“What is wrong with pleasure?”
Ecclesiastes Pt. 2
Illustration: My timer is set for 30 minutes again: You may be thinking, “How many people will die in the world in 30 minutes?” The answer is 3,240 people. But here is a major problem - It is estimated that only 7% of the world’s population is ready to go to Heaven. That means 3, 024 go to Hell every ½ hour in the world. But if this is wrong and we flip it then means 216 people every 30 minutes are going to Hell. (Info based off of the following website Biblehelp.org):
If you were to ask, "How many people die on an average day," you would get a wide variety of answers. Typical answers would range around 300 to 5,000 people. Surprisingly, over 150,000 people die every day. On average, 1.8 people die every second.
What is the spiritual destiny of these people? Obviously, no one really knows for certain how many people are going to Heaven and Hell. We can, however, come up with a ballpark estimate. There are many comprehensive studies that break the world’s population down by religion. If you compare these belief systems with the Bible, you’ll have a basic idea as to how many people believe in the Biblical plan of salvation.
Based on these studies, it has been estimated that only 7% of the world’s population is going to Heaven (1.68 per second). Even if this research is wrong and 75% of the world is going to Heaven; we still have 38,000 people going to Hell every day.
I realize that some of you are thinking that it is morbid and inappropriate to talk about this. You’re thinking that talking about this topic in public shows a lack of sensitivity. Yes, in a sense I guess it does appear morbid. It is, however, necessary. It serves a very important purpose.
The Cancer Society tells us that over 160,000 Americans will die this year from lung cancer and 40,000 will die from breast cancer. We are also told that almost 3 million people worldwide will die from AIDS this year (Biblehelp.org).
Thesis: What is wrong with the pursuit of pleasure? Answer: It will become a tyrannical god – an idol that will never satisfy – it will never bring eternal meaning to your life.
Scripture Text: Ecclesiastes 2:1-11:
1I thought in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. 2“Laughter,” I said, “is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?” 3I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.
4I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well—the delights of the heart of man. 9I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.
10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my work,
and this was the reward for all my labor.
11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun.
Introduction:
The pursuit of pleasure will never satisfy the human soul because it will always cause you to want more of it.
Our author talks about its lure and unending fulfillment and warns us about chasing after it.
We live in a society today that says the following: “If it feels good do it – then do more of it and more of it and you will then find true meaning in life!” But this is a lie and many have testified to that fact.
We find this message being flashed on the TV, Movie screens. It comes across in advertisements in papers, magazines and even from the radio and the internet. You see it on t-shirts, bumper stickers, bill boards. It is blatant and even subtle but you hear it promoted even in musical songs. This whole belief system trails us back to the Greek who coined and modeled the term “eros.” Which means, “We might as well live to party because that’s all we get out of life!”
Remember while Solomon was king life was good in Israel – they had enjoyed decades of peace, prosperity, life was relaxing, life was prosperous, money was everywhere, life was all about laying back and relaxing, and it was about enjoying the moment.
Swindoll states the following from his book “Living on the Ragged Edge:”
“This king was looking under the heavens to find happiness without God. In the first chapter of this journal, we have seen that he tried educational stimulation and a measure of scientific exploration, and both left him empty. Surely there’s got to be more in life than this! So he decided to pursue another course, to scratch some itches that have been there all his life, deep down in the “eros” zone” (41).
Solomon seems to dive right into sensuality – it seems he had not learned the lesson from his father. Remember this guy accumulated 700 wives and 300 concubines! Like many today he acquired sheep, cows, slaves, money, and the like. His words in this chapter still ring out today, “I will try more and more “eros” – more and more pleasure this will make me happy and content!”
