Rising Above Vanities Of Life

Rising above the vanities of life!!

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” What advantage does man have in all his work Which he does under the sun?”

??Ecclesiastes? ?1?:?2?-?3? ?NASB1995??

1. Some of you might recall me preaching a message very similar to this one I may have even used the same passage no doubt at the very least the same book the great book of Ecclesiastes never the less This is the second time in less than six months that the Lord has given me this exact message to preach why I don’t know maybe for someone else maybe for myself maybe a little bit of both but I want to talk about the vanity of a life lived under the sun

2. Testimony (class clown, religion, party, ministry)

3. Solomon

Vanity: 38 times Solomon used the word vanity

1. Definition of vanity is emptiness, vapor, or something that is valueless or empty

2. Illustrations (like chasing the wind, like fighting the air, like trying to carry water in a bucket with hole in the bottom)

3. among the things he said was vanity include:

* Wisdom (there has been some real smart and educated people in this world that spent thousands of dollars gaining that education and now are spending eternity in hell because they knew everything but the only thing that mattered)

* Work (Human labor, Dad)

* Success (name world empires and what they all have in common)

* Women (Sex, 700 wives and 300 concubines)

* Fame (who won a golden globe award in 1950, who won the Super Bowl, or World Series in 1969)

* Wealth (you spend your life making a fortune then you die someone spends the fortune you built)

* Dreams of future (won’t be no better than the past, daydream)

* Laughter (Robin Williams)

* both Reward and punishment (I’ve received both over the years and have come to learn that life keeps moving on either way)

* Childhood and youth (it is followed by growing up, old, and eventually death)

Under the sun: 29 times Solomon used the word under the sun

1. Nothing new (what is has been and what will be has been before)

2. It’s all circular (round and a round we go…, like a dog chasing its tail)

3. It’s going nowhere (captain of a ship asked the navigator of a ship how’s it going navigator told him I’ve got good news and bad news bad news is I don’t know where we are at or where we are going good news is we are making really good time, so it is with most in world today in a hurry to go nowhere)

4. The secret to true happiness is to Rise above the things under the sun

* beyond this life is eternity

* Beyond this world is heaven

* Beyond this veil of tears is a God that will dry every tear from our eyes

One life twill soon be past only what’s done for Christ will last

3 questions

1. Are you born again?

2. Are you living for Jesus?

3. If you died right now are you going to go be with Jesus?

Song:

Chisel my name in stone

For years now men have searched the mountains & the streams trying to catch a glimpse of the glittering stone chasing the end of a rainbow search for a pot of gold trying to make their life just a little more free but I say take no heed for tomorrow it’s not yours it’s only borrowed & nobody has another minute of guarantee once that tombstone has been planted on the topsoil you’ve been granted you can’t buy it back but I tell you when it comes to me

Chorus

When they chisel my name in stone I’ll be living in my brand new home six feet under ain’t no big deal for me well I know I’ll Rest In Peace knowing all the treasures that are waiting for me don’t worry when I’m gone and they chisel my name in stone

Everyday what you hear is the same thing work hard make more save more sign up now for definite security oh but what they never tell you you can’t take it when you go & it can’t bail you out of Satan’s hand when you play his game yeah but all it took for me was a one trip to an old fashioned altar & I got a pick slip paid in full & signed by the blood of the lamb

Now my name is written in heaven in the lambs book of life in heavenly letters & im all signed up for the ultimate retirement plan

Chorus

Repeat

Don’t worry when I’m gone & they chisel my name in stone