INTRODUCTION
• Video Clip from Family Man- WingClips
• SLIDE #1
• Today as we conclude our Rhythm of Life series, we will explore an area of life that can get out of rhythm with the rest of our life, when this area rages out of control it will have negative effects on our family, faith, and even the core of who we are.
• When the area of work gets out of control, it will knock our life out of rhythm with our families and God.
• A case concerning work and achievement will be built from the book of Ecclesiastes as we examine the thoughts of King Solomon.
• Solomon was one of the wealthiest people possibly to ever live. In the book of Ecclesiastes Solomon writes about the dilemma he was facing in life. He had EVERYTHING a person could want, he could do ANYTHING he desired because he was the King, and he could purchase ANYTHING he wanted because he was wealthy!
• In spite of having what most would die to have, he knew something in his life was amiss.
• So with his wisdom in hand, Solomon writes the book of Ecclesiastes. The theme of the book deals with the temporary nature of life.
• The transitory nature of life was a source of frustration for Solomon and the last part of verse 3 explains his objective.
• SLIDE #2
• Ecclesiastes 2:3 (HCSB) I explored with my mind how to let my body enjoy life with wine and how to grasp folly —my mind still guiding me with wisdom—until I could see what is good for people to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.
• In our time together I will equate work to achievement since that is the way many adults are able strive to achieve as we viewed in the opening video clip.
• Before we dig into Solomon’s writing, we need to begin with an opening thought concerning work.
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. The necessity of work.
• This is one of the difficulties with the concept of work and why it can be so easy to allow work to disrupt the rhythm of life, we are called to work!
• When God put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, He told them they would be working.
• SLIDE #4
• Genesis 2:15 (HCSB) The LORD God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it.
• From the beginning mankind was designed to work, to have something to do. God did not design us to habitually sit around with nothing to do.
• When we work we are should work hard as if we are working for the Lord.
• SLIDE #5
• 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (HCSB) In fact, when we were with you, this is what we commanded you: “If anyone isn’t willing to work, he should not eat.”
• I kind of like to eat, so I will continue to be willing to work!
• As with many things in life, work is not the issue, it is what we do with work that becomes the problem.
• There is nothing wrong with wants to reach levels of achievement, but the problem comes when we get our priorities mixed up.
• Let’s look at verses 4-6 to illustrate the next observation.
• SLIDE #6
• Ecclesiastes 2:4–6 (HCSB) 4 I increased my achievements. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. 5 I made gardens and parks for myself and planted every kind of fruit tree in them. 6 I constructed reservoirs of water for myself from which to irrigate a grove of flourishing trees.
• SLIDE #7
II. The wrong perspective concerning work. (4-6)
• Solomon is a troubled man. He is frustrated and maybe a little confused. Here is a man with everything anyone could possibly want, but he knows something is missing from his life.
• In verses 1-3 he speaks about trying to fill the void in his life with pleasure, to no avail.
• Then in the verses we read he talks about turning his focus on achievements and work.
• Solomon you have to remember built the magnificent temple for God. It was a sight to behold; however, there was a problem, HIS FATHER DAVID DID ALL THE LEG WORK, MADE ALL THE PREPARATIONS SO EVEN THOUGH IT WAS CALLED BY MANY SOLOMON’S TEMPLE, the truth was, it really should have been called David’s Temple.
• Solomon lived in the shadow of his father, so Solomon wanted to achieve more than any other before him.
• SLIDE #8
• Ecclesiastes 2:9 (HCSB) So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; my wisdom also remained with me.
• Make no mistake, Solomon was speaking of his father David in this verse!
• So Solomon’s wrong perspective was that he needed achieve great things so that he would be greater than anyone before him. Solomon wanted all the glory.
• When you go back to verses 4-6 if you look closely you will see the problem.
