WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.200 Hear the word of the Lord, Ecclesiastes 7, verses 00:00:02.200 --> 00:00:07.780 1 through 10. Better is a good name than good 00:00:07.780 --> 00:00:10.880 oil. Better is a day of one's death than the 00:00:10.880 --> 00:00:13.419 day of one's birth. Better to go to a house of 00:00:13.419 --> 00:00:16.800 mourning than to go to a house of feasting, because 00:00:16.800 --> 00:00:19.260 that is the end of all mankind, and the living 00:00:19.260 --> 00:00:22.960 puts this in his heart. Better is vexation than 00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:25.100 laughter, for when a face is sad, a heart may 00:00:25.100 --> 00:00:27.719 be merry. The heart of the wise is in the house 00:00:27.719 --> 00:00:30.059 of mourning, while the heart of fools It's in 00:00:30.059 --> 00:00:32.840 the house of gladness. Better to listen to the 00:00:32.840 --> 00:00:35.380 rebuke of a wise man than for one to listen to 00:00:35.380 --> 00:00:38.340 the song of fools. For as the cackling sound 00:00:38.340 --> 00:00:42.020 of thorn bushes under a pot, so is the laughter 00:00:42.020 --> 00:00:45.979 of a fool. And this too is vanity. For oppression 00:00:45.979 --> 00:00:48.759 gives a wise man over to madness and a bribe 00:00:48.759 --> 00:00:51.539 destroys the heart. Better is the end of a matter 00:00:51.539 --> 00:00:53.640 than its beginning. Better is patience of spirit 00:00:53.640 --> 00:00:56.939 than haughtiness of spirit. Do not be eager in 00:00:56.939 --> 00:01:00.409 your spirit to be vexed. For vexation rests in 00:01:00.409 --> 00:01:03.829 the bosom of fools. Do not say, why is it that 00:01:03.829 --> 00:01:07.549 the former days were better than these? For it 00:01:07.549 --> 00:01:11.230 is not from wisdom that you ask this. All right, 00:01:11.250 --> 00:01:12.909 it's a lot this morning, so let's pray. Let's 00:01:12.909 --> 00:01:15.269 ask for God's favor. Lord God, we come to you 00:01:15.269 --> 00:01:17.510 this morning, people burdened by many things, 00:01:17.709 --> 00:01:20.510 encouraged by some things as well, but people 00:01:20.510 --> 00:01:24.730 created by you and for you. Help us to use our 00:01:24.730 --> 00:01:27.489 time wisely this morning to learn from you. Open 00:01:27.489 --> 00:01:30.290 our hearts. Open our minds to comprehend the 00:01:30.290 --> 00:01:33.129 depths of your wisdom displayed through your 00:01:33.129 --> 00:01:36.409 servant Solomon. Use the written word to shock 00:01:36.409 --> 00:01:40.530 us, to wound us, and ultimately to guide us and 00:01:40.530 --> 00:01:44.090 to heal us towards yourself. We know that beyond 00:01:44.090 --> 00:01:48.450 ourselves, the world needs wisdom. Our leaders 00:01:48.450 --> 00:01:52.329 need wisdom from above. So we ask for your mercy 00:01:52.329 --> 00:01:54.870 upon our government and their leaders that they 00:01:54.870 --> 00:01:57.349 would not seek to be wise in their own eyes. 00:01:57.980 --> 00:02:00.519 but to pursue the good of others by ultimately 00:02:00.519 --> 00:02:05.579 pursuing you. It's no small feat to ask that 00:02:05.579 --> 00:02:08.740 powerful people be humbled, but you can do all 00:02:08.740 --> 00:02:12.020 things. And we pray that you may soften not only 00:02:12.020 --> 00:02:14.900 the arrogant hearts of people in powerful positions, 00:02:15.099 --> 00:02:18.280 but also that you may soften the hearts of unbelievers 00:02:18.280 --> 00:02:22.360 in our circles of life, friends and family who 00:02:22.360 --> 00:02:25.900 have no fear of you. As you conform our hearts 00:02:25.900 --> 00:02:29.180 to yours, may your wisdom guide us in our conversations, 00:02:29.280 --> 00:02:32.939 our relationships with the unsaved. May we be 00:02:32.939 --> 00:02:36.180 gentle and honest, bringing truth and love for 00:02:36.180 --> 00:02:39.719 your glory among the lost. So this morning, we 00:02:39.719 --> 00:02:42.620 ask that you use the wisdom of Ecclesiastes 7 00:02:42.620 --> 00:02:46.180 to deepen our understanding of life, this side 00:02:46.180 --> 00:02:49.780 of glory, and that we would ponder things that 00:02:49.780 --> 00:02:54.210 truly matter. Use the idea that all is vanity 00:02:54.210 --> 00:02:57.669 to teach us and mold us into the likeness of 00:02:57.669 --> 00:03:00.810 Christ. We pray this for your glory and for our 00:03:00.810 --> 00:03:04.469 good. Amen. Amen. Friends, you may be seated. 00:03:11.870 --> 00:03:13.949 Some people thought that Jeff was going to be 00:03:13.949 --> 00:03:19.229 here today. I am not Jeff. This is not Titus. 00:03:20.260 --> 00:03:23.400 We'll be in Titus sometime after Palm Sunday 00:03:23.400 --> 00:03:26.860 and Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. I know 00:03:26.860 --> 00:03:28.500 he's indignant because I called it Palm Sunday. 00:03:28.560 --> 00:03:32.960 You'll hear more about that later, later. The 00:03:32.960 --> 00:03:35.099 Sunday before Resurrection Sunday. How about 00:03:35.099 --> 00:03:37.139 that? We'll do that when you got a thumbs up 00:03:37.139 --> 00:03:40.479 there. So welcome back. Welcome back to our study 00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:43.340 in Ecclesiastes. And we are at actually a very 00:03:43.340 --> 00:03:48.020 special point in the book. We've climbed the 00:03:48.020 --> 00:03:50.250 mountain. We've climbed the mountain of that 00:03:50.250 --> 00:03:53.310 argument that is very painful, that all is vanity. 00:03:53.650 --> 00:03:56.069 We've listened to Solomon break down everything 00:03:56.069 --> 00:03:58.969 under the sun. There is no advantage to be had, 00:03:59.030 --> 00:04:02.710 no getting out of the way of his point that we 00:04:02.710 --> 00:04:07.289 humans chase soap bubbles. And as we closed chapter 00:04:07.289 --> 00:04:11.110 6 last time, several weeks ago, there was a question 00:04:11.110 --> 00:04:15.169 at the end. He said, who can tell a man what 00:04:15.169 --> 00:04:20.860 is good during his vain time? So essentially, 00:04:21.060 --> 00:04:23.699 Solomon has brought his entire argument, the 00:04:23.699 --> 00:04:26.560 proof that all is vanity, to this one point. 00:04:26.639 --> 00:04:30.000 And he asks the reader, if everything is vanity, 00:04:30.139 --> 00:04:33.500 then who can tell you what's good during those 00:04:33.500 --> 00:04:38.800 few vain days? Throughout Ecclesiastes, we've 00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:42.259 wrestled with hard questions. What is the point 00:04:42.259 --> 00:04:45.529 of all of this if we're just going to die? If 00:04:45.529 --> 00:04:48.709 the sun rises on the just and the unjust, is 00:04:48.709 --> 00:04:53.610 it better just to live my best life now? These 00:04:53.610 --> 00:04:57.430 questions show that we've been confronted with 00:04:57.430 --> 00:05:01.050 the wisdom of Solomon. He's been forcing us to 00:05:01.050 --> 00:05:03.350 consider these things, and now here in chapter 00:05:03.350 --> 00:05:06.129 7, we reach the top of the mountain. That's what 00:05:06.129 --> 00:05:08.290 these verses are, specifically verses 1 through 00:05:08.290 --> 00:05:10.829 10. They're all about drawing us to the turning 00:05:10.829 --> 00:05:13.250 point of his argument and the turning point of 00:05:13.250 --> 00:05:15.720 the entire argument. And I pray that the slides 00:05:15.720 --> 00:05:17.339 are right, because I actually didn't check them 00:05:17.339 --> 00:05:20.939 ahead of time. So let's find out here. Testing, 00:05:21.100 --> 00:05:24.040 testing. There we go. Hey, that looks familiar. 