Beginning with the End in Mind.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] Welcome to the village. This is your first time here. [0:04] My name is Steve. I’m one of the pastors here. [0:06] What a great way to start the new year. [0:09] Together studying God’s Word. [0:10] If you have your Bible, open them up to the book of Ecclesiastes. [0:14] If you don’t, it will be on the screens this morning.

[0:18] I tried to figure out the best way to start the year off, [0:21] and I said, why not go to one of the most depressing books of the Bible? [0:26] The book of Ecclesiastes. That’s what we’re going to do this morning. [0:30] Over the next five weeks, we’re going to go through this series called Starting Points. [0:36] The way we want to start the year off is beginning to build a foundation [0:42] through which the rest of our lives can flow out of.

[0:46] Because the one thing I don’t want to do here at the village is [0:50] give the impression that life change is about simply beginning to do different things. [0:59] Christianity is a lot less about doing and a lot more about being. [1:04] And so what I want to do beginning this morning is to begin to help [1:09] and look to God’s Word to find out what it is that we need to begin to be [1:15] as followers of Jesus Christ so that all the things that we do

[1:20] at the end of our lives don’t come out as just pointless gestures to a God we don’t really know.

[1:29] And in that lens, I kind of entitled this morning, beginning with the end in mind. [1:34] I didn’t pen that phrase. It sounds kind of cool. [1:36] A pastor I used to work for up at Liberty University, [1:39] he would constantly ingrain that phrase in my brain [1:44] that if I ever hope to get to the destination, to the vision that I’ve got of where I want my life to be, [1:52] I’ve got to begin to lay a foundation through which that life would flow out of.

[1:59] And so this morning on January 1st, I couldn’t think of a better way to start it [2:03] than to say today what I want to do is I want us to help. [2:05] I want to help you begin with the end in mind. [2:08] At this date next year, January 1st, 2013, where is it that we want to be and where is it that we need to be? [2:17] And how can we begin to set a life in order to have hope to get there? [2:24] And so the first thing we need to do when we’re doing that is kind of figure out if our goals are good ones.

[2:31] Because you can set a lot of New Year’s resolutions that are just stupid. [2:35] And they’re not going to get you anywhere. So I want to help you with that on day one. [2:39] Maybe I’ll ruin some New Year’s resolutions today and you’ll thank me later for that. [2:44] But over the next few weeks, we’re going to take a look at grace. [2:48] That’s what we’re going to talk about today. [2:51] And how does life flow out of grace? How does grace change us?

[2:55] What does the life change that this mercy and grace that God gives us, what’s it supposed to do? [3:01] And then we’re going to talk about beginning to set some life points [3:05] and beginning to actually live with some of the tensions that grace is going to cause in our lives. [3:11] And then we’re going to look at two things that you may not think are things that you need to understand to start. [3:16] We’re going to look at baptism and communion in two weeks. [3:19] And we’re going to see why are those things so important in the life of the church

[3:22] and what do they have to do with my journey of life change? [3:26] And then we’re going to take a look at scripture and prayer. [3:30] Two tools and two things that we call the spiritual disciplines that are absolutely invaluable in the life of grace. [3:38] And then finally we’re going to take a look at intentional living. [3:40] The fact that the walk that you have with God is not going to happen with you just sitting there. [3:47] They call us followers of Jesus for a reason.

[3:49] We’ve got to follow. We’ve got to get up. We’ve got to walk. [3:54] But today, let’s go to the book of Ecclesiastes and I’ll be honest with you. [3:57] I wrote most of this sermon a few weeks ago. [4:01] A few deaths happened over the past two years in my life of people that I knew. [4:07] And on the last one that I found out about, I immediately thought there was a chance I was going to have to do the funeral. [4:15] I didn’t really want to do it.

[4:17] And so just immediately I began to pray and say, God, how do I process this stuff? [4:22] When people’s lives and two of the deaths that I’ve experienced over the last two years have been deaths where their lives were somewhat tragic. [4:33] One of them was the death of a 16 year old girl who took her own life. [4:37] And the second one was the death of a 63 year old woman who experienced much tragedy and much hurt in her life. [4:45] And so as I begin to go through, God, why do people’s lives take these directions? [4:50] What does the journey look like and how can we just not have that happen?