• SLIDE #9
• Ecclesiastes 2:4–6 (HCSB) 4 I increased my achievements. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. 5 I made gardens and parks for myself and planted every kind of fruit tree in them. 6 I constructed reservoirs of water for myself from which to irrigate a grove of flourishing trees.
• Look at the underlined phrases, I MADE, FOR MYSELF is written 7 times in verses 4-6!
• Solomon is serving himself, life is all about him, and given the brevity of life, this manner of living is unfulfilling!
• Jesus tells a story in Luke 12:13-ff called the Parable of the Rich Fool. The man had a great harvest, his land was productive. Then when the harvest came, he thought about the fact that he had nowhere to store the vast harvest.
• He surmised that now he could build some barns and live on easy street and spend it all on himself.
• SLIDE #10
• Luke 12:20–21 (HCSB) 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?’ 21 “That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
• Solomon would never fill the void by looking to focus on self, living for self is a façade. Hang with me, we will go a bit deeper with this thought in our last point.
• Let’s examine our next observation about the achievement syndrome.
• SLIDE #11
III. The futility of work. (10-11)
• As I said earlier, work in itself is a good thing; however, when our work takes our life out of rhythm with God and even our family there is a problem.
• Verse 10 is a key verse in Solomon’s frustration.
• SLIDE #12
• Ecclesiastes 2:10 (HCSB) All that my eyes desired, I did not deny them. I did not refuse myself any pleasure, for I took pleasure in all my struggles. This was my reward for all my struggles.
• Solomon did not deny himself anything because he worked so hard.
• In doing so he received momentary pleasure, but he did not receive lasting joy!
• I cannot stress enough that a life built around self is an empty live void of meaning, purpose, and joy.
• You can NEVER have enough or do enough.
• When your focus is in the wrong place, you will receive no satisfaction. Life will become an endless hamster wheel of going nowhere fast!
• Let’s look at verse 11.
• SLIDE #13
• Ecclesiastes 2:11 (HCSB) When I considered all that I had accomplished and what I had labored to achieve, I found everything to be futile and a pursuit of the wind. There was nothing to be gained under the sun.
• The pursuit of this world will end in futility. Remember the context of the book, life is short.
• When you die, what will all your labors gain you? Remember the parable we referenced earlier? And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?’ 21 “That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
• Solomon realizes this and it added to his frustration.
• SLIDE #14
• Ecclesiastes 2:18–22 (HCSB) 18 I hated all my work that I labored at under the sun because I must leave it to the man who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will take over all my work that I labored at skillfully under the sun. This too is futile. 20 So I began to give myself over to despair concerning all my work that I had labored at under the sun. 21 When there is a man whose work was done with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a man who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great wrong. 22 For what does a man get with all his work and all his efforts that he labors at under the sun?
• I want to take you to the end of the trail now, let’s look at…
• SLIDE #15
IV. The proper focus of our work.
• The proper focus for all we do should be God.
• SLIDE #16
• 1 Corinthians 10:31 (HCSB) Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God’s glory.
• There are two fundamental ways to live as a human on this earth, the first being that we can rely on our own resources, and abilities or we can “radically trust God.”
• The one who decides to leave God out of the equation and trust in them self would be living in the false-self realm, whereas the one who decides to radically trust God would be living in the true-self.
• The true-self reflects the way we were created to live, with total dependence on God while the false-self is something we learn from the world that causes much havoc in life.
• Don’t you think there is more to this life than living and dying? If you do quit living like that is all there is to life!
• Even those who are Christians, there is more to your faith than community, believing a few things, and living a certain way. Paul sums it up as to how we are called to live!
• SLIDE #17
• Galatians 2:20 (HCSB) and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
CONCLUSION
• In the end Solomon gets it. Here is how he concludes Ecclesiastes!
• SLIDE #18
• Ecclesiastes 12:13 (HCSB) When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is: fear God and keep His commands, because this is for all humanity.
• Do you want to get off the hamster wheel of life and experience real life! Are you ready to get your life back in rhythm with God!
• Today is the day!