00:05:25.259 --> 00:05:28.579 That's the outline we've been following. Nine 00:05:28.579 --> 00:05:32.740 sermons in, and here we are. The turning point 00:05:32.740 --> 00:05:36.420 of Ecclesiastes 7. You see the first part of 00:05:36.420 --> 00:05:38.500 the book, the problem, all is vanity. The second 00:05:38.500 --> 00:05:41.339 part, the proof. From all the way back in chapter 00:05:41.339 --> 00:05:44.560 1, all the way through chapter 6, the proof that 00:05:44.560 --> 00:05:49.040 all is vanity. Today, we get to start with the 00:05:49.040 --> 00:05:53.560 prescription with life as vanity. And verses 00:05:53.560 --> 00:05:57.339 1 through 10, that vanity is life's great teacher. 00:05:58.360 --> 00:06:00.699 Now Solomon asked that question in the close 00:06:00.699 --> 00:06:03.519 of chapter 6. Who can tell a man what is good 00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:06.160 during his few vain days? And now he is going 00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:09.199 to answer. Instead of just asking questions, 00:06:09.459 --> 00:06:11.500 he's going to answer. He's going to tell us what 00:06:11.500 --> 00:06:13.740 is good. So if you have your Bibles out, get 00:06:13.740 --> 00:06:15.879 them ready for Ecclesiastes 7. I promise we'll 00:06:15.879 --> 00:06:17.740 be there in a moment. But I want to tell you 00:06:17.740 --> 00:06:21.459 a little story. Growing up, I went to a small 00:06:21.459 --> 00:06:24.379 little elementary school in Shell Beach, California. 00:06:24.560 --> 00:06:26.019 Some of you might not even know where that is. 00:06:26.079 --> 00:06:27.920 Some of you might. Anyone know where Shell Beach 00:06:27.920 --> 00:06:31.420 is? Yeah, see, that's a very small... Anyone 00:06:31.420 --> 00:06:34.810 know where Pismo Beach is? It's right next to 00:06:34.810 --> 00:06:36.689 Pismo Beach, so you've driven past it if you've 00:06:36.689 --> 00:06:39.649 been on the 101. Now, it was a unique place to 00:06:39.649 --> 00:06:42.290 grow up. I went to that elementary school with 00:06:42.290 --> 00:06:44.629 a soccer field that overlooked the Pacific Ocean. 00:06:44.870 --> 00:06:48.050 We had field trips to the tide pools. Our mascot 00:06:48.050 --> 00:06:49.949 was a great white shark. That was pretty cool. 00:06:50.709 --> 00:06:52.290 If you want to know what it was like, that's 00:06:52.290 --> 00:06:55.129 actually a picture of what our playground was 00:06:55.129 --> 00:06:58.970 like. And we didn't have the fence back then 00:06:58.970 --> 00:07:01.430 either. It was just wide open. It was before 00:07:01.430 --> 00:07:06.079 the safety things today. Now, blessed doesn't 00:07:06.079 --> 00:07:09.740 even begin to describe it. Most of us kids, we 00:07:09.740 --> 00:07:12.860 took that for granted, but I always loved the 00:07:12.860 --> 00:07:15.500 ocean. Years ago, I wanted to work with ocean 00:07:15.500 --> 00:07:18.100 animals, so it was a special environment to grow 00:07:18.100 --> 00:07:21.639 up within. Now, when I was in fourth grade, we 00:07:21.639 --> 00:07:24.639 had a choice of which fifth grade teacher class 00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:26.560 we'd like to go into. It was a small school, 00:07:26.699 --> 00:07:29.420 right? We had everyone who knew everyone, two 00:07:29.420 --> 00:07:32.980 teachers per grade. That was it. Now, usually, 00:07:33.079 --> 00:07:35.980 whichever teacher you got for fifth grade would 00:07:35.980 --> 00:07:38.339 influence the teacher you got for sixth grade. 00:07:38.439 --> 00:07:40.339 That's just the way it worked. Nothing else worked 00:07:40.339 --> 00:07:42.839 that way until you got to fifth grade and then 00:07:42.839 --> 00:07:46.240 sixth grade. And of course, one of the fifth 00:07:46.240 --> 00:07:49.480 grade teachers was known for being fun and entertaining 00:07:49.480 --> 00:07:52.339 students with lots of hands -on learning activities, 00:07:52.420 --> 00:07:56.220 and the other was known for being tough, but 00:07:56.220 --> 00:08:00.850 fair. So as a young student, Which class do you 00:08:00.850 --> 00:08:04.889 think we all wanted to be in? Not hard to imagine. 00:08:05.689 --> 00:08:07.750 Further, in sixth grade, there was a similar 00:08:07.750 --> 00:08:10.750 dynamic. So if you got into that fun fifth grade 00:08:10.750 --> 00:08:12.610 teacher's class, you were going to get into that 00:08:12.610 --> 00:08:16.850 fun sixth grade teacher's class as well. To a 00:08:16.850 --> 00:08:19.949 young person, that felt like the biggest decision 00:08:19.949 --> 00:08:23.949 of my life. If I get into Mr. Sharp's fun -filled 00:08:23.949 --> 00:08:25.730 fifth grade class, then I'm going to get into 00:08:25.730 --> 00:08:28.189 Mrs. Simpson's awesome, activity -laden sixth 00:08:28.189 --> 00:08:30.230 grade class, and my life is going to be amazing 00:08:30.230 --> 00:08:32.710 and perfect leading into junior high, right? 00:08:34.230 --> 00:08:38.830 Yeah, naivety of youth. I begged my parents to 00:08:38.830 --> 00:08:43.309 request that fun pathway, and they did. But with 00:08:43.309 --> 00:08:46.909 60 students in two classes, half of us would 00:08:46.909 --> 00:08:50.350 be left disappointed. Guess which half I was 00:08:50.350 --> 00:08:54.419 in? So when the letter came, it was like reverse 00:08:54.419 --> 00:09:00.340 Hogwarts. It wasn't exciting. And I was in Mr. 00:09:00.700 --> 00:09:05.200 Howland's fifth grade class. Now, poor Mr. Howland. 00:09:05.259 --> 00:09:07.399 You could tell on the first day of school, our 00:09:07.399 --> 00:09:10.399 class was not nearly as excited as Mr. Sharp's 00:09:10.399 --> 00:09:13.500 fun -filled class. That same part, or that same 00:09:13.500 --> 00:09:17.009 little... Play structure. The second that the 00:09:17.009 --> 00:09:19.389 bell rang to start school, his class was hooting 00:09:19.389 --> 00:09:21.450 and hollering, walking in from the playground, 00:09:21.649 --> 00:09:24.129 and we were all just walking like, you know, 00:09:24.129 --> 00:09:28.870 Charlie Brown. Oh, man. Okay, here we go. Walking 00:09:28.870 --> 00:09:31.950 into his class for the first time, and we all 00:09:31.950 --> 00:09:34.570 noticed that Mr. Howland's room was very, very 00:09:34.570 --> 00:09:37.149 different. Very different. It wasn't decorated 00:09:37.149 --> 00:09:39.700 like the other teachers. He didn't have kitschy 00:09:39.700 --> 00:09:42.200 motivational posters about being the best you 00:09:42.200 --> 00:09:44.899 or awkward affirmations or a bunch of participation 00:09:44.899 --> 00:09:48.379 awards. Remember, this was the 90s. Nothing like 00:09:48.379 --> 00:09:53.840 that today. No, instead, he had a Darwinian -esque 00:09:53.840 --> 00:09:58.139 collection of nature posters. Survival of the 00:09:58.139 --> 00:10:00.500 fittest and you try to succeed until you're dead. 00:10:00.639 --> 00:10:06.000 That was his motivation. Mr. Howland, he also 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:09.759 had several animals in his class. He had a sarcastic 00:10:09.759 --> 00:10:12.519 blue and gold macaw that loved to tease students. 00:10:12.820 --> 00:10:16.179 He had a giant four -foot -long iguana and a 00:10:16.179 --> 00:10:19.360 very scary -looking seven -foot -long albino 00:10:19.360 --> 00:10:24.220 Burmese python. Now, that is all true. You can 00:10:24.220 --> 00:10:26.980 check with my mom. All of that is true. It sounds 00:10:26.980 --> 00:10:29.480 fantastical. In a public school, nonetheless. 00:10:29.700 --> 00:10:32.980 This is not private. Now, throughout the year, 00:10:33.000 --> 00:10:36.259 as the other class had fun events outside and 00:10:36.259 --> 00:10:38.539 they seemed to learn everything through an activity, 00:10:39.100 --> 00:10:43.500 Mr. Howland taught us how to learn. He taught 00:10:43.500 --> 00:10:46.100 us how to reason. He taught us how to disagree. 