[4:58] And for some reason, just full disclosure, God took me to the book of Ecclesiastes. [5:03] I don’t know why. [5:04] I just opened the scriptures and went straight to the words of Solomon, who was the wisest man that ever lived. [5:13] And what I understood when I looked at Chapter 12 is that life is going to throw each and every one of us different things. [5:25] There are really one thing that I’ve learned in knowing people through my 31 years of living is that two people don’t typically have the same story. [5:33] Two people don’t typically experience the same things.

[5:36] Every one of us is experiencing and is going to experience a different journey.

[5:45] But the issue isn’t so much the journey that you’re going to go through as much as it is how you react to the things that happen during that journey. [5:58] And our reactions to life situations and life circumstances will determine the end.

[6:10] They will. [6:12] And I can’t put it any other way than that. [6:15] That the only person that’s responsible for the reactions and choices in your life is you. [6:25] Just as the only person responsible for the reactions and choices in my life is me. [6:32] No one else is ultimately responsible for that. [6:36] Because no one else is ultimately going to pay the price for that except me.

[6:43] And I look at the person like Solomon. [6:46] There was a point in Solomon’s life. [6:47] He was the son of King David. [6:49] And God comes to him and I’ve never really seen it happen in scripture again this way. [6:54] But God says I’ll give you one thing. [6:59] And Solomon says wisdom.

[7:01] Give me wisdom God. [7:03] And so Solomon, excuse me, so God does. [7:05] God makes him just more wise than anyone that has ever lived, had ever lived and is alive today. [7:12] And Solomon had great wisdom. [7:13] And on top of that, he also had great wealth and he had great power. [7:19] And so we see someone that really is no matter what our goal is for 2012, no matter what it is that we want to happen in our lives this year.

[7:27] Solomon probably had that and more. [7:30] But Solomon also, on top of that wisdom, had the same thing that each and every one of us had. [7:36] He had a sinful heart. [7:38] He was a sinner just like me and you. [7:39] I think sometimes we look at scripture and we think that these people are kind of like Christian X-Men or something. [7:44] And they weren’t really like us.

[7:46] They were something else so we can’t be like them. [7:49] No, Solomon was a sinner. [7:51] This guy had 700 wives. [7:53] He had some issues. [7:55] Right? [7:57] Some real issues.

[7:59] And the book of Ecclesiastes is this book that he pens at the very end of his life. [8:05] After he’s lived many years, accomplished many things, he pens this book. [8:12] And what’s interesting about this book is that while it was written by the wisest person ever, what you see is a book filled with regret.

[8:21] I find that fascinating. [8:23] As someone with such wisdom, still a sinner, goes to the end of his life and with that wisdom, he finds regret. [8:32] So the first question I have to ask is why does this book have such a somber tone where you just, for 12 chapters, it’s meaningless. [8:40] It’s all meaningless. [8:42] Vanity of vanities. All is vanity. [8:44] And that’s that Hebrew word, hebel, which really means vapor.

[8:47] That word vanity, it’s not about your vein and pretty. [8:50] It’s about your vanity is so pointless because it’s all going to fade and it’s all going to go away and you’re going to die. [8:56] Happy New Year.

[9:00] It comes so many times in this book and he just says, that’s all meaningless. [9:04] This is a guy that because of his sin, what he did was he harnessed that wisdom and inside of wisdom is an understanding of just how the world works. [9:14] He was very worldly wise. [9:15] And so he used his wisdom and his shrewdness to gain power and wealth and women. [9:21] And he sought anything under the sun that could possibly bring him satisfaction. [9:28] And so, like I told you, he sought it in sex, married 700 women, had 300 concubines by some people’s estimates.

[9:37] And in the end, he says, all that sex, all that lust, all that fleshful passion, meaningless. [9:47] It didn’t give me what I wanted. [9:50] This is a guy that had palaces that MTV Cribs or Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous could not compare to. [9:56] They were lavish. [9:58] He had many of them. [9:59] This is a guy that just for bragging rights, built the most beautiful temple that anyone has ever seen.

[10:07] This is a guy that wanted to take a walk through the forest and he didn’t have one. [10:13] So he told all of his slaves, go build me a forest. [10:17] And so they built one so magnificent. [10:19] The trees were so beautiful. [10:21] No one had ever seen one. [10:22] People came from miles just to see the forest that Solomon could take a leisurely stroll through.

[10:28] This is a guy that was known to throw lavish celebrations that would last for days. [10:35] These were parties that whatever New Year’s Eve party you may or may not have gone to last night. [10:42] Those parties don’t even compare because these parties would last for days.

[10:48] Money, wealth. [10:51] He was the king of Israel. [10:52] Power.

