“Are you Alive or Dead?”
Ecc. Pt. 10
Opening Illustration: Prophecy fulfilled by Blue Fish TV
Thesis: Solomon challenges us to examine whether we are alive in Christ or dead in our sin. He tells us to find God’s favor now because at the crossover it will be too late!
Scripture Text: Ecclesiastes chapter 9
1So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no man knows whether love or hate awaits him. 2All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.
As it is with the good man,
so with the sinner;
as it is with those who take oaths,
so with those who are afraid to take them.
3This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead. 4Anyone who is among the living has hope—even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!
5 For the living know that they will die,
but the dead know nothing;
they have no further reward,
and even the memory of them is forgotten.
6 Their love, their hate
and their jealousy have long since vanished;
never again will they have a part
in anything that happens under the sun.
7Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do. 8Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. 9Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. 10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
11I have seen something else under the sun:
The race is not to the swift
or the battle to the strong,
nor does food come to the wise
or wealth to the brilliant
or favor to the learned;
but time and chance happen to them all.
12Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come:
As fish are caught in a cruel net,
or birds are taken in a snare,
so men are trapped by evil times
that fall unexpectedly upon them.
13I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me: 14There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it. 15Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. 16So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.
17 The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded
than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war,
but one sinner destroys much good.
Introduction:
Solomon once again becomes realistic and honest about what he faced and felt about life
in this chapter of Ecc. He makes some poignant observations about life and death. Everyone whether you are righteous or wicked are in the hands of God he says. He is really saying everyone is going to acknowledge that God is God! No one knows what awaits them at the point when they crossover from here to eternity. Solomon wondered about his fate at the judgment seat –remember he did evil in the eyes of the Lord according to 1 Kings 11. Here is some good news for us today and that is that we have a promise from Scripture in John 3:16 that all who believe in Jesus and place their faith in Him will not perish but get eternal life. Max Lucado’s book 3:16 The Numbers of Hope also expound on this famous verse.
Solomon is just letting everyone know that whether they believe in God or not that we all share a common destiny and that is standing at the throne of Heaven to give an account of our life. Solomon calls this end point an evil because anyone who is dead already has no hope. Those who do evil and die in this state will receive no mercy and no grace from God. But the living on the other hand do have a hope that the dead do not. Those who are still alive and breathing can be resurrected from the walking dead and delivered out of the dead zone if they place their faith and trust in the Lord.
Solomon paints a clear distinction between those who are walking talking dead people and those who are really living. The difference between the living and the dead is where their heart is with God. A person who is alive has died to the flesh and has been “Born Again” and the person who is breathing and even has a heart beat but is not in fellowship with God is really already living in the dead zone.
Solomon reminded us back in Ecc. 7:2 - “That death is the destiny of every person!” We can either choose to die to ourselves and surrender to God here and now or face the reality of living a life that is already dead. Death is a fact of life and we will all will face it at some point in our life. So the question to ponder today is” Are you alive or dead?”
T.S. – There are two types of people on the earth existing in one of two zones - The black zone
or dead zone and the white zone or living zone –which zone do you exist in? Let’s talk about
the character traits of each person within the two zones.
I. The spiritually dead - Exist in the black or dead zone!
a. They don’t know they are dead because their eyes are blinded to the truth.
i. They are so deceived by the evil of the times that they are clueless to their dead position in life.
1. They live in world that has them deceived into thinking that they are really living.
a. They need to be awakened from the dead!
2. Max Lucado in his book 3:16 notes the following about those living in the dead zone:
a. “He, at this very moment, issues invitations by the millions. He whispers through the kindness of a grandparent, shouts through the tempest of a tsunami. Through the funeral he cautions, ‘Life is fragile.’ Through a sickness he reminds, ‘Days are numbered.’ God may speak through nature or nurture, majesty or mishap. But through all and to all he invites: ‘Come, enjoy me forever.’ Yet many people have no desire to do so. They don’t want anything to do with God. He speaks; they cover their ears. He commands they scoff. They don’t want him telling them how to live. They mock what he says about marriage, money, sex, or the value of human life. They regard his son as a joke and the cross as utter folly. They spend their lives telling God to leave them alone. And at the moment of their final breath. He honors their request: ‘Get away from me, you who do evil. I never knew you’ (Matt. 7:23). This verse escorts us to the most somber of Christian realities: hell” (Max Lucado page 93, 94 – Book 3:16)!
i. These people are just existing in the dead zone!
ii. The sad fact is many today are living meaningless lives because they have rejected the One who gives life to people.
iii. These people have refused the breath of life from God and have chosen already to exist in the dead zone!
ii. They don’t even realize how dead they already are.
