The Good Life in a Bad World

Paul Hamilton

Exposition of Ecclesiastes • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

Ecclesiastes 6:10–7:14

Joy

Wisdom

Death and Dying

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Intro

READ - Eccl. 6: 10-7: 14 > Pray

The reality of our world is that sin has made a mess. Death and sorrow lay on our lives like a heavy blanket. In the confusion of sin, we make sinful choices.

There is a way that seems right to a man, but it’s end is the way of death. The proverbs tells us. Sin has twisted our minds so that we are more eager to believe the lies, and less likely to believe the truth.

We try to do the best we can, but sin has bound our hearts, so our fear and our insecurities drives us to make bad choices – we hurt ourselves and others over and over. We sin and sin.

We are sinned against, which makes us more likely to make bad choices. The whole Old Testament shows us that we mess this place up! Life is confusing. And we don’t live it well. Because of sin. BECAUSE WHAT SEEMS RIGHT TO US… ENDS IN DEATH!

This is a bad world. But we don’t want it to be a bad world. We want to play make believe. We’re all really good people. Things will get better. Good guys win, bad guys lose.

Our entertainment all tells the same story. our dreams tell us the same story. We run from reality, we try and numb the pain, we try and escape the truth.

The world is bad, we are bad, and we will die, and we’ll stand before a holy God. Of course there are nice things, there is laughter and joy. God has been so good. but because of our sin, we look to those good things and use them as distractions from dealing with reality.

Solomon in this poem is digging into this problem: the World is bad, so how should we live? What is THE GOOD LIFE, in a BAD WORLD?

Our world has lots of answers to that question, right? Religion has some answers to that question. Much of the church has some answers to that question. Self-help, positivity, self-empowerment. Believe in yourself, keep the law, do the stuff, work harder, be positive!

But let’s see what God will teach us, through the words of Solomon.

We’re starting in Chapter 6 and verse 10, to get the context.

Context (6: 10-12)

Things are bad, repetitious. Whatever has come to be has already been named – similar thoughts we’ve seen before – NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN.

You can’t argue with someone stronger than you. Might makes Right. And the more words there are the more vanity there is. You can talk about it all you want but you can’t change it. It’s Bad!

So what’s the use?

What advantage has a man? “who knows what is good for a man while he lives the few days of his vain life?”

Who can tell man what will be after him under the Sun? Those are the questions that Solomon is considering – what is the Good? and what comes after? And so you can see the structure a little bit, if you look at the last verse of our section this morning – through out the poem, you’ll see the theme of BETTER.. and then at the end - CHAPTER 7 verse 14:

Ecclesiastes 7:14 (ESV) — 14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.

Do you see that? that’s the book end? What will be after him. How do we live the good life here in this bad world when we can’t experience what comes after? How do we judge rightly, think rightly? To ponder this, Solomon uses a poem.

This poem is broken up into two parts. The first part considers death, the second considers wisdom and foolishness. And then there is a conclusion at the end. That’s what we’re planning to do this morning we’ll walk through the poem and its conclusion and then we’ll turn to look at Christ so we can understand this even better.

The Good Life in a World of Death. (7: 1-4)

This world is bad, and one major way this world is bad, is that death is in it - that is the defining way that the world is bad.

Death is the invader and spoiler. We all die because we have all sinned in Adam. “ IF you eat from the tree you will die!” Death is the problem! Because of Sin. the most basic problem with the world. Death is the result.

So, the good life in a world of death would mean… what? we should avoid thinking of death? Ignore death? Revel in life? let’s see what Solomon says.

A good name on the day of death (7: 1)

This section starts off with somewhat of a curious verse:

Ecclesiastes 7:1 (ESV) — 1 A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth.

Why are these two things put together? Good name and the day of death? Why are these put together as good things? We’ll this actually sets the stage for this whole point.

First the truism – a good names is better than ointment. This is similar to the proverb:

Proverbs 22:1 (ESV) — 1 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.

That’s clear enough. So, set you mind on that truth for a minute. Live so that you will have a good name. (from God’s WORD) that work is important. Well, when will that work be finished? When will your name be complete? On your day of death.

That will be the final mark on your name. So Solomon is starting here by setting these two things together in our minds. YOU WILL DIE. SO WHO ARE YOU GOING TO BE? Will you die with a good name? Will you have a good name on the day of your death?

Not to impress others, but because that meant you followed CHRIST! you glorify GOD!

And he expands his thought in verse 2:

In the house of mourning the living take life to heart (7: 2)

Ecclesiastes 7:2 (ESV) — 2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.

The house of feasting distracts us from our end. But the house of mourning reminds us of it. our death is coming. This is the end of everyone. This is my end… and so we lay it to heart!

