Spiritual Gifts Test

There is an abundance of online material about spiritual gifts. I have taken more spiritual gifts inventory than I can remember, but there is one that I really recommend: Elmer Towns Spiritual Gifts Inventory. You can link to it here: http://www.elmertowns.com/spiritual_gifts_test/.

Knowing your spiritual gifts is an important prerequisite to using them! Your church family would benefit from you living out your gifts within your local church. So take the test today, and begin living out your supernatural abilities!!!

One of many...1 Cor. 12:12-31

Have you ever sat next to someone in church that you disliked? Did you ignore them and head for the door as soon as you heard the final "Amen"? What if God told you that the person sitting next to you was absolutely indispensable to your spiritual well-being? Would this change your attitude towards them? Please read on for some tough-to-swallow words from Scripture:

VERSE:
(remember to substitute "believer" with "part" throughout Paul's metaphor)
12. You are one of many - in the body of Christ, you are an ear, or a hand, or a mouth, or something else. FCC is collectively one body, just as Christ is one body.
13. All of us believers at FCC have been saved by the same Holy Spirit - without regard to our family background or social class. ALL of us have the Holy Spirit!
14. FCC has many "parts"
15-16. No "part" of your body can choose to leave or change its unique function
17. If our body had only one "part" - imagine how scary we would be!
18. God chose our "parts" - it is His decision, and He has no regrets
19. Could you really survive with just one "part"?!!
20. Truth: many parts, one body
21. No one "part" can live independently of another "part"
22. Amazingly, the weakest "parts" of the body are the ones you cannot live without! (imagine losing your small toe, or thumb, or eyes, or liver, etc!)
23. We are very self-conscious and protective of our "private parts"
24. God purposely designed the weaker/hidden "parts" to have greater honor/significance/value
25. This makes each "part" equal in significance
26. Since your parts are connected, pain or excitement felt by one "part" of the body is felt by all. (Have you ever slammed your finger in a door, and breathed a sigh of relief because your toes felt so good?!!!)
27. Truth: FCC is the body of Christ - each of us is a "part"
28. God has appointed "parts" with specific gifts
29-30. Do we all share the same gift/function/part in the body of Christ?(Rhetorical question expecting a NO!)
31. There is a lot of "parts" jealousy swirling through FCC - let me show you a better way! (chapter 13 is that "better way")


Some Questions:
Have you ever been jealous of the abilities of another believer at FCC?
Why do we ignore someone at church who is struggling and focus on the person who is happy?
Why is it so hard for us to accept some people in our church and not others?
Which believers in our church have the “background/private” gifts that we often don’t see? What are these private gifts?
Do you think that FCC is functioning as it should with each believer using his gifts? According to this passage, is it okay if 99% of our members are serving and using their gifts?

GIFTS! 1 Cor. 12-14

At Christmas, our minds are slightly preoccupied with gifts. Guys, we need to find that perfect gift for our wife that she will actually use. Women, you need to find that ideal gift for your husband that won't end up in the back of his closet. Parents, you need to find just the right toy for your kid - not too expensive, yet one that he can show off to his friends. It is a yearly challenge for all of us!

In the spirit of Christmas, 1 Corinthians 12 begins what hopefully will be a life-changing discussion on "gifts" of a different sort. It just so happens that God saw fit to give you some amazingly unique gifts tailor-suited for both you and First Christian Church. These gifts were hand-chosen by God to benefit all of us.

Have you unpacked your gifts yet? If not, I hope that by the end of this series of lessons you will. When you and I use our gifts, I guarantee your “blessing” circuit will blow a fuse. There is nothing like being on the receiving end of someone else’s supernatural gifts!!!

Here are the following “gifts myths” that I believe the Apostle Paul was trying to bust:
1) I don’t need to know my gift to exercise it
2) I am born with my gifts – they are my natural abilities that God uses
3) I have one spiritual gift
4) I don’t have gift “X”, so I can’t serve in ministry “Y”
5) I can choose which gift I have by praying and working real hard to get it

Somewhere underneath all this confusion lies untapped energy. There is no governmental agency that can regulate its use. So open your Bibles with me, and let’s begin digging!

no praise from paul...1 Cor. 11:17-34

What would it be like to get a hand-written letter from the Apostle Paul to FCC? With great anticipation, we read through the fairly long letter on a Sunday morning during our service. Suddenly, we reach chapter 11, verse 17: "In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good."

There is a collective gasp as puzzled faces become looks of astonishment and bewilderment. Did you really mean that Paul? Do you really think that our services are a waste of time? Or worse than a waste, they are damaging?

