Dakota Community Church
October 3, 2010
Go
Let’s begin by standing for the reading of God’s Word!
Ecclesiastes 9:7-12
7 Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do. 8 Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. 9 Enjoy 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. 10 Whatever 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.
11 I 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.
12 Moreover, 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.
There are some startling insights from the man who was known the world over for his wisdom.
In the thief on the cross we see that no further work is needed to make us acceptable in paradise.
God could take us home immediately upon conversion if He so desired.
He could just leave a few appointed ambassadors to share the gospel and take everyone else who believes home immediately upon re-birth.
I wonder if that would make evangelism easier or more difficult than things as they are.
Our sanctification is a long process that is incomplete until we stand face to face with our savior, however many die at varying stages in that process so we know that God does not require a long time here on earth to prepare us for heaven.
God could easily instantly destroy every aspect of our corrupted nature and take us to Himself immediately upon conversion – so why doesn’t He?
Why are we, the redeemed, still here?
Would God keep us out of paradise for a single moment more than is necessary?
Why does the army of the Lord remain on the battle field when the safety of home is available to us now?
Why would God leave us to suffer in many cases persecution, rejection, pain and sorrow?
It must be a serious cause that would require our presence here rather than in the sweet embrace of our eternal Rock of safety.
We know that for our own sakes it is not necessary for us to stay here, so we must be here for the sake of someone other than ourselves.
Matthew 5:13-14
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
We are here to glorify God and bring others to know Him.
1. What can we do?
Ecclesiastes 9:9
9 Enjoy 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.
It took me a long time to figure this out; so much of modern evangelical preaching focuses on us. God has a big dream for my life, I am unique and special and anything but typical.
It’s not about me – OR YOU!
Too many pastors like myself belittle the experience of the vast majority of Christians; we put down the “same old, same old” routine of life that most of us are called to.
Are we inciting our people to sin?
Are we encouraging the working father who spends his days happily providing for his family to be discontent with that God given vocation?
Are we belittling the stay at home mom for being “just” a housewife? How dare we!
Think of the children of Israel in the desert when they became discontent with the same old same old manna from heaven – was God pleased?
In the culture where greed is a virtue there will be much talk of “Godly discontent”; but the truth is that it is our sinful nature which is never satisfied.
John 10:10 tells us that Jesus came to give us the abundant life, but I think we have given that term a meaning other than what Jesus was speaking of.
The abundant life in Christ is available to all believers, to the persecuted, the tortured, the imprisoned, to the shut in and the invalid, it is available to the outcast and the reject, to the one for whom salvation costs everything – it has nothing to do with possessions or adventure.
We are sinners; apart from God’s grace we have nothing and deserve nothing.
The same old same old routine life, the job we go to, the meals we prepare, the bed we sleep in – these are wonderful undeserved gifts that are to be gratefully received with joyful thanksgiving.
What can we do?
Ecclesiastes 9:10
10 Whatever 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.
You can do whatever your hand finds to do!
Acts 17:26
26From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.
Colossians 3:22-24
Slaves obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
God has placed you in the exact place where you are, family wise, job wise, even nation wise and point in time wise and He calls you to glorify Him in whatever your hand finds to do.
The vast majority of us are called to do the obvious work that is near at hand.
You do not have to go half way around the world to do the work of glorifying God and bringing people to Him.
Notice that the verse mentions what the hand finds to do.
The heart will dream of many great things to do, the imagination knows no limit of what may be found to do but these are often excuses for allowing what the hand finds to do to remain undone.
Last Friday night at Lighthouse Mission Sean tearfully asked me – Where is the church pastor Dan? Jesus is here to minister but where is the church?
I thought of the seed that fell amoung the thorns.
2. How are we to do it?
Ecclesiastes 9:10
10 Whatever 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.
Do it with all your might!
Do it – Just do it – quit waiting for the right time, the perfect circumstance, the invitation and just do it. None of us has ever served God by what we are going to do.
So many of us are waiting for some future date to glorify God for what He has done.
C&C and KOZ are you waiting until you are mature; bear the fruit in keeping with repentance now!
Mom and Dad are you waiting until the kids are grown? Are you waiting until retirement?
The time is now, the field is at hand – stop waiting.
Do it with your whole heart.
Considering the price that was paid for us it is hard to imagine a half hearted thanksgiving response. Put your soul into it, pour your life into that thing that God has given you to do.
If you are half hearted in your response to God then you really do not understand the seriousness of your sin or the extent of the price that was paid for your redemption.
This little church plant is doing well now but in years past as we struggled people would ask me why I kept going? – My heart was in it.
If God called you to be a father or mother do it with your all, pass on every reason for those children to come to Christ, be wholehearted not luke warm.
3. Why will we do it?
Ecclesiastes 9:10
10 Whatever 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.
There is no battle in heaven
There are none in need of saving there
Nobody is hungry or thirsty or in need of shelter there – here and now in our only chance
PowerPoint available (Free of charge) on request dcormie@mts.net