By taking this to heart, we take life seriously. Live today like you will die. What is important? If you are going to die? What is worth your time? What is worth your energy? What is going to last?

Boys and Girls. Young people. Consider your end at the beginning, and you keep your focus on the end, THAT IS A GREAT THING to start off with your end in view. You may not know what kind of job you’ll have or who you’ll marry, but you can know what kind of person you want to be. see that end and life for it!

If you do that you will live like life matters, like it is important. Consider your end.

You may have decades, ( I can waste this time, or put that off, put off getting serious about Christ, thinking about important things, planning for life… ) you may only have moments.

This week a young man. The son of the Christian Blogger Tim Challies died suddenly at the age of 20. His name was Nick. He was playing with some family and friends from Boyce College. And he collapsed and died. By all accounts he was a serious, faithful, godly, young Christian man.

His name is done, he can’t add to it, or take away from it. that is the goal. He made it!

In a race it’s better to be at the end, than the beginning. And by focusing on the end, you plan and work to make it there – to win!

So with life, the day of our death is better than the day of our birth, that is the goal, the end. And our focus should be there. In a race you don’t think about the start – Oh, I didn’t have a good enough start! when we do that we stumble and fall!

The same is true in life! Regret pulls us back. The past cripples us, we find excuses in the past, or we long for the past, or we wish we had something different, different opportunities, different experiences.

But we can’t change the past. It’s good to understand the past, but only so we can press on into the future!

Philippians 3:13–14 (ESV) — 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Press on towards the goal! The day of death is the goal! What will your finished work be? You see by thinking of the day of your death, you will live with that reality in your mind.

So the third thing he puts in this section:

C. Sorrow is Better than laughter (7: 3)

Ecclesiastes 7:3 (ESV) — 3 Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.

This is a bad world, there is sin and brokenness. Ignoring the hurts and sins, laughing it away distracts us from the race before us. Sorrow, seeing the world as it is, seeing death and all its pain as it is. That is hard, but that that makes the heart glad.

That is living in reality and living in a way that our hearts are made glad. True heart contentment, living for what matters. We see this even more beautifully through the lens of Christ, but even for Solomon, longing to understand God’s salvation better, living for the end, with all the sorrow of that reality is where he found true heart gladness.

Solomon concludes this with verse 4, where he starts to transition to the discussion of fools:

Ecclesiastes 7:4 (ESV) — 4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

The wise focuses on the end, the fool distracts themselves with frivolity. It’s probably appropriate here to think about the difference between real joy, and empty happiness.

True Joy and is a glad heart, gladdened by Christ and our life with him. that Joy can burst out in honest explosive laughter: friends enjoying the good gift of fellowship together, parents enjoying their children and each other. that Joy can swell as we experience the wonders of God’s world. Or are profoundly felt through art that conveys truth in a powerful way.

But that joy can also be deepened in the tears of suffering and pain. because through it we understand Christ better.

Empty Happiness is the currency of the world – the shocking, profane, the glib and meaningless distractions. The never satisfying moments if mirth that hold no truth, only the appearance of profundity. It seemed deep, but it was really nothing.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, there is our goal, there is our meaning, life matters – there will be a judgment, and when life matters we can live for true joy. This pain matters, this meal matters! You’re living for something real. The world longs for it, they are just satisfied with the imitations and distractions.

The GOOD LIFE in the BAD WORLD - is lived by focusing on death!

The Good Life in a World of Fools (7: 5-12)

In this section two paths are considered. Death is inevitable. This is life in our fallen world. So do you go the way of the wise? Or the way of the fool?

A. The necessity of rebuke (7: 5-6)

Ecclesiastes 7:5–6 (ESV) — 5 It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools. 6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fools; this also is vanity.

On the one hand you have a rebuke, you are wrong and you’re hearing about it, on the other hand you have a song, isn’t that nice! The Rebuke comes from the wise, the song from a fool.

The song may sound nice but it is of no value.. like thorns under a pot, light them up and they’ll pop and crackle but they won’t make much heat. It’s no good.

Proverbs 27:5–6 (ESV) — 5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love. 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

Proverbs 12:1 (ESV) — 1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

Here’s the thing. In this fallen world, we get stuff wrong. We can either learn from that and turn to the way of life or distract our selves on the way of death. Think of life, the significance of it, death looms, life has meaning each moment counts, and if we are going to make them count we have to learn how we’re messing up. NOT Distracting ourselves with meaningless noise! Here’s how one writer put it:

Nearly everyone has sung silly songs that dull our consciences to the reality of death and to living rightly in its shadow. Perhaps, in your vain life under the sun, you have sung Chubby Checker’s “The Twist,” Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got to Do with It?,” Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” or Justin Bieber’s “Baby”:

Baby, baby, baby, ohh

Baby, baby, baby, noo

Baby, baby, baby, ohh

I’ll stop there before I lose more gray matter. These memorable lyrics, sustained by a good beat and a kid with cool hair, do not get us to dig down deep into the soul, do they?