We try to mentally brace ourselves for a lashing as Paul continues (17-22):
1) You are missing a spirit of unity
2) You serve communion but are not actually practicing it
3) You humiliate your brothers and sisters in Christ

We listen with a wounded heart as Paul shares some truth (23-26):
1) On the night of his betrayal Jesus instituted communion
2) The bread and cup represent His body and blood given for us
3) Each time you practice communion you proclaim the act of redemption and anticipate His glorious return

We take notes as Paul explains why our church is not growing (27-32):
1) Practicing communion unworthily is a grave sin...examination before communion is a must
2) Partaking of communion wrong is like partaking of judgment...it's suicide!
3) Self-judgment prevents divine-judgment
4) Divine-discipline prevents eternal-judgment

We prepare to change as Paul offers practical solutions (33-34):
1) Be considerate of others
2) Take care of your needs at home

As we listen to this thrashing from the Apostle Paul to the Corinthian Church, I cannot help but wonder if I should feel convicted. Do I practice communion unworthily? Do I contribute to disunity at FCC? Do I show a lack of consideration towards others? Do I practice self-judgment and welcome divine-discipline? What about you?

Cultural Symbol or Sacred Command?...1 Cor. 11:2-16

Paul never minds stoking the fire. He realizes that FCC (First Church of Corinth) is messed up when it comes to worshiping as a community! So he writes this passage to put women...and men....in line.

Verse by verse:
2 - Obey God's words, all of them. You can't pick and choose what to obey!
3 - God-Christ-Man-Woman...in that order....obviously not significance, but role!
4 - Male head covering while prayer/prophesying = BAD
5 - Female without head covering while praying/prophesying = BAD
6 - Female head covering while praying/prophesying = GOOD
7 - Man is image/glory of God....Woman is image/glory of man
8 - Woman (Eve) came from Man (Adam), not vice-versa
9 - Woman created for Man, not vice-versa
10 - Female head covering a must, says Gabriel and pals
11 - Men and women need each other
12 - Neither can exist without other
13 - Isn't this teaching obvious?
14 - Don't you look twice at a long-haired man?
15 - Don't you look twice at a bald woman?
16 - This principle is consistent for all churches everywhere!

Alright, so that was a quick breakdown of those 15 verses in my own words. However, I haven't answered these questions:

1) What does this mean?
2) Is the Bible sexist? Are men "over" women?
3) Must women wear head coverings in the church today?
4) Are there any current symbols of male/female roles in our culture?

Looking forward to hearing your answers (or angry questions) on Sunday! :)

Women's doilies?....1 Cor. 11:1-16

Please read and think about this passage, and come to class prepared to defend your conclusions!

¹ Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. ² Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you.

³ But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. ⁴ Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head. ⁵ But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved. ⁶ For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered.

⁷ For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. ⁸ For man is not from woman, but woman from man. ⁹ Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man. ¹⁰ For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. ¹¹ Nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord. ¹² For as woman came from man, even so man also comes through woman; but all things are from God.

¹³ Judge among yourselves. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? ¹⁴ Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? ¹⁵ But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering. ¹⁶ But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God.

1 Corinthians 11:1-16 (NKJV)

Happy Thinking!!! :)

God's glory my only desire...1 Cor. 10:25-33

We are tackling a great passage this week! There are many nuances that make this a tad confusing. But when you unknot Paul’s argument, you will find some very rich nuggets of truth for your life. Let’s go verse-by-verse using NLT:

25 So you may eat any meat that is sold in the marketplace without raising questions of conscience.
Paul says we are free to eat anything. Food is amoral.

26 For “the earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it.”
God creates perfection. Humans and our sin may pollute creation, but God didn’t make anything bad!

27 If someone who isn’t a believer asks you home for dinner, accept the invitation if you want to. Eat whatever is offered to you without raising questions of conscience.
The Creator has made everything clean – feel free to enjoy your dinner! Because of the food offered to idol issue, Paul offers a “Don’t ask, don’t tell” solution.

28 (But suppose someone tells you, “This meat was offered to an idol.” Don’t eat it, out of consideration for the conscience of the one who told you. 29 It might not be a matter of conscience for you, but it is for the other person.)
Someone at the meal brings to your attention that the meat was offered to an idol. Since they mentioned it, it might be important to them. As a courtesy, refrain from eating the meat. You may offend your host, but better to offend your host than cause someone to stumble. The last thing I want to do is cause someone to violate their conscience. If they are a weak brother or sister, I should build them up. Flaunting my freedom to eat the meat may harm them spiritually, and God would then hold me accountable.

For why should my freedom be limited by what someone else thinks? 30 If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why should I be condemned for eating it?
Great questions, Paul! Because you taught us that eating is amoral, but causing someone to stumble is immoral. So at times, I must limit my freedom for the sake of others. It is that scary attitude of SELFLESSNESS that we practice so rarely!

31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
God’s glory - this is the bottom line! If I can honestly say that God will be happy by my eating or abstaining, then I am doing the right thing.

32 Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God.
Very interesting categories affirming that the church is NOT Israel! Do not cause Jews, non-Jews, or New Testament believers to stumble!

