The Purpose of Life - What is true happiness
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INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
What is important in life?
What is important in life?
What is essential for life?
What is our purpose?
What is real happiness?
The answers to these questions are what mankind has been searching for. But these answers has always been there
We just don't want to look for it, where it can be found,
or believe it when it is presented to us.
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
King Solomon who wrote Ecclesiastes was a seeker on a quest for the meaning and purpose of life. When he became king, God gave him the opportunity of a lifetime: Solomon could ask for anything he desired. Solomon asked for wisdom so the he could rightly govern the nation.
The Bible then states that God gave Solomon “a wise and understanding heart.”
This does not mean that the king understood everything at once. He still had to apply himself to the pursuit of knowledge and he did just that.
I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
Solomon took hundreds of foreign wives and concubines in an effort to learn of their cultured and make alliances with those nations. But he let their idolatry influence him. So he began to search for the meaning and purpose of life “under the sun”, apart from God.
In one sense we should be glad that he did. This is because he left us an account of the futility of life without trust in God.
The last time we were in Ecclesiastes Solomon stated his theme; all of life is a vapor, a mist, vanity, here today and gone tomorrow. Today we will read about the experiences in his life that led to his conclusion.
So what is the purpose of life, what will really make us happy?
(A) IS IT KNOWLEDGE / education - INTELLECTUALISM
(A) IS IT KNOWLEDGE / education - INTELLECTUALISM
People today claim that a good education solves almost any problem. If only everyone had a good education there would be no more political problems, no poverty, no international crisis. There would be no teen pregnancy and there would be great contentment in our hearts. (Slogan ‘a good education’)
What do you think?
people today claim that a good education solves almost any problem. If only everyone had a good education there would be no more political problems, no poverty, no international crisis. There would be no teen pregnancy or long unemployment lines. And there would be great contentment in our hearts.
I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind.
For in much wisdom is much vexation,
and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
ecc
In his attempt to gain wisdom Solomon searched out all of history, sorting through the good and the bad. He examined the rise and fall of nations. He read the important thinkers and innovators of his day. He received his Bachelor’s degree and then his Masters and finally his Ph.D. But he did so with “madness and folly.” This doesn’t mean he was insane. These words simply mean he did it without regard to God
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the Old Testament for living life without regard to God
Now, there is nothing wrong with a good education, but Solomon found that:
human wisdom alone has no answers to life’s questions and problems.
It simply brings grief and sorrow, because even with all of our Ph.Ds. life still has profound problems that human knowledge and ingenuity cannot solve.
So the answer is not Knowledge
(B) IS IT PLEASURE / Fun - HEDONISM
(B) IS IT PLEASURE / Fun - HEDONISM
There is a philosophy (World view) today that says whatever feels good is good. It is called hedonism which says “the highest food and proper aim of human life is to satisfy ones desire” But does pleasure really provides happiness?
What do you think?
I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind.
For in much wisdom is much vexation,
and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.
ecc
I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life.
Solomon then went out of his way to experience all the pleasures of life he could; even ungodly pleasures. He had numerous wives and concubines. In verse 8-9 it tells of singers and musicians etc.
Just imagine how the place must have shaken with parties and laughter. The king and his entourage. They stimulated themselves with wine and singing and sex. But when all was said and done Solomon went to bed and woke up empty and unfulfilled.
2 :
3 by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller 4
stimulated themselves with wine and singing and stand-up comedy. But when all was said and done Solomon went to be and woke up empty and unfulfilled.
stimulated themselves with wine and singing and stand-up comedy. But when all was said and done Solomon went to be and woke up empty and unfulfilled.
Now, the Preacher is not saying that laughter and parties are bad. The Bible never says that either. There are a number of parties and feasts mentioned in Scripture. But here’s what and 13 have to say,
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief.
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 may be grief.
Why is this so? The answer is that a life based solely on pleasure cannot cope with life’s harsh realities. Think of all the celebrities who have partied till they burned out.
ILLUS - Anthony Bourdain - Pleasure seeker - “This is the path to true happiness and wisdom” - Committed suicide.
(B) IS IT POSSESSION / Things - MATERIALISM
(B) IS IT POSSESSION / Things - MATERIALISM
The focus of many persons today is about acquiring things, stuff. But can stuff make us happy. Solomon didn’t only see to find purpose and happiness in knowledge and pleasure but also in possession.
Materialism - A tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values.
I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man. So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil.
I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man. So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished his entire house.
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All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were of silver; silver was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon.
Boy, now that was the good life if ever there was one. Solomon was a city planner, an urban renewal expert. He built parks and houses, hundreds of them for his hundreds of wives. In fact his own home took fourteen years to build. yet in the end here is what he had to say.
Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
ecc 2:
The king said “I did it all. I did it my way. But it is all vanity, a vapor— meaning nothing.” Why would he say that? Here’s the answer. Wind, flood, fire and time will take their toll on the things we build. Money goes as easily as it comes. Beauty fades and sex loses its power. Therefore true joy and meaning and satisfaction cannot originate in or be sustained by anything under the sun.
ILLUS - My Country experience
The king said “I did it all. I did it my way. But it is all vanity, a vapor— meaning nothing.” Why would he say that? Here’s the answer. Wind, flood, fire and time will take their toll on the things we build. Money goes as easily as it comes. Beauty fades and sex loses its power. Therefore true joy and meaning and satisfaction cannot originate in or be sustained by anything under the sun.
- except the lord build...
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecc
And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”