Sunday Recap 1-9-11

Morning: The sermon, "In the Service of the King," looked at Ecclesiastes 8:1-9.  Solomon sets before us the question, "Who is like a wise man?"  Wisdom is the ability to know and do what pleases God.  Solomon explains the rules, reasons, and reality of following authority.  On the surface, it appears that Solomon is only speaking about human authority (specifically the king), but in the back of the Hebrew mind was the concept of God's kingdom.

Rules for serving the King

1. Obey his command.  We are to obey the king for one or two reasons.  The phrase translated, "Because you took an oath," could mean that we have promised to follow the king, because we promised to follow God.  Or it could be translated, "because of the oath God swore," which means that God put them where they are.

2. We shouldn't be in a hurry to leave the king's presence. Leaving the king's presence too quickly implies rebellion.  The same is true in the spiritual world.  When we fail to linger in God's presence it suggests that there is rebellion in our hearts.

3. We need to be careful where we take our stand.  It is a dangerous thing to side with the wrong people.

Reasons for following the Rules

1. The King has the last word.  When dealing with a dictator, the wrong choice of words can cost you dearly.  When walking with the Lord, we have to be satisfied with the fact that God doesn't always explain everything.  He is not obligated to tell us any of the details.

2. Obedience is its own sort of safety.  Solomon says that following orders doesn't harm.

3. It's part of knowing the right timing.  There is a right time and procedure for everything.  We just need a discerning heart.

4. You don't know how things will shape up, so you just do what you have to.  In the face of adversity or even death, you have to push forward.

5. We are locked into a war with wickedness, and it won't be defeated easily.  We have to face it head on.

The reality of serving the king.

The heavenly King is always just.  He always does what is right.  However, earthly kings don't always do the right thing.  Sometimes they hurt the people they are meant to lead.  Solomon's warning serves to inform the wise that they must chose their alliances carefully.


Evening:  We began our Foundations study again tonight.  We focused on Genesis 12-17.  We looked at the call of Abram, and God's promise to bless him.  As we studied the text we interwove Galatians 3, Hebrews 7, and Romans 4.   Some principles we learned:

• God is always faithful.
• God's Word never fails.
• God protects his people and preserves his promises.
• God's planned to save the Gentiles all along.
• Abraham is our spiritual father and through his seed, Jesus Christ, we inherit the blessing of God.