Pursuit of Success in 2022 (January 30th, 2022)

well, we have a Come to a little bit of a change in the direction, in the sense, that for the month of January. I have been preaching while our pastor is away on sabbatical, beginning next Sunday. And for the month of February, Dr. Kreider are celosia and residents will be free. And then for the month of March, Pastor, Bob, our youth pastor will take responsibility in the Pulpit. We've been on a little bit of a journey during the month of January. The idea was a directional Journey, a Pursuit for a 2022. A pursuit of, of God. We started off and the first, the Sunday with an emphasis upon prayer. And I found out that God welcomes us, refractory provides for us, even the opportunity in a relationship where we can call him Abba. Father. Daddy almost the most intimate term of a relationship with God Is Possible. Then the next Sunday, we I did the communion and found out that in actual fact, we think about us pursuing, God for the truth is, God was pursuing us and did so, throughout the Old Testament in the form of covenants, where he wanted to have an everlasting and eternal relationship with us accomplished by Jesus Christ. And the New Covenant, which is celebrated at Communion where Jesus died upon the cross to pay the penalty for sin. Then the third Sunday. We talked a little bit about the idea of pursuing god with faithfulness. The idea that we have responsibilities toward God, and to God, because of everything belongs to him. And so, if we're going to be faithful with others things, we know that God owns everything. We don't own anything, even the breath of his are no longer belongs to God. So we have a responsibility to be faithful to serve him last week. We talked a little bit about finding contentment and satisfaction purpose in life, and the solemn and help this by looking. And as we looked at his first sermon out of the Book of Ecclesiastes, where he talks about, the idea of men's pursuit of a number of things that hopefully would bring satisfaction and contentment materialism, more money, Hedonism more pleasure. The idea of chasing various philosophies of men and ideas trying to figure out What's in the world and we discovered that all of those ideas are life Under the Sun without God true. Meaning true. Contentment true. Fulfillment is found in a relationship with God. And so we come today to the end of the book of Ecclesiastes, as we just circled back there and we're going to talk a little bit about the pursuit of success. How can I be successful? One of the questions I suppose. One of the issues that we have to answer is well, what is success? Some people think success has more money while we found last week. He can't ever get enough of that. Maybe success is, if I'm in a position of power and influence, not likely. Success is being what you were intended to be. And doing what you were intended to do. Free simple. and, Solomon gives us some clues. Some hints on how we can move towards that goal of success being what God wants me to be and doing what God wants me to do for and finding out that we have the opportunity of being successful. Pdsd chapter 12 will come back to chapter 11, but please assis chapter 12. In verse 1 says, remember, also your creator in the days of your youth before the evil, the evil days come and the years draw near. I wish you will say I have no pleasure in them. Remember your creator won the steps to success is remembering your creator. I've read that. Just the first verse of this chapter. You can read on to the rest of the chapter. If you want. It's a little discouraging. It's a little bit of what I'm experiencing actually teeth falling out, hands and arms shaking legs boiling, and some almond tree, gray hair. Went to the barber couple weeks ago and asked for a computer haircut. He said, what what's the computer here? Cuz I said, well in the computer they have a cut and paste program. I would like for you to cut and then pay swear. I don't have hair. He didn't understand and didn't do its talking about going over and growing old here, but it's saying in the process of life whether you're young or grow. Older. The idea is remember your creator. remember, the idea of remembering is not