[10:55] Fame. [10:55] Everybody knew of Solomon.

[10:58] And he gets to the end of his life. [11:02] And all those things, you probably have some resolutions to get some of those things this year.

[11:09] And as an old man, he has it all.

[11:14] He looks at it and he just says, none of it satisfied me. [11:21] It’s all meaningless. [11:24] Vanity of vanities.

[11:27] All is vanity.

[11:31] Maybe you’ve experienced that. [11:32] Maybe there’s been like that one thing you wanted. [11:35] You got it.

[11:37] And you’re like, oh, that’s not what I thought it was going to be. [11:44] Solomon experienced that tenfold.

[11:48] So the question we have to ask this morning is what do you do? [11:53] What did he do? [11:54] What do we do when at the end of it all, we come and we look and we say, it’s not enough.

[12:04] Because if there’s something that I’ve known that people probably do have in common, I’m pretty sure you’re sitting here. [12:09] And if you made a resolution, if you have goals, it’s because you’re not satisfied with something in your life. [12:16] Maybe you’re not satisfied with any part of your life. [12:19] And I want you to understand that’s normal.

[12:23] And in one sense, it’s good.

[12:27] Because all of the things that we are seeking satisfaction in, all of the things that you think are going to fill you up.

[12:38] You’re going to give you that feeling or that prestige or that power or that monetary wealth that you want.

[12:46] I can tell you before you even try to get it, it’s not going to be enough. [12:52] It’s not going to satisfy you.

[12:56] In Ecclesiastes chapter 12, we find Solomon kind of closing the book out. [13:04] He ends chapter 11 by looking at the youth. [13:07] In the book of Ecclesiastes, what it means, that word Ecclesiastes, it simply means a congregation that’s gathered to hear a message. [13:14] It’s kind of a thing where he looks at Israel and he’s like, I’m not going to be here long, so let me tell you one final thing. [13:21] It’s kind of like Jesus with the great commission. [13:23] When you’re leaving, you want to tell him something really important.

[13:28] At the end of chapter 11, he looks to the youth and he says, look, you better enjoy your youth. [13:31] You better have some fun because guess what? You’re going to get old like me.

[13:36] You’re going to die. And then in chapter 12, verse 1, he says this. [13:40] He says, remember also your creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years drawn near of which you will say, [13:52] he doesn’t say what you may say. [13:56] He says, in which you will say, I have no pleasure in them.

[14:06] Solomon says, there’s going to come a point where you’re going to look back at your life and you’re going to say, was it all for nothing?

[14:16] Everything I did, everything I worked for, everything I chased after, was it worthless?

[14:23] And this is one of those verses, some people call them coffee cup verses. [14:27] They’re the kind of verses that we kind of look at and we’re like, this is our way of giving props to God while I’m doing whatever I want to do. [14:33] Oh, remember the creator. You’re still there, right?

[14:39] But what’s actually happening here is Solomon is writing this with the attitude of, don’t do what I did.

[14:49] Because you’ll be old and you’ll be filled with regret.

[14:54] Even if you’re the wisest man that ever lived.

[14:59] Begin with the end in mind so that in the end you’re filled with something other than regret. [15:08] Because that’s all he had.

[15:12] And he says, the only chance that you have of not being filled with regret is understanding that every life begins and ends with God.

[15:28] That’s a common denominator. Our journey is going to be far different. [15:32] But the beginning point and the end point are going to be exactly the same. [15:37] You come from him and you’re going back.

[15:42] You end with him.

[15:45] And what you do in between determines your standing with him.

[15:52] Verses two through eight, I’m going to summarize them. You’re welcome.

[15:58] You’re like, we’re going to be here till two o’clock. I just know it. [16:01] Verses two through eight, he starts in verse one, he says, remember the creator in days of your youth. [16:06] And by verse eight he says, because everything that exists is going to return to the place it came from. [16:12] And that is God.

[16:14] Because there’s a way to go through life in which you will not find meaning. [16:21] You will not find the purpose that you were destined to live for. [16:26] And that way of doing that is to really do exactly what Solomon did. [16:32] That is to understand that you are not satisfied with what you have. [16:37] And that’s the good thing to do. [16:40] That’s a realization that there’s something in us that’s kind of empty.

[16:45] Sin has kind of left a mark in our lives in which we do not have what we need. [16:52] We do not have what we were designed to have. [16:55] So what we do, our reaction to that is look for something that can fill that gap. [17:02] Fill that void. [17:03] Fill that meaningless part that we feel in our lives. [17:06] Fill that thing that our spouse didn’t fulfill.

