WISE LIVING: WORTHY WORSHIP
Ecclesiastes 5:1-20
#wiseliving2022
READ ECCLESIASTES CHAPTER 5:1-20 [person from the congregation]
As we begin this morning, I would like to dig into a few stories in the Bible that share some important truths with us before we get into Ecclesiastes 5. It is important for us to have a good foundation before we focus on the first 7 verses in Ecclesiastes 5.
BEING IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD: JACOB IN GENESIS 28
We start in Genesis 28 with an experience of Jacob the son of Isaac and the grandson of Abraham.
READ GENESIS 28:12-18 (ESV)
“And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to Heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! 13 And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. 14 Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” 18 So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it.”
Jacob is travelling and he stays in a particular place and God gives Jacob a vision about the place he was staying. He sees angels and a peek into the spiritual world that is going on around him. The God of all Creation speaks to him in this dream and makes some wonderful promises to Jacob. God promises many children. He promises the land will belong to those children. He promises blessing and the presence of God in his life. Jacob wakes up and he realizes he is in no ordinary place. Heaven is touching Earth in this place! He calls it the ‘House of God.’ Jacob is humbled and afraid and excited all at the same time. He marks the place by making a small altar and worshipping there in the way he knew how. Jacob entered the House of God and his response was humility and fear and worship.
BEING IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD: SAMUEL IN 1 SAMUEL 3
We also need to make sure that we stop and look in on a little boy named Samuel who literally slept in the House of the Lord and tried to sleep as close to God as he could get.
READ 1 SAMUEL 3:1-5 (ESV)
“Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. 2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the LORD called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” 5 and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down.”
Samuel was to be a great prophet for God, but this event in 1 Samuel 3 happens early in his life. He hears God calling him and he thinks it is the old priest who needs help in the middle of the night. It is not. God calls him several times and eventually the priest Eli figures out God is calling Samuel and making Himself known to Him. Eli tells Samuel what to do and Samuel obeys.
READ 1 SAMUEL 3:10-11 (ESV)
“And the LORD came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” 11 Then the LORD said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.”
God speaks and Samuel responds in humility and respect and with open ears. God gives Samuel a prophecy against Eli and his sinful sons and it is not good news. What we need to focus on is Samuel. Samuel slept in the presence of the Ark of the Covenant which is the symbol of the presence of God. In God’s presence, Samuel is humble and responds to God calling Him ‘Lord’ and rightly saying that he was God’s ‘servant.’ Samuel responds with open ears.
BEING IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD: SOLOMON IN 1 KINGS 8
Part of our foundation before we get to Ecclesiastes 5 is also King Solomon in 1 Kings 8. Solomon son of David was tasked with building the permanent temple of God in Jerusalem. Solomon build the first permanent House of God. God does not dwell in temples, but it was to be a central place of worship and a place of sacrifices for sin. 1 Kings 8 tells us that the building was finished and the priests walked the Ark of the Covenant into its place. What happened next was a miracle. A cloud descended and the priests had to run out of the temple because the presence of God went into the temple and no one could stand to be in there.
READ 1 KINGS 8:10-11 (ESV)
10 And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the LORD, 11 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.
A few verses later we see some of Solomon’s response:
READ 1 KINGS 8:22-24 (ESV)
“Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven, 23 and said, “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like You, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart; 24 You have kept with Your servant David my father what You declared to him. You spoke with Your Mouth, and with Your Hand have fulfilled it this day.”
God’s glory filled the temple. How did Solomon respond? He physically honored God with his humble posture. He praised God with his words. He recounted the faithfulness of God. He prayed. He praised God for keeping His promises and led the assembled people in humbleness and praising.
BEING IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD: JESUS IN MARK 11
We need one last piece of our foundation. It happens to be in the New Testament and it is a period in the life of Jesus when He is in the House of God.
READ MARK 11:15-17 (ESV)
“And they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 16 And He would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17 And He was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, enters His Father’s House and things are not right. People are buying and selling and cheating others under the pretense of worship and sacrifice. He flipped over tables. I imagine Him literally kicking people in their backsides as He tossed them out of the temple. Jesus’ response is to make the House of God holy and to teach that it should be a place focused on prayer. God’s House is for worshipful prayer and learning about God and praising Him and it is a holy place. Jesus showed reverence by what He did. Jesus was seeking for those walking through the temple to show God the respect He deserved.