Because you forgotten something. The idea of remember, in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, with the Hebrew word is to mean that to act in favor of to do something. The Bible talks about to Hannah being in the Bible. Praying, and asking for a son in the Bible, says God remembered Hannah. It wasn't I had forgotten about her. It's just that he acted favourably towards her. Remember your creator. Act in a way favourably towards him. Remember your creator. Remember God. You can remember God in a number of ways and a number of different characteristics here. It's saying in order to be successful. One of the things you should do is remember your creator, remember that God created you. In the Genesis chapter 1. And in verse 26, it says here and God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and all old the Earth. And over every creeping thing that creeps on the Earth. So God created man in his own image. In the image of God, he created him male and female. He created him. God has an intention that we would be image Bears last week. I tried an illustration with bubbles. That didn't go well. But I've got a different illustration today, you know, something, I've got a picture here of you won't be able to see it, this the picture of my dad. Going into his teenage years. And if you didn't see that picture. And you saw my grandson before his hair, grew the way it is today, but back in the summer. When he had the buzz cut, you would say of my grandson. He is a spitting image. Of his great-grandfather. He is a spitting image. That's a word that we use and I'm suggesting that to him. That's God's intention and creating you and me. That we would be spitting images of him. Well, not in appearance because God's spirit and is invisible. And here is is the Triune God. God the Father God, the son, God the Holy Spirit, God the son, before he took on human flesh, invisible. It is very one. God, three different persons that say, let us make man in our image. Let him and her be spitting. Images of us, not in appearance. But in actions and attitudes. So, success, is being an image Bearer. Making the invisible God visible in my sphere of influence. Show at work when things go. Well, and when things don't go well. People are able to observe us and say all that God's attitude about that. Oh, that's how God would handle that. That's what God would say. In our school. As we seek to relate to other students and teachers and teachers to students. Our responsibility there is to be image, bearers. That the real person and attitude of God is out lived in us and through us. Remember. Your creator show that some cement life. We are run as a brother Lawrence. I put a book together years ago, entitled practicing the presence of God. Aura. More recently, Eric Clapton has put together a song about 2, and I don't know about his own personal application of this, but the, the song that I enjoy listening to is the idea of I have finally found a place to live. In the presents. Of the Lord being successful. It is bringing the presence of God into my experience. So that others are able to see him and come to know him. Remember your creator.

Solomon also gives us some clues. Some hints on how we can be successful because he tells us some hints that he gives to a farmer. So he will be successful. And that's the passage of scripture that Laura read for us, from a chapter, 11 of ecclesiastic and here. It says, in the first verse cast, your bread, upon the waters for, you will find it after many days unless you get the picture of a farmer, you probably won't understand that what this passage of scripture is saying What it is saying is that if you're going to be a successful farmer, here's some things to do. Cast your bread upon the Water. So in actual fact, this farmer has completed the Harvest. Let's suppose. He's a corn farmer. And he's now wanting to sell and distribute all the corn that he has harvested. Show me packs of in the carts oxcarts and he brings it down to the harbor and he's ready to have it distributed to the other towns and cities around the sea. Probably the Mediterranean Sea 3, brings all his Harvest down, and he comes to the harbor and he looks at these boats and says. Leasing car wrecks.

I don't know if I can get out of the harbor, let alone travel in the Mediterranean, to the particular City, but I want this corn delivered. I just I just don't think I should do it. Solomon says, cast your bread upon the waters. You need to do it. Need to start taking some risks. Get at us in your service of God as Jennifer. She's a while, when I get out of high school last night.

