Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Introduction
Are you happy in life?
Are you, for the most part, living a life that is marked with contentedness?
If not...
What is it that would need to happen in your life for you to be content?
What do you think will bring you pleasure in this world?
What needs to happen in your life in order for you to be happy?
If so...
What is it that is present in your life that is making you content?
If that had to be removed from your life, would you still be content?
In other words, if God did to you as He did to Job, how would you respond?
OR What is it that is not present (in the form of trials) that is allowing you to be content?
This morning we will see Solomon on one of his endeavours to find meaning.
As we consider what he teaches us, I would like you to consider if you've ever thought if you only have "XYZ" that he mentions, then I'd be happy...
The Test (v.1)
"I thought in my heart"
There is a process of heart desire here.
Does this speak of a longing?
A great search for meaning?
What would prompt a man to make this decision in his heart?
A man searching for greater contentment.
Jeremiah 17:9...? (APP)
Proverbs - do not follow your heart... bring it under subjection (APP)
“Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.”
He plans to evaluate the pursuit of pleasure.
In a host of things in this world that bring pleasure to people, he's going to pursue those and determine what is good, and what it is that brings true, lasting pleasure.
And so, once again, we see Solomon, the teacher, setting out on a mission to determine which pleasures are good for a man.
What pleasures are there in life that are going to achieve ultimate joy, ultimate good in the life of a man?
But that also proved to be meaningless.
His conclusion is.... it proved to be meaningless, futile!
Even pleausure - those things which bring a sense of happiness in the world, are meaningless ultimately.
That's the conclusion.
Although you pursue joy and contentment and fulfilment in these aspects of life, you are bound, says Solomon, to come to the conclusion that they are meaningless.
Laughter (v.2)
Solomon now begins to outline the various pursuits in which he sought fulfilment.
Laughter, I said is foolish
I come from a family where humour was common place, and I was grateful for it.
My dad would often make jokes, and people who didn't understand his sense of humour could often take much offense.
So I appreciate a sharp sense of humour, and the benefit of using humour to bring relief.
Think of South Africa - Leon Schuster... practical joker.
"Laughter is the best Medicine..."
During a laugh, respiration, heart rate and blood pressure temporarily rise.
This causes oxygen to surge through the bloodstream that then results in lower blood pressure.
Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.
Laughter reduces pain and allows toleration of discomfort.
Laughter reduces blood sugar levels, increasing glucose tolerance in diabetics and non-diabetics alike.
Laughter relaxes the whole body, relieving tension and stress.
It has been shown that following a good, hearty laugh, muscles in the body are relaxed for up to 45 minutes afterward.
Laughing burns calories – laughter is sometimes referred to as “inner jogging”.
A hearty laugh gives the muscles of the face, chest, shoulders, stomach and diaphragm a good workout.
Some of the best times of "escape from reality" come from sitting down and enjoying some good humour!
But Solomon says that this is foolish.
Because ultimately, laughter does not fix that which is broken.
The word for foolish is "MAD" ....
Here “mad” does not refer to being out of one’s mind, the way we might use the word today, but to something sinful.
According to Derek Kidner, it indicates “moral perversity rather than mental oddity.”3
A lot of laughter is like that: it is morally perverse.
Not all of it, of course, because there is a kind of joyful laughter that brings glory to God (see, e.g., Proverbs 31:25).
But a lot of joking is frivolous and superficial, or else cynical, sarcastic, and even cruel (see Proverbs 10:23; 26:19; 29:9).
Even laughter, although it may bring some temporal relief from the hurts, doesn't give a permanent release from the harsh realities of life that can confront us.
Proverbs 14:13 (NIV84)
13 Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in grief.
Laughter may bring some joy and relief, but ultimately, does it bring lasting benefit and good?
The answer is no!
If you've ever laughed in life, you will realise how quickly that laughter can turn to sorrow.
When they feel insecure, they make a joke about something.
When they get down on themselves, they make fun of other people.
When they are bored, they look for something to give them a giggle, like one of the sitcoms on television or a funny video clip on YouTube — anything to get a laugh.
(Philip Ryken)
And what does pleasure accomplish?”
Very interesting question.
What does it accomplish?
Well, certainly, it accomplishes some measure of pleasurable experience in a person's life.
But is that meaningful?
We may think that Solomon was too deep, too philosophical...
But I would suggest to you that this is the wrong approach to take.
We are, as those created in the image of God, to seek that which has ultimate meaning in life.
If we had to be those who merely find meaning and fulfilment in the things of the world, surely that would mean that our sense of "fulfilment" is entirely corrupted.
Who doesn't enjoy some of the pleasures that the world has to offer?
And yet, they are not fulfilfilling ultimately.
I sometimes think to myself, if I could just live on a tropical island, drinking coconut juice on the sandy white shores under the palm trees... then I'd be happy.
The fact is, we were made for more.
The fact that some people think that they have found satisfaction in life apart from God, merely points out their own depravity and the effects of sin on their life.
In fact, the only person who would find what they think is complete fulfilment in the things of this world is surely the self-absorbed person who cares little for anyone else.
Alcohol (v.3)
"I tried cheering myself with wine and embracing folly"
"The Preacher-King found a lubricant for his laughter" (Ryken, 47)
How many memes haven't I seen celebrating the calming effects of wine?
After a long hard week, many look forward to that one great pleasure called "wine" / "alcohol"
That's not to say they want to get drunk on wine... but they certainly enjoy it for its apparent calming properties.
What Solomon did should not be confused with the typical student problem of today.
For the typical student - it is binge drinking... non-stop.
“Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise” (Proverbs 20:1)
He is very deliberate to add the words "my mind still guiding me with wisdom..."
Solomon applied wisdom, but sought to possibly gain some satisfaction through alocohol.
Was wine able to cheer him?
Nope!
"...
I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men..." etc.
He embraced all manner of pleasures...
He wanted to see what is it that being done in the world is pleasurable.
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