[17:09] Fill that thing that our children didn’t fulfill. [17:11] Fill that thing that academic excellence didn’t fulfill. [17:15] And so basically your life is spent in chasing meaning. [17:19] Chasing purpose.

[17:22] And that’s a good thing to chase.

[17:25] But the problem is, is that what we do is this repetitive cycle that thousands of years ago Solomon warned us about. [17:36] He said, it’s not in those things.

[17:42] And he says this one phrase. [17:45] If you do in the ESV, you do a search just under the sun in the book of Ecclesiastes. [17:49] In most of the chapters where he says, I looked for meaning basically. [17:56] He says, I could not find it under the sun. [18:02] Couldn’t find it under the sun.

[18:05] If you live on this earth, you kind of come to this understanding. [18:08] Maybe you took astronomy in school or you took geography and you understand the earth. [18:14] I actually taught geography for a year. [18:16] Fun fact. [18:17] Still don’t know anything about geography. [18:19] I pity those students.

[18:21] I pity them. [18:22] They did not get a good education in geography.

[18:26] I did learn something that year though. [18:28] That the earth is tilted at a certain angle on the earth’s axis and it spins and it goes around the sun in such a way that the, that’s why the climates are the way that they are. [18:40] But there’s one fact that you have to understand. [18:42] The sun hits every part of the earth at some point. [18:46] Okay. [18:47] So Solomon’s point is pretty easy to understand.

[18:52] It’s not on the earth.

[18:56] The meaning that you’re looking for isn’t here.

[19:01] That’s why when you look at whether or not God exists and so many people will say, if God doesn’t exist, then there is no meaning. [19:12] And that’s kind of what Solomon is echoing here. [19:17] He says, I’ve chased everything under the sun. [19:22] For a guy like him, I kind of believe him. [19:25] He says, I didn’t find it. [19:27] So he comes to the point where he’s concluding and he says, to find it.

[19:34] One musician put it, you have to get over the sun. [19:37] You have to understand that there is something above all that. [19:46] There’s someone that created everything that exists. [19:50] And if I’m going to find meaning, if I’m going to find purpose, if I’m going to find that joy that will ultimately satisfy me, I’ve got to get back to him. [20:01] I’ve got to find him.

[20:06] And Solomon says, I’ve got to find him before it’s too late.

[20:12] Because if I don’t, my end will be filled with nothing but regret. [20:19] And I will not end with that satisfaction that I wanted.

[20:26] And so he tells us that everything begins and ends with God. [20:31] And then if we skip down to verse nine, I want us to read something and you may be confused at first, but just hear me out. [20:41] Verse nine, the book begins to wrap up. [20:44] And he says, besides being wise, the preacher who is Solomon, that’s why I don’t mind it. [20:51] People call me preacher. [20:52] I’m old school.

[20:52] Solomon was pretty pretty wise. [20:55] Also taught people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging proverbs with great care. [21:03] The preacher sought to find words of delight. [21:06] And uprightly, he wrote words of truth. [21:10] The words of the wise are like goats and nails firmly fixed are the collected saints. [21:16] They are given by one shepherd.

[21:19] My son, beware of anything beyond these of making many books. [21:24] There is no end and much study is weariness of the flesh. [21:30] Kids, when your parents tell you to do your homework, please, yes, these mom, much studies, weariness of the flesh biblical moms are like, that’s not what that means. [21:44] I know, but it’s fun. [21:46] My son’s not in school yet, so I can just still play.

[21:52] There’s no recourse.

[21:55] Here’s one reaction that we can have when we’re found empty. [21:59] And this is what a lot of people do. [22:01] They try to find it all. [22:02] And then they say, OK, the answer to my problem is a deeper understanding of me or a deeper understanding of the cosmos. [22:14] Maybe I need to take a pilgrimage to the Dalai Lama.

[22:21] Maybe I need to find all of the knowledge of the world and the way that it works. [22:26] And if I can just know more, I will understand it. [22:33] Maybe if I can just grow in my intellect, I will find why it hurts. [22:41] I will find why I’m so screwed up. [22:44] Why my spouse is so screwed up. [22:46] Why my parents are so screwed up.

[22:47] Why cousin Joe was so screwed up. [22:50] Why the guy that robbed the liquor store that I was in. [22:52] Why he was so screwed up. [22:53] Whatever it is, you think if I just understand it, I’ll be satisfied.