00:10:46.539 --> 00:10:49.480 And though I don't even think he realized it, 00:10:49.580 --> 00:10:54.620 he taught us about death. It was no more apparent 00:10:54.620 --> 00:10:59.220 than whenever he needed to feed that snake. Now 00:10:59.220 --> 00:11:01.360 that was an activity he usually reserved for 00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:03.919 off hours, as you can imagine why students would 00:11:03.919 --> 00:11:07.639 be screaming. But our class, we begged him. We 00:11:07.639 --> 00:11:10.600 begged him to feed the snake in front of us. 00:11:12.200 --> 00:11:15.779 So one fateful day, we turn all of our desks 00:11:15.779 --> 00:11:19.580 on their side. We tip them so they create a phalanx 00:11:19.580 --> 00:11:21.600 barrier, right? Those of you who love history, 00:11:21.700 --> 00:11:23.759 Jeff, you appreciate that reference there. A 00:11:23.759 --> 00:11:25.820 phalanx barrier like the Romans to keep the snake 00:11:25.820 --> 00:11:28.700 on one side and the student safely on the other. 00:11:28.740 --> 00:11:31.659 And we all sat on our desks, peering down like 00:11:31.659 --> 00:11:34.539 spectators at the Colosseum, awaiting for that 00:11:34.539 --> 00:11:39.980 white and yellow python to strike its prey. That's 00:11:39.980 --> 00:11:44.259 a reasonably sized, slightly slow white mouse. 00:11:45.500 --> 00:11:48.700 And we watched. for a few moments, wondering 00:11:48.700 --> 00:11:51.120 how the snake is going to strike. Most of us 00:11:51.120 --> 00:11:55.179 had not seen that in real life. And then came 00:11:55.179 --> 00:11:59.159 the moment that we all begged for. That snake 00:11:59.159 --> 00:12:03.379 slowly began to move towards that unsuspecting 00:12:03.379 --> 00:12:05.980 mouse, and the poor creature had nowhere to go. 00:12:06.340 --> 00:12:08.720 Our barrier ensured that there was no escape, 00:12:08.840 --> 00:12:11.179 and as the mouse realized it can't go around, 00:12:11.320 --> 00:12:13.399 it can't go horizontally, it needed to go up 00:12:13.399 --> 00:12:17.389 somehow, it crossed in front of the snake. And 00:12:17.389 --> 00:12:22.289 as quick as lightning, the snake struck and began 00:12:22.289 --> 00:12:24.669 its feeding process. I will not describe that 00:12:24.669 --> 00:12:29.190 in detail. If you are interested, ask Zion. He's 00:12:29.190 --> 00:12:31.470 really interested into snakes and lizards right 00:12:31.470 --> 00:12:33.470 now these days. So he will describe in detail 00:12:33.470 --> 00:12:38.610 how all of that works. As a bunch of fifth graders, 00:12:38.850 --> 00:12:42.950 we looked on. And that initial glee of getting 00:12:42.950 --> 00:12:45.950 to watch the snake feed. slowly began turning 00:12:45.950 --> 00:12:49.450 into something else. Now, sure, the boys, myself 00:12:49.450 --> 00:12:51.649 included, we thought what we just witnessed was 00:12:51.649 --> 00:12:54.529 awesome. That's so cool. And the girls were like, 00:12:54.570 --> 00:12:58.710 it's awful. It's terrible. But in that moment, 00:12:58.909 --> 00:13:01.889 we also realized that for the snake to live, 00:13:02.169 --> 00:13:07.309 something had to die. Now, Mr. Holland, he may 00:13:07.309 --> 00:13:10.549 have been a Darwinian environmentalist, an ardent 00:13:10.549 --> 00:13:12.950 supporter of the Sierra Club. Talk to me later 00:13:12.950 --> 00:13:17.100 about that. But God used him to help a group 00:13:17.100 --> 00:13:20.179 of fifth graders come to grips with the reality 00:13:20.179 --> 00:13:25.259 of death. Now, I have many more stories about 00:13:25.259 --> 00:13:27.080 Mr. Howland, including the time that he let the 00:13:27.080 --> 00:13:30.759 macaw out of its cage, the time the iguana escaped. 00:13:31.399 --> 00:13:34.379 A lot of animal stories with him, actually. There 00:13:34.379 --> 00:13:36.460 are other ones, too. Fond memories of how he 00:13:36.460 --> 00:13:40.279 pushed myself and my classmates to think, to 00:13:40.279 --> 00:13:46.970 consider, to reason. To grow. And though I didn't 00:13:46.970 --> 00:13:49.850 want Mr. Howland the summer before fifth grade, 00:13:50.049 --> 00:13:53.330 by the end of the year, I was excited that for 00:13:53.330 --> 00:13:55.929 the first time in his 30 -year teaching career, 00:13:56.309 --> 00:14:00.590 he would be taking on sixth grade. And I petitioned 00:14:00.590 --> 00:14:04.389 to be part of that class. Mr. Howland eventually 00:14:04.389 --> 00:14:06.870 became one of my favorite school teachers. Now, 00:14:06.889 --> 00:14:10.370 he didn't teach me God's word. He was not a man 00:14:10.370 --> 00:14:14.029 that I wanted to grow up. to imitate, but he 00:14:14.029 --> 00:14:17.269 was a man who taught me much. And I still remember 00:14:17.269 --> 00:14:22.190 many of those lessons today, 30 plus years later. 00:14:23.090 --> 00:14:26.330 And I set the stage for us with that story because 00:14:26.330 --> 00:14:29.169 today we're going to see that the great teachers 00:14:29.169 --> 00:14:32.710 of this life are not our comforts or our pleasures 00:14:32.710 --> 00:14:37.090 or our blessings, but our trials are the great 00:14:37.090 --> 00:14:41.220 teachers in this life. So now take a look at 00:14:41.220 --> 00:14:45.039 your text. Ecclesiastes chapter 7, verses 1 through 00:14:45.039 --> 00:14:48.840 2. Solomon makes a statement about what is good. 00:14:49.039 --> 00:14:51.419 Or in Hebrew, tov. How many of you have gone 00:14:51.419 --> 00:14:53.899 to Ibex? You learned how to say bokeh tov every 00:14:53.899 --> 00:14:57.259 morning, yes? Hopefully you did not shame Mr. 00:14:57.620 --> 00:15:02.039 Varner. Now tov, the statement there, what is 00:15:02.039 --> 00:15:05.580 good. Here it's about popularity, reputation. 00:15:07.299 --> 00:15:10.000 How do I know that? Well, look at oil. We don't 00:15:10.000 --> 00:15:12.500 use oil the same way as in the ancient Near East. 00:15:12.539 --> 00:15:14.759 Some of you may be thinking, hmm, is this olive 00:15:14.759 --> 00:15:19.399 oil, avocado oil, seed oil, animal oil? Don't 00:15:19.399 --> 00:15:21.740 ask RFK about oil if you want to know what this 00:15:21.740 --> 00:15:25.519 passage means, okay? Cooking is not the reference. 00:15:26.379 --> 00:15:30.799 The reference in verse 1 is about good oil being 00:15:30.799 --> 00:15:37.649 perfume or cologne. Oil for fragrance. So Solomon 00:15:37.649 --> 00:15:41.029 is saying here that one's character, not your 00:15:41.029 --> 00:15:43.889 name, because your name is not just the letters 00:15:43.889 --> 00:15:48.029 that are there and how you pronounce them. That's 00:15:48.029 --> 00:15:52.009 not the name. It's your actions, your life. That 00:15:52.009 --> 00:15:56.389 is associated with your name. And that is better, 00:15:56.509 --> 00:15:59.830 a good name, than just making you smell nice. 00:16:00.909 --> 00:16:03.450 That's similar to what Peter says about a woman's 00:16:03.450 --> 00:16:06.279 adornment. Many of you know this passage. Instead 00:16:06.279 --> 00:16:07.879 of the external, it should be the hidden person 00:16:07.879 --> 00:16:10.919 of the heart. 1 Peter 3, verse 3 to 4. Your adornment 00:16:10.919 --> 00:16:13.019 must not be merely external, braiding the hair, 00:16:13.159 --> 00:16:15.399 wearing gold jewelry, putting on garments, but 00:16:15.399 --> 00:16:18.139 let it be the hidden person of the heart with 00:16:18.139 --> 00:16:21.019 the incorruptible quality of a lowly and quiet 00:16:21.019 --> 00:16:24.100 spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. 00:16:24.139 --> 00:16:27.460 I think that Peter understood the wisdom of Solomon. 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:31.299 You don't get a good name from good perfume. 