Of Life
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What’s the point?
We must stop and ask ourselves this question before we do anything in life. If we want to live a life that has meaning, we need to do things with purpose. If there is no purpose, then what’s the point?
Tonight we are going to look at the most basic question humans are faced with.
What’s the point of life?
A few observations
Family?
Friends?
Making Money?
Pursuit of Success?
Pursuit of knowledge?
Pursuit of happiness?
Having a good job?
All are legitimate contenders.
One might even say all of the above.
I
There is nothing wrong with any of these things, in fact they are extremely important. However, what happens when we lose it all?
In life you will lose Family, you will lose Friends, you will lose Money, and Success will fade away.
Is life over if we lose it all?
This depends on your perspective
Let’s get some perspective from a biblical example
Solomon
This dude had it all, the wisest and richest man to ever walk the planet.
Job
This dude had it made in the shade then he lost it all.
First let’s look at Solomon’s wisdom on the matter.
Solomon’s wisdom on the matter
2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
:2-
vanity = empty, vapor.
Quite depressing
9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
11 There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.
12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 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.
14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
Ecclesiastes 1:9-18
Solomon’s pursuit of wisdom and knowledge leaves him grievous and sorrowful.
Conclusion (v. 14) “all is vanity and vexation of spirit.”
1 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and behold, this also is vanity.
2 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
3 I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, (yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom) and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:
6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:
7 I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:
8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 2:1-
Solomon pursues happiness, money, success, etc..
Yet he still concludes with (v. 11) “ all was vanity and vexation of spirit”
18 Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
19 And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.
Ecclesiastes 2:
Here Solomon pursues success in work
His conclusion (v. 19) “This is also vanity.”
So… According to the richest and wisest man of all time.
The pursuit of these things is ultimately empty and vain.
That’s depressing...
Now what???
Fortunately for us, Solomon gives us a solution.
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
Solomon concludes that the point of life is to fear God and keep his commandments.
When we do this, life is put into the proper perspective.
We can see life through God’s lenses.
If we listen to the advice of Solomon God will provide all the we could ever need!
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek): for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Matthew 6:
Our heavenly Father knows what we need.
Therefore, we put our focus on Him and He will provide us with our needs.
However, most people focus on the stuff and we know from Solomon that it is vain.
So I ask again, what is the point of life?
To fear God and keep His commandments.
When we do this all of the minute details of life will work themselves out as we Follow Jesus through life.
How would you say that most people would answer the question: What is the point of life?
Do you agree with Solomon that worldly pursuits are vain? Why or why not?