[23:03] Solomon’s saying right there is even in knowledge. [23:09] If that is where you seek your ultimate satisfaction, even in learning, even in understanding, you’ll get to the end. [23:20] You’ll be like, even that was meaningless.

[23:25] There’s this joke. [23:25] There’s a saying that people that study psychology, they’re just really trying to figure out what’s wrong with themselves. [23:32] I say that I went to counseling school so I can say that about me too, I guess. [23:35] I don’t know. [23:36] But there’s this thing inside of us that when we find something wrong with us, we’ve got to read every Wikipedia article on it. [23:45] There’s this thing inside of us that really believes, and I think we’re still somewhat of a modernistic society,

[23:50] where we really believe if we just know more, we’ll have all the answers.

[24:00] Solomon’s point here is that true wisdom always leads to the pursuit of God. [24:09] The answer still not under the sun. [24:12] So when you seek that deeper meaning of you, guess what that is? [24:19] Under the sun. [24:20] When you seek that deeper meaning of loved one, still under the sun.

[24:33] So ultimately, the answer that you’re looking for is not going to be found in any person. [24:40] It’s not even going to be found in your love language. [24:44] Still, it’s helpful. [24:47] But the ultimate answer for your life, you’re going to come up short. [24:54] I’ll be honest with you. I’ll just be blunt with you. [24:58] You’re going to come up short.

[25:00] So Solomon, what he’s telling us here is look in verse 11 when he says, [25:04] The words of the wise are like goads and like nails firmly fixed with the collected sayings. [25:09] They’re given by one shepherd.

[25:17] If you are going to seek knowledge, if you are going to seek wisdom, which you should, [25:23] but you must understand that that knowledge and wisdom for it to have any purpose must have a trajectory toward the source of it all. [25:34] That source is God.

[25:38] If it is just more knowledge and more understanding, heaped upon more and more knowledge and understanding of me in the end, [25:45] guess what I’m going to have? I’m going to really get me.

[25:51] But if all I got’s me at the end, guess what? [25:54] Meaningless. [25:55] And I know me pretty well. [25:58] Meaningless. [26:00] Just pointless. [26:01] Vanity. It’s fading.

[26:07] And then in verse 13, he just really nails us. [26:14] And he leaves us with, for me, one of the most haunting thoughts I’ve ever had. [26:20] And I’ll explain in a moment. Let’s read it first. [26:22] Maybe we should have read it first and then I’ll say that because now you’re just scared.

[26:27] Verse 13. [26:29] The end of the matter. [26:32] I like that. [26:33] He says, all right, I’ve been yabbering for 12 chapters. I’ll get to the point now. [26:38] It’s like a sermon, right? [26:41] That’s why he calls him the preacher.

[26:42] He’ll speak for 45 minutes and ultimately all you needed was the last minute.

[26:48] You’ll get that on the way home. [26:51] You’ll get that at the end of the sermon.

[26:54] The end of the matter. [26:57] All has been heard.

[27:01] Fear God. [27:03] And keep his commandments. [27:06] For this is the whole duty of man. [27:12] He comes to the end. [27:15] And he says, of everything that I’ve ever chased. [27:19] Everything that I’ve ever gone after.

[27:23] In the end. [27:26] I wish I had only stayed my heart and my mind. [27:32] On one thing. [27:34] From the beginning.

[27:39] Fear God. [27:41] Because he is there. [27:44] And he is not silent. [27:48] To quote Francis Schaeffer.

[27:51] He’s greater than you can ever imagine. [27:54] Your life is not an accident. [27:56] Your life is not meaningless. [27:58] Because you have a creator. [28:02] He is there.

[28:06] And then he says, keep his commandments. [28:10] And that’s the effect that he hasn’t been silent. [28:13] Solomon wants us to understand he’s revealed himself to us in mighty ways.

[28:19] You go out and you just look around. [28:22] You can’t convince me it’s an accident.

[28:26] And he says, because he hasn’t been silent. [28:30] Keep his commandments.

[28:33] But then in verse 14 he says something that is haunting.

[28:39] He says, for God. [28:41] Whether you believe him, whether you remember him or not. [28:46] Will bring every deed into judgment. [28:49] With every secret thing. [28:51] Whether good or bad.

[28:56] Evil. [28:57] Period.

[29:01] Oh gee, thanks Solomon. [29:03] Way to end on a high note.