00:16:32.159 --> 00:16:35.100 You can't staple fruit to a tree and call it 00:16:35.100 --> 00:16:39.379 good. Similarly, no amount of fragrance can mask 00:16:39.379 --> 00:16:44.899 an ungodly character. Walking through trials, 00:16:45.039 --> 00:16:48.240 according to James chapter 1, produces character. 00:16:49.500 --> 00:16:53.240 You don't get a good name. You don't get a meaningful 00:16:53.240 --> 00:16:59.419 life apart from trials. A carefree life that's 00:16:59.419 --> 00:17:01.879 full of ease and comfort, that's an empty and 00:17:01.879 --> 00:17:06.339 shallow life. Now, the second half of verse 1 00:17:06.339 --> 00:17:09.079 brings an uncomfortable truth to our doorstep. 00:17:09.480 --> 00:17:15.079 It's that pain has a purpose. Pain has a purpose. 00:17:15.680 --> 00:17:19.200 Now, in our culture, we do everything we can 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:22.359 to delay and to mitigate death unless it comes 00:17:22.359 --> 00:17:25.380 to abortion or physician -assisted suicide. The 00:17:25.380 --> 00:17:29.759 only two things. Everything else. We try to slow 00:17:29.759 --> 00:17:33.599 the sands of time that affect us all. And the 00:17:33.599 --> 00:17:35.740 more means we have, the more capacity we have 00:17:35.740 --> 00:17:38.279 to do that, the more we endeavor in such a way. 00:17:40.759 --> 00:17:43.180 Every trial, though, do you know this? Every 00:17:43.180 --> 00:17:46.279 trial prepares you to meet your ultimate enemy. 00:17:47.359 --> 00:17:53.359 Death. Death. That's the emphasis of verse 1b 00:17:53.359 --> 00:17:56.299 through verse 2, that every person... must face 00:17:56.299 --> 00:17:58.619 the reality of death. That's the house of mourning. 00:17:59.240 --> 00:18:02.940 And you must take it to heart. Some of you know 00:18:02.940 --> 00:18:05.200 Samuel Rutherford. Some of you were in Rutherford 00:18:05.200 --> 00:18:08.039 Hall at some point during your time at Masters. 00:18:08.599 --> 00:18:11.519 He lived when Scottish Christians were being 00:18:11.519 --> 00:18:15.359 persecuted severely at the hands of the tyrannical 00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:17.579 Bloody Mary of England. And he once wrote this. 00:18:17.660 --> 00:18:20.559 There are quotes on the screen for you. I've 00:18:20.559 --> 00:18:24.650 never heard anyone say The really deep lessons 00:18:24.650 --> 00:18:27.369 of life have come through times of ease and comfort. 00:18:28.430 --> 00:18:33.210 But I've heard strong saints say this. Every 00:18:33.210 --> 00:18:37.569 significant advance I have ever made in grasping 00:18:37.569 --> 00:18:40.630 the depths of God's love and growing deep in 00:18:40.630 --> 00:18:47.589 him has come through suffering. This is why it's 00:18:47.589 --> 00:18:51.259 better. to go to a house of mourning than one 00:18:51.259 --> 00:18:55.339 of feasting or celebration. Now Solomon isn't 00:18:55.339 --> 00:18:58.400 saying that there is zero occasion to celebrate, 00:18:58.599 --> 00:19:01.559 but that it's good to recognize that death is 00:19:01.559 --> 00:19:05.160 coming and to live wisely during a fleeting life. 00:19:06.160 --> 00:19:08.839 And so help a person not only consider eternal 00:19:08.839 --> 00:19:12.079 things, but to also appreciate the small graces, 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:15.640 the little blessings that we all too often miss 00:19:15.640 --> 00:19:19.680 and ignore. Trials help us to be grateful for 00:19:19.680 --> 00:19:22.640 the many common graces, but trials for the believer 00:19:22.640 --> 00:19:26.940 help us to be grateful for God's particular grace 00:19:26.940 --> 00:19:31.700 in Christ. Life's hardships are intended to build 00:19:31.700 --> 00:19:34.440 godly character. So going back to the first part 00:19:34.440 --> 00:19:38.079 of verse one, think about this. The best names 00:19:38.079 --> 00:19:42.640 endure the hardest that life has to offer. Names 00:19:42.640 --> 00:19:51.589 like Job, Joseph. Ruth, Naomi, Nehemiah, Esther, 00:19:51.910 --> 00:20:00.970 Jeremiah, Paul, Jesus. So you know these names. 00:20:01.069 --> 00:20:03.930 Many of you have heard these names through preaching 00:20:03.930 --> 00:20:06.410 and Bible study, and you know that these names 00:20:06.410 --> 00:20:10.730 have meaning. These names have stories about 00:20:10.730 --> 00:20:15.980 persevering through suffering. Solomon tells 00:20:15.980 --> 00:20:19.200 us if you want a good name, recognize that your 00:20:19.200 --> 00:20:22.759 endurance through trials brings about the kind 00:20:22.759 --> 00:20:27.000 of name that matters. Because in that, your name 00:20:27.000 --> 00:20:29.980 will be more associated with the God who is over 00:20:29.980 --> 00:20:33.440 your life than with your attempts to be the God 00:20:33.440 --> 00:20:37.480 of your own life. That's what a good name is. 00:20:38.759 --> 00:20:41.259 Now, while verses 1 and 2 bring the idea that 00:20:41.259 --> 00:20:44.140 trials are the great teachers of life, the remainder 00:20:44.140 --> 00:20:46.099 of this section, all the way through verse 10, 00:20:46.240 --> 00:20:49.859 underscores that same point, but also warns us 00:20:49.859 --> 00:20:53.299 of things that rob us from the right perspective 00:20:53.299 --> 00:20:56.640 of life and its meaning. Take a look at verses 00:20:56.640 --> 00:21:01.859 3 and 6. In verses 3 and 6, we see various pleasures 00:21:01.859 --> 00:21:05.079 as We're going to come back to this topic of 00:21:05.079 --> 00:21:08.019 painkillers. Painkillers that help people to 00:21:08.019 --> 00:21:11.559 blunt the sharp pains of life. And these two 00:21:11.559 --> 00:21:16.400 verses look to that painkiller of laughter. Laughter. 00:21:16.920 --> 00:21:19.339 Now in verse 3, there's an implication about 00:21:19.339 --> 00:21:23.119 a sad face while yet having a glad heart. And 00:21:23.119 --> 00:21:25.019 if you're a believer, you've learned or you're 00:21:25.019 --> 00:21:27.579 learning that principle. Things can be rough. 00:21:28.180 --> 00:21:31.309 Situations can be hard. Tears can be shed. but 00:21:31.309 --> 00:21:35.410 your eternal reality in Christ is more than just 00:21:35.410 --> 00:21:40.630 this moment. So on the outside, you can be grimacing 00:21:40.630 --> 00:21:43.710 to embrace the trials of life, but inwardly, 00:21:43.710 --> 00:21:47.150 you're in agreement with God that he is ultimately 00:21:47.150 --> 00:21:50.950 good and will not abandon you, but will see you 00:21:50.950 --> 00:21:56.190 through this trial. So if that's true, the opposite 00:21:56.190 --> 00:22:01.170 can also be true. If you've ever been to a comedy 00:22:01.170 --> 00:22:04.410 club, if you've been to a bar -type environment 00:22:04.410 --> 00:22:09.490 in the evening, you will see many smiling, laughing 00:22:09.490 --> 00:22:15.009 faces. But that doesn't mean their heart is happy. 00:22:16.470 --> 00:22:19.569 People run to laughter to dull the pains of life, 00:22:19.750 --> 00:22:22.369 to escape its pressures and difficulties, and 00:22:22.369 --> 00:22:24.230 every comedian will tell you that they know that. 00:22:26.670 --> 00:22:30.750 The cackling thorns in verse 6, Refer to plants 00:22:30.750 --> 00:22:33.910 that explode when they're placed on a fire. Now, 00:22:33.930 --> 00:22:36.049 sometimes they'd be used to help start the fire, 00:22:36.150 --> 00:22:39.170 like we use kindling, but they're not meant to 00:22:39.170 --> 00:22:41.430 last. They're just meant to help start the fire, 00:22:41.509 --> 00:22:44.049 get it hot, get it started. Other times, those 00:22:44.049 --> 00:22:46.809 popping thorns, they would be a mild form of 00:22:46.809 --> 00:22:49.170 entertainment. You know how we use fireworks? 