When I was at the KTIS pastor’s appreciation dinner last week – Gary Smalley shared how he was a recovering Hedon. He defined that hedonism is the old playboy philosophy of life. When I typed in the word Hedonism on a google search to attain its definition a website came up called “Hedonistic Resorts” – they are in Jamaica and I want you to listen to their add:
“Sleep in. Stay up late. Give up counting calories. Have a drink before noon. Give up mineral water. Dine in shorts. Talk to strangers. Don’t make your bed. Go skinny dipping. Don’t call your mother. Let your hair down. Don’t pay for anything. Don’t leave a tip. Be your beautiful self in spectacular Negril or Runaway Bay, Jamaica.” “Hedonism II is now more Super-Inclusive than ever with an enticing menu of hedonistic amenities & services to suit all your guilty pleasures. Pick one or two or combine a few to create the perfect hedonistic getaway.”
I thought wow this group is proud of their sinful ways and advertise it as the ultimate experience of life. I did however continue in my pursuit of the definition of Hedonism and here is what I discovered:
Definition of he•don•ism n. from http://www.thefreedictionary
1. Pursuit of or devotion to pleasure, especially to the pleasures of the senses.
2. Philosophy The ethical doctrine holding that only what is pleasant or has pleasant consequences is intrinsically good.
3. Psychology The doctrine holding that behavior is motivated by the desire for pleasure and the avoidance of pain.
Definition of Ep•i•cu•re•an•ism n.
1. A philosophy advanced by Epicurus that considered happiness, or the avoidance of pain and emotional disturbance, to be the highest good and that advocated the pursuit of pleasures that can be enjoyed in moderation.
2. Also epicureanism is a Devotion to a life of pleasure and luxury.
3. A doctrine of hedonism that was defended by several ancient Greek philosophers
So I had my insight from this word and it tied into my sermon today and I can see this belief system still in operation today as I look around at our culture today.
When we progress through chapter 2 of Ecclesiastes we discover that this is what Solomon says he pursued for a while in his life – a lifestyle of pleasure: He told us that it was all boring, meaningless, of no eternal value but yet many today still seek it for fulfillment in life – Let’s look at this video clip as a Christian crew interviewed people on the street about the rise in pornography in America today:
Video Illustration: Porno – the silent, hidden killer of relationships.
Many have a distorted view of sin today and many by in to the lie of Satan that this is a good thing but Solomon warns us it has no eternal value.
T.S. – Now --Remember --Solomon had 700 wives and 300 Concubines – that’s 1,000 women! He says in chapter 2:1 “I said to myself, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself.’ And behold, it too was futility.” It had no lasting value, not eternal value, it was meaningless and it still left a void in my life and heart. Solomon tells us this right up front to keep us from following this well disguised lie of today and back then.
I. The pursuit of sexual pleasure is an empty experience when God is not involved and his ways are not observed (Verse 1).
a. Swindoll states, “Those who write and photograph pornography don’t tell us beforehand that it is empty, it is futile, it is dissatisfying, it is lacking in fulfillment. We’re left to discover that on our own. But Solomon tells us to begin with that in mind because it isn’t all that it is cracked up to be” (Living on the Ragged Edge page 42).
b. Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker wrote the great book “Every Man’s Battle.”
i. This book goes after the lie that sexual pleasure will satisfy the human soul and give a person meaning in life.
1. Listen to some of the opening remarks by the authors:
a. Steve Arterburn – “You’re in a tough position. You live in a world awash with sensual images available twenty-four hours a day in a variety of mediums: print television, videos, the internet-even phones. But God offers you freedom from slavery of sin through the cross of Christ, and He created your eyes and mind with an ability to be trained and controlled. We simply have to stand up and walk by His power in the right path. Men need a battle plan a detailed plan for becoming a man of sexual integrity” (Work Book Every Man’s Battle page 6).
b. Fred Stoeker – “We need real men around here – men of honor and decency, men with their hands where they belong and their eyes and minds focused on Christ. If roving eyes or sexually impure thoughts or even sexual addictions are issues in your life, Steven and I are hoping you’ll do something about it. Isn’t it time” (page 6)?