SUMMARY
So we have four different passages that we dipped into briefly to give us a little foundation and background as we look at Ecclesiastes 5. Jacob encounters the House of God and he responds in humility and fear and worship. Samuel encounters God in His House and responds with humility and respect and open ears. Solomon responds to God in God’s house with humble posture, praise and leading others to praise the faithfulness of God, and prayer. Jesus Christ enters the House of God and creates an atmosphere of respect, holiness, and teaches to be dedicated to prayer.
All of that is important as we look at Ecclesiastes 5.
What is also important as we look at Ecclesiastes 5 is Solomon’s thoughts at the end of Ecclesiastes.
WISE LIVING: ECCLESIASTES 12:13
At the end of Solomon’s deliberations about life in all the chapters in the Book of Ecclesiastes, he arrives in chapter 12 with a thought to end all thoughts about living life in a wise way.
READ ECCLESIASTES 12:13 (ESV)
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
You see life is absolutely meaningless, pointless, futility, fleeting, a brief breath and a quick vapor unless you and I have a God-given perspective about life. The end of the matter for the wisest person who ever lived was that the whole duty of a human being is to live in a proper right relationship with God.
It is the right relationship with God that brings meaning and makes everything make sense.
It is in following the commands of God that purpose and identity is given.
It is when we seek after God and His Kingdom that all the pieces of our lives fall into place.
How does Ecclesiastes 12:13 apply to chapter 5?
Part of a right relationship with God is wisely and in a worthy manner worshipping Him.
Part of a right relationship with God is wisely and in a worthy manner worshipping Him.
TRANSITION
Because I have been reading a ton of Scripture this morning (which is not a bad thing), I want to go back and re-read Ecclesiastes 5:1-7. As I re-read Ecclesiastes 5:1-7, I want you to keep Jacob, Samuel, Solomon, and Jesus and their experiences in the House of the Lord in the front of your mind. Keep Ecclesiastes 12:13 in the front of your mind. God’s message is uniform and important when it comes to worshipping Him.
RE-READ ECCLESIASTES 5:1-7 (ESV)
“Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2 Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in Heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. 3 For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words. 4 When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. 5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the One you must fear.”
TRANSITION
As we look at King Solomon’s words, we see that in verses 1-6 he focuses us on reverent and devoted worship. He also tells us in verse 7 about the reason for our worship.
I. REVERENT AND DEVOTED WORSHIP (verses 1-6)
The whole passage begins with a warning about our steps in the House of God.
He first addresses us in terms of ‘when’ we go to the House of God. He does not say, ‘if’ or ‘maybe’ or ‘when you want to’ or ‘when you feel like it’ or ‘when it is convenient,’ but rather on a regular basis ‘when’ you go to the House of God. Solomon has an understanding that worshipping God in His House is a regular on going part of life.
ILLUSTRATION… https://barna.gloo.us/articles/signs-of-decline-and-hope
Sometimes statistics can be encouraging, but most of the time statistics are discouraging. Current statistics about Christians and worship in the United States are not encouraging. Barna Research (folks I trust) report to us in 2020 that since 2000, which is 20 years, the number of practicing Christians dropped significantly so that now only 1 in 4 Americans are practicing Christians. By ‘practicing Christians’ they mean someone who self-identifies as faith as being very important in their lives and have attended church in the past month. Consistent Church attendance, by the way, now means once a month.
I would like to encourage you, calling to mind our message about community from last week (Ecclesiastes 4) and seeing Solomon’s words about ‘when’ we go to the House of the Lord, that worshipping God must be a consistent priority for us as we navigate life. “Remembering the Sabbath Day” and keeping it holy (Exodus 20:8, Deuteronomy 5:15, Nehemiah 13:22) is not an optional thing for people who claim to take God seriously and want to walk in holiness with Him. Solomon has an understanding that worshipping God in His House is a regular on going part of life. I pray you have the same understanding.
Second, he addresses us that a habit in regular worship does not necessarily mean we are sincere. Solomon is telling us to ‘watch our step.’ He is telling us to be mindful of our motivations. Our heart and our motivations matter when it comes to God. In verses 2-3, Solomon says that it is wise to be mindful of our words to God and how our hearts treat Him. In verses 4-6, He says that we should not flippantly make vows to God and not keep them. We all deal with the sinful nature in our flesh, but our heart and motivation matters. Our heart matters. Our motivation matters.
