A simple message with profound consequences. Studying the book of Ecclesiastes can be somewhat disconcerting. But the football analogy in this past Sunday's sermon was of good use. Not that I really understand that much about football but I do know that the point of the game is to make a goal. And to do that, you can't lose the ball.
Our text was from Ecclesiastes 12:8-14. Solomon, the wisest man of all time, is the author of this book. He begins the first chapter stating that "...all is vanity." (Ecclesiastes 1:2) And, again in chapter 12, he makes the same statement (verse 8). In verse 10 it states that the preacher sought to find acceptable words. That's what our preacher did today...and it worked.
Just about everyone knows the Peanuts cartoon strip. Often we see Charlie Brown and Lucy, Lucy is holding the football and Charlie is going to kick it. Without fail, Lucy grabs the ball just as Charlie gets ready to kick it and he falls flat. Things like that can happen to us in life. Just as we're about to accomplish something, it gets pulled out from underneath us. Charlie wants to follow through and kick the ball. Lucy sabotages him. She keeps him from completing his kick.
In life God would tell us to hold on to the ball. That's how we win the game. We're carrying the gospel of Christ. We have to keep doing it. It's the only way to win the game. If you drop the ball, then you let the whole team down. It doesn't just affect you, it affects everyone. We're carrying the message of Christ to a lost and broken world. We can't get side-tracked. Too many others depend on us to do our part. Especially those we love and want to see saved.
What is your goal? According to Solomon in Ecclesiastes 12:13 the sum total of all knowledge is this: "Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." Why? Verse 14 spells it out: "For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."
Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived. Solomon who was gifted with not only wisdom from God but also riches, and honor so that there wouldn't be any other king like him all his days. (I Kings 3:12-13) At the end when there is an accounting, all that has ever been accomplished here on earth is nothing but vanity. The book of Ecclesiastes spells it out. Solomon in all of his wisdom sums it up, "Fear God, and keep his commandments." In other words, don't drop the ball.
Our text was from Ecclesiastes 12:8-14. Solomon, the wisest man of all time, is the author of this book. He begins the first chapter stating that "...all is vanity." (Ecclesiastes 1:2) And, again in chapter 12, he makes the same statement (verse 8). In verse 10 it states that the preacher sought to find acceptable words. That's what our preacher did today...and it worked.
Just about everyone knows the Peanuts cartoon strip. Often we see Charlie Brown and Lucy, Lucy is holding the football and Charlie is going to kick it. Without fail, Lucy grabs the ball just as Charlie gets ready to kick it and he falls flat. Things like that can happen to us in life. Just as we're about to accomplish something, it gets pulled out from underneath us. Charlie wants to follow through and kick the ball. Lucy sabotages him. She keeps him from completing his kick.
In life God would tell us to hold on to the ball. That's how we win the game. We're carrying the gospel of Christ. We have to keep doing it. It's the only way to win the game. If you drop the ball, then you let the whole team down. It doesn't just affect you, it affects everyone. We're carrying the message of Christ to a lost and broken world. We can't get side-tracked. Too many others depend on us to do our part. Especially those we love and want to see saved.
What is your goal? According to Solomon in Ecclesiastes 12:13 the sum total of all knowledge is this: "Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." Why? Verse 14 spells it out: "For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."
Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived. Solomon who was gifted with not only wisdom from God but also riches, and honor so that there wouldn't be any other king like him all his days. (I Kings 3:12-13) At the end when there is an accounting, all that has ever been accomplished here on earth is nothing but vanity. The book of Ecclesiastes spells it out. Solomon in all of his wisdom sums it up, "Fear God, and keep his commandments." In other words, don't drop the ball.
