WISE LIVING: HUNGER
Ecclesiastes 6:1-12
#wiseliving2022
READ ECCLESIASTES CHAPTER 6:1-12 [person in the congregation]
INTRODUCTION… My Week (p)
I am not going to lie. This sermon was extremely difficult.
I only began to write my sermon on Wednesday morning which is two full days after I normally begin. Usually, by Wednesday I am almost finished or at least pretty much on my way. You may not realize this, but it takes about 8 hours (give or take) to write a sermon. It actually takes all week if you count prayer and reading the Scriptures and letting the message marinate in the soul. I didn’t begin my sermon until Wednesday because I was counseling with people, talking and visiting with folks, helping a family that lost their house in a fire, serving a family in Bloomington with a funeral at Allen Funeral Chapel, doing church administration, and planning out lessons. I was busy it seemed like every moment this week.
I read and re-read Ecclesiastes 6. Most of the time when I read a passage I get a sense of where the sermon will go. I think that is the Holy Spirit. I think that is 25 years of sermon writing. I read and re-read Ecclesiastes 6 on Monday. I read the chapter in the ESV and in the NIV and then listened to it in the Message. Nothing. I prayed and read through a commentary. Nothing. In all the busyness I prepped my Wednesday lesson and my Sunday School lesson because I just wasn’t getting anywhere on my sermon. I like to feel like I am productive.
I read and re-read Ecclesiastes 6 on Tuesday. Still nothing. I read the chapter in the ESV and in the NIV and then listened to it in the Message. I was heading home Tuesday night listening to Ecclesiastes 6 over and over in the Message version when a verse grabbed my attention. I am pretty sure I was passing Don and Bonnie Greene’s house when I heard it.
READ ECCLESIASTES 6:7 (MSG)
“We work to feed our appetites; Meanwhile our souls go hungry.”
It was the word ‘appetites’ and the word ‘hungry’ that grabbed my attention. I am pretty much always hungry and it could be that I was ready for dinner which is why those words popped out at me, but I still noticed them. I got home and pulled into the garage and grabbed my phone and looked up Ecclesiastes 6:7 in the ESV.
READ ECCLESIASTES 6:7 (ESV)
“All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.”
Then I read it again in the NIV.
READ ECCLESIASTES 6:7 (NIV)
“Everyone’s toil is for their mouth, yet their appetite is never satisfied.”
There is something to verse 7 for us.
Wednesday morning rolled around and I was heading to the church. My friend Jason and I are reading through the New Testament in 90 days on the Bible app and I was listening to the selection for Wednesday as I drove. Wednesday was Acts 10, 11, and 12.
I want to read from Acts 10 because Acts 10 jumped out at me just like Ecclesiastes 6:7.
READ ACTS 10:1-10 (ESV)
“At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, 2 a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” 4 And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 5 And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.” 7 When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him, 8 and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa. 9 The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. 10 And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance…”
Boom.
Full stop.
Did you catch the word mentioned in verse 10?
‘hungry’
‘wanted something to eat’
As soon as I heard the word ‘hungry’ I thought back to Ecclesiastes 6:7. I am listening to Acts 10 and Simon Peter is hungry and in his hunger something amazing happens. I am listening to Acts 10 and it sounds like to me that a man named Cornelius is a man hungry for God and God answers his desires. Simon Peter has a great desire to be a witness for God and God is going to use him to reach out to someone unexpected.
Well, how does this hunger and desire work out in Acts 10?
Acts 10 continues.
READ ACTS 10:10-17a (ESV)
“10 And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance 11 and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” 16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven. 17 Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean,”
Simon Peter is physically hungry and while he is physically hungry he has a vision given to him by God. God shows him animals and tells him to eat. They are animals categorized as unclean in the Old Testament that Peter has never eaten because of Jewish dietary laws. Peter doesn’t know what to do with his vision because a vision from God will never contradict His already written Word. I think he has an inkling that the hunger driven dream doesn’t have much to do with food.
Acts 10 continues.
READ ACTS 10:17-23 (ESV)
“Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood at the gate 18 and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. 19 And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them.” 21 And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?” 22 And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.” 23 So he invited them in to be his guests.”
Simon Peter knows he has had a vision from God and has received some pretty specific instructions. Peter goes down stairs and meets messengers from Cornelius who is already a believer in God, but he has not yet heard the Good News about Jesus. Cornelius has an appetite for the things of God which is abundantly clear from how the people in his household speak of him. Cornelius now has a desire to hear the Gospel.
Acts 10 continues.
READ ACTS 10:23-33 (ESV)
“The next day he rose and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him. 24 And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.” 27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. 28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.” 30 And Cornelius said, “Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”
As I am thinking about hunger and desire and appetite, I see in Simon Peter the great desire to obey God and to spread the Gospel. Peter is challenged to cast off manmade laws and to follow the command of God and he shares his realization in verse 28 that God was communicating that all people can receive Jesus and be freed from sin. We might think ‘of course,’ but the idea that Jesus came for all people all over the world is a truth for Peter he is still wrapping his mind and heart around. Peter has no desire to be worshipped or given accolades, but rather wants to share the message of Jesus with those God sends his way.
As I am thinking about hunger and desire and appetite, I see in the centurion Cornelius a huge spiritual desire to know God. He already has a reputation of being a God fearing man among everyone in Caesarea. He is a man of prayer (verse 30). Verse 24 tells us he gathered all his relatives and close friends to listen. He was ready! He wanted his loved ones to be ready! That is commitment and passion and desire! Verse 25 tells us Cornelius is so ready to hear more about God that he improperly falls down before Peter and Peter has to gently correct him.