00:22:49.349 --> 00:22:51.690 The 4th of July, not in L .A. County, but anywhere 00:22:51.690 --> 00:22:54.869 else, like where I grew up, near the beach. Those 00:22:54.869 --> 00:22:57.990 sparklers that you run around with, some of you 00:22:57.990 --> 00:23:00.559 remember. They're so much fun. They're beautiful 00:23:00.559 --> 00:23:03.539 for a moment, but they die pretty quickly. And 00:23:03.539 --> 00:23:05.259 the newer ones are worse than the older ones, 00:23:05.380 --> 00:23:06.900 too, because they have all the safe chemicals 00:23:06.900 --> 00:23:13.619 in them. Those cackling thorn bushes that Solomon 00:23:13.619 --> 00:23:16.579 speaks of in verse 6, those were ancient fireworks, 00:23:16.980 --> 00:23:20.700 ancient fire starters, amusing for a moment, 00:23:20.740 --> 00:23:23.779 useful for a moment, but no more long -lasting 00:23:23.779 --> 00:23:28.279 than soap bubbles. Friends, no amount of laughter. 00:23:28.859 --> 00:23:34.720 can dull the pains of life. So if not laughter, 00:23:34.819 --> 00:23:39.680 maybe we dull the pains of life through entertainment. 00:23:40.519 --> 00:23:44.140 That's what verse four points out. Now again, 00:23:44.259 --> 00:23:46.720 Solomon references the house of mourning from 00:23:46.720 --> 00:23:49.880 verse two, and he's contrasting this idea of 00:23:49.880 --> 00:23:54.480 comedy shows and party venues with funerals and 00:23:54.480 --> 00:23:58.890 death. Now honestly, honestly, Don't answer it 00:23:58.890 --> 00:24:05.329 out loud, but which would you rather go to? You 00:24:05.329 --> 00:24:07.890 may know that it is better to go to a house of 00:24:07.890 --> 00:24:09.509 mourning because you read it and you say, that's 00:24:09.509 --> 00:24:13.210 God's word. But doesn't our heart prefer to avoid 00:24:13.210 --> 00:24:17.769 the sad realities of the brevity of life? Wouldn't 00:24:17.769 --> 00:24:21.890 we prefer the simple escapism that entertainment 00:24:21.890 --> 00:24:27.039 provides? Now, let me be clear. It's not just 00:24:27.039 --> 00:24:30.220 party goers and people who love events who can 00:24:30.220 --> 00:24:32.500 be guilty of pursuing the painkiller of entertainment 00:24:32.500 --> 00:24:35.339 or the house of gladness. Think of the person 00:24:35.339 --> 00:24:38.900 who never let sorrow break the threshold of their 00:24:38.900 --> 00:24:42.559 home. The person who only watches uplifting programming 00:24:42.559 --> 00:24:45.000 with happy endings and resolution at the end 00:24:45.000 --> 00:24:47.279 of every movie and episode. I'm sorry, Hallmark 00:24:47.279 --> 00:24:51.099 Channel, that's just who you are. The person 00:24:51.099 --> 00:24:55.789 who prefers books to people because... Fictional 00:24:55.789 --> 00:24:57.789 characters, they're just more entertaining, right, 00:24:57.910 --> 00:25:02.410 than real people. The person who orders their 00:25:02.410 --> 00:25:05.009 life according to what they want and not what 00:25:05.009 --> 00:25:08.690 the Lord wants. The person who hears the weighted 00:25:08.690 --> 00:25:10.630 words of the Lord on Sunday mornings and lives 00:25:10.630 --> 00:25:13.190 Monday through Saturday as if those words were 00:25:13.190 --> 00:25:17.890 never spoken to them. As much as it would be 00:25:17.890 --> 00:25:20.490 great to hear you all saying amen to these timeless 00:25:20.490 --> 00:25:23.839 truths, there is a joke that we have. about responding 00:25:23.839 --> 00:25:26.059 to hard truths, and it goes like this. You don't 00:25:26.059 --> 00:25:30.160 have to say amen, but at least say ouch. Feel 00:25:30.160 --> 00:25:35.559 it. Let God's words pierce you. And I think that's 00:25:35.559 --> 00:25:37.240 going to happen this morning, friends. I'm sorry, 00:25:37.359 --> 00:25:40.319 but I'm not sorry. Several of these warnings 00:25:40.319 --> 00:25:42.200 from Solomon are going to touch our comforts 00:25:42.200 --> 00:25:45.140 and our pleasures, our preferences, and in showing 00:25:45.140 --> 00:25:48.240 us what is good, we are going to be confronted. 00:25:49.700 --> 00:25:53.359 So that's my disclaimer. Let me continue. The 00:25:53.359 --> 00:25:56.240 foolish person follows things that distract them 00:25:56.240 --> 00:25:58.940 from eternal realities. And depending on the 00:25:58.940 --> 00:26:01.140 person, those distractions can be quite varied. 00:26:01.759 --> 00:26:04.779 Solomon pushes the reader to the funeral over 00:26:04.779 --> 00:26:07.559 entertainment because one of those teaches about 00:26:07.559 --> 00:26:10.180 the brevity of life while the other, like soap 00:26:10.180 --> 00:26:15.299 bubbles, distracts you from this truth. So now 00:26:15.299 --> 00:26:18.019 you look at verse 5. Maybe you don't appreciate 00:26:18.019 --> 00:26:20.660 the comedy club. Maybe you're not much for TV 00:26:20.660 --> 00:26:23.859 shows and entertainment in general. But maybe 00:26:23.859 --> 00:26:31.559 you appreciate music. Grant, take it easy. He's 00:26:31.559 --> 00:26:34.319 giving me eyes. Just kidding. I'm not attacking 00:26:34.319 --> 00:26:36.539 music in general. Solomon is. Let me make that 00:26:36.539 --> 00:26:40.579 very clear. It's not me. No, I'm just kidding. 00:26:41.099 --> 00:26:43.279 Look, the reality is, whether it's Grant or any 00:26:43.279 --> 00:26:44.660 of our elders, we would encourage you with the 00:26:44.660 --> 00:26:46.740 same truth from God's word. So here, to the music 00:26:46.740 --> 00:26:48.859 lover, Solomon points something out. First, he's 00:26:48.859 --> 00:26:52.119 referencing a specific kind of music, the song 00:26:52.119 --> 00:26:56.859 of fools. Music that is not created to honor 00:26:56.859 --> 00:27:00.180 God. Now, it could be subjectively beautiful 00:27:00.180 --> 00:27:04.599 or even enjoyable. I said subjectively. But its 00:27:04.599 --> 00:27:09.359 intent is not to give glory to the creator. Secular 00:27:09.359 --> 00:27:15.539 music. for secular purposes. And to this, Solomon 00:27:15.539 --> 00:27:19.680 says, the rebuke of a wise man is better to listen 00:27:19.680 --> 00:27:23.400 to. Now, let me acknowledge my friends who enjoy 00:27:23.400 --> 00:27:25.160 all kinds of music. I'm not going to pick on 00:27:25.160 --> 00:27:28.559 Grant. That's too on the nose. From Metallica, 00:27:28.579 --> 00:27:33.660 sorry Jeff, to Journey, I know there's some people 00:27:33.660 --> 00:27:37.140 in here who don't want to stop believing, to 00:27:37.140 --> 00:27:41.859 Anne Berlin, That one's for you, Ben. To 21 pilots, 00:27:42.000 --> 00:27:45.259 is Whismur in here? No, but everyone knows how 00:27:45.259 --> 00:27:52.519 he feels about that. And even the Swifties. I 00:27:52.519 --> 00:27:57.480 went there. I went there. Even the Swifties need 00:27:57.480 --> 00:28:00.440 to hear this warning. But before that, if you 00:28:00.440 --> 00:28:02.240 have a problem with anything I'm about to say, 00:28:02.359 --> 00:28:06.519 jeff at oakhillbible .com. That's who you can 00:28:06.519 --> 00:28:10.950 complain to. Now, think about this. Think about 00:28:10.950 --> 00:28:13.730 the music that you may enjoy that's not inherently 00:28:13.730 --> 00:28:18.369 gospel praise music. I appreciate many bands. 00:28:18.630 --> 00:28:21.049 I have been to more concert venues than I'd like 00:28:21.049 --> 00:28:24.529 to admit. Don't take this as a clarity from God's 00:28:24.529 --> 00:28:26.230 word that there's a line in the sand about what 00:28:26.230 --> 00:28:28.509 you can and can't listen to. That's not what 00:28:28.509 --> 00:28:30.529 Solomon is even saying here. The point is this. 00:28:31.039 --> 00:28:35.019 As much as any secular song can bring feelings 00:28:35.019 --> 00:28:37.819 to you of various kinds, emotions, through a 00:28:37.819 --> 00:28:41.700 song, it changes nothing about your life. Nothing. 