I will, when I get married, that's what I'm really going to get serious about my relationship. Well, maybe after we have children, or when the children are gone. The point is getting started. Get started. Now in your service. Forgot your bread upon the Water. And you will get a return. Brewstew. Give a portion to seven and even to eat food. You do not know. What does Astor May happened on the earth. Same Farmers there, looking out over the harbor and see what he decides to do is to diversify. That's a good business practice. Currently. It's a good investment practice for any of that can invest, don't put all your eggs in one basket is the same. Diversify. Your service of God, find new ways to serve God. You know, there are some things that we just can't do like we used to do during covid. Find new ways to serve God. One of the simplest parts of serving God is sharing our faith. Well, it's not that simple. It's a little bit difficult sometimes and so on the simplest plain sharing your face. You could have in the old days, just invited people to church and maybe by hearing the preaching or being involved in a Bible study or something like that. They would come to know the Lord. Inviting people to church these days and become a lot. More difficult and complicated. In the 50, almost 55 years of ministry. I never thought I would come to the place where I would have to tell people. No, you can't come to church this week. We're filled up. We we've only got certain number of people that are allowed in the building. So I know you can't come. The old days, it was simple, invite people to come along to church. I've got a good way for you to share your faith. Now without even having to invite people to church, matter of fact, in the month of March. We're going to have a program online Zoom. I know zoom zoom online where we will be able to have you just invite someone that's in your sphere of influence to come along for an evening where they will have film. Sometimes I will have some instruction. You don't have to do anything, just be there and invite your friend who can stay in his or her own home. And listen to that zumba presentation. If you want to know more about that than called the church, and will certainly put you in touch with the people that are not putting that program. Together diversify find new ways to serve God. Births at 3. If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves in the earth of a tree falls in the South or to the North in a place where it falls there. It will lie. Now the picture is too old for a kind of leaning on the fence maybe with toothpicks in their mouth and and the other chatting away and they're looking at an old dead tree over there and saying no, I don't think he's going to go down on these days. I think it'll go to the north, the Old Farmer's. North got to be crazy. I think it's going to go to the South. It will fall to the North or to the South who cares unless your host happens to be in close. Proximity to that tree. Don't get sidetracked on trivial things. Serving God make that a priority in 2020 to determine that. That's exactly what you are going to do. Intensify showing and serving verse for He Who observes the wind will not. So and he who regards the clouds will not reap. So the farmers out there and he said well, it looks like a windy day. I don't, I don't know. What's a good day to stall. And look at the clouds Cloud over there. It may rain. Don't put off your Sony. Don't put off your serving. There's always an excuse. Why we can't serve God in 2022, which saw him in the saying she was here is. Don't put it off. So serve, find a way to do what God wants you to do. 5 and 6, as you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones, the woman of the room of a woman with child. So you do not know the work of God who makes everything in the morning. So your seed and that evening withhold, not your hand for you, do not know which will prosper this or that, or whether both alike. Will be good. The idea is an once you started to serve, keep at it. Don't quit. Keep serving God. God's work is a result of God's work as you're involved. God does things. Your? Little effort. My feeble attempts. God chooses to use. You don't know how God creates a body, how he creates a baby and living life in the womb. So work of God, the mystery God's work behind the scenes.

So he will work for you as you seek to serve him. Throw in the morning and evening.

You don't know. Will it be in the morning seed or the evening seed that will germinate and bring forth across perhaps both? That's an encouragement for our family is this. We have family members that at the present time or not serving the lord? Keep throwing keep praying. You don't know whether will be the season 2 showing when they were very young or the seed that you're showing now, as you were older. That's going to germinate and bring forth across perhaps both. Will succeed. Keep on serving. God. Remember your creator. I got a purpose. I need to be an image Bearer. I need to keep at serving God and every now and then I need to do a little route check like a pilot I or someone driving a car. Every need every now and then you need to check to make sure you're on the right Road. You're on the right route because there's so many detours to life. So many distractions. Solomon says, here in back in 12:9, besides being wise, the preacher also taught the people knowledge. Weighing and studying and arranging many problems with great care. The preacher sought to find words of the light and uprightly. He wrote words of truth. The words of the wise are like gold and light nail firmly. Fixed are the collected sayings. They are given by one Shepherd. My son beware of anything. Beyond these of making many books. There is no end. And such study is a weariness of The Flash, their lot of ideas out there. Lot of different philosophies. Make sure you were following what Solomon says, is the truth. Pilate asked Jesus. What is truth? Very was face-to-face with the one who is the truth. I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the father, but by him a Jesus says The truth. How are you going to know the truth?

The words of the wise are like gold. Say they prod and they keep you going in the straight path. They're like nails. Firmly, nailed down truth. So you got something solid that for your life. There are many ideas, but there's one Shepherd. Follow the Good Shepherd. Who is also the great Shepherd of the sheep? There are many ideas. Is 1 truth. William this week are Old-Timers, guys are going to be able to get back at hockey. I'm kind of looking forward to that and we have been able to play hockey for more than a month. So bunch of old guys, get together and play. Hi. We call it hockey, you would watch it and you might have a different idea what we're doing, but we get together and then we usually go over to Tim's for a coffee afterward. And chatter boat. Sometimes the game, any similarity between the conversation there and what really happened on the purely coincidental. The last conversation. We had we got talking about life after death. And the guys had all kinds of ideas. Wow, and you die. That's the end. We're all done. There is an afterlife. Maybe we come back as something and it's something else. They all have this feeling inside that there must be more to life than just what we have here. So I suggest suggested that maybe guys that if you want to know something about life after death. We should search and research someone who's been there. And I only know one. I came to this Earth die. Barry and rosagame ascended into heaven and will soon come for all who have put their faith and trust in him. He's the truth. He's the one that has experienced it. He's the one that can help us. He is the one Shepherd that we should follow.