Acts 10 continues.
READ ACTS 10:34-43 (ESV)
“So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him. 36 As for the word that He sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39 And we are witnesses of all that He did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree, 40 but God raised Him on the third day and made Him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead. 42 And He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To Him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His Name.”
What does Peter do with his desire to share the Gospel? He shares it.
What does Cornelius do with his desire to hear the Gospel? He listens.
THE GOSPEL
The Gospel (the message about Jesus Christ) is not meant to be hard or complicated, but it might be difficult to accept. The Gospel begins at the beginning of time. God created the heavens and the earth and He created everything perfect. Morally perfect. Physically perfect. Nothing out of place.
Right away something went wrong. God Almighty gave His created human beings a precious gift… free will. Adam and Eve (the first people) used that free will to do what they wanted against what God had said was right. They did wrong. They erred. That wrong and error is called SIN. Sin separated human beings from God.
Unknown to Adam and Eve, serious consequences flooded into their lives and creation. Sin ruined everything. Sinful people could no longer interact with the Holy God. Sickness happened. Thorns and storms and disasters happened. God, in His infinite wisdom and knowledge, knew this would happen. He made us anyway.
Salvation was needed. Forgiveness was needed. The sin that had happened… and continued to happen… needed to be made right, paid for, and satisfied. Sin creates a debt between people and God. God, in His wisdom and knowledge, also knew that we could not earn salvation or argue for it or luck into it. God revealed His plan for us.
The plan of God centers on Him coming to Earth Himself to fix what was broken. God sent Himself as a human being. He sent His Son, Jesus, to live perfectly and to die on purpose. The whole purpose of Jesus’ life was to offer us Redemption, Grace, Forgiveness, and Freedom from Guilt.
Acts 10 concludes.
READ ACTS 10:44-48 (ESV)
“While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.”
In a purposeful reversal, God sends His Spirit before baptism to confirm for Peter and the other believers standing there that His hand was at work and that the vision the days before was indeed from Him. Peter shares the Gospel. Cornelius and the whole household accept the Gospel. The coming of the Spirit and baptism happens! Acts 10 is an amazing historical story of the Early Church.
TRANSITION
Now, I do realize that we are in Ecclesiastes and not Acts. I realize we are in Ecclesiastes 6 and not Acts 10. Acts 10 is a perfect example of the working out of the wise principle expressed by King Solomon in Ecclesiastes 6:7.
ECCLESIASTES 6:7 FOCUS
READ ECCLESIASTES 6:7 (NIV)
“Everyone’s toil is for their mouth, yet their appetite is never satisfied.”
READ ECCLESIASTES 6:7 (ESV)
“All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.”
READ ECCLESIASTES 6:7 (MSG)
“We work to feed our appetites; Meanwhile our souls go hungry.”
King Solomon observes in Ecclesiastes 6 that much of the toil and effort and energy we spend in life ends up leaving us hungry and not satisfied. He actually says this all throughout the Book of Ecclesiastes. So much under the sun is useless and pointless and leaves us asking more questions than having answers. So much in life is working to feed our appetites, but in the end really just leads to emptiness.
Our lives are filled with family, friends, co-workers, enemies, acquaintances, activities, hobbies, reading, sports, TV, movies, music, social media, classes, food, drink, vacations, stay-cations, jobs, and everything else under the sun that promises to fill our hunger and desires. They don’t.
WISE LIVING: ECCLESIASTES 12:13
At the end of Solomon’s deliberations about life in the Book of Ecclesiastes, he arrives in chapter 12 with a thought to end all thoughts. It is a thought that directly relates to Ecclesiastes 6:7 and even Acts 10.
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. Almost everything in life leaves us hungry and full of desire. The futility of life can become overbearing and overwhelming when we seem to be getting nowhere no matter how hard we try, when we fail, when we are in a harsh season, or when we feel weakest. 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. God must be in the middle of our lives or we are lost.
God fills.
God satisfies.
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 Acts 10 and Ecclesiastes 6:7?
In Acts 10, Simon Peter is sitting on a rooftop hungry and has a vision from God. He absolutely has a choice. He can spend mental and emotional and spiritual effort pondering that which God has given him or he can go downstairs and have dinner. He can let the men come inside who are knocking at the door or he can say ‘go away’ and go back to his regularly scheduled program. He could walk into Cornelius’ house and see a bunch of Gentiles and walk right back out again wrongly concluding that Jesus didn’t come for those kind people.
Simon Peter chooses to desire the things God desires.
Simon Peter chooses to hunger and thirst after righteousness.
Simon Peter chooses to do what will last and invest in the eternal.
In Ecclesiastes 6:7, King Solomon is reflecting that much of life is temporary and does not satisfy our deepest longings and desires and hungers. The answer comes in Ecclesiastes 12 when he says that we should seek out God and His commands and a personal intimate relationship with the God of the Universe. He brings us satisfaction.
How do I know all this is true? How do I know that all of this connects together?
READ PSALM 17:15 (ESV)
As for me, I shall behold Your Face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with Your Likeness.
READ PSALM 65:4 (ESV)
Blessed is the one You choose and bring near, to dwell in Your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, the holiness of Your temple!
READ PROVERBS 19:23 (ESV)
The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.
READ JEREMIAH 31:14 (ESV)
“I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance, and My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, declares the Lord.”
READ MATTHEW 5:6 (ESV)
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
CHALLENGE
May we commit ourselves to our relationship with God in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit because anything we do for God lasts.
May we commit ourselves to our relationship with God in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit because anything we do for God satisfies.
CONCLUSION IN PRAYER