33 I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.
Paul says that he tries to “please” or literally “accommodate” everyone! This is not about being a chameleon and walking on eggshells. It is about putting my needs last. It is about prioritizing the needs of others.
Paul did all this so that “many may be saved”. Paul cared deeply about the condition of the souls of others. The Corinthians did not. Their actions (idolatry, immorality, and division) proved they cared only about themselves. That is NOT a healthy New Testament community!

The community Paul envisioned is one where…
…preserving the clean conscience of a fellow believer is my priority
…the lost soul of an unbeliever impacts me deeply and changes my behavior
…my own preferences and desires are put on the back burner for the sake of God’s glory and other’s edification.

Head Scratcher of the week:
What are the three character traits I need the most to accomplish this?
1. _________________
2. _________________
3. _________________

To honor God and build others up – live selflessly!

it’s not about me! 1 Cor. 10:24

I was do doing discipleship with a new believer a few months ago. He asked me to clarify something he had read in the Purpose Driven Life. These words are found in Chapter 1:

“It’s not about you.

The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose. The search for the purpose of life has puzzled people for thousands of years. That’s because we typically begin at the wrong starting point - ourselves…

You were made for God, not vice versa, and life is about letting God use you for his purposes, not your using him for your own purpose.”

As we discussed this chapter, I was floored to see that he was not only shocked by this radical view of life, but he had embraced it! He wondered if he was accurate to realign his life with these new priorities – God and others first, himself last.

I stammered in amazed delight – he had grasped a truth even I had not fully embraced. Life is not about me!

Look at the two greatest commandments: love God and love others (Matt. 22:37-40). Where am I in that equation? I am the subject – God and others are the object. I am the giver – not the receiver.

It is in this spirit Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:24: “Let no one seek his own good, but that of others.”

This is a command we wish children would obey! This is a command all of us must learn. However, practicing selflessness is in utter contradiction to our human nature!

Here are some burning questions:
1. Why do I find it so hard to set aside my feelings, hurts, and expectations?
2. What have I done recently to seek the good of someone else above myself?
3. How committed am I to putting others before myself?
4. What will I do this week to seek the good of someone above myself? (Come to class prepared to share what you did!)

In a Christian community,
I am last – others are first.

It’s MY life! 1 Cor. 10:23

How many times have you heard someone when confronted in sin reply: “It’s MY life”??!!! Christians from Corinth to Kirkwood and everywhere in-between use this excuse.

Take a deeper look with me at Paul’s powerfully potent words:

“All things are lawful,”
but not all things are helpful.
“All things are lawful,”
but not all things build up. (ESV)

Paul is trying to expose the selfishness of the average Corinthian John and Jane. They were living their lives as if they were an island. What they did was their own personal business. “Leave my private life alone” they declared.

Paul again mocks the Corinthian adage that “all things are lawful” and that private choices don’t really matter to the community (see 6:12 also). God does give me freedom in Christ. But, NOT every choice, behavior, or action is helpful. Only certain choices, behaviors, and actions build up.

Burning Question: Can I really live however I want? Is it really MY life?

Weekly Nuggets:

~ If you are a Christian, you no longer own your life.

~ Your character is who you are & what you do – in public AND in private.

~ You may be making private choices that are tearing others down.

The wall between our home and our church
is thinner than we may think.

How do I practice idolatry? PART II 1 Cor. 10:12-22

Thanks for the excellent discussion in class this week! We are asking the question: How do I practice idolatry?

Let us begin by asking: “What is idolatry?” Idolatry simply put is “worship – of anything than God”. Wondering what you worship? Simply look at 15 of the largest industries in America:

1) Starbucks, McDonalds…Fast food industry – the idol of my convenience
2) Planet Fitness… body building/workout industry – the idol of my body
3) GNC stores…health industry– the idol of my health
4) Adult entertainment, Playboy, online pornography…sex industry – the idol of my lust
5) Hollywood, Regal cinemas…movie industry – the idol of my entertainment
6) NFL, NHL, NBA, NCAA…all things sports – the idol of my pride & human fitness
7) American Idol, America’s Got Talent… pop culture fame – the idol of my fame
8) IPods, ITunes, MP3…music – the idol of my music
9) Wal-Mart, Target…retailers – the idol of my wants
10) Ford, Toyota, GM…auto makers – the idol of my self-image
11) Citigroup, HSBC, Capital One, Visions…banks, credit cards – the idol of my greed
12) AT&T, Verizon, Time Warner…phone companies – the idol of my gossip
13) DishTV, DirecTV…cable TV – the idol of my laziness
14) Century 21, ReMaxx…realty – the idol of my discontent
15) Applebees, Tullys, Ponderosa…restaurants – the idol of my gluttony

I could go on and on. So could you. We have so many idols! Do you notice they all came back to me? Our idolatrous society is no different from India with their many gods. We just call our gods by other names.