READ PROVERBS 21:2 (ESV)
“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.”
READ JEREMIAH 17:10 (ESV)
“I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”
READ GALATIANS 6:7-8 (ESV)
“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”
APPLICATION
How does this practically work out for us?
• On purpose set your alarm the night before to make sure you are up in time to make it not only to worship at 10:30am, but also Sunday School at 9:30am. Plan to worship.
• Proactively say ‘no’ to things that on a regular basis will take you away from regularly worshipping God and shifting your focus away from Him. Reserve Sunday every single week for worship and rest and focusing on God.
• Bring your Bible. You can also plan head during the week and read the passage that we will be focusing on in the sermon. Most of the time you can figure that out. Last week we were in Ecclesiastes 4. This week, Ecclesiastes 5. Guess what? Next week we are in Ecclesiastes 6. Also, I would say not to zone out or get distracted as we read from the Scriptures, but focus and read from the Bible you brought with you.
• Humbly pray on your drive to church that God will prepare your heart to listen.
• Humbly pray on your drive to church that you will minister to someone while here.
• Bring your children and grandchildren to church even if they don’t want to come. You are the parent. You are the adult. You are the spiritual leader. You are in charge, not them.
• Plan to tithe as you come into the sanctuary and say a small prayer as you put your tithes and offerings in the plate.
• During the worship time, don’t just stand there and not sing… sing to the Lord even if you don’t like to sing. The songs are not for you! The songs are not about you! Who cares if you don’t even like the songs… they aren’t for you or about you! The praise and the voices and the worship are not for us, but directed to the Almighty God Who deserves every ounce of our worship.
• During the worship time, think about the words that you are singing. Intentionally sing the words prayerfully and humbly before God. Raise your hands if you like. Open your hands to Him in submission.
• During times of prayer, feel free to come to the front of the church. Put out of your mind what anyone will think. Quit thinking those self-conscious thoughts. It is about you and God and worshipping Him in humbleness and in a posture that reflects your heart.
• During weekly communion, make sure you are not taking it flippantly. Focus when the meditation is given. Pray as you take the bread and the juice. Humbly thank God for Jesus on the cross. Confess. Confess. Confess. Repent. Repent. Repent. It matters what we do and why we do it.
SUMMARY
The Teacher King Solomon sees so much of life as meaningless and futile and pointless. Worship is not one of those things. In terms of living wisely, having humble proper devoted worthy worship for the King of the Universe is a smart and good move for your heart, your emotions, your soul, and your family. King Solomon encourages our worship! I also echo his encouragement and encourage you to worship God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength!
TRANSITION
As I was looking over Ecclesiastes 5 and Solomon’s words about worship, I noticed verse 7. I noticed in verse 7 that he ends with the reason why we must worship with reverence and respect and humbleness and everything else he talks about. In verse 7, he mentions the reason for our worship.
II. REASON FOR WORSHIP (verse 7)
Solomon ends verse 7 with the words, “God is the One you must fear.”
Those words caught my eye because I am currently reading through a book called “The Practice of Godliness” by Jerry Bridges [NavPress, 1983] and the second chapter focuses on properly fearing the Lord and what that means for a devoted Christian.
He says that the “fear of God is the soul of godliness” (page 24) and is part of our devotion to God as much as is our love for God. He says in the second chapter that most of the time we associate fearing God with the Old Testament, but a Christian must also properly fear God. We must have a healthy “reverential awe of God in His glory and the childlike confidence in God as Heavenly Father” (page 27). We must have and recover a sense of awe and profound respect for God that leads our hearts and minds in our worship and in our obedience.
Revere God because He is Creator.
Fear God because He is Awesome in Power.
Respect God because He is Absolutely Holy and Just.
Worship God because He is our Provider.
Our fear and reverence and respect and worship of God should be our primary motivator of why we obey Him in what He has laid down for us in His Word. As we seek to grow in our relationship with God, you and I need to grow in our love for God, but that is tied to how much we are in awe and respect and fear Him.
I know that King Solomon believed that the fear of God was good and proper and right and wise because even Ecclesiastes 12:13 (yes that verse again) includes this emphasis:
RE-READ ECCLESIASTES 12:13 (ESV)
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
CHALLENGE
I challenge each of us today with this: Worship God in a worthy manner.
I challenge each of us today with this: Worship God in a worthy manner.
PRAYER
INVITATION