2. The book hit a cord with men and it became a great hit with men’s groups around the country and then the authors came out with this little book called “Every man’s battle guide.”
a. This little blue book is a Biblical Arsenal of Truth for men.
i. In my view every man should own one and look at it daily to be reminded that the lie you seek being promoted everywhere is a trap to destroy your life and your family.
b. Listen to some of the chapters;
i. Weighing the costs of your choices:
1. God will not ignore sin
2. Your choices will have lasting consequences
3. Lying only makes things worse
4. When you think God doesn’t see your secret sin
5. What does God think of your choices
6. Anticipate the outcome
7. Sin will harden your heart
ii. Listen to some of the Bible verses:
1. Matthew 5:28: “But I (Jesus) tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
2. Mark 7:21-23: “For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from the inside and make a man unclean.”
3. Acts 15:29: “You are to abstain from…sexual immorality.”
4. Romans 13:12-12: “So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.”
5. 1 Corinthians 5:11: “I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such man do not even eat.”
c. The pursuit of perverted ungodly sexual pleasure has been an offense to God for 1,000’s of years.
i. You must remember that God created sex to be a joy in a married couple’s life.
ii. Satan has taken that which is sacred and perverted it to become an offense to God himself.
1. It has been perverted to the lie that this self-centered act of pleasure will bring you personal fulfillment and meaning in life and who cares about the other person involved it’s all about your pleasure high!
d. In my research this week I came across a good Assessment Tool to see if you may be a sex addict – in other words addicted to sex in a ungodly – unhealthy way:
i. A Useful Tool for Self-Assessment - Answer these twelve questions will help you to assess whether you may have a problem with sexual addiction.
1. Do you keep secrets about your sexual or romantic activities from those important to you? Do you lead a double life?
2. Have your needs driven you to have sex in places or situations or with people you would not normally choose?
3. Do you find yourself looking for sexually arousing articles or scenes in newspapers, magazines, or other media?
4. Do you find that romantic or sexual fantasies interfere with your relationships or are preventing you from facing problems?
5. Do you frequently want to get away from a sex partner after having sex? Do you frequently feel remorse, shame, or guilt after a sexual encounter?
6. Do you feel shame about your body or your sexuality, such that you avoid touching your body or engaging in sexual relationships? Do you fear that you have no sexual feelings, that you are asexual?
7. Does each new relationship continue to have the same destructive patterns which prompted you to leave the last relationship?
8. Is it taking more variety and frequency of sexual and romantic activities than previously to bring the same levels of excitement and relief?
9. Have you ever been arrested or are you in danger of being arrested because of your practices of voyeurism, exhibitionism, prostitution, sex with minors, indecent phone calls, etc.?
10. Does your pursuit of sex or romantic relationships interfere with your spiritual beliefs or development?
11. Do your sexual activities include the risk, threat, or reality of disease, pregnancy, coercion, or violence?
12. Has your sexual or romantic behavior ever left you feeling hopeless, alienated from others, or suicidal?
ii. If you answered yes to more than one of these questions, we would encourage you to seek out additional literature as a resource or to attend a Sex Addicts Anonymous meeting to further assess your needs.
e. Let’s come back to Solomon who had 700 wives and 300 concubines – the man took the pursuit of sexual pleasure to the extreme – remember he found it meaningless – void of fulfillment:
i. Let’s look at 1 Kings 11:3-6 and see what it says happened to Solomon because of all his women:
1. 3He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. 4As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 5He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. 6So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done.
2. His pursuit of sexual pleasure led him not toward God and eternal meaning for life but away from God!
f. Swindoll challenges us with this thought:
i. “Our friend Solomon, with a limitless supply of money and without any sense of accountability to others, took that trail as far as one could take it. And when it was all said and done, he said, ‘What an empty, futile trip!’ will every young person hearing these words please listen to Solomon rather than the hype from our times? Will the novice, the inexperienced, the virgin, the person who has not yet been scarred by that journey…will you hear, ahead of time, the truth rather than a lie? Equally important, will you be mature enough to heed it? Solomon, who trafficked in it and lived to tell us about it, is going to save us months, even years of heartache if we will only heed what he says. Not some present-day, wild-eyes, prophet of doom, but the wisest and richest man who ever lived is telling us the truth about illicit sex, about alcohol, about drugs, about the occult, and all the things that appeal to our erotic desires. Common sense says we’d be wise to listen” (Page 43).
ii. So may be we need to take the words of wisdom and say “No” to the lie that says sexual pleasure will make you happy and fulfilled in life – Remember when sex is done outside the guidance and the boundaries of the Bible it will never satisfy or bring eternal meaning.
