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Ecclesiastes: living life in view of its end

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Ecclesiastes: living life in view of its end

There is no other book in the Bible like Ecclesiastes. Many think the author had a pessimistic view of life. Over and over he speaks of the vanity of life in this world – that it is confusing, fleeting, perplexing, and in the end, everyone dies! He asks whether there is anything worth doing in this life that would enable us to overcome life’s vanity and futility. He seems to conclude that none of our toiling or efforts can result in “gain,” by which we can overcome the fact that nothing satisfies or results in anything that is truly “new.” What we will discover is that the author, called in the book “the Preacher,” is not a pessimist, but a realist, who wants to help God’s people understand how we can live for God and enjoy his gifts in a broken, complex, confusing and often absurd world. He does this by speaking into the hard realities we face in this world. He makes the point that we can’t change and have no control over the hardest realities of this world. The hardest reality we all face is death. So ultimately he is addressing the question: how do we live given the fact we will die? Yet in the midst of wading through these hard realities, he is able to call us to find enjoyment in the everyday rhythms of work, eating and drinking, and family life, as gifts of God. And even though living for God doesn’t guarantee we avoid all “vanities” of this world, the Preacher affirms that fearing the Lord and keeping his commandments is always the wisest way to live, both now “under the sun,” and in view of our coming judgment before God.

Sermons from this Series

Jun 23

2019

June 23, 2019

From dust to dust

Preacher: Matt E. Scripture: Ecclesiastes 11:7– 12:8 Series: Ecclesiastes: living life in view of its end

Jun 9

2019

June 9, 2019

Live Boldly

Preacher: Greg G. Scripture: Ecclesiastes 11:1–6 Series: Ecclesiastes: living life in view of its end

Jun 2

2019

June 2, 2019

Wisdom vs. Folly

Preacher: Greg G. Scripture: Ecclesiastes 9:11– 10:20 Series: Ecclesiastes: living life in view of its end

May 26

2019

May 26, 2019

The gift of life

Preacher: Greg G. Scripture: Ecclesiastes 9:1–12 Series: Ecclesiastes: living life in view of its end

May 19

2019

May 19, 2019

Out of control

Preacher: Greg G. Scripture: Ecclesiastes 8:1–17 Series: Ecclesiastes: living life in view of its end

May 12

2019

May 12, 2019

Wisdom's limitations

Preacher: Greg G. Scripture: Ecclesiastes 7:13–29 Series: Ecclesiastes: living life in view of its end

May 5

2019

May 5, 2019

Better and better

Preacher: Greg G. Scripture: Ecclesiastes 7:1–12 Series: Ecclesiastes: living life in view of its end

Apr 28

2019

April 28, 2019

Satisfaction not guaranteed

Preacher: Greg G. Scripture: Ecclesiastes 6:1–12 Series: Ecclesiastes: living life in view of its end

Apr 7

2019

April 7, 2019

Mo' Money, Mo' Problems

Preacher: Matt E. Scripture: Ecclesiastes 5:8–20 Series: Ecclesiastes: living life in view of its end

Mar 31

2019

March 31, 2019

Worshiping God

Preacher: Gary S. Scripture: Ecclesiastes 5:1–7 Series: Ecclesiastes: living life in view of its end

Mar 24

2019

March 24, 2019

It's not about you

Preacher: Greg G. Scripture: Ecclesiastes 4:1–16 Series: Ecclesiastes: living life in view of its end

Mar 17

2019

March 17, 2019

Time & eternity

Preacher: Greg G. Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1–22 Series: Ecclesiastes: living life in view of its end

Mar 3

2019

March 3, 2019

The pursuit of happiness

Preacher: Greg G. Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1:12– 2:26 Series: Ecclesiastes: living life in view of its end