[29:07] He says, you have to understand you’re going back to him.

[29:11] You begin with him. [29:13] You end with him. [29:16] Life then is judged by God’s standards.

[29:22] You have to understand. [29:24] That when the end comes of your life. [29:27] I don’t know how long you have. [29:29] I don’t know how long I have. [29:30] I took a youth trip this weekend. [29:32] I thought the end was nigh.

[29:36] There were many moments where I thought, well this is it.

[29:45] But he says, we’re going to meet him. [29:48] And if this God is responsible for it all. [29:54] Then we ultimately are under his authority whether we like it or not.

[30:01] And ultimately.

[30:05] We’re going to stand in front of him.

[30:08] And because he’s revealed himself to us. [30:10] Because he has said, this is what I want life to look like.

[30:18] If you don’t remember him. [30:20] If you have those regrets. [30:24] If you do not fear him always. [30:27] If you do not obey him always.

[30:34] He will hold you accountable. [30:36] The scriptures crystal clear.

[30:41] Every deed. [30:43] Every single one.

[30:47] Will come into his judgment. [30:48] And this is the most haunting part to me. [30:50] Is the end. [30:52] With every secret thing. [30:56] Whether good or evil.

[31:04] I don’t know about you. [31:06] But there’s some stuff that it’s like. [31:07] I don’t want everybody knowing. [31:09] You know. [31:10] When I was like 18. [31:11] That one thing.

[31:12] That one time. [31:13] I want everybody to know.

[31:17] Solomon says. [31:18] And all my wisdom. [31:20] I understand. [31:21] That even the secret things. [31:25] God knows.

[31:28] God knows. [31:30] And it’s haunting. [31:31] Because in this advice. [31:33] That Solomon gives me. [31:34] And I think that’s why he kind of says. [31:36] In seeking advice.

[31:38] And in getting words of wisdom. [31:39] And in gaining knowledge. [31:41] And in understanding all these things. [31:42] You’re going to find no rest. [31:46] Because. [31:47] You haven’t been wise.

[31:50] And even a wise guy. [31:51] He wasn’t wise in all the things that he did. [31:53] You haven’t been obedient. [31:55] You haven’t followed God. [31:57] You haven’t remembered him. [31:59] In the days of your youth.

[32:00] You’ve done evil. [32:02] You haven’t feared him. [32:04] You’ve disobeyed him. [32:06] And then Solomon says. [32:08] See ya.

[32:12] And so I’m left kind of hopeless there. [32:15] And Solomon was quiet. [32:18] And so if that’s true. [32:20] Even if I find God now that I’ve found him. [32:23] Well I’m scared to death.

[32:27] So my reaction.

[32:29] Is to run. [32:31] My reaction. [32:32] Is to hide. [32:34] My reaction. [32:34] Is to try to avoid him. [32:36] As much as possible.

[32:39] God knows this. [32:41] Because when you have to hold your life accountable. [32:44] To the words of scripture. [32:45] To the laws that God has given us. [32:48] There’s only two possibilities. [32:51] The first possibility.

[32:52] Is that you become a slave to it. [32:56] And you measure your life by your successes. [32:59] And by your failures.

[33:02] And you know that truthfully there are a lot more failures than there are successes. [33:07] And so you become a slave to the law. [33:09] It gives you nothing but guilt. [33:11] You have no self esteem. [33:12] You have no self worth. [33:14] You’re lonely.

[33:14] Because you just don’t measure up morally. [33:18] To God’s standards. [33:19] Or anyone’s standards. [33:21] So you’re a slave to it. [33:23] And you live with not the fear of God that has any joy in it. [33:27] Because he’s so great.

[33:28] But a terror of God. [33:31] Because you don’t want to stand in front of him.

[33:35] Second possibility is that it makes you a slave master.

[33:39] And this is deceptive. [33:42] Because you think. [33:43] You’ve somehow measured up.

[33:49] Everybody else is just causing the problems.

[33:53] So you’re a slave master. [33:56] Well I’d have meaning if she wasn’t the way she was. [33:59] Or if he wasn’t the way he was. [34:01] So now you just throw the law at everybody else. [34:05] Even though deep down inside you know you don’t measure up.

[34:11] So if you’re in here today you’re either a slave or you think you’re a slave master. [34:15] I say and I preface that with you think you’re a slave master. [34:18] Because you’re not the master of anything. [34:21] Deep down inside you’re just trying to hide the fact that you know you’re a slave.