T.S. – Solomon tried to find meaning in life by sexual pleasure and he soon discovered how fleeting it all was. It did not brig meaning or value to his life because it could not fill the void of God in his life. So he throws out the pursuit of sexual pleasure for another lie, he says, “Now I will try laughter itself.”
II. The pursuit of laughter is another sensual pleasure that our wise man pursued (verse 2).
a. He said bring on the clowns, the comedians, and jesters and the funnies.
i. Make me laugh – give me meaning in life!
1. He said bring on the comedies, the sitcoms, the funny movies and let’s laugh our life away.
ii. Reference the seminar at AACC on the power of humor that you attended – but humor without God is not going to satisfy ones life.
1. I actually believe that humor without God becomes vile and disgusting – just look at a lot of the secular humorist – their stuff is not funny it’s warped and offensive.
b. Solomon is not advocating a life without humor he is just saying if you think the meaning of life is just about laughing and making others laugh then you soon discover the emptiness in all of it.
i. Reference the comedian who was a great comic who just tried to commit suicide - Owen Wilson:
1. LOS ANGELES — Police were called to Owen Wilson’s home because of an attempted suicide report, according to a police log of weekend calls.
a. The Calls for Service report from the Santa Monica Police Department doesn’t indicate who made the 911 call, but lists "attempt suicide" as the reason for the call. The call was received on Sunday at 12:08:16 p.m. The incident was “cleared” almost five hours later at 5:07:16 p.m. Wilson was found bloody and dazed after trying to commit suicide by overdosing on pills and slitting his wrist in the wake of a blow-up with a close friend, a source told the New York Post. A source close to the "Wedding Crashers" actor, 38, also told "Extra" that the actor did indeed attempt suicide over the weekend, saying Wilson has been depressed for the last few months, but not over a broken relationship. The source also told “Extra” that Wilson’s famous younger brother, Luke Wilson, found him and that Wilson’s family and friends are shocked. "It’s hard. He’s such a wonderful person," a source told the New York Post. "He’s such a great guy and so smart and just ... nice. We’re just hoping he gets better."
c. The Bible has a lot to say about humor and how it is to be used in life along with a commitment to God and His ways: Listen to these verses:
i. Proverbs 15:13: (NIV) “A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.”
1. “A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face; a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day” (The Message).
ii. Proverbs 15:15: “All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast” (NIV).
1. “A miserable heart means a miserable life; a cheerful heart fills the day with song” (The Message).
iii. Proverbs 15:30: (NIV) “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.”
1. A twinkle in the eye means joy in the heart, and good news makes you feel fit as a fiddle (The Message).
iv. Proverbs 17:22: “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (NIV).
1. “A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired” (The Message).
d. As we have looked at these Bible verses on laughter and joy we must ask ourselves the question. “Is Solomon telling us not to laugh?” “Is he telling us that laughter is meaningless, pointless and valueless?”
i. The reality check is “no!”
1. He is not telling us that we are never to laugh. He is saying that if you think laughter is the purpose for your life then you will find out that it to is just pointless without God!”
a. When joy or laughing becomes your reason for life you soon discover that the laughs will turn to sorrow and depression without God.
ii. Laughter Really is the best medicine when God is a part of our life by Sue Casiglia – highlights from her study:
1. The affect of laughter on the body is immediate. Laughing actually lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones and increases muscle flexion.