Chillin on the journey to success. Remember your creator. Keep serving God. The idea is that every now and then you do a little bit of a road check. Am I on the right path? My following the truth. Am I following the one Shepherd? And then Solomon at the last two verses of this book says, here's the end of the matter. Thing, that people always want to hear when the firm is being preached cuz he finishing. Well, here's the end of the matter. All has been heard fear God and keep his Commandments. For this is the whole duty of man for God will bring every deed into judgment with every secret thing. Whether good or evil. Fear. God. Does that mean God wants to be afraid of us to be afraid of him? No, actually that's not the way the word is used in. In the scripture, most religions of the world have deities. And the idea is you need to be afraid of them until you give sacrifices to them to buy them off. That's not the relationship. The God wants us to have respect. Yes, but not being afraid of him. So many verses that talk about the fear of God, but let me just give you three of them. This morning, one comes from Psalm 25 and verse 14. The Friendship of the Lord is for those who fear Him? And he makes it known to them his Covenant. The fear of the Lord.

And friendship are compatible. I don't need to be afraid of God. I can be his friend. He wants to be a friend to me because he's shown that in the cabinet member the second week. The various covenants where God wants to have an eternal relationship with us. Those covenants. God said he will keep And has in the person of Jesus Christ. Another song. There's 33 and verse 18. They hold the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him? On those who hope. In his steadfast love.

The fear of the Lord is somehow include Hesed. Love. The idea of the steadfast love, I don't need to be afraid of. I can enter into a relationship with him one of love. Third one, Psalm 147 verse 11. But the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him. In those who hope in his steadfast.

God's plan is that we would fear Him. Yes. But the idea is not that we are afraid of him. We're in a relationship with him relationship that time. We specs this greatness. Give thanks for his Mercy. Is in all of his power. Is confidence is wisdom. Submit. To his will. And receive his Everlasting, unconditional love. Fear God. As part of the process of being successful. And keeping his Commandments. God's not some type of cosmic killjoy, got a whole bunch of rules and regulations, so he can't enjoy life. Remember what we said last week? that time that Solomon said in Chapter 2 of Ecclesiastes, God wants us to enjoy life here. And also to experience eternal life forever with him. His rules, his Commandments are not, so that we don't have any fun. They're for our protection. He is a loving caring. Father who wants nothing, but the best for us, we're on a journey. And along the roadside as we go up that mountain trail, there's risks. We can fall off the edge. Got to put some Commandments along as fences Gods, put some Commandments along as a heads, to protect us from going over and doing harm to our self to our family. And to our society. Paul says, and keep yourself in the love of God. What what's that mean? Well, it means that there's a whole big area out there. Things that God loves stay there. Don't be pushing the fences. Don't be climbing over. The fence has it'll be to your arm into your hurt. Keep yourself in the sphere of God's love. So solemn and says, I've given you 11 chapter 12. Now, I've given you for sermons on what life is all about and the pursuit of God. He says, here in a versa 13, the end of the matter and then he says, this is the whole duty of man. The word really there is. This is wholeness. This is the wholeness of, man. This is the wholeness of woman if you want to be whole, if you want to be complete pin image Bearer. Keep serving God.

We found out that God is actually a seeking God, who serve who is searching for us? As only as we have submitted to him. That were able to find life. And life more abundant. Abba. Father. Come full circle this month. Coming back to the idea that we submit Our Lives to a caring Heavenly Father. Who wants us to be successful? But to be complete. And hole. Here. And ultimately, Imperfection in that place called heaven. A good good. Father, providing salvation for us. I'm going to ask the musicians to come and we are going to sing together. That's a song about a relationship with a good good. Father.