What's Next

Sunday Morning, May 19, 2002 Bel Aire Baptist Church

Series: Honoring Of Graduates

SLIDE 1

WHAT’S NEXT?

Ecclesiastes 4:13-5:7

Introduction:

1. On this day that we have honored our graduates, I want to ask a question that may be on the minds of these graduates and others here this morning. Now that this portion of your life is completed, what’s next? For many of us here today, it has been a long time since you were in school, but the lesson fund in our text still has application for our lives.

2. We can get caught up in the wrong pursuits in life and forget what our main focus should be.

3. In our text, we find some simple, but important instructions for us to use as we go through life.

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Advancement

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Position

1. Most everyone wants to advance in their career. That is why some people pursue higher education. Regardless of what you do, most of us would like to “move up”.

2. There is nothing wrong with wanting to better yourself and be the best you can be, but what cost are involved?

3. Position at the price of your relationship with God or family is unwise.

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Power

1. With position comes power.

2. This is usually the motive for wanting the position.

3. Does your motive and means to getting that position and power glorify God?

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Purpose

If your purpose in life is to serve and honor God then here is the direction that God gives us:

1. Don’t thing you have it all figured out. You should never stop learning. You should learn something new everyday.

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Ecclesiastes 4:13

2. Don’t forget where you came from. I have seen many business people “work like a dog” to “move up” and then when they did, they decided they were better than everyone else and people hated them.

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Ecclesiastes 4:14-15

3. Don’t forget that this life is short and spending your entire life on “moving up” in the world is meaningless.

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Ecclesiastes 4:16

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Attitude

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Go

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Ecclesiastes 5:1-3

1. We are to go to God. When our attitudes are an attitude of the don’ts that we just looked at- Know it all, prideful, or un-focused- we don’t seem to remember Who to go to for help. By the way, you cannot go into God’s presence with these attitudes. You need to be cleansed of this sin before you go before God.

2. After God has cleaned you up and you go into His presence, you need to be quiet and listen. Most of the time, when we go to God in prayer, we do all of the talking and no listening. You may be saying, “God’s not answering my prayers”. He is answering them; you just are not listening because you are too busy doing all of the talking.

3. We are to go to God in reverence. We must stop treating God as some heavenly Grandfather.

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Guidance

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Ecclesiastes 5:4-6

1. Don’t make promises to God and not keep them.

2. Watch your mouth.

3. Don’t’ be “wishy-washy”. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Be a person of your word.

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God

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Ecclesiastes 5:7

1. God knows what He is doing.

2. God must be first in your life.

3. God must be in control of your life.

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Awe

1. Stand in awe of God.

2. Shut up and stop trying to make God go along with your plan and follow his plan for your life.

SLIDE 18

1 Corinthians 7:23-24

3. Christian, you are not your own. You belong to God. He paid for you through the blood of Jesus.

Conclusion:

1. If you are here without Jesus as your Savior, you have been wandering through life trying to find meaning in your life. Jesus is your only hope of finding true meaning.

2. Christians, maybe you have let your pursuit of power, wealth, and pleasure lead you to a place in your life that has brought you sadness and stress. You need to be quiet, stand in awe of God, and them begin to follow Him.

3. If you want peace and joy in your life, you will only find it in God.