2. It also increases your resistance level to infections.
3. Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, and produces a general sense of well-being.
4. In the US, laughter is used as a pain management technique for terminally ill cancer patients. Patients who regularly employ laughter therapy are found to be more tolerant of pain than those who don’t (www.selfgrowth.com).
iii. Laughter may be best medicine for heart disease CNN report- Highlights from study:
1. People who report that they laugh more are less likely to have heart disease.
2. Miller said many studies had shown that feelings of anger and hostility cause the cells lining blood vessels to release chemicals that make them restrict and cause heart disease.
3. Dr. Peter Angerer in Munich, Germany found that angry, lonely people developed heart disease.
e. Solomon the wise king tells us that laughter outside of God is fleeting and meaningless and it will lead to a dead end filled with sorrow and depression.
T.S. – Solomon discovered that laughter may have benefits but it does not bring meaning and fulfillment to ones life. So he thought I will try the spirit’s that come from the wine bottle.
III. The pursuit of wine, alcohol and drugs was tried and also found to be meaningless and of no eternal value (verse 3).
a. Solomon tells us in this verse that he is going to become a connoisseur of good wine.
i. He is going to live the refined life of being sophisticated, a wine connoisseur – a man refined in the life of the rich and famous.
ii. A man who goes to the country club and sips the good stuff with his stuffy friends.
1. The Martini man – the wine expert!
a. He is going to experience the aroma and the smells and the sweet taste of the best the grape can produce.
i. He’s going to dull the pain of life with the alcohol of deception.
2. He does it – he lives it and he once gain finds it pointless and even boring!
a. Reference the show Frasier.
i. Frasier and Niles try to live the elite lifestyle of the rich and famous and even in this show they reveal that this really does not bring meaning to life.
iii. Solomon in his wisdom has tried these sensual pleasures and decides that they were all bad dreams and they did not bring fulfillment and meaning into his life.
1. The world said these would bring eternal meaning but it found out it was just another lie.
b. The destructive habit of consuming drugs has destroyed far too many lives today just listen to Mindy’s story:
i. “I Could never get enough!” – Mindy McConnell
1. Growing Up
I grew up in Goldbar, Washington with my mom, stepdad and younger brother. My mom and her husband at the time bought a restaurant and they were always gone since it was such a demanding business. I was home alone a lot and could do whatever I wanted.
2. Rebellious Teenager
I loved movies and I loved role play. I idolized rockers and the hard-core lifestyle they lived and I wanted to be apart of it. I would sneak out to parties on the weekends and one thing led to another and I tried my first line of meth. I was only 15 at the time, and some kids offered it to me at a party. I was curious about drugs, so it was an easy sell. That one line of meth started me on a path of getting high at school and then eventually dropping out all together. Classes interfered with my drug life. What I thought was normal behavior was not normal at all. I was 17, out of control, addicted to drugs and in the mists of all of this, I became pregnant with my son, Isaiah.
3. My Life on Meth
All I wanted to do was hang out and get high – and I could never get high enough. Sometimes I would be up for days, smoking constantly. When I’d finally come down, I was totally depleted. I would barely get out of bed for weeks. I even tried to stay sober at one point. I got a job at a local gas station to support myself, but after a month I started using again. I couldn’t hold my job because I was too sick and too high to function. My boyfriend was a meth cook, which made it easy for me to abuse the drug. I was living on the doorstep of death everyday, almost unknowingly because I had no idea how toxic and explosive the chemicals used to make meth were at the time. We lived wherever he could cook meth – in the woods, camping in tents or in trailers, even under tarps in a hollowed out tree trunk. Isaiah sadly remembers this time, and he’ll say, “I didn’t have my own room, but I had my own tent.”
