Providence

We live in a world driven by purpose. Nothing seems worthy of time, money, or emotion if it doesn’t have purpose rooted in what we love. Ecclesiastes proves that people have always hungered for purpose; to know why we exist. The Bible says we were created by God, for God, to live with God, and to answer to God. If we’re created by, for, to live with, and to answer to God, and we lose sight of Him because of sin, we lose sight of origin, purpose, distinction, destiny. We become lost! Feeling lost can often feel like we’re chasing the wind. We may have given up on why we exist and settled in on how to exist better, leaving us comfortable but empty.

Solomon chose to save the best for last. He chose his final words to address the purpose of life; the purpose of our lives. Solomon condenses all his findings, wisdom, and experience into his last words; the best of his best: Fear God and keep His commandments. 

All 12 chapters of this book aim at this call to action. Fearing God and keeping His commandments is not just a segment, but the whole duty of man. Solomon isn’t dismissing endeavors like family or work here. He’s framing our endeavors inside reverence and obedience. For ages, the erroneous belief was that the sun revolved around the earth. Many make the same mistake with God, thinking He revolves around us. Do I approve of Him? Does he fit me? Do I like that verse about God? When in reality, we are designed to revolve around Him. 

God is patient and kind, but Romans 1 says His wrath is kindled and will soon be released. Fearing God, then, is a detection of God’s personhood, holiness, and power that moves us to orbit around Him. Since God has spoken, fear looks like obedience. Solomon began his book prodding our misery under the sun. If all I see is all there is, nothing matters! But here at the end, he tells us everything matters for judgment is coming.

Where Ecclesiastes tells us to fear and obey, the rest of the Bible tells us we haven’t. We have a debt before God that we cannot pay. Do you know what God did? God crushed Jesus in our place! Those who put their trust in Him are justified. Our fear of God turns from us so scared we run away from Him, to us running to Him in fear because we know our salvation is found in His Son. A day of judgment is coming. God will open the book of life containing names of all who trusted in Jesus. Those in the book will be granted heaven. All others will be sent to hell without appeal. You don’t have to dread that day, for you can trust Jesus this day.

 

SERMON NOTES 

  1. Fear God and keep His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

    1. Luke 12:4-5 — Fear God!

    2. Romans 12 — It is true God is patient, merciful, and kind, but His wrath is kindled and it will be released.

    3. 1 John 4:10, 17 — You’re not going to find a good picture of love by looking in the mirror. The perfect picture of love is found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. And perfect love is found in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and perfect love casts out fear.

    4. Romans 8:3-4 — When we trust in Jesus Christ, He fills our bucket with His perfect righteousness, making us ready to be with Him forever.

    5. 1 John 5:12 — The line to heaven is not this good v. this good; it’s not a vertical line of morality, but a line of relationship.

    6. 1 John 5:3 — His commandments are not burdensome, especially to those who love Him.

 

INTROSPECTIVE QUESTIONS 

  • Have you trusted God by believing in His Son?

  • Are you trusting God by showing preference to His Word?

  • Are you telling others of the good news of the gospel? 

 

CLOSING THOUGHTS 

Life under the sun is fleeting and mortal. Global pandemics, race riots, tumultuous political climates, genocide, war, etc. They all contribute to this truth and only provide hopelessness to our souls. But, we can find peace, assurance, and hope in knowing that salvation from this world comes from beyond the sun in the person of Jesus Christ. Because of His death, burial, and resurrection, we can walk through the brokenness of the world with wisdom, discernment, and confidence that one day He will return for His children.

 

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