The songs of fools ARE DISTRACTION! Vanity. Rebuke is how we grow up. The songs of fools are distractions that keep us immature. Does that sound like our culture? Always distracted never growing up. Better is the rebuke of the wise.

He then jumps directly to the IMPORTANCE OF PATIENCE..

B. The importance of patience (7: 7-10)

We’re going to get stuff wrong, and it’s going to take time!

Verse 8 is the main idea:

Ecclesiastes 7:8 (ESV) — 8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Patient – waiting on God, content in God’s timing to get to the end, righteously, carefully, doing the hard work. VERSUS PROUD – I deserve it now! I’m going to get it now, however I can. whatever it takes, righteous or not!

Verse 7 deals with corruption. Too Impatience to accomplish things legally or righteously. Too impatient to work and earn, to abide by the law. Impatience drives us to cut corners, pay a bribe, get it quick.

To accomplish something unrighteously forgets the goal – the good name. (not in the short term- a good name in the Long term) who cares if you win if you cheated? (LANCE ARMSTRONG – 7 Tour DeFrance Titles – all take away)

There is death and a real judgement and you aren’t getting away with anything. So be patient, do it the hard way. The saying THERE IS A RIGHT WAY and an EASY WAY and they are almost never the same. Be patient.

Verse 9 deals with getting angry quickly.

Ecclesiastes 7:9 (ESV) — 9 Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools.

Proverbs 14:29 (ESV) — 29 Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.

If we are proud, we get angry quickly, if we are wise with the long view, resting in God, we can be patient. Trusting in God.

Verse 10 – hits home, the impatient are quick to complain because we idolize the past.

Ecclesiastes 7:10 (ESV) — 10 Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.

Does that hit close to home? The good ol’ days? Are we impatient with God? “Why can’t things be like they were?” “God you’re getting it wrong!” “You let the wrong guy win!” “You dropped the ball on this one.”

It is not from wisdom that we ask this. Wisdom calls us to patience, to have the long-view. To live for what will last. Keep your eyes on the end. Death is coming - this is just the context of our faithfulness.

That is what today is. The context of your faithfulness. How will you live? That is the wise question. How will you live - in this sinful world?

BE PATIENT - don’t take the fast, easy road of fools, with the radio up filling your mind with distraction. wisdom is better.

C. The Value of Wisdom (7: 11-12)

Do go the way of the fools. Chose the way of wisdom. Wisdom is a protection. It keeps you from wasting your life, it keeps you going when it is hard, it helps you avoid the pitfalls and sideroads. It is a protection, like money when used righty.

Proverbs 23:23 (ESV) — 23 Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.

GET WISDOM! Don’t sell it. WISDOM, children that is what you are growing up into. Focus on what matters, learn in school so you can live well, listen to you parents and their rebukes so you can develop character, and have a good name.

that is wisdom, that is protection for you.

Resist the pull of meaningless culture, prolonging adolescence well into adulthood. Grow up! Be men and women of the Lord, pay attention today, get wisdom! Make it all matter. And here is his conclusion.

The Good Life in God’s World (7: 13-14)

Ecclesiastes 7:13–14 (ESV) — 13 Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked? 14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.

The beginning of wisdom is this: You are not God. Begin with the fear of the Lord. You can’t make this crooked world straight. God has cursed this world due to sin. You can’t uncurse it.

So what is wisdom? Recognize that God brings the good days and God brings the bad days. and what comes after is not open to our experience we have to trust in him. God does these things that we can’t control or fully understand SO THAT we will be persuaded that we are not in control, not in control of today and not in control of what comes after.

Dear family do you understand what it will mean if we all get that? That is real wisdom? That means your whole life is liberated from the BURDEN of TRYING TO BE GOD and you are set FREE TO LIVE FOR HIM! To live for what matters! - this is the fight of faith – to really believe - DEEP IN YOUR HEART - that is is not about you. You are not God, and we stop trying to be and we live with all our might for him.

When we let go of trying to be God, and pay attention to the actual work God has given us to do – then we can live lives looking death in the face with Gladness in our hearts and hope filling our souls.

The Good life in this bad world, can be lived in hope when we rest in the reality that this is God’s world, stop fighting, trust in him. be patient, and believe!

CHRIST MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE

In Christ, the curse is undone!

