What's the Point?
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Frustrated With God
A Greek philosopher said: "You cannot stand in the same river twice".
Life goes by fast. The days are long but the years go by quick. Some are in the fourth quarter of life, who feel displaced. It's part of being older.
Are you frustrated with God? Are we allowed to be? How do we deal with this?
v 1-8 For everything there is a season. Each season is unique. If we lived in Hawaii we'd probably complain about the weather there too.
14 couplets. A time to be born, a time to die. Joy and sorrow. Part of living in a sinful world. A time to embrace, a time to refrain from embracing. A time to speak, a time to not speak.
In 2025 there were over 60 wars going on around the world. A time to admit that we don't understand.
What's the point? God is sovereign over every season. The exercise of God's power. Life is not random, it is purposeful, and under God's control. We have a vantage point that Solomon didn't have. He was frustrated with life.
Romans 8: God causes all things to work together for good.
Solomon makes two conclusions...
1. v 9-13 Life doesn't always feel fair. The quicker you learn this, the better off you'll be. God makes everything beautiful proper and fitting - in its own time. God is loving.
v 11 God has put eternity into man's heart. We are different than the rest of God's creation. We are made in the image of God. We long for something greater than this world. What C S Lewis said in Mere Christianity
v 12 there is nothing better than to be joyful, to enjoy good, and take pleasure in your toil. To be content in small simple things. We often miss these things in the hustle and bustle of life. We're taking pictures of everything, but seeing nothing.
1 Timothy 4:4
2. v 14-20 Get Over It. Look at life through God's eternal perspective.
In the movie the priest tells Rudy there is a God, and we're not Him.
v 15 God is in control of everything. We need to place ourselves under God's authority. Man's decisions and prayers have consequences.
The quicker you realize that life isn't fair, the quicker you can get on with your life.
What's the point? You cannot hold contentment while you are grasping on to life. Give control to God. You can't have both true control and contentment at the same time.
Jesus is so good to us. He takes care of us.
Matthew 6: "look at the birds…you are more valuable than the birds, and the lilies of the field. Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added onto you.
Brian Fox
JFBC Sunday School
Recommended: Paul David Tripp's book on James Buchanan, when Lincoln was elected president. He became a Christian in his first term after his son passed away.
Steven Spielberg's Lincoln is a good movie to watch.
John Stott: if you don't understand Genesis 12, then you don't understand the rest of the Bible.
Genesis 12:1-3 the word blessing is used 5 times, then again in chapter 17 and other chapters after that. Only one curse, but blessings is plural.
Galatians 1-3 God preached the gospel to Abraham.
So what does Abraham do in response to this? What kind of person is Abraham at this point in his life? He's a pagan moon worshipper, who becomes a man of great faith.
12:4-20 applications…
1. God uses flawed people.
2. God expects flawed people to trust and obey.
3. The flawed people in this room are held to a higher standard than Abraham was, since we have the full revelation of God's story.
4. God is not finished with us yet. We are part of the story of what is yet to come. God still uses messed up broken people, like he did back in Biblical times.
41 in attendance.
Are you frustrated with God? Are we allowed to be? How do we deal with this?
v 1-8 For everything there is a season. Each season is unique. If we lived in Hawaii we'd probably complain about the weather there too.
14 couplets. A time to be born, a time to die. Joy and sorrow. Part of living in a sinful world. A time to embrace, a time to refrain from embracing. A time to speak, a time to not speak.
In 2025 there were over 60 wars going on around the world. A time to admit that we don't understand.
What's the point? God is sovereign over every season. The exercise of God's power. Life is not random, it is purposeful, and under God's control. We have a vantage point that Solomon didn't have. He was frustrated with life.
Romans 8: God causes all things to work together for good.
Solomon makes two conclusions...
1. v 9-13 Life doesn't always feel fair. The quicker you learn this, the better off you'll be. God makes everything beautiful proper and fitting - in its own time. God is loving.
v 11 God has put eternity into man's heart. We are different than the rest of God's creation. We are made in the image of God. We long for something greater than this world. What C S Lewis said in Mere Christianity
v 12 there is nothing better than to be joyful, to enjoy good, and take pleasure in your toil. To be content in small simple things. We often miss these things in the hustle and bustle of life. We're taking pictures of everything, but seeing nothing.
1 Timothy 4:4
2. v 14-20 Get Over It. Look at life through God's eternal perspective.
In the movie the priest tells Rudy there is a God, and we're not Him.
v 15 God is in control of everything. We need to place ourselves under God's authority. Man's decisions and prayers have consequences.
The quicker you realize that life isn't fair, the quicker you can get on with your life.
What's the point? You cannot hold contentment while you are grasping on to life. Give control to God. You can't have both true control and contentment at the same time.
Jesus is so good to us. He takes care of us.
Matthew 6: "look at the birds…you are more valuable than the birds, and the lilies of the field. Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added onto you.
Brian Fox
JFBC Sunday School
Recommended: Paul David Tripp's book on James Buchanan, when Lincoln was elected president. He became a Christian in his first term after his son passed away.
Steven Spielberg's Lincoln is a good movie to watch.
John Stott: if you don't understand Genesis 12, then you don't understand the rest of the Bible.
Genesis 12:1-3 the word blessing is used 5 times, then again in chapter 17 and other chapters after that. Only one curse, but blessings is plural.
Galatians 1-3 God preached the gospel to Abraham.
So what does Abraham do in response to this? What kind of person is Abraham at this point in his life? He's a pagan moon worshipper, who becomes a man of great faith.
12:4-20 applications…
1. God uses flawed people.
2. God expects flawed people to trust and obey.
3. The flawed people in this room are held to a higher standard than Abraham was, since we have the full revelation of God's story.
4. God is not finished with us yet. We are part of the story of what is yet to come. God still uses messed up broken people, like he did back in Biblical times.
41 in attendance.
No comments:
Post a Comment