“But I don’t worship them,” you say. Idolatry isn’t about bowing down. It’s about distracting us from True Worship. For the Corinthians, it meant going into a temple. For us, we live IN the temple! Our culture immerses us in the worship of ourselves and our lusts.

Think about it. How much of your week is spent in True Worship of God? How much is spent in worship of the above “idols”? Are you distracted? I am too.

Maybe you don’t have an idol – maybe you are one! Perhaps we struggle more with idolatry than we realize.

Perhaps we are really worshipping ourselves!

How do I practice idolatry? 1 Cor. 10:12-22

Last week we concluded that the three major temptations faced by Israel were: immorality, idolatry, and ingratitude. What were they supposed to be practicing? Purity, true worship, and trust/gratitude. If we could learn to practice these three behaviors, our lives & families & churches would be so drastically different!

The passage for this week is1 Corinthians 10:12-22. (Please read in NLT if available!)

This week continues the theme of idolatry from chapter 10. I have thought long and hard about idolatry the past few weeks. Isn’t this an outdated sin? Well, most commentators say that it is anything that comes before God in my life. So I suppose idolatry is everything! This is much too broad to have application for me.

What do you think about idolatry? How is idolatry different today than it was for the Corinthians? How is it the same? What does American idolatry look like?

I have come to some conclusions in my life that blew me away. It was after I asked myself lots of questions. What does my culture value? What do I value?

When it comes to idolatry, eventually you lose control. Eventually your idol eats your time, money, and family. You are at its mercy.

How do you commit idolatry? Answering this question was hard for me and will be for you. But it is a question we both must answer.

we are no different…1 Cor. 10:1-11 (NLT)

¹ I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago.

Paul was concerned that the Corinthian believers were unaware of their spiritual history. He wants to eradicate their ignorance, and replace it with historically accurate truth. The following historical facts he considers crucial to their present walk:

All of them

were guided by a cloud

that moved ahead of them,

and all of them

walked through the sea

on dry ground. ²

In the cloud

and in the sea,

all of them were baptized

as followers of Moses.

³ All of them ate the same spiritual food,

⁴ and all of them drank the same spiritual water.

For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them,

and that rock was Christ.

Paul considers it significant that they were “all” guided by the same cloud, walked through the same sea, and traveled the same ground. They were all “baptized” into the same group as followers of Moses, ate the same “spiritual food” and drank the same “spiritual water”. Their source for all of this was….drum roll please….Christ!

How shocking this would have been for a Jewish believer to comprehend. Jesus Christ, the cornerstone of the Church, was also the source of life for Israel thousands of years prior to His birth! They had the same Jesus we do. They were eerily similar to a “church”. They had a community with shared experiences and teaching – and where did it get them?

⁵ Yet God was not pleased with most of them,

and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

Ouch! Could Paul possibly have been more harsh? They (the Jewish slave escapees from Egypt) were quite similar to us (believers in Corinth/Kirkwood). And the punch line is --- they were NOT acceptable to God. Somehow, they disqualified themselves.

⁶ These things happened as a warning to us,

so that we would not crave evil things as they did, ⁷

or worship idols as some of them did.

Yikes, their deaths became our object lesson. Their God is my God. Their disobedience my disobedience. Why am I not more afraid that their fate could become mine?

As the Scriptures say,

“The people celebrated

with feasting and drinking,

and they indulged in pagan revelry.”

Shouldn’t I be trembling? My carnal cravings also lead to death. Here are take-home lessons Paul shouts out:

⁸ And we must not engage in sexual immorality

as some of them did,

causing 23,000 of them to die in one day.

Purity – a theme we have seen before in 1 Corithains. Absolutely essential for a child of God. God does not accept our immorality or our excuses. Are you failing morally? Get help! Are you struggling with a sexual addiction or fantasy? Seek counsel. The battle is not won alone. Losing this battle is not an option.

⁹ Nor should we put Christ to the test,

as some of them did

and then died from snakebites.

Testing God – a sin of unbelief. How big is my faith? Some of Israel’s faith was small enough to deserve venomous snakebites. Perhaps I should focus on growing my faith and increasing my dependence on God.

¹⁰ And don’t grumble as some of them did,

and then were destroyed by the angel of death.

Complaining – another theme of 1 Corinthians that seeps from many pages. Learn to be content! Stop being negative and muttering about how poor your life is. Do you think the angel of death is dead? I don’t think Paul believed that!

¹¹ These things happened to them as examples for us.

They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.

You mean we are not all that different? That is exactly Paul’s point.

Catching (not casting) Crowns…1 Cor. 9:24-27

²⁴ You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. ²⁵ All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally. ²⁶ I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! ²⁷ I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself. --- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (The Message)

What are you doing in your life right now that is putting you on track for a heavenly gold medal? Are you investing heavily in a person, missionary, Christian organization? Are you praying regularly and passionately for God to intervene in a crucial situation? Are you volunteering your time to serve Christ? Is there something, anything, in your life that merits a gold medal?