00:28:42.299 --> 00:28:45.539 You can feel it. You can enjoy it. It changes, 00:28:45.559 --> 00:28:49.839 though, nothing. The song wasn't written to you. 00:28:50.299 --> 00:28:55.319 I'm sorry. And any perceived application is just 00:28:55.319 --> 00:28:59.740 that, perceived. It's indirect instruction at 00:28:59.740 --> 00:29:06.170 best. disastrous heresy at worst. That is why 00:29:06.170 --> 00:29:10.029 it is better to listen to the rebuke of a wise 00:29:10.029 --> 00:29:13.069 person. At least then you would be particularly 00:29:13.069 --> 00:29:17.089 and personally challenged to change. You would 00:29:17.089 --> 00:29:19.630 have an opportunity to respond in faithfulness. 00:29:20.690 --> 00:29:22.910 So now the next time Jeff plays Metallica, he's 00:29:22.910 --> 00:29:24.710 going to have a witty comeback for me. I know. 00:29:24.730 --> 00:29:27.849 I'll be patiently waiting. It's coming. Any of 00:29:27.849 --> 00:29:31.400 you Swifties, it's fine. Talk to me later. But 00:29:31.400 --> 00:29:34.000 the truth is this. You can appreciate all kinds 00:29:34.000 --> 00:29:38.160 of various music, all kinds, but appreciate words 00:29:38.160 --> 00:29:44.640 of wisdom more than emotive escapes. Appreciate 00:29:44.640 --> 00:29:49.359 words of wisdom more than musically emotive escapes 00:29:49.359 --> 00:29:52.519 because only one of those instructs you for your 00:29:52.519 --> 00:29:57.779 life. Now, if I have somehow managed to not offend 00:29:57.779 --> 00:30:01.869 everyone yet, Jeff at Oak Hill Bible. If you 00:30:01.869 --> 00:30:06.230 have remained unscathed so far, just wait. Verses 00:30:06.230 --> 00:30:09.509 7 through 10, Solomon's going to cover a range 00:30:09.509 --> 00:30:14.289 of additional painkillers that we pursue. I put 00:30:14.289 --> 00:30:17.329 them on the screen with some categories, alliteration, 00:30:17.349 --> 00:30:21.450 to help us remember this. So the previous painkillers 00:30:21.450 --> 00:30:23.509 with laughter, entertainment, and music, they 00:30:23.509 --> 00:30:27.109 were pleasure painkillers. These ones now are 00:30:27.109 --> 00:30:30.900 preoccupations. Things that we occupy and busy 00:30:30.900 --> 00:30:33.539 ourselves with. Verse 7, taking advantage of 00:30:33.539 --> 00:30:36.059 others. Verse 8, taking shortcuts. Verse 9, being 00:30:36.059 --> 00:30:39.700 triggered easily. And verse 10, being tethered 00:30:39.700 --> 00:30:45.240 to nostalgia. So consider verse 7. Trying to 00:30:45.240 --> 00:30:47.500 cope with the difficulties of life without God's 00:30:47.500 --> 00:30:50.339 help. A person could try to exercise their authority 00:30:50.339 --> 00:30:53.640 in an unhelpful, oppressive manner. Think about 00:30:53.640 --> 00:30:57.880 the discontent father or husband or wife or mother 00:30:57.880 --> 00:31:01.539 or teacher or boss who uses their authority as 00:31:01.539 --> 00:31:05.259 a miserable, grump, and insufferable person because 00:31:05.259 --> 00:31:08.599 things aren't going their way in some aspect 00:31:08.599 --> 00:31:11.660 of life. And in doing so, then they take advantage 00:31:11.660 --> 00:31:16.640 of others. It says even a wise man can be driven 00:31:16.640 --> 00:31:22.460 to madness. under repressive circumstances. Further, 00:31:22.759 --> 00:31:26.859 a person might even anticipate a bribe to help 00:31:26.859 --> 00:31:31.140 them cope with some kind of evil. How many documentaries, 00:31:31.359 --> 00:31:34.579 how many movies and novels have included a circumstance 00:31:34.579 --> 00:31:37.859 like that where a seemingly innocent person was 00:31:37.859 --> 00:31:43.960 drawn into an evil plan through a bribe? Friends, 00:31:44.059 --> 00:31:48.240 a bribe is not a gift. A bribe expects something 00:31:48.240 --> 00:31:52.380 in return. It's actually the core of my concern 00:31:52.380 --> 00:31:55.220 about the concept of love languages. If they're 00:31:55.220 --> 00:31:59.480 used to expect something rather than as an observational 00:31:59.480 --> 00:32:04.619 tool. Because love freely gives and does not 00:32:04.619 --> 00:32:08.500 demand something in return. And every believer 00:32:08.500 --> 00:32:12.579 should be mindful to not take advantage of others. 00:32:13.420 --> 00:32:17.059 What about taking shortcuts in verse 8? Sometimes 00:32:17.059 --> 00:32:19.299 people try to blunt the pains of life by jumping 00:32:19.299 --> 00:32:21.960 ahead to the end. Think of the person who always 00:32:21.960 --> 00:32:24.579 rushes through their difficulties, who ignores 00:32:24.579 --> 00:32:26.460 the painful moments, who always says, it'll be 00:32:26.460 --> 00:32:29.099 fine, it'll be fine, but you know it rarely is. 00:32:31.000 --> 00:32:34.079 Patience is learned through hardship. The nature 00:32:34.079 --> 00:32:36.880 of patience implies waiting, and sometimes that 00:32:36.880 --> 00:32:40.789 in itself is a hardship. But we're called to 00:32:40.789 --> 00:32:43.549 patiently endure through our trials. The Hebrew 00:32:43.549 --> 00:32:47.049 word for patience literally means to become long 00:32:47.049 --> 00:32:51.289 and stretched out. That's what patience means. 00:32:52.150 --> 00:32:56.430 So it's better to be stretched than to be highly 00:32:56.430 --> 00:33:01.950 exalted. That's what Solomon means. And we understand 00:33:01.950 --> 00:33:03.789 it as believers when we look at a passage like 00:33:03.789 --> 00:33:07.950 Romans 8, that 828, that stretching is conforming 00:33:07.950 --> 00:33:12.019 us. to the image of Christ. That's what the stretching 00:33:12.019 --> 00:33:16.779 is. And so his work brings his exaltation, not 00:33:16.779 --> 00:33:19.579 ours. So if we're seeking to be exalted, we're 00:33:19.579 --> 00:33:23.579 missing the point of being brought low. There's 00:33:23.579 --> 00:33:26.559 no shortcut to Christlikeness. Sanctification, 00:33:26.940 --> 00:33:31.420 big word, being made holy, is unlike salvation 00:33:31.420 --> 00:33:34.960 in this way, being saved. Sanctification takes 00:33:34.960 --> 00:33:40.140 place over time. Salvation is immediate. So we're 00:33:40.140 --> 00:33:42.480 saved at the moment of conversion, but we're 00:33:42.480 --> 00:33:46.819 sanctified over time and especially through our 00:33:46.819 --> 00:33:50.539 trials. So we shouldn't be preoccupied or distracted 00:33:50.539 --> 00:33:53.880 by taking shortcuts to avoid dealing with our 00:33:53.880 --> 00:33:56.799 difficulties. Well, now what about verse nine? 00:33:57.420 --> 00:34:00.700 It says, don't be vexed. And I labeled this being 00:34:00.700 --> 00:34:02.599 triggered easily. And Jeff and I have talked 00:34:02.599 --> 00:34:05.920 about this on multiple podcasts. Don't rush to 00:34:05.920 --> 00:34:09.960 be irritated. Don't rush to be offended. Don't 00:34:09.960 --> 00:34:14.599 rush to be angry. Our society needs to hear this 00:34:14.599 --> 00:34:17.800 caution. It seems like anything and everything 00:34:17.800 --> 00:34:21.900 can trigger an angry response, even if God's 00:34:21.900 --> 00:34:25.820 word says it. I'm so thankful for some advice 00:34:25.820 --> 00:34:28.960 that Jeff and Tanya gave me early on in my ministry 00:34:28.960 --> 00:34:31.699 here at Oak Hill. They might not even remember 00:34:31.699 --> 00:34:33.980 it, though they said it early. That encouragement 00:34:33.980 --> 00:34:39.460 was to have thick skin. To have thick skin. That's 00:34:39.460 --> 00:34:41.260 right here in the text. Don't let things bother 00:34:41.260 --> 00:34:44.480 you more than they ought to. And I've had many 00:34:44.480 --> 00:34:47.059 opportunities to exercise that principle over 00:34:47.059 --> 00:34:50.320 these last 16 plus years. I've not mastered it. 00:34:50.380 --> 00:34:52.380 I'm not the expert at it. But I can tell you 00:34:52.380 --> 00:34:56.000 that things that made me indignant early in those 00:34:56.000 --> 00:34:59.360 ministry days are far less bothersome now. It 00:34:59.360 --> 00:35:04.070 takes a lot more. to rattle me. People that get 00:35:04.070 --> 00:35:07.489 triggered easily will often use that anger as 00:35:07.489 --> 00:35:10.550 an escape to avoid dealing with the real issue, 00:35:10.710 --> 00:35:15.690 which is their heart. They'll say things like, 00:35:15.809 --> 00:35:18.289 I can't believe so -and -so said that. I'm so 00:35:18.289 --> 00:35:20.650 upset, and you might have had that reaction with 00:35:20.650 --> 00:35:22.650 me about the music. Hopefully not. Hopefully 00:35:22.650 --> 00:35:27.210 not. What were they thinking and doing or saying 00:35:27.210 --> 00:35:29.190 that? I'm so hurt. I don't want to talk to them. 00:35:30.820 --> 00:35:33.699 Or how about this? That person is so annoying. 