Living A Life That Matters Series

Living a life that matters

Ecclesiastes1:1-11 + selected Scriptures

Introduction:

I hope the title of the message caught your attention. I am sure in some way that this is our prayer. Living a life that matters. We will look at Solomon this morning. The son of David and Bethsheba. The king of Israel, a man who literally had anything and everything he wanted. We are going to look at what he says about that and hopefully be able to apply it to our lives this morning.

Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 Read

Question- what is priority in your life? Your spouse? Your kids? Your job or tittle? Where does God fit in? Does He fit in?

Fill in the blank- “My life would have meaning if..........”

My life has changed as I get older. I realize I will not live forever. Some of you may be at my funeral. My body tells me that. I cannot do the same things as before. I’ve watched love ones die. I see my babies having babies. I see them getting older and saying things that I said at their age. The ideal would be to get answers to those questions at a young age so you can enjoy the benefits from it, not wait until we get old because we are not promised tomorrow. Solomon came from a dysfunctional family. The son of a adultery relationship. The son of a dad who killed a man to cover up his sins and actions. Solomon gives a description of what the world thought was important, he has tried it and tells us that it left him empty and meaningless. Quote- to have the right priorities, a man’s focus must not be on the head, but on the heart, not on himself, but on God, not on time, but on eternity. Roy Lessin

Here is a thought from your Pastor:

Too much is never enough, but it is more than we can handle. (Let that sink in)

2 choices

- learn from other people’s mistakes and avoid them in our lives.

- think that you are smarter and that you will have a different outcome. Life journey (I said before) first breath to the last breath- what you do between the two is your journey and will effect eternity for you. It will decide what meaning your life had. You can race through life, pursuing every dollar that can be made, every pleasure that can be had, and in the end will look back and see that you have not made much impact...or you can stop and pull over to see the scenery, see what God has put before you, and enjoy where God has you right now

Statements like:

I would be happy if...

I had a boyfriend or girlfriend.

I was Free from my parents.

I Get married, and have children.

My parents would love each other again.

I Had enough money.

I Were popular.

I wasFaster, stronger, more athletic.

We spend our lives “wishing on a star” always wondering what it would be like at a spot other than where we are.

We spend so much time living our lives , we never get involved in other’s lives.

Solomon(like the game Simon says)

v1 “The words of the teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem, meaningless, meaningless, utterly meaningless, everything is meaningless.”

Solomon about wisdom/knowledge alone:

v12 “ I , the teacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men. I have seen all the things that are done under the sun. All this is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Pleasures are meaningless:

2:1-3 read from Bible

10-13

Toil is meaningless:

2:17-20 read from Bible

Riches are meaningless:

2:8-11 read from Bible.

What is he saying? What am I saying? That if you are looking for fulfillment in stuff. Your life will be meaningless. You can learn the lessons at a young age (perfect) or you can learn them at a old age (if God allows you old age)

One point message this morning

I. Too much is never enough

Mel Gibson

-money, power, fame, respect, love, popularity

- successful actor, averages over 25 million a movie

- 1993 acting was not enough, became a producer. Braveheart, man without a face.

- voted sexiest man alive

worldwide fame.

True love, married to the same women for 25 years.

Unlimited power.

In saying all that- live on a interview with Diane Sawyer- “I just did not want to go on” he was at a spot of committing suicide, wanted to jump out a window and end his life. Big bank account, spiritually bankrupt

His note said:

“I’ve tried everything within my power to appreciate it(and I do, God, believe me I do, but it is not enough) I need to be slightly numb in order to regain that enthusiasms I once had as a child”. Something is not adding up