5-18-08 SS lesson Wisdom from the Preacher
Ecc 5:1-5
Ecclesiastes 5: 1-5
1. Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
2. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
3. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.
4. When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
5. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay
V1 “Keep your foot when you go to the house of God”.
- Some hearts have pretended, or mistaken devotion
- there is a real devotion and a real reverence to God
- we must be united together as one man
- example: a married couple is one flesh (shall become one)
- ideal church body: “as in one mind and one accord”
- We should never assemble as 195 different people
- with:
- 195 attitudes
- 195 missions
- 195 ways of doing things
If one cries, we all should cry
- If one laughs, we all should laugh
- we can only accomplish this, if the Holy Ghost controls the agenda (act as one)
- Gen 11:6 “The people are one”.
- - I Cor 12:12 “As the body is one, and hath many members”.
- I John 5:7 “For there are 3 that bear record in heaven, the Father, The Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”
- V8 “And there are 3 that bear witness in earth, the spirit and the water, and the blood: and these 3 agree in one”.
- At calvary, all three agreed (to allow the death to happen)
- Jesus yielded up his spirit
- blood flowed from his side
- water flowed from his side
by “One spirit are baptized into one body”I Cor 12:13
- “God hath made of one blood all” Acts 17:26
- Jesus said “I and my Father are one”. Jn 10:30
"Keep your foot when you go into the house of God"
- it is not just a place to lolligag (loose lips),
- or to enter without forethought/preparation
- it is not just a place for one to bump their gums
- Part of that preparation is too be more ready to listen (to hear), than to speak
- than to give the sacrifice of fools (the gift of gab)
Illustrate: two ladies in Southern Ohio
- beating their gums at a mile a minute
- when ministry started they ran off to pray
- when they returned to the sanctuary, they beat their gums faster than bats
- loud, obnoxious,
- demonstrating to others, what they were doing was important
- I had forewarned Sis Beavers (I am going to have me a good time)
- I feel a mischievous spirit coming on
- now its time for my sermon, I have well prepared, and am now ready
- I read my text, they ran out to pray
- I introduced my first point
- sure enough, like a timed alarm clock
they run back into the sanctuary, and get seated (they were in another room praying)
- and both noisily get into their clucking position
- the two bainy hens started clucking (“the sacrifice of fools”)
- it appeared that they were talking about everything but the kitchen sink
- Paul said “and being crafty, I caught you with guile”.
- I stopped dead in my tracks, and the talk was extremely loud
- gums bumping away, desperately trying to catch up on the latest happenings
- how sweet it was, to silently watch these unsuspecting
- in Ecclesiastes (Solomon) called them fools
- It took what seemed like 3 eternity minutes
- for them to even realize that I had totally stopped
- Did they really do themselves in, what a show indeed
- then suddenly it dawned on them both, things are way to quiet
their shoulders drooped in embarrassment,
- So I ended up instructing the two ladies to “join in on what was already going on, unless your conversation is more important than mine.”
- “For they don’t even consider that they are doing evil” V1
That’s what it means to be rash with one’s mouth.
- to watch our looks, our gestures, of not only irreverence towards God
- but of folly towards ourselves
- and of sin towards our brethren (can be either male or female)
V2 “Be not rash with thy mouth”.
- to bring, not only our thoughts, but our words under subjection
- Today, many are guilty of thoughtless reporting to the sanctuary for spiritual duty!
- to prevent evil, we must abide in reverence
- If anything has to be said, ensure it is designed to bless the body
1.There is a preparation for the sanctuary
- not only should one be prayed up (an unfamiliar term today).
- there must be a concentrated effort, made towards fulfilling our purpose
- when you enter through the front door, your ministry begins
- who you run into is extremely important (who can I bless today)
- I am part of a body, what is my assignment today
- when I go in, to be seated, that is an assignment
2. I am my brothers keeper
- who I sit by is very critical
- we must be reverent, intent on how we are going to be used today
- even orientals drop their sandals at the door for Buddha
- the place where I am standing is Holy Ground
- every handshake is critical, and extremely important
3. Sometimes we turn it into “vain repetitions”.
- where you stand, in each prayer line should be considered ministry
- what you say to others should be considered ministry
4. I “give myself unto God, a living sacrifice, which is my reasonable service”.
- going to another revival service at another church, on your assigned night is spiritual adultry
- you miss here (your home church), and your person you are assigned to support
- Remember: we are husbandry, spiritual duty is to create spiritual babes
- when you miss: thoughts start running through their mind
- where are they? Are they alright? Are they disgruntled?
- so your act of not discerning the Lords body (the body of Christ)
- has caused someone to become severely distracted
- you, just siting in your seat is non- verbal sign language to others
- your being present, is critically important to others
The body of Christ makes up a nursery (like a hospital nursery)
- the body, working jointly becomes an incubator for new birth
- through the gifts of the Holy Spirit
- “dividing to every man severally as he wills” 1 Cor 12:11
- dispenses to the people as he wills gifts whereby to bless each other
- gifts to edify the body of Christ
A church with only the pastor preaching is not a soul winning church
- God uses all of the gifts, and actions above to harvest souls
- we must come through the doors prepared to work together
- “some sow, some water, but God gives the increase” 1 Cor 3:6 Acts 2:41 & 47
- 1 Cor 3:7 “Now he that planteth and he that watereth, are one”
- one for one purpose and another for another purpose
- in harmony with one another
- fellow laborers in the same work
- 1 Cor 3:9 “For we are laborers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building”.
- Husbandry: is Gods people, caretakers of the body of Christ
- we are a body “fitly joined together” (one the eye, one the ear, one the mouth etc.)
- remove the knee cap, and things wobble, or crumble
- in common terms. We become a soul winning machine
- lubricated, by the Holy Spirit
- designed according to New Testament principals
“Keep your foot when you enter the house of God” Ecc 5:1
- know what you are all about
Ecc 5: verse 2 of this lesson continued “therefore let your words be few”
- it is hard to learn, when your lips are flopping in the breeze
- V1 “while you are giving the sacrifice of fools”.
- unnecessary, non edifying talk, much speaking
- V2 “a fools voice is recognized by its multitude of words”.
- i.e. much more talking, than thinking about or choosing ones words
- most dreams are caused by our minds being to busy with clutter
- frightful dreams, perplexed dreams, fearful dreams
- things that fill our heads are all evidence of a hurry of business
The more we listen, and less talk
- the more we become subject to having spiritual dreams
One commentary writer states: “those that know least, talk most”! Matthew Henry
- particularly harmful in devotions
- even in prayer, if you don’t think about what you want to say
- your prayers are subject to fall through
- Matthew Henry also declares “Those are fools indeed who think they will be heard, in prayer, for their much speaking”.
Ecc 5: V4 when you vow a vow unto God, you cannot go back
- have we vowed to give ourselves unto the Lord?
A good place to start, is by learning to listen
- to speak less, and to listen more
