Explores finding true pleasure, prosperity, and purpose in God, not in worldly pursuits, through understanding the seasons of life.
Good morning, dear brothers and sisters in Christ. It's a joy to be with you all today, gathered in God's house, ready to receive His Word. We're here, not because of any obligation or tradition, but because we love the Lord and we seek His wisdom and guidance in our lives. We're here because we understand that God's Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.
Today, we're turning to the wisdom-filled book of Ecclesiastes, written by the wisest man who ever lived, King Solomon. Ecclesiastes 3:1-14, a passage we're all familiar with, yet we can never exhaust its richness. Let me read it to you:
"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to gain, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their life, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God. I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him."
In the world we live in, pleasure is often seen as the ultimate goal. We chase after it in various forms - wealth, success, relationships, experiences. We're told that these are the things that will make us happy, that will give our lives meaning and purpose. But as we look at the words of Solomon in Ecclesiastes, we see a different perspective.
Solomon: A man who had all the wealth, wisdom, and pleasures the world could offer, found them all to be meaningless, like chasing after the wind. He realized that these things, in and of themselves, could not bring true satisfaction or lasting happiness. They were temporary, fleeting, unable to fill the void in his soul that only God could fill.
A truth we need to grasp: The things of this world, as good and enjoyable as they may be, are not the source of true pleasure. They can't give us the deep, lasting joy that our souls long for. They can't satisfy our deepest needs or fulfill our greatest desires. Only God can do that.
God is the source of all good things: He the giver of every good and perfect gift. He is the one who fills our lives with good things, who satisfies our desires with good things. His love is better than life itself, His joy is our strength, His peace surpasses all understanding. In His presence is fullness of joy, at His right hand are pleasures forevermore.
How do we experience this pleasure that God offers?: How do we find this joy that is found in His presence? It starts with recognizing our need for Him, with understanding that we were created for a relationship with Him, that our souls are restless until they find their rest in Him.
All the ways we experience His pleasure: We experience God's pleasure when we seek Him with all our heart, when we delight ourselves in Him, when we treasure His Word in our hearts, when we walk in His ways and keep His commands. We experience His pleasure when we trust in Him, when we surrender our lives to Him, when we depend on Him for our every need. We also experience God's pleasure when we use the gifts He has given us for His glory, when we serve others in love, when we share the good news of His love with those around us. We experience His pleasure when we live for His glory, when we seek His kingdom and His righteousness above all else.
This is not a one-time event: It's a lifelong process, a daily choice to seek Him, to trust Him, to obey Him, to love Him. It's a journey of growing in our relationship with Him, of learning to delight in Him, of finding our satisfaction in Him.
As we move forward, we find ourselves stepping into the realm of prosperity ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO
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