1. Everything they do is meaningless because it has no eternal value – it’s all dead!
a. Their daily life
b. Their work
c. Their family life
d. Their parties
e. Their __________________?
iii. Max Lucado explains what it looks like existing in the dead zone:
1. “When we attempt to swap roles with God and tell him we can eat (think, say, do, control, own, hurt, inhale, ingest, demand) anything we want, we die two deaths. Adam and Eve did. They died physically, eventually, and spiritually, instantly. Reread God’s warning: ‘When you eat of it you will surely die’ (v. 17). Sin resulted in Adam’s and Eve’s immediate deaths. But death of what? Their bodies? No, they continued to breathe. Brain waves flowed. Eyelids blinked. Their bodies functioned, but their hearts hardened. They stopped trusting God. Their friendship with their maker died” (page 118).
a. When this relationship died they died!
b. God is the one who breathes life into a life and if He is not breathing into your life then you are really dead.
c. God breathes life into flat lined lives!
d. Many have already had heart attacks and they are dead – flat lines with no life.
b. They don’t know anything about life or living.
i. When dead people talk about living and yet they are still dead it shows how much they don’t know.
1. When you exist in the dead zone and say, “Man this is living!”
2. People will look at you from Heaven and say, ‘What a fool they are!” “They don’t know anything of eternal value!”
3. Yet, many in the “White zone listen to the ones in the dead zone!”
a. Why is that do you think?
b. Why is it that people want to listen to the dead people and listen to them tell them how to live?
c. The truth is they are telling them how to be dead not alive!
ii. A thought to ponder: A dead person is not living so how do they know what living really is?
1. The truth is they don’t!
2. Jesus said, “Let the dead bury their own dead – come and follow me!”
a. To live we have to follow Jesus and heed His call!
b. See Luke 9:57-62:
i. 57As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 59He said to another man, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.” 62Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
ii. The reality check is this: “To have life and to live you must follow Jesus!”
iii. I like what Max Lucado says in his book on page 99 “There will be no atheists in hell (Phil. 2:10-11).”
1. An atheist is a person who does not know anything because they don’t know God.
2. But when they die they will discover how wrong they really were.
c. They have no eternal reward no hope of redemption in this life or the next.
i. A dead person has no reward.
1. Why? Because when you are dead your dead – your life counts for nothing it’s all meaningless!
a. God does not reward meaningless existence!
b. God does not reward sin.
c. God does not show favor to the rebellious.
ii. A dead person has no hope for the future.
1. Why, because they are dead!
2. Dead people have no future.
3. A dead person has no future joy or reason to smile – they have no future!
4. They have no hope for something better!
iii. Max Lucado puts it this way: “Death freezes the moral compass. People will remain in the fashion they enter. Revelation 22:11 seems to emphasize hell’s unrepentant evil: ‘Let the evildoer still do evil, and still be filthy’ (RSV). The God-less remain ungodly.” (page 98)
1. The truth is when you crossover into death you go to Hell for eternity!
a. The only people in Hell are the ones who do evil!
2. Max adds, “Hell is not a correctional facility or reform school. Its members hear no admonishing parents, candid sermons, or Spirit of God, no voice of God, no voice of God’s people. Spend a lifetime telling God to be quiet, and he’ll do just that. God honors our request for silence” (page 98).
d. They will be forgotten in time because only the ones who live in the white zone will be remembered.
i. Dead people will die and be forgotten.
ii. Dead people will leave no legacy because their life had no meaning – no eternal value on it.
iii. Dead people will fade away like all other things in life!
iv. Their lives will vanish like a vapor in the air.
1. Dead people will be cast into darkness to never be heard from again.
2. Dead people will die and never have another chance at life again.
e. They will have no part in living in the afterlife – none!
i. The dead will not participate in the afterlife of Heaven.
ii. The dead will have no jobs in the future because they blew their opportunity in the here and now.
1. They will live in misery, darkness and despair!
iii. Max states, “So in history’s highest expression of fairness, God honors their preference (to exist in the dead zone). I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live” (Ezek. 33:11) (page 98).
1. God does not want anyone to be dead and existing in the dead zone!
2. Remember what Jesus said in John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and live to the full.”
T.S. – The first type of person who exists on this planet are those who are existing in the black zone of the dead zone. They are already dead and their life will have no eternal value attached to it. But he also shares that there is another type of person on this planet and they live in the white zone which is where the living ones exist. Their life has eternal value attached to it and they are always dressed in white.
II. The spiritual living - Live in the white zone.
a. They know their spiritual condition and they have faced the reality of it.
i. The Zoe’s know that they were “Born Again” and that they were brought back to life.
1. Matthew 16:24-26:
a. 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?
i. Jesus tells us repeatedly in the Gospels to come to Him to find life – the zoe kind of life!
