The Circle of Life

Series: Ecclesiastes

December 31, 2017 | Bob Bartlett
Passage: Ecclesiastes 1:1-18

“The Circle of Life”   Ecclesiastes 1:1-18

 

Poetic justice: The fact of experiencing a fitting or deserved consequence for one’s choices.

 

Who is Solomon? 2Chronicles 1:7-12 The w__________________ and r______________  man to ever live.

 

What is wisdom?

Worldly: The ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills to succeed in life.

Godly: The ability to spiritually discern, understand and apply God’s truths to one’s life.

  • Jeremiah 2:13

 

America and the world are in need of spiritual awakening. 2Timothy 4:2-4

 

Vs 2: “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”

  • Life is pointless! Is life pointless? Depends on: how one l___________________________  and what one p______________________________.

 

Vs 3: “What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?”

  • Is the sum of (my) life the pursuit of things?
  • If the sum of (my) life is the pursuit of things: w________________________? Luke12:15

 

Vs 4-14: “I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men! I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”

The wisest and richest man to ever live is asking you to consider carefully h________________________  you will live.

  • What is the heavy burden God has laid on mankind? Luke 12:18-21

God allows me to c______________________  how I live – to miss or understand the meaning of life.

 

Vs 15: What is twisted cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.”

No one can change the o_______________________  of the choices they make in how they will live. Galatians 6:7-8

 

Vs 16-18: “I thought to myself, ‘Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.’ Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind. For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.

  • Solomon: It g_______________ him when people made the wrong choice on how they live.
  • God: It g_______________ him when people make the wrong choice on how they will live.

- Make no mistake, life is a daily choice! Joshua 24:15

 

Conclusion: There are Two Circles of Life – two choices every day:

  1. Life under the Sun:
  2. Life under the Son:
  • Living for God’s Glory. John 17:4
  • Living for Christ’s cause. 1Corinthians 4:1

Can you take it with you? You can’t take it with you! It depends…

 

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