Sunday Recap 8-29-10

Morning: The sermon was entitled, "Empire of Dirt," and the text was Ecclesiastes 1:1-11.  The book of Ecclesiastes captures the reflections of a man in the throws of regret.  Solomon had it all: fame, wealth, power, wisdom, knowledge, women, etc., but he threw it all away.  As a young prince, he was hand-picked by God, to be the replacement of David and to build the temple.  He was a reservoir of potential, the picture of promise. However, he abandoned whole-hearted worship of the Lord, and began worshiping false gods.  His idolatrous ways would cost his son the kingdom.

Solomon sums up his earthly pursuits with desperate words. Solomon's vision isn't all gloom-and-doom.  He is still confident in God.  One of the keys to understanding Ecclesiastes is the phrase "under the sun."  Solomon uses the expression, "under the sun," to indicate a life that is not lived in submission to God.  We are striving under the sun, because we don't trust the One enthroned above the sun. the Solomon tells us, there is no meaning, there is no profit in toiling under the sun, there is nothing new under the sun, and there is no memory of us when we are gone.

• There is no meaning.  The KJV says, "'Vanity of vanities', saith the Preacher, 'vanity of vanities; all is vanity'" (Ecc. 1:1-2). The term translated "meaningless" (NIV) or "vanity of vanities" (KJV) can literally be translated mist or vapor.  Solomon used the term to express the futility of trying to cling to this life and the promises it holds.

• There is no profit in toiling under the sun.  Man gains nothing from his labors under the sun.  All of his wealth, or lack thereof, will not stop the had of death.  Death visits the young and old.  Even the healthy eventually die.  All of our striving changes very little in this world.  The Teacher uses the sun, wind, and water to demonstrate his point.  Live grinds on in a wearisome rut.  We never satisfied with what we have or what we know.

• There is nothing new under the sun.  People pursue innovation.  Smoke signals were a type of wireless communication.  Wells and "ice boxes" functioned like refrigerators.  The hopes and dreams of mankind haven't changed.  Neither has their vices or fears.  We sacrifice so much, because we think newer is better.  Solomon says don't by the hype.

• There is no memory of us when we're gone.  In a matter of generations, hardly anyone will remember our names, what we did for a living, ect.  Should the Lord tarry a few hundred years more, no one will probably remember us.  Our names and deeds will pass away.

Bleak. Dark. Depressing.  But remember, this is the way it is with life under the sun.  Life is Christ has meaning.  In Christ, there is great gain.  What God did in Jesus was a new thing, and in him we are new creatures.  In Christ, our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life, so that we'll never be forgotten.  If we waste our life toiling under the sun, we'll only inherit a empire of dirt.  But if we devote our lives to the glory of Christ, we'll inherit an eternal kingdom.

Evening:  We began a study I'm calling, "Foundations."  This is a study that will look at key stories in the Old and New Testament to give us a good foundation for understanding all of Scripture better.  Tonight, we begin with a look at Genesis 1:1-3 and John 1:1-5.  Some of the principles we looked at are:

• God is.  The Genesis passage doesn't try to define or defend God. It simply expresses the reality of his existence.

• God alone creates from nothing.  An implication of this truth is that God needs nothing.

• God exists in plurality and unity.  God is one being, one substance, one essences, but three distinct persons.  What the Old Testament hints at, the New Testament explains.  God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  The God-head is not a board, nor a committee.

• God exists in community.  God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have always existed in a perfect, eternal, love relationship.  The great mystery is that they have willing displayed their love to us.  We express the image of God, in part, by living in community.

• God is powerful.  With his word, God can create.

• God is orderly.  He transforms the empty chaos into glorious display of his might and power.

• God is sovereign.  He speaks and his will must come into existence.