00:35:33.780 --> 00:35:38.400 I want nothing to do with them. See, being triggered 00:35:38.400 --> 00:35:42.340 easily is a sign of foolishness, not wisdom. 00:35:43.699 --> 00:35:45.860 But the distraction from dealing with our own 00:35:45.860 --> 00:35:47.820 heart, that is probably the most destructive. 00:35:49.059 --> 00:35:51.280 And so finally, we look at verse 10. What about 00:35:51.280 --> 00:35:55.440 being tethered to nostalgia? Being tethered to 00:35:55.440 --> 00:35:59.159 nostalgia. I know for those who have lived longer, 00:35:59.239 --> 00:36:02.579 who have seen more, This principle may be hard 00:36:02.579 --> 00:36:05.199 to hear, and I will be gentle, but remember that 00:36:05.199 --> 00:36:10.179 wisdom is teaching us, and we must listen. Some 00:36:10.179 --> 00:36:13.360 of you are familiar with a famous science fiction 00:36:13.360 --> 00:36:16.940 writer, H .G. Wells. This is a colorized photo 00:36:16.940 --> 00:36:20.960 of him when he was younger. He once wrote this. 00:36:21.719 --> 00:36:24.500 When you go through contemporary life, fudging 00:36:24.500 --> 00:36:27.480 and evading, indulging and slacking, never hungry 00:36:27.480 --> 00:36:32.380 nor frightened, nor passionately stirred, your 00:36:32.380 --> 00:36:36.239 first real contact with primary and elemental 00:36:36.239 --> 00:36:40.760 necessities will be the sweat of your deathbed. 00:36:42.920 --> 00:36:46.980 Friends, I think this is similar to the reality 00:36:46.980 --> 00:36:50.500 that many Christians pursue. I think many Christians 00:36:50.500 --> 00:36:55.960 pursue an easy life, free from difficulty, free 00:36:55.960 --> 00:36:59.090 from strife. And I said Christians, I did not 00:36:59.090 --> 00:37:01.909 say American Christians. I think it is a human 00:37:01.909 --> 00:37:06.550 condition that we face. Solomon knew the same 00:37:06.550 --> 00:37:10.150 struggle. He wrestled with the same tension and 00:37:10.150 --> 00:37:13.610 he ultimately realized that such a pursuit to 00:37:13.610 --> 00:37:17.989 avoid strife and hardship robbed him of life's 00:37:17.989 --> 00:37:22.849 meaning. So why does looking back at the good 00:37:22.849 --> 00:37:27.190 old days make someone foolish? Shouldn't it be 00:37:27.190 --> 00:37:31.610 seen as good to look fondly on the past? Think 00:37:31.610 --> 00:37:36.210 about that statement for a moment. Don't we often 00:37:36.210 --> 00:37:43.110 just or only look fondly on the past? Do we often 00:37:43.110 --> 00:37:49.030 look critically on the past? Solomon's helping 00:37:49.030 --> 00:37:52.389 us to understand that human memory is invariably 00:37:52.389 --> 00:37:56.550 self -serving. When you think about the past, 00:37:56.610 --> 00:38:00.170 you forget all the problems, the difficulties, 00:38:00.309 --> 00:38:03.070 the pain points, and you often only remember 00:38:03.070 --> 00:38:06.570 the good times. We love to remember our lives 00:38:06.570 --> 00:38:09.909 as if the best moments are the only ones that 00:38:09.909 --> 00:38:13.190 matter, like the family that has beautiful portraits 00:38:13.190 --> 00:38:16.670 all over the walls, yet meanwhile, their lives 00:38:16.670 --> 00:38:22.590 are full of dysfunction and strife. This fondness 00:38:22.590 --> 00:38:25.269 for the good old days, it doesn't add any significance 00:38:25.269 --> 00:38:29.670 to our lives. And if you only remember the good 00:38:29.670 --> 00:38:32.630 times and in a way that whitewashes the trials, 00:38:32.889 --> 00:38:36.909 then you learn nothing and you have nothing to 00:38:36.909 --> 00:38:39.190 share with others about navigating the difficulties 00:38:39.190 --> 00:38:45.059 of this life. The point in verses 7 through 10 00:38:45.059 --> 00:38:47.940 is that if we're not trying to blunt the pains 00:38:47.940 --> 00:38:51.239 of life with laughter or entertainment or music, 00:38:51.340 --> 00:38:53.739 then we're going to use our own preoccupations. 00:38:53.739 --> 00:38:56.320 These painkillers of taking advantage of others, 00:38:56.500 --> 00:38:59.840 taking shortcuts, being triggered easily, and 00:38:59.840 --> 00:39:05.219 being tethered to nostalgia. So what is better? 00:39:07.099 --> 00:39:11.599 What is the good life that we should pursue this 00:39:11.599 --> 00:39:16.199 side? of glory. It's here in chapter 7 that he 00:39:16.199 --> 00:39:19.000 makes it clear. At least he begins. He's actually 00:39:19.000 --> 00:39:21.059 going to talk about it for quite some time. So 00:39:21.059 --> 00:39:23.400 the next however many years it takes me to get 00:39:23.400 --> 00:39:25.920 through this, we'll get through it. But he begins 00:39:25.920 --> 00:39:28.780 to say some things. Going back to verse 1, pursue 00:39:28.780 --> 00:39:32.780 a good name. Pursue the kind of name that is 00:39:32.780 --> 00:39:37.320 associated with Christ likeness. Walking through 00:39:37.320 --> 00:39:42.340 difficulties with the help that God gives. Remind 00:39:42.340 --> 00:39:45.739 yourself that trials, vanity is the great teacher 00:39:45.739 --> 00:39:49.599 of this life. And I dare say that these things 00:39:49.599 --> 00:39:52.400 are actually good. How does God cause all things 00:39:52.400 --> 00:39:56.280 to work for good? All things means all. Even 00:39:56.280 --> 00:39:59.880 the trials, even the vanities, he causes them 00:39:59.880 --> 00:40:03.099 to work for good for those whom he loves and 00:40:03.099 --> 00:40:08.420 who love him in return. We need to face the reality 00:40:08.420 --> 00:40:11.480 of death. Facing the reality of death prepares 00:40:11.480 --> 00:40:14.260 us for life. Put it in your heart. The living 00:40:14.260 --> 00:40:17.880 take this to heart is what he says. Take it to 00:40:17.880 --> 00:40:21.860 heart. The reality of death prepares you for 00:40:21.860 --> 00:40:26.579 life. To avoid death, to avoid the reality of 00:40:26.579 --> 00:40:31.360 the end, robs you from living this life and appreciating 00:40:31.360 --> 00:40:37.559 the little graces that God gives. And be aware 00:40:37.559 --> 00:40:40.210 of the thieves. I listed them out. Here you go. 00:40:40.250 --> 00:40:42.030 I'll put them on the screen if you want them 00:40:42.030 --> 00:40:45.690 all really clear. Be aware of these thieves. 