4. Falling Apart
I tried to lead a regular life, but I found that on meth, even the simplest things were impossible. My apartment looked like someone had taken everything I owned, shook it up and dropped it on the floor. I could barely walk through the piles of garbage, dirty dishes, clothes and knickknacks. I never ate or slept. I was severely thin because I wasn’t taking care of myself at all. I’m 5’7”, and at one point I was about 110 pounds. I was also once hospitalized with a kidney infection. Isaiah was also living among this filth and neglect. I really did want the best for my child, and on meth I simply could not be a mother. I was angry and irritable all the time, constantly aggravated, frustrated, yelling and screaming. I chased an ex-boyfriend down with an ax and even tried to kill myself on the train tracks. I know many women who’ve had their children taken away, even mothers who chose to give their kids up to the system. I know women who have literally lost their minds because of meth and I was becoming one of them. I had no patience – especially for own son. It was with this realization that I knew I had to change my life.
5. Finding Help
I went home to live with my mother and get clean. I tried to get my boyfriend to come to rehab with me, but my efforts failed. I also went to the state to find mental health help and I went in for a drug and alcohol assessment. After going through this, the woman running the program left it up to me to do some outpatient treatment, and it changed my life. I took recovery seriously and attended as many 12-step meetings as possible – sometimes five meetings a day – anything to get me through it without using. I also joined a program that taught me basic life skills. I lived at a center for nine months, taking classes on budgeting and parenting. The idea of being self-sufficient was mind-boggling. I was terrified to even set a goal for myself. At first, I hated the daily chores and meeting curfew, but then I started to get it. In exchange for room and board and support, following the rules was a small price to pay for a chance at a new life.
6. My Life Today
I am now going back to school and working part-time. My case manager meets with me once a week to set and review my goals and with her support, I have achieved many of them. I am also taking the absolute best care of my son. We finally have our own home and for the first time in his life, Isaiah has is own room. When I sit down to pay my bills, I’m just so grateful. Paying my bills every month means that I am a responsible adult and mom. My dream is to complete school and support Isaiah without any assistance. I am so lucky to have a second chance. When I look at my son, I am so proud. I know that I’ll be there for him. That’s something I could never promise him before. I am someone that he can depend on. I have the direction to achieve great things—and I will!
7. To Everyone Out There
In the beginning, meth gave me a feeling of euphoria. In the end, it just made me feel hollow and empty. Now I want to inspire hope in the families who know someone with an addiction like mine. People get stuck, and it’s important to give them hope to get out of it. Don’t give up – miracles happen everyday.
ii. God does do miracles but if you think drugs are going to give you meaning in life then think again – it will destroy your life.
c. About Addiction (from : http://www.stopdrugaddiction.com/drug-facts.htm)
i. Addictive drugs activate the brain’s reward systems. The promise of reward is very intense, causing the individual to crave the drug and to focus his or her activities around taking the drug. The ability of addictive drugs to strongly activate brain reward mechanisms and their ability to chemically alter the normal functioning of these systems can produce an addiction. Drugs also reduce a person’s level of consciousness, harming their ability to think or be fully aware of present surroundings.
d. The Cycle of Addiction:
i. What Is A Drug?
1. In medical terms, a drug is any substance that when taken into a living organism may modify one or more of its functions. Drugs can provide temporary relief from unhealthy symptoms and/or permanently supply the body with a necessary substance that the body can no longer produce by itself. Some drugs produce unwanted side affects. Some drugs lead to an unhealthy dependency that has both physiological and behavioral roots.
ii. Why People Use Drugs
1. No one wants to be a drug addict or alcoholic, but this doesn’t stop people from becoming addicted. The most commonly asked question is simply - how? How could my son, daughter, father, sister, or brother become a liar, a thief, someone who cannot be trusted? How could this happen? And why won’t they stop?
2. The first thing you must understand about addiction is that alcohol and addictive drugs are basically painkillers. They chemically kill, physical or emotional pain, and alter the mind’s perception of reality. They make people numb.
3. For drugs to be attractive to a person, there must first be some underlying unhappiness, sense of hopelessness, or physical pain that they want to escape.
iii. Drug Addiction Follows A Cycle Like This:
1. The life cycle of addiction begins with a problem, discomfort or some form of emotional or physical pain a person is experiencing. They find this overwhelming and very difficult to deal with.