[34:26] But you don’t want anybody else to know about it. [34:28] So you just make everybody else’s life miserable.

[34:34] But those two trajectories. [34:36] In the end. [34:38] Will have nothing but meaninglessness.

[34:43] And the only hope.

[34:47] That we could possibly have.

[34:51] Is if God would help us.

[34:55] Because here’s the key. [34:56] Solomon understood that in the end we’re at God’s mercy because he’s God.

[35:01] We’re at his mercy. [35:03] He’s gonna do with us what he pleases. [35:06] Because he’s God.

[35:14] In Colossians chapter 2. [35:16] I’m not gonna leave you like that by the way. [35:19] Colossians chapter 2. [35:20] I read Colossians chapter 2 and that day I was kind of half mourning half worshiping. [35:27] I go to Colossians chapter 2. [35:30] And the terms and the words that Paul uses.

[35:33] I have nothing to back this up by the way. [35:35] So don’t quote me on this. [35:36] But I feel like he had to have had Ecclesiastes in mind. [35:41] I feel like he had to have.

[35:44] Because he pins this phrase to a church. [35:47] And he warns them about the meaningless things that they will chase when they avoid God.

[35:57] He tells them. [35:58] Therefore as you received Christ Jesus the Lord. [36:00] Remember that’s God. [36:02] So walk in him. [36:04] Rooted and built up in him. [36:07] And established in the faith.

[36:09] Just as you were taught abounding in thanksgiving. [36:12] See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit. [36:18] According to human tradition. [36:20] Anything under the sun.

[36:24] According to the elemental spirits of the world. [36:27] And not according to Christ. [36:29] For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily. [36:33] Remember the creator in the days of your youth. [36:37] And you have been filled in him who is the head of all rule and authority.

[36:47] He is the God that will bring everything into account. [36:53] He has the authority. [36:55] In him also you were circumcised with the circumcision made without hands. [37:00] By putting off the body of flesh. [37:02] By the circumcision of Christ. [37:05] Having been buried with him in baptism.

[37:07] In which you were also raised with him through faith. [37:10] In the powerful working of God. [37:12] Who raised him from the dead. [37:15] And you who were dead in your trespasses. [37:18] In the uncircumcision of your flesh. [37:21] You who were chasing meaninglessness.

[37:24] You who were terrified. [37:26] Because of the righteous judgment that God could lay down on us. [37:31] You were dead in your sin. [37:34] You had no hope. [37:36] You were at his mercy. [37:37] You needed his help.

[37:41] God made you alive together with him. [37:44] Having forgiven us all our trespasses. [37:47] By canceling the record of debt that stood against us. [37:53] With its legal demands. [37:55] This he set aside. [37:57] Nailing it to the cross.

[38:00] He disarmed the rulers and authorities. [38:03] And put them to open shame. [38:06] By triumphing over them in him. [38:09] Solomon didn’t have anything to say at the end of Ecclesiastes. [38:12] But God had a lot more to say.

[38:18] Because Solomon gets to the end of his life. [38:20] And he basically has the same attitude I had on Friday. [38:23] When I left with a bunch of teenagers. [38:25] Only God can save us now.

[38:33] Our only hope is that if God went for some unknown reason. [38:38] Because it can’t be based on us. [38:40] Would somehow show us mercy.

[38:46] And he did.

[38:49] See Paul says so many good things in there. [38:51] He says because there is going to come a time. [38:53] When you just look at life and you are like. [38:55] Meaningless. It’s all meaningless. [38:57] Okay what about this philosophy? [38:59] What about this?

[38:59] And he says it’s all empty to see. [39:01] It’s all meaningless. [39:02] Remember everything under the sun. [39:04] You can’t find it under the sun. [39:06] Stop seeking it under the sun. [39:09] And he says God though.

[39:12] Being over the sun.

[39:16] Made a way. [39:18] So you can come to him.

[39:21] He judged your sin. [39:24] On the cross.

[39:28] And all that debt. [39:31] And all that sin. [39:33] And all that meaninglessness that you are seeking. [39:35] All that joy that you think you are going to find in other things. [39:39] He nailed it to the cross.

[39:43] And he said no more.

[39:47] I will judge my son for you.

[39:55] If you are going to begin 2012 with the end in mind. [39:58] And I don’t want you to begin with 2013. [40:00] I want you to begin with the end of your life in mind.