00:40:46.090 --> 00:40:48.650 These thieves that will rob you of life and its 00:40:48.650 --> 00:40:50.429 meaning, that will rob you of walking through 00:40:50.429 --> 00:40:53.070 what God has for you. So you have the pleasure, 00:40:53.210 --> 00:40:56.349 painkillers, of laughter and entertainment and 00:40:56.349 --> 00:40:59.730 music. You have the preoccupation, painkillers, 00:40:59.730 --> 00:41:02.449 taking advantage of others, taking shortcuts, 00:41:02.829 --> 00:41:07.739 triggered easily, tethered to nostalgia. So if 00:41:07.739 --> 00:41:09.780 you've been hanging in there throughout this 00:41:09.780 --> 00:41:12.659 series, waiting for Solomon to give some relief 00:41:12.659 --> 00:41:16.780 in all the vanity, here it is. Don't look at 00:41:16.780 --> 00:41:18.619 the vanity of life as something to be avoided, 00:41:18.760 --> 00:41:23.579 but embrace vanity as life's great teacher. Early 00:41:23.579 --> 00:41:25.519 on in our series, I asked everyone to pause for 00:41:25.519 --> 00:41:28.639 a moment, to breathe in and out, to consider 00:41:28.639 --> 00:41:31.340 what a breath is. We even did a hand span exercise, 00:41:31.460 --> 00:41:33.579 like what could you hold in your hands? And just 00:41:33.579 --> 00:41:35.239 trying to think about, you're going back to the 00:41:35.239 --> 00:41:37.039 breathing. How many times did you breathe while 00:41:37.039 --> 00:41:38.940 you're in here? How many times are you going 00:41:38.940 --> 00:41:41.059 to breathe during this day? How many times are 00:41:41.059 --> 00:41:42.739 you going to breathe during the week? How many 00:41:42.739 --> 00:41:43.920 times are you going to breathe in the month? 00:41:44.139 --> 00:41:45.579 How many times are you going to breathe in the 00:41:45.579 --> 00:41:48.179 year? What about this decade? What about this 00:41:48.179 --> 00:41:52.949 century? If you live that long, we'll see. Our 00:41:52.949 --> 00:41:56.309 lives are like a breath. A breath in the scope 00:41:56.309 --> 00:41:58.969 of God's everlasting and wise plan. And it's 00:41:58.969 --> 00:42:02.969 important to remember how small that is. Not 00:42:02.969 --> 00:42:04.670 so that you think that life is insignificant, 00:42:04.969 --> 00:42:07.750 but so that you see the significance of even 00:42:07.750 --> 00:42:13.929 one breath. Embrace it. Number your days, like 00:42:13.929 --> 00:42:18.489 Psalm 90 says. Number your days and ask God for 00:42:18.489 --> 00:42:21.289 satisfaction in him, that he would satisfy us 00:42:21.289 --> 00:42:23.829 in the morning. that we would sing for joy and 00:42:23.829 --> 00:42:27.590 be glad even in our days of affliction, which 00:42:27.590 --> 00:42:30.230 the next part of Ecclesiastes 7 is going to remind 00:42:30.230 --> 00:42:34.710 us yet again. There is God -given value to the 00:42:34.710 --> 00:42:37.889 trials and the hardships of our lives. May God 00:42:37.889 --> 00:42:40.889 grant us the same kind of wisdom that he gave 00:42:40.889 --> 00:42:44.130 Solomon, the same kind of wisdom that we would 00:42:44.130 --> 00:42:46.989 apply the principles from his word that we've 00:42:46.989 --> 00:42:50.590 seen in our daily lives. That should be our prayer. 00:42:51.789 --> 00:42:54.449 In light of viewing vanity and trials as the 00:42:54.449 --> 00:42:56.969 great teachers of life, I have some specific 00:42:56.969 --> 00:43:00.670 questions for you today that are up on the screen. 00:43:00.730 --> 00:43:03.309 As always, I encourage you to copy them or take 00:43:03.309 --> 00:43:05.969 time to meditate on God's word this upcoming 00:43:05.969 --> 00:43:08.690 week. But think about these questions. What needs 00:43:08.690 --> 00:43:10.710 to change in my perspective so that I see trials 00:43:10.710 --> 00:43:13.889 as a teacher? How can I grow to appreciate and 00:43:13.889 --> 00:43:17.030 even seek out the blessed rebukes of wise believers? 00:43:17.670 --> 00:43:20.730 What pleasure painkillers do I most often pursue? 00:43:21.210 --> 00:43:24.789 laughter, entertainment, music? What preoccupation 00:43:24.789 --> 00:43:27.849 painkillers am I most prone towards? Taking advantage 00:43:27.849 --> 00:43:29.989 of others, taking shortcuts, being triggered 00:43:29.989 --> 00:43:34.030 easily, tethered to nostalgia. Instead of running 00:43:34.030 --> 00:43:36.889 to painkillers, how can I learn to embrace the 00:43:36.889 --> 00:43:39.929 lessons God is teaching me through life's trials? 00:43:40.469 --> 00:43:42.809 Take a moment, think about the questions, and 00:43:42.809 --> 00:43:50.920 I'll close this in a word of prayer. Lord God, 00:43:50.960 --> 00:43:54.260 we need your help, not just this morning, but 00:43:54.260 --> 00:43:57.940 in our hearts and in our thinking. The world 00:43:57.940 --> 00:44:01.280 constantly tells us to avoid every difficulty, 00:44:01.480 --> 00:44:06.960 every strife, every pain point. We've built whole 00:44:06.960 --> 00:44:13.440 systems around safety and comfort. But according 00:44:13.440 --> 00:44:19.079 to your word, you remind us that trials, are 00:44:19.079 --> 00:44:23.239 our teachers. That they are not things that we 00:44:23.239 --> 00:44:29.699 can avoid. We need wisdom. Not to ask for more 00:44:29.699 --> 00:44:33.500 trials for the sake of struggle. Not for being 00:44:33.500 --> 00:44:38.820 unwise. But we need your wisdom to wisely embrace 00:44:38.820 --> 00:44:41.000 the trials that you bring to us that we cannot 00:44:41.000 --> 00:44:45.639 and should not avoid. God convicts us of wrong 00:44:45.639 --> 00:44:48.840 thinking. When we try these various means to 00:44:48.840 --> 00:44:54.659 blunt the pains of this life, help every single 00:44:54.659 --> 00:44:58.059 one of us to see the foolishness of painkillers 00:44:58.059 --> 00:45:02.159 in light of eternity. Help us to turn to you 00:45:02.159 --> 00:45:08.760 for help and for hope. God, we ask that you help 00:45:08.760 --> 00:45:11.320 us to consider death so that we would appreciate 00:45:11.320 --> 00:45:15.500 life, that we would long for eternal glory. that 00:45:15.500 --> 00:45:19.199 far outweighs anything we see on this side of 00:45:19.199 --> 00:45:27.260 eternity. Help us to gladly receive rebukes that 00:45:27.260 --> 00:45:32.159 we will learn. Help us to be more patient in 00:45:32.159 --> 00:45:36.400 our hardships, to be less irritable when things 00:45:36.400 --> 00:45:41.599 bother us. Help us to hold loosely to this world, 00:45:41.679 --> 00:45:44.579 remembering these are or like cackling thorns 00:45:44.579 --> 00:45:48.579 under a pot, like soap bubbles and like sparklers 00:45:48.579 --> 00:45:52.940 in the summer. But we can only hold loosely when 00:45:52.940 --> 00:45:59.059 we are looking to you. So God, give us eyes to 00:45:59.059 --> 00:46:02.039 long for eternal days more than the good old 00:46:02.039 --> 00:46:06.079 days. And help us to appreciate the good days 00:46:06.079 --> 00:46:11.500 that you give. Use our hardships to build godly 00:46:11.500 --> 00:46:16.809 character in us. Make our names good by conforming 00:46:16.809 --> 00:46:20.690 us to your son that we would be remembered for 00:46:20.690 --> 00:46:26.190 honoring you, living for you. Help us to recognize 00:46:26.190 --> 00:46:30.050 the vanities of this age. They teach us about 00:46:30.050 --> 00:46:34.769 life. Help us to see the prescription for living 00:46:34.769 --> 00:46:38.449 with vanity is living with you, walking in your 00:46:38.449 --> 00:46:41.510 ways, practicing your wisdom. So lift our hearts 00:46:41.510 --> 00:46:44.099 to praise your name this morning. Help us to 00:46:44.099 --> 00:46:46.440 recognize that you are glorified in spite of 00:46:46.440 --> 00:46:50.699 all the vanities of this life. Help us to give 00:46:50.699 --> 00:46:54.960 you glory because that is the ultimate good. 00:46:56.800 --> 00:47:00.159 It's better to give you glory in our pains than 00:47:00.159 --> 00:47:03.519 to avoid our pains and to lack your sustaining 00:47:03.519 --> 00:47:07.900 and reviving grace. So draw us. Draw us to the 00:47:07.900 --> 00:47:10.739 throne of grace this morning. to sing praises 00:47:10.739 --> 00:47:12.780 to your name as we conclude our time together, 00:47:13.000 --> 00:47:15.679 that your word would not return void, that you 00:47:15.679 --> 00:47:18.280 would confront us and then conform us to the 00:47:18.280 --> 00:47:20.599 image of your son, Jesus Christ, in whose name 00:47:20.599 --> 00:47:22.380 we pray. Amen.