The Apostle Paul was convinced that he was running in a competition. He was not satisfied with the silver or bronze – just as most Olympic athletes scorn any medal other than the coveted gold. If you’ve been watching the Beijing 2008 Olympics, you even saw an athlete throw his bronze medal down and walk away. Paul too wanted to win the 1^st place prize (vs. 24).

Some people run for fun. Others run to win. Put Paul in the latter camp. He appeals to us to do the same: “Run in such a way that you may obtain it (the prize)” (vs. 24b). Olympic athletes run to win a medal they can’t take with them when they die. Christians run to win a medal that is “imperishable”.

Last night some high-profile runners were disqualified from the men’s 200 meter race after finishing 2^nd and 3^rd. Why? They ran out of their lanes!

Paul was extremely concerned that he might be disqualified. Rigid personal discipline is how Paul kept himself from elimination (vs. 27).

The greatly admired and respected Apostle Paul took extreme risks for Christ. He ran to win. He was competing for a permanent crown. He did whatever it took to remain in the race and stay in his “lane”. What are you competing for? Are you running for fun, or to win?

Iowa Testimonies

This video tells a bit of our story from Cedar Falls, Iowa. Annie, Sommer, Dani, Brittany, and I spent a week (July 28-Aug 2) volunteering with Samaritan's Purse Disaster Relief - and it was life-changing!!!

Incarnation evangelism... 1 Cor. 9:19-23

Perhaps one of the most misquoted and misunderstood portions of the New Testament. People often use this paragraph to justify all kinds of behavior. What exactly was Paul talking about when he penned the following?:

¹⁹ Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. ²⁰ To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. ²¹ To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. ²² To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. ²³ I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. - 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (NIV)

Is Paul saying that we can become like the people we are trying to reach? This is the typical interpretation. (This is why ministries are using all sorts of questionable methods to win people to Christ.)

I don't believe Paul is saying that at all! In fact, he tries quite clearly to state otherwise: "...not being without law toward God..." (vs. 21). This idea of using any means to win people to Christ is not a new idea - Paul mentioned it in Romans 11:13-14. Yet before we jump on the "end justifies the means" bandwagon, some thought is needed.

My favorite question to ask "ends justify means" people is this - I am going to build a bar onto our church. It will surely draw big night time crowds. While people are drinking and having a good time, there will be Christians mingling with them seeking to win them for Christ. Is this right? I have never gotten a "yes"! Why is that? Most people admit boundaries, they simply don't know how to think biblically about these boundaries.

Who is the very best example of being all things to all men, and yet remaining within the boundaries? Jesus! His incarnation allowed Him to serve, love, and free humanity from sin. He took on skin to bring Good News. He became a human, yet He retained His perfection.

Do you allow yourself to mingle with "bad people", also known as sinners? Do you take on their "skin" --- stoop to their level? Do you identify with them on a level you perhaps feel uncomfortable with? Paul did. I call this incarnation evangelism.

I think last weekend we practiced this by being at the Kirkwood Fair. For some, the crowds were perhaps "beneath" you. Perhaps the "carnies" gave you shivers. Did you care about their souls? Many of you did - enough to spend time giving away literature that could change their lives.

That's what incarnation evangelism is all about. It is about putting my preferences and comforts aside for the sake of anther's soul. It is caring more about the lost than my sensitivity.

Perhaps one of the best explanations of this passage comes from Eugene Peterson's Message paraphrase:

¹⁹ Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: ²⁰ religious, nonreligious, ²¹ meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, ²² the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. ²³ I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it! - 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (The Message)

Jesus wants us to do the same - get out of your church building! Stop staying in the team huddle. Stop drinking other people's medicine - the world needs it more than you do! Go out with the sinners. Befriend them. Eat with them. Go shopping with them. Love them. Don't practice their sin. Love their soul. Share hope with them. Practice incarnation evangelism!

How much does the Gospel cost you?

1 Corinthians 9:15-18 (NLT)
¹⁵ Yet I have never used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that I want to start now. In fact, I would rather die than lose my right to boast about preaching without charge. ¹⁶ Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News! ¹⁷ If I were doing this on my own initiative, I would deserve payment. But I have no choice, for God has given me this sacred trust. ¹⁸ What then is my pay? It is the opportunity to preach the Good News without charging anyone. That’s why I never demand my rights when I preach the Good News.

We have just heard from Will discussing Chapter 8 and the "right to party". Then we heard from Ralph discussing Chapter 9, verses 1-14 and the Paul's authority to be an apostle and expect to be paid. Now we see 9:15-18, and Paul essentially says that although all these rights are his, he gladly takes advantage of none of them.

As I contemplate on this week's text, I find myself asking some rather interesting questions:

• What does the Gospel cost me?
• How serious do I take my Christian calling?
• Am I ever content in keeping the truth to myself?
• What are my motives for helping in ministry?
• Do I find pleasure in sharing Christ with people?

