God Sized Dreams Series

Dream Big

July 12, 2015

Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

You need to write this very first statement in your sermon notes. It’s really profound . . . AND what’s best is I thought this up all by myself. Here it goes — I hope you’re ready!!

Have you ever noticed this . . . the same old thing is the same old thing.

I think that’s pretty profound. I could probably stop right now, and you’d spend the rest of the day wondering about that statement. If you missed it . . . let me say it again ~

The same old thing is the same old thing. That’s not always necessarily bad. It’s just a true statement!

Because sometimes . . . the same old thing is really, really nice! Sometimes we like the same old thing. It’s comforting when the same old thing is the same old thing. Isn’t it? It may get old and stale after awhile, but really, the same old thing is kind of nice . . . at least until it gets kind of old.

Do you find yourself listening to the same music, because you like it?

Do you wear the same old clothes because they know every nook and cranny of your body?

Does the waitress know what you’re going to order when you walk into the restaurant?

UGH! Okay, so what’s the point? Well, before I get there, let me tell you, this is a lead in, as we’re starting a series over the rest of July and August. I’m going to be looking at passages from the book of Ecclesiastes. And we’ll see what the writer, Solomon, wanted us to learn about life.

Because Solomon really didn’t hold onto the lifestyle of the same old thing. He was restless, he was a dabbler, he tried all kinds of things. He had it all, yet he wasn’t content with life. So, we’re going to look at his journey over the next couple of months.

Now, what’s the point of talking about the same old thing?

It’s this . . . do you get tired of the same old thing? I probably could live for awhile on Chicago style pizza. But after awhile that really amazing pizza . . . becomes kind of old and you want something different.

I’ll tell you what, this week instead of getting a latte, get a cappacino. Go big time! Really stretch yourself. (I’m joking).

Let’s look at the opening words of Ecclesiastes and get a taste of what he thinks about life ~

1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.

3 What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?

4 A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.

5 The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises.

6 The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north;

around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns.

7 All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again.

8 All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

9 What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.

10 Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new?” It has been already in the ages before us.

11 There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after.

Do you hear those words from Solomon? Here’s a guy who had it all, but he tells us this over and over again . . .

Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.

That’s pretty depressing. He’s pretty much telling us the same old thing is the same old thing. He pretty much said it in verse 9 ~

9 What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.

You see, we’re not like animals who follow the same old routine everyday. Well, some of us do, but most of us . . . after awhile, we don’t want that. We want something more for ourselves. And I wonder if Solomon, in all of his glory was no different than we are. He was tired of doing the same old thing everyday.

He had it all, yet he had nothing at all!!