2. We start off with an individual who, like most people in our society, is basically good. This person encounters a problem or discomfort that they do not know how to resolve or can’t confront. This could include problems such as difficulty “fitting in” as a child or teenager, anxiety due to peer pressure or work expectations, identity problems, or divorce as an adult. It can also include physical discomfort, such as an injury or chronic pain. The person experiencing the discomfort has a real problem. They feel their present situation is unendurable, yet see no good solution to the problem.
3. Everyone has experienced this in life to a greater or lesser degree. The difference between an addict and the non-addict is that the addict chooses drugs or alcohol as a solution to the unwanted problem or discomfort.
iv. The Addiction Progresses… Analogous to an adolescent child in their first love affair, the use of drugs or alcohol becomes obsessive. The addicted person is trapped. Whatever problem they were initially trying to solve by using drugs or alcohol fades from memory. At this point, all they can think about is getting and using drugs. They lose the ability to control their usage and disregard the horrible consequences of their actions.
v. Alcohol And Drug Tolerance
1. In addition to the mental stress created by their unethical behavior, the addict’s body has also adapted to the presence of the drugs. They will experience an overwhelming obsession with getting and using drugs, and will do anything to avoid the pain of withdrawing from them. This is when the newly-created addict begins to experience drug cravings.
2. Now the addict seeks drugs for both the reward or “pleasure” they give him, and also to avoid the mental and physical horrors of withdrawal. Ironically, the addict’s ability to get “high” from the alcohol or drug gradually decreases as their body adapts to the presence of the foreign chemicals. They must take more and more, not just to get an effect but often just to function at all.
3. At this point, the addict is stuck in a vicious, dwindling spiral. The drugs they abuse have changed them, both physically and mentally. They have crossed an invisible and intangible line. They are now a drug addict or alcoholic.
e. Solomon in his wisdom saw that drugs lead to a life that was meaningless, pointless, hopeless and with any eternal value.
T.S. – Solomon has explored the pleasures of indulgence and found them to be meaningless so now he turns his pursuit to the pleasure and the focus of what he can build with his own hands and resources.
IV. The pursuit of great building projects without God was meaningless (verses 4-6).
a. Solomon tried to find meaning in life by doing great architectural projects – everything from buildings, to temples, to palaces, to parks, to useful agricultural projects.
i. He found all of this to be useless and meaningless in life without God’s involvement.
ii. Now I want to remind you that his palace was considered one of the Ancient 7 Wonders of the World.
1. He had it all – a grandiose mansion, beautiful gardens and breath taking flower gardens and tree orchards. But without God it all meant nothing.
iii. Solomon not only built one great masterpiece he built many – he owned more than one home – but this too did not bring meaning and eternal value to his life.
b. Many people today try to find meaning in their life through their jobs or their great accomplishments but they soon learn that this does not bring meaning to life.
i. Work all by itself outside the realm of God will never bring eternal meaning and value to your life.
1. It will only produce a toil and labor with no eternal value attached to it.
ii. It will also become empty and void if God is not involved in it.
T.S. – Solomon discovered that all his hard work from all his different building projects did not bring him the sense of meaning in life like he thought. So he then pursued materialism and the thought, “The one with the most things wins!” So he acquisition things and even people.
V. The pursuit of materialism and acquiring of things and even the owning of other people was found to be meaningless and void of eternal value (verses 7, 8).
a. The pursuit and acquiring of things or even people will never satisfy and give meaning to your life.
i. Financial Resources will depart – sooner then you wish!
ii. Money will not buy happiness and eternal value for your life.
iii. Owning land will not bring you fulfillment in life.
iv. Having servants and or employees will not bring eternal value to your life.
T.S. – Solomon discovered as many others have in this world that materialism will not bring eternal value or meaning to your life. This pursuit of pleasure too failed the test of time. So he decided to go after the idea that if he is the greatest of all maybe this boost of pride will make him happy and fulfilled.