[40:06] The only way. [40:09] That you will find any meaning. [40:12] And any goal that you set. [40:13] And any journey that you take. [40:17] Is if you begin without the possibility of regret.

[40:23] And the only way that you can do that. [40:26] Is if you have a savior.

[40:32] Who will help you. [40:34] In your desperate condition.

[40:37] And that savior is Jesus Christ.

[40:43] I cannot begin the year in a better way. [40:46] Than to tell you. [40:48] That you will fail this year. [40:50] Because it is only when you realize. [40:53] That you have and that you will fail. [40:58] Only in those moments.

[41:01] Is it when you realize that you need hope.

[41:06] And God has given it in his son Jesus. [41:12] If you will just trust him. [41:15] Because when you trust in Jesus. [41:17] You get over the son because he is the eternal God. [41:19] We saw in verse 9 where it says. [41:21] In him was the fullness of deity pleased to dwell.

[41:24] He is God. [41:26] Made flesh. [41:28] To take our sin. [41:29] Our misdeeds done in the body. [41:31] Our meaninglessness. [41:32] On to himself and give us his righteousness.

[41:36] So that we can stand before God with no terror.

[41:41] You see and then the journey that begins to flow out of that. [41:47] Is a life that must be driven by a response to God’s grace. [41:53] Because when you respond to God’s law.

[42:00] All you can have is a hope that you somehow measure up. [42:04] When you know you don’t. [42:05] Because nobody is perfect.

[42:08] But when you respond to God’s grace. [42:12] The difference isn’t. [42:13] Okay do, do, do, succeed, succeed, succeed. [42:17] I failed.

[42:20] The response is simply. [42:22] Freedom.

[42:25] My life is not going to be judged by my successes or my failures. [42:32] My life will now be judged on the eternal success of Jesus Christ.

[42:41] And if you’ll trust him.

[42:46] All those resolutions to gain 20 pounds. [42:51] Who wants to do that? [42:54] I’m tired. [42:56] All those resolutions to lose 20 pounds. [43:02] Guess what? [43:03] When you fail and you will.

[43:06] It doesn’t have to weigh on you so much. [43:08] You don’t have to think you’re such a loser anymore. [43:12] Because you know that Jesus has given you the freedom to fail.

[43:17] But he’s given you a greater freedom.

[43:21] And that is the freedom to where you don’t have to fight for freedom.

[43:29] You simply fight because you’re free.

[43:33] You have the freedom to begin to live a life in reflection. [43:39] Of being out of those chains of sin. [43:42] Out of those misdeeds done in the body. [43:44] Out of those chains of meaningless. [43:46] And now you can begin to live a life in which you are free to live under the power of a God who you know loves you. [43:56] And you know allows you to love him.

[44:00] You did not remember the creator in the days of your youth. [44:03] But guess what?

[44:05] He remembered you. [44:09] And he loves you. [44:11] And he wants you to be free from the guilt. [44:17] Free from the fear of failure. [44:20] Free from the fear that grips your life that you will not measure up in the coming life. [44:29] Not just your life.

[44:32] He loves you more than you will ever know.

[44:39] Trust in Jesus.

[44:44] And you can begin with the end in mind.

[44:49] As a band comes up, every week we like to reflect on what Jesus did for us on that cross. [44:58] What he did for us when God nailed our sins to the cross and giving us freedom. [45:04] And that is communion.

[45:07] In communion we have the broken bread and we have the poured cup that represents his broken body and his shed blood for our sin. [45:17] When he won victory over death by rising again so that he could give us redemption.

[45:25] If you just trust in him instead of trusting in yourself. [45:29] If you’re a believer this morning, if you’re someone that has trusted in Christ, I invite you up here or to the back where we have more. [45:38] To rejoice in the death of Jesus that covers your penalty.

[45:46] If you’re not a follower, I ask that you don’t come up. [45:51] Not because I don’t like you. [45:55] But because I don’t think you’ll find any particular meaning in it. [46:01] I’m not looking down on you. I want you to come to this table.

[46:06] But I want you to do it for the real meaning. I want you to do it with understanding of why we do it. [46:14] And I’d love for you to give me the opportunity to explain it to you. [46:17] I would love for today to be the first day that you’ve done it with a clear conscience. [46:23] Without the weight of sin on you. Because you truly believe that Jesus died for your sin. [46:29] And there’s no more to be done. You’re free.

[46:34] But you must trust him with your life. [46:37] And you can do it today. Because he’s already done everything that needs to be done. [46:44] You’re free in him.