Paul said that he was "compelled" to share the Good News (vs. 16). Do you ever feel compelled to share Christ?

Be Like Paul? 1 Cor. 7:25-40

We are biting a big chunk from 1 Corinthians this week, but this passage is really one main thought. I believe that the major question Paul seems to be answering is: "As parents, what do we do about our single daughters?" His answer speaks to married & unmarried alike:

1 Corinthians 7:25-40 (The Message)
²⁵ The Master did not give explicit direction regarding virgins, but as one much experienced in the mercy of the Master and loyal to him all the way, you can trust my counsel. ²⁶ Because of the current pressures on us from all sides, I think it would probably be best to stay just as you are. ²⁷ Are you married? Stay married. Are you unmarried? Don’t get married. ²⁸ But there’s certainly no sin in getting married, whether you’re a virgin or not. All I am saying is that when you marry, you take on additional stress in an already stressful time, and I want to spare you if possible.

²⁹ I do want to point out, friends, that time is of the essence. There is no time to waste, so don’t complicate your lives unnecessarily. Keep it simple—in marriage, ³⁰ grief, joy, whatever. Even in ordinary things—your daily routines of shopping, and so on. ³¹ Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world thrusts on you. This world as you see it is on its way out.

³² I want you to live as free of complications as possible. When you’re unmarried, you’re free to concentrate on simply pleasing the Master. ³³ Marriage involves you in all the nuts and bolts of domestic life and in wanting to please your spouse, ³⁴ leading to so many more demands on your attention. The time and energy that married people spend on caring for and nurturing each other, the unmarried can spend in becoming whole and holy instruments of God. ³⁵ I’m trying to be helpful and make it as easy as possible for you, not make things harder. All I want is for you to be able to develop a way of life in which you can spend plenty of time together with the Master without a lot of distractions.

³⁶ If a man has a woman friend to whom he is loyal but never intended to marry, having decided to serve God as a “single,” and then changes his mind, deciding he should marry her, he should go ahead and marry. It’s no sin; it’s not even a “step down” from celibacy, as some say. ³⁷ On the other hand, if a man is comfortable in his decision for a single life in service to God and it’s entirely his own conviction and not imposed on him by others, he ought to stick with it. ³⁸ Marriage is spiritually and morally right and not inferior to singleness in any way, although as I indicated earlier, because of the times we live in, I do have pastoral reasons for encouraging singleness.

³⁹ A wife must stay with her husband as long as he lives. If he dies, she is free to marry anyone she chooses. She will, of course, want to marry a believer and have the blessing of the Master ⁴⁰ . By now you know that I think she’ll be better off staying single. The Master, in my opinion, thinks so, too.

A few questions:
1) What is this "present distress" or "current pressures" in verse 26?
2) Does Paul view Christ's coming as more immanent than we do? Is this a problem?
3) What are the benefits/drawbacks of marriage?
4) What are the benefits/drawbacks of singleness?
5) What is motivating Paul to recommend singleness?
6) Should we be doing more as a church to promote & celebrate singleness?

No "if only" Living - 1 Cor. 7:17-24

A big thanks to Ralph for teaching class last Sunday! I am sure that you were blessed as he shared his thoughts on this very difficult passage. I have been meditating on it for weeks now, and want to share some of my own questions:

1 Corinthians 7:17-24 (NLT)
¹⁷ Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches.

¹⁸ For instance, a man who was circumcised before he became a believer should not try to reverse it. And the man who was uncircumcised when he became a believer should not be circumcised now. ¹⁹ For it makes no difference whether or not a man has been circumcised. The important thing is to keep God’s commandments.

²⁰ Yes, each of you should remain as you were when God called you. ²¹ Are you a slave? Don’t let that worry you—but if you get a chance to be free, take it. ²² And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ.

²³ God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world. ²⁴ Each of you, dear brothers and sisters, should remain as you were when God first called you.

When I read Paul’s writings, they either leave me scratching my head or holding my convicted heart. This passage does both – after my initial confusion I am awed and convicted. Does this really apply to me? I think it does – and I believe this applies to you too!

The questions that Paul raises are tough – and our answers will reveal our deepest longings.

Vs. 17 – Have I learned to be content with my current living situation?

Vs. 18 – Do I wish to reverse pre-conversion choices that I now regret?

Vs. 19 – What is the most important thing in life?

Vs. 20 – How should I live today?

Vs. 21-23 – Who do I belong to?

Vs. 24 – Must I remain in my current situation?

Ask yourselves these questions. Be very specific with your answers. We will discuss our thoughts on Sunday.

Iowa

In Iowa with Samaritan's Purse & BGEA Rapid Response Team!






Hello all!

I am in Iowa on a beautiful Tuesday. Today was our first full day out in the disaster areas. The Samaritan's Purse volunteers are hard at work cleaning out flooded homes (very similar to the Binghamton '06 flood). I hope that maybe a group from FCC will come back to Iowa with me for a week to do some manual labor in July. Anyone interested?