VI. The pursuit of greatness fame, fortune, and power (verse 9).
a. But this too failed the test of time! Yes, all was meaningless void of eternal value – counted for nothing - it gave Solomon no meaning in life.
i. Greatness and the applause of others means nothing if you never get the applause of Heaven.
1. Matthew 16:24-27: 24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.
Conclusion:
Max Lucado shares this thought from his book The Applause of Heaven:
You are in a hurry. America is in a hurry. Time has skyrocketed in value. The value of my commodity depends on its scarcity. And time that once was abundant now is going to the highest bidder. A man in Florida bills his ophthalmologist ninety dollars for keeping him waiting one hour. A woman in California hires someone to do her shopping for her-out of a catalog. Twenty bucks will pay someone to pick up your cleaning. Fifth teen hundred bucks will buy a fax machine…for your car. Greeting Cards can be purchased to express to your children things you want to say, but don’t have time to: ‘Have a great day at school’ or ‘I wish I were there to tuck you in.’ America-the country of shortcuts and fast lanes. (We’re the only nation on earth with a mountain called ‘Rushmore.’) ‘Time,’ according to pollster Louis Harris, ‘may have become the most precious commodity in the land.’ Do we really have less time? Or is it just our imagination? In 1965 a testimony before the a Senate subcommittee claimed the future looked bright for free time in America. By 1985 predicted the report, Americans would be working twenty –two hours a week and would be able to retire at age thirty-eight. The reason? The computer age would usher in a gleaming array of advances that would do our work for us while stabilizing our economy. Take hold, they cited, Microwaves, quick-fix foods, and food processors will pave the way into carefree future. And the office? Well, you know that old stencil machine? It’ll be replaced by a copier. And the files? Computers are the files of the future. And that electric typewriter? Don’t get too attached to it; a computer will do its work, too. And now, years later, we have everything the report promised. The computers are byting, the VCR’s are recording, the fax machines are faxing. Yet the clocks are still ticking, and people are still running. The truth is, the average amount of leisure time has shrunk 37% since 1973. The average work week has increased from forty-one to forty-seven hours. (And, for many of you, forty –seven hours would be a calm week.) Why didn’t the forecast come true? What did the committee overlook? They misjudged the appetite of the consumer. As the individualism of the sixties led to the materialism of the eighties, the free time gained for us by technology didn’t make us relax; it made us run. Gadgets provided more time…more time meant more potential money…more potential money meant more time needed …and round and round it went. Lives grew louder as demands became greater. And as demands became greater, lives grew emptier. ‘I’ve go so many irons in the fire, I can’t keep any of them hot,’ complained one young father. Can you relate? (Pages 18, 19)
Solomon’s final thoughts in this chapter – All that I did meant nothing- why because it was done without God (see Ecc. 12:13,14)!
10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my work,
and this was the reward for all my labor.
11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun.
Summary: The test of time will show the pleasure seekers have chased and empty life.
1. Sensual pleasures lack any eternal value or meaning when they are done outside of God’s boundaries. They will leave you empty in the end and they will leave you deserted because their momentarily flash of excitement will be crushed under the reality of truth in the end.
2. Great building and work projects may create a visible structure and seem pleasurable to do but this structure will decay and collapse one day, your hard work will disappear over time as the forces of nature and life erode it away. They have not eternal lasting value because they will crumble under the pressure of time and life.
3. The acquiring and the pleasure of materialistic things of value will in the end have no value because when you die you cannot take them with you. Even after you buy something brand new it will lose its appeal after a short timeframe. If you hoarded them for yourself then in the end they lose their eternal value and all that you accumulate will be given away to others at your death.
4. The applause of men and of others will mean nothing when you standing before the throne of God and all of Heaven is silent because you deserve no praise for the way you wasted your life.
a. That silence will kill you and you will hear that for eternity!
Closing Illustration: “I was here!” from Blue Fish TV.