Romans 5:17 (ESV) — 17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

We can’t undo the curse – Christ came into the world to make away. He died so that all who believe on him could live! Here is the answer! The problem of death is solved in the resurrection of Christ!!

In Christ, sorrow is turns into laughter!

The man of sorrows came into this world to gladden our hearts.

Isaiah 61:3 (ESV) — 3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

Yes our time of sorrow is now, blessed are those who mourn, because we have real sin, the world is really broken, but there is HOPE – CHRIST IS TURING OUR MORNING INTO LAUGHTER! There will be a day when the last tear will fall, and it there shall be no more death, no more pain, no more crying! Here is our hope!

In Christ, the fools are made wise!

We who were dead in our sins, lost in our distraction, we were the foolish ones, chosen by God.

1 Corinthians 1:30 (ESV) — 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

We don’t look to ourselves for our wisdom, we look to Christ. We were dead in our sin, Christ raised us up to life. He is our all. Are you a foolish one? Are you distracting your self from life? do you know it? turn and come to Christ – here is the free gift of forgiveness from sins, and life and wisdom and Joy.

In Christ, we can know what comes after!

Isn’t it interesting that in the Old Covenant there was very little information about life after death. The Old Covenant images were there, but they were mixed with national images, was that the nation ruling? Or something else? It was unclear. In the New Covenant we have a firmer hope.

Christ was raised from the dead to show us that he defeated death, and as the curse brought death, so when you are connected to Christ you have his eternal LIFE! Raised up with him! To live forever in his NEW EARTH! - no more crying, no more tears!

1 Corinthians 15:54–58 (ESV) — 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

THERE IS WISDOM!! It all matters! Your labor is not in vain! YOU can know what comes after!!!! here is the good life in a bad world, trusting in Christ and living for him!!

Believe on Christ, Follow Christ, rest in Christ, and live! This is the life you were made for, this is the good life, in this bad world!

PRAY -

Sing - God the Uncreated one (call the men up to serve the Lord’s Supper)

_____________________________________________________________________________

LORD’S TABLE

We are One in Christ. One Body

1 Corinthians 10:16–17 (NASB95) — 16 Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? 17 Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread.

Family we are ONE in CHRIST HOLY and BELOVED – because of what he has done. This table shows the mercy, love and faithfulness of God. on the cross the curse was defeated!! and it empowers us to be changed so that we BE HOLY, we can live for him!! To Live for the Glory of God, in all things. That is what the GOSPEL Is for.

So, the Supper is a time to EVALUATE and CELEBRATE.

We evaluate our selves, we see our need for change, we have sin, we have failed. We have been distracted, we’ve gone the way of the world too often, the way of fools. We’ve tried to just be better, to do more, to BE GOD!

In repentance, then we turn to find help. And at the table we remember, there is boundless help for us in Christ Jesus. There is help, so we CELEBRATE! We are not defeated, we are victorious in Christ, we are not out of control. We are at PEACE!! WE ARE HOLY!! We are not BEYOND GOD’s Power to change! so from that GOSPEL Power we move forward together in peace, for the glory of God.

THIS is for DISCIPLES of CHRIST

“Our understanding of being a disciple of Christ in the New Testament is one who has been transformed through FAITH in Christ, has been baptized into Christ and into his church, and continues to be committed to and serving CHRIST in the body of Christ – a local church. The Lord’s Supper is the fellowship meal for the covenant family of Jesus Christ.”

For those who are not Christians, and this is not for you. This is not for you, you have said no to this, with your life. No to this community, no to Christ. but this SALVATION is for you, Jesus is for you! You’ll see the emblems passing you by… don’t let salvation pass you by again. Make no more excuses, take hold of Christ and live!

Children – boys and girls. I know some of you are believing on Christ, as you wait to take that public step of baptism, and openly commit to be a disciple of Christ, it is good for you to wait to take the Lord’s Supper. For you, feed on Christ as this passes you by, think to yourself, I won’t let this day pass me by without Christ, and call out to him, and then turn and follow Jesus. I know your mom and dad would be delighted to talk with you about what that might look like. Believe on Jesus and live.

The men will pass the elements, please take a cup it has a waffer and the juice sealed inside. If you are comfortable also take a piece of the bread, those were prepared with gloves to ensure safety.

BREAD

1 Corinthians 11:23–24 (NASB95) — 23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

CUP

1 Corinthians 11:25–26 (NASB95) — 25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

[Parents - please remember to make your way to the nursery area while we sing]

DOXOLOGY

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;

praise him, all creatures here below;

praise him above, ye heav'ly host;

praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

2 Corinthians 13:14 (NASB95) — 14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.

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