The chaplains (including yours truly) are meeting with affected homeowners and counseling and providing spiritual support. We do lots of listening, praying, and if the door opens - witnessing.
My partner-chaplain is Steve Frasier from near Los Angeles. Together, we have the West & East coasts covered.

On the plane yesterday I sat next to Katie, a young lady volunteering at a temporary animal shelter in Cedar Rapids. I was able to share the Gospel with her, and we had an awesome talk. Please pray for her, that God would keep softening her heart. I hope to keep in touch with her.

Lots happening. Please pray for the Iowans affected by these tornadoes and flooding. Pray for all the volunteers here working to make a difference. Pray that Christ will increase, and we will decrease!

Miss you all! Enjoy the pictures!!! Justin

Is the plane ready to take off yet?

Prairie Lakes Church is huge!

Awesome wireless cafe'!

Me with Steve Frasier en route to disaster area

Home just gutted by SP volunteers - this is our rental car

Lots of anger directed towards local gov't for protecting South Side but sinking the North Side by selective sandbagging

“I Do” – Marriage Vows & the Christian – 1 Cor. 7:10-16

I will be away next Sunday, so we will begin this new section Sunday and then Ralph will lead the discussion while I am away. I told Ralph that this week we will open the can of worms, and next week his job is to sort out the mess!!

We begin to poke our heads into some touchy subjects including marriage, divorce, remarriage, and marriage to unsaved spouses. As we do so, it is helpful to remember that we live in a fallen world. God’s intention from the beginning has been one man and one woman for life. The fall and introduction of sin into God’s perfect created order (Gen. 3) messed everything up. We are now left in a broken world with broken families and broken marriages.

In our class and church, we have people who have experienced the agony of divorce. They would be among the first to tell you how difficult that path is. Nobody here prefers divorce. Yet some have experienced it first-hand. I invite each of us to tread on this ground with sensitivity and understanding. I invite each person to share both their insights from Scripture and how it relates to the experiences (joys & hardships) of their life. Let’s look at the passage together:

-----------------------------------

1 Corinthians 7:10-16 (NLT)

¹⁰ But for those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband. ¹¹ But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else be reconciled to him. And the husband must not leave his wife.

¹² Now, I will speak to the rest of you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord. If a Christian man has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to continue living with him, he must not leave her. ¹³ And if a Christian woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him. ¹⁴ For the Christian wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the Christian husband brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy.

¹⁵ (But if the husband or wife who isn’t a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the Christian husband or wife is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you to live in peace.) ¹⁶ Don’t you wives realize that your husbands might be saved because of you? And don’t you husbands realize that your wives might be saved because of you?

-----------------------------------

Paul begins by commanding marital faithfulness (vs. 10-11). The vow of commitment is not breakable. If separation is needed, allow for reconciliation. Does this mean that divorce is not an option?

He then looks at an unequal union between a believer and unbeliever (vs. 12-16). It is a very specific and poignant message to the Corinthian church. Some in the church had found Christ, but their spouses had not. If the unbelieving spouse was willing to remain in the marriage, Paul says to stick it out. He says that somehow the believing spouse brings “holiness” or “sanctification” to the marriage – and it somehow impacts any children involved. What does this mean???

If the unbelieving spouse leaves, Paul tells the believer that they are under no judgment from God – the separation is beyond their control. Is this speaking of divorce, or merely separation?

The questions in my mind are many. This passage was probably much clearer to the Corinthians than to us. Our understanding of these issues is deeply clouded by our culture, experiences, and preferences. We are separated from Paul’s writing by 2,000 years. What do we need to bridge this gap? Can we possibly understand what Paul was saying to the Corinthians, and what that means for us?

What are the timeless commands found in this passage that I am required to obey? Let the discussion begin…

Be pure! - conclusions from 1 Cor. 7:1-9

Thanks for the great discussion in class yesterday. Here is my conclusion to this section of chapter 7. Remember that when Paul says "gift" in verse 7, he uses "charis" which means "grace gift" (we will see this word many more times in 1 Cor, especially chapters 12-14). The term "charismatics" comes from this Greek word. Paul teaches us that whatever our current relationship status is, we can view it as our grace-gift from God!

In all this discussion on singleness and marriage, it is easy to lose the perspective of context. Let’s zoom out a bit to see just where we are in this letter to the Corinthians:

Chapters 1-4: Unity and servant hood are needed in a divided church

Chapters 5-7: Purity and contentment are needed in an immoral church

Looking at it this way, we can see the entire purpose of Chapter 7 is purity. Paul wanted his readers – both single and married – to learn to live in purity. He tells them that marriage & singleness are both gifts of God. Whatever your current state is – do not consider it a curse! Consider it a gift from God! Learn contentment with your current gift from God!