2. Max Lucado states this about our term Zoe:
a. Jesus offers zoe, the Greek word for ‘life as God has it.’ Whereas bios, its sibling term, is life extensive, zoe is life intensive. Jesus talks less about life’s duration and more about its quality, vitality, energy, and fulfillment. What the new mate, sports car, or unexpected check could never do, Christ says, ‘I can.’ You’ll love how he achieves it. He reconnects your soul with God. What God gave Adam and Eve, he entrusted to you and me. A soul. ‘The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being’ (Gen. 2:7 NKJV). You, a bipedal ape? Chemical fluke? Atomic surprise? By no means. You bear the very breath of God. He exhaled himself into you, making you a ‘living being’ (v. 7)” (page 117).
ii. They have discovered life through the words of Jesus – see John 5:24-25
1. 24“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
a. When you believe in Christ and follow Him with your whole heart then you become alive!
b. You cross over from death to life!
c. But sadly some people over time drift back into the dead zone after getting the gift of life.
i. Please note believing is an ongoing activity for the ones living in the White zone-it’s not a one-time event –it’s a changed mindset forever!
b. They know the most important thing – “The One Thing!”
i. The One thing for life is Jesus and continually the rest of your life believing in Him!
1. John 3:16-21: 16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
a. Notice the phrase, “Everyone who does evil hates the light!”
i. Why? Because the light will expose your sin and people don’t like that!
ii. They found Him and they cling to Jesus forever – they never let go of Him and His ways.
1. They once where blind but now they see:
a. Illustration - Movie Clip from Bella
i. Blind man challenges the two to look around and see what he cannot see!
c. They know that if they live a life clothed in white they will receive a reward in the afterlife.
i. Living in the white zone will bring eternal rewards and the time lived in the white zone will bring eternal rewards.
1. This time will not be wasted but invested for eternity!
a. James 2:17: 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
i. Our faith life should have actions of faith attached to it daily otherwise we are dead!
2. James 2:26: 26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
a. Scripture repeatedly tells me that a living saint has action of faith each and every day because god is using them for eternal purposes everyday they live.
b. Remember --This time will live on into eternity never lost-never wasted – always fruitful.
d. They will not be forgotten in the future but honored for their life of faith.
i. The Zoe’s will never be forgotten because they will make the Hall of Fame in Heaven.
1. They will live in the history book of Heaven!
2. Their names will be written into the Lamb’s Book of Life for all to read and admire!
a. This is the “Who’s who of Heaven.”
b. Their lives will live on into eternity
i. Their lives will live on and on forever.
e. They will have a part in Eternity serving under the Son and leading in the next era of life.
i. They will be given jobs in the future for the Kingdom of God.
1. Max Lucado notes, “Yes, you will have assignments in heaven. God gave Adam and Eve garden responsibilities. ‘Let them have dominion’ (Gen. 1:26 NKJV). He mantled the couple with leadership over ‘the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth’ (v. 26 NKJV). Adam was placed in the garden ‘to tend and keep it’ (2:15). Adam and his descendants will do it again. ‘(God’s servants shall serve Him’ (Rev. 22:3). What is service if not responsible activity? Those who are faithful over a few things will rule over many (Matt. 25:21)” (page 110).
ii. So what type of job in the afterlife do you want?
1. Remember the way you live today determines what you are qualified for in the next stage of life.
T.S. – The ones who live in the white zone of life have a life that will live on into eternity – there life counts for eternity and God will reward those who live in this zone of purity and holiness. Solomon gives us some instructions about how to live in the here and know let’s listen to what he advises.
III. Solomon’s instructions to those who are living in the here and now:
a. Enjoy life now – eat and be merry but find the favor of God.
i. We can enjoy life but our life needs to be one that God approves of and finds favor in.
1. Does God approve of your life today?
b. Enjoy your wife and reap the benefits of love.
i. Don’t lose the opportunity to love and to reap its benefits – this is God’s plan for all of us.
c. Live in the white zone and wear the white clothes of purity found in the sacrifice of the Lamb.
i. Live in the zone of white because it is purified by the blood of the Lamb.
ii. Listen to these thoughts and visions from people living in the white zone and getting a glimpse of another realm in the future:
1. Revelation 1:12-18:
a. 12I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and among the lampstands was someone “like a son of man,” dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
2. Daniel 7:9-10:
a. 9“As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.10 A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.
3. Isa. 1:18-20:
a. 18 “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; 20 but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
4. Rev. 3:4:
a. 4Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. 6He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
5. Rev. 20:11- 15:
a. 11Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
d. Be anointed with God’s holy oil and let it saturate your head.
i. Live under the anointing.
