die? As the fool! 17 Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind.”
The most wise man that dies without the Lord, has no different of a destination than the fool who doesn’t know the Lord
1 Corinthians 3:18–19 “18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”;”
Ecclesiastes 2:18–26 (NKJV)
18 Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 Therefore I turned my heart and despaired of all the labor in which I had toiled under the sun. 21 For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22 For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun? 23 For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity. 24 Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I? 26 For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.
Can you share of a time in your life that you have seen God resist your Pride/Your way?
How did He use it to draw you back to him?
What can comparison to others do in our hearts?
Share of a time that you have experienced the Fleeting and Futile pleasures of this world (Something you did, accomplished, attained).
How did it make you feel, in the moment?
How did you feel after the “high” of the moment “Wore off”?
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