1. Remember: “Saturate in 08.”
ii. Let the anointing saturate you head, your heart, your life, your family, your decisions, your values, and your everyday life.
e. Find you lot in life – your God given purpose otherwise your life will be meaningless.
i. Find your God given purpose and don’t miss out on living within your calling.
f. Work hard with your hands and do it with all of your might.
i. Jesus words: ‘Love God with everything you got and others like you do yourselves.’
ii. Serve the Lord with everything you have and you reward will be amazing!
g. Now is the time to win God’s favor not tomorrow!
i. When you cross over to eternity it will be too late to win the favor of God.
ii. If you don’t win God’s favor today then your life will be meaningless today.
1. So don’t miss out! Don’t throw your life away!
h. Understand that time and chance fall on everyone – life will not always be fair – evil will invade your life at times – so stay rooted in the Lord.
i. Remember to stay loyal to the Lord and serve Him anyway.
ii. He will not leave you or forsake you!
i. Live now because you have no idea when you will cross over to eternity – this same fate awaits everyone – the ones living for God and the ones walking already dead will cross over.
i. So be ready to die today-right now-don’t take a chance and miss your opportunity for eternal life.
j. Don’t be caught up in the evil times but see God now and live.
i. Don’t listen to the evil ways of the times listen to God’s Word.
k. Find wisdom then you will find strength to live.
i. Find wisdom!
1. Proverbs 1 says, “Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord!”
l. Heed the words of the wise over the shouts of the rulers.
i. A quiet person’s wisdom is worth far more than the ranting of the rulers of the time.
ii. A quiet word of wisdom will give you life and a loud word of evil will give you death.
m. Find wisdom because it is better than war.
i. When you find wisdom peace will invade your life but when you don’t have wisdom turmoil and war will be your plight through life.
n. Don’t be the one sinner who destroys much good in this world.
i. Warning – Do not be the sinner who destroys the good in this life because God will deal severely with that sinner.
Conclusion:
Last night before bed I picked John Eldridge’s book “Wake the Dead” and started reading it. He made a statement in it that hit me between the eyes. He noted that the Bible makes it clear that “Things are no as they seem!” He went through many of the teaching of Jesus and other spirit lead writers of the Bible to show that we are constantly being reminded to not be deceived in this world. He tells us that there is a great deceiver out there convincing people that they are good when in reality they are doing and living evil. The Bible tells us that in the end times people will call evil good and good evil. I look around today and think “It’s coming to pass!” I look at those in the church across America and say, “They are deceived, even the ones who should no better!” They disregard God and His ways, they do not honor Him, they steal from Him, the mock His teachings and they turn around and say, “I’m good!”
Read the article from Charisma Jan. 2008 edition called “Willow Creek Pastor Admits Mistake.” There is a problem in the church – apathy for the things of God, sin running rampant, Christians refusing to take responsibility for the things of God, it’s not just a Willow problem –it’s a church wide problem. It impacts every church and every denomination! It’s time for the Christian to take responsibility for their own spiritual growth and put their faith into action otherwise your life is dead! Yes, it starts with you and me:
Last night the Lord woke me up and told me something I did not want to hear; “He said, Mike I want you to fast, to pray and to start using your time wisely, the time is short and I have called you to awaken the dead and to lead them to life.” Get busy – work hard- use your time wisely –don’t waste it-speak the truth even if they refuse to listen do it because I told you to do it. I will deal with them for their refusal to listen to and to do what I have commanded! Your part is to speak what I have told you too speak!”
Everyone will be held accountable in the end for what they did and did not do with their life – Solomon told us that in the last two verses of his book. Jesus himself told us that too! Jesus was very clear on the fact that there is a Hell waiting for those who refuse to believe and live.
Max Lucado makes the following observation about Jesus and his attention to the dead zone called hell:
“Jesus spoke of hell often. Thirteen percent of his teachings refer to eternal judgment and hell. Two-thirds of his parables relate to resurrection and judgment. Jesus wasn’t cruel or capricious, but he was blunt. His candor stuns” (page 95).
“Jesus describes the length of heaven and hell with the same adjective: eternal. ‘They will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life’ (Matt. 25:46 RSV). Hell lasts as long as heaven. It may have a back door or graduation day, but I haven’t found it. Much perishes in hell. Hope perishes. Happiness perishes. But the body and soul of the God-deniers continue outside. Outside of heaven. Outside of hope, and outside of God’s goodness” (page 97).
Ezekiel 37:1-14 – The scenario here reveals that God can take something that is dead and resurrect it to new life and for some here today or listening I want you to know that God can bring you back to life!
Finney stated this about the vision in Ezekiel 37:1-14, “No doubt this was intended to represent God’s manner of calling men out of the death of unbelief into the spiritual life of faith. When, as is there described, God’s voice, through his servants, sounds all abroad, then his power is felt.”
The reality is “You do not have to exist in the dead zone you can actually start living today by allowing the power of the Lord to resurrect you out of the dead zone!” I challenge you this new year to put your faith into action and make a difference for eternity!