Learn to be content as a single person. Pursue God with all your time and energy. Use your mind and body for His causes. Learn to fight temptation and remain pure. Paul would be proud of you! He can relate to your struggles, but extols singleness as an awesome gift from God. If you are consumed by unfulfilled sexual passion, Paul commands you to seek marriage – the only healthy outlet for sexual passion (vs. 9, “marry” is an imperative). The Corinthian culture saturated these single Christians in sex, much like our culture does. Since some cannot handle singleness, Paul’s solution is not sleeping around, it is marriage!

“But if they can’t manage their desires and emotions, they should by all means go ahead and get married. The difficulties of marriage are preferable by far to a sexually tortured life as a single.”

1 Cor. 7:9 The Message

Learn to be content as a married person. Marriage is a gift from God for a time. Be content with your husband or wife. Be faithful to them in mind and body. Practice purity and keep the marriage bed pure. Your body is no longer yours to keep to yourself or give to anyone other than your spouse! (vs. 4) One day you may lose your spouse and have to accept again the gift of singleness. Learn to be grateful for the gift of marriage and serve your husband/wife. Marriage is a place where your sexual passion can be fulfilled. If it is not happening in your marriage, that needs to change. If you withhold yourself from your spouse, you are setting them up for failure (vs. 5).

This is dangerous ground to tread, but Paul boldly covers it. He was sick of the immorality in the Corinthian church. He screams at them: “Learn to live in contentment and purity!!!” Do we hear him loud and clear? I am not so sure…

(if you are looking for the weekly Sunday School blog, please scroll way down to the previous blogs, or click the correct link to the right)

Hey all,

I am posting a paper I wrote this week for my Contemporary Old Testament Theology class at Baptist Bible Seminary. I studied Ecclesiastes and isolated four major themes: perspective, pleasure, work, and wisdom. I spend time looking at each theme and developing a biblical theology of each. I love Ecclesiastes!!
Read & enjoy! Questions or comments? Feel free to post them!
Justin

A Biblical Theology of Ecclesiastes: The Grand Experiment

Introduction

The assembly is listening attentively as the Preacher speaks the words of this book. Sitting at the feet of the wealthiest and wisest king on earth is a great privilege. Hearing his lesson on life is surprisingly stirring. How could wealth not produce contentment and happiness? How could the soul who had everything want anything? How could depression overtake the soul of the revered Preacher? All these questions and more are swirling through the minds of the Preacher’s audience. Let us join this audience as we surface four of the Preacher’s main themes and look at their relevance for our lives.

Author

When it comes to the authorship of Ecclesiastes, there is considerable debate. I hold to the view that the author is who he claims to be: “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king of Jerusalem.”[1] [2] There is only one son of David who was also King of Jerusalem – the wise King Solomon. Throughout the book, he chooses to identify himself as the Preacher: “One who gathers the assembly together for instruction.”[3] [4]

Purpose

The book seems to be Solomon’s notes taken during his grand experiment of life. He metaphorically put life in a test tube and did experiments to determine the substance of our existence. His conclusions are both saddening and joyous. Hope is buried in pain, pleasure is oftentimes lost to mourning, and life is overshadowed by impending death. Some view Solomon’s conclusions as depressive and dark. Others see them as filled with hope, purpose, and meaning. I belong in the latter camp.

As Solomon discusses his findings and discoveries, he utilizes different literary styles and techniques. Repetition is used to emphasize themes and conclusions. At times the discussion is a narrative of his experiments. Other times the book takes proverbial cause-effect and parallelism form.

At times, Solomon is almost whimsical and reflective. Other times, he uses imperatives and commands to compel his audience towards a change of mind and action. His grand experiment has produced some marvelous conclusions that no person should ignore.

Organization

Some see a progression in Solomon’s talk, while others see cycles or patterns but no real progression. While it appears that both observations and conclusions are sprinkled throughout this extended discourse, I believe there is somewhat of a progression.

I see two major sections in this sermon. Chapters 1-6 are primarily observations and statements concerning the vanity of life. Chapters 7-12 are primarily counsel and conclusions about living with satisfaction and meaning. Where the first section could be seen as Solomon proving his thesis, the second section could be seen as Solomon offering counsel in light of his observations. Section 1 is primarily narrative, while section 2 is primarily proverbial using if-then and parallelism statements.

Major Motifs

In the grand scheme of this sermon, Solomon seems to be repeating key words and phrases that give evidence to four major motifs. “Under the sun” surfaces a motif of human versus divine perspective. “All is vanity” bookmarks the beginning and end of this sermon, appears frequently throughout, and surfaces a motif of pleasure. “Toil”, “work” and “labor” all indicate a motif of labor. “Wisdom” and “foolishness” appear commonly and indicate a motif of right thinking and living. We will attempt to build a biblical theology of each.

Perspective: How do You View Life?

The apparent contradictions that seem to abound in Ecclesiastes are often simply changes in the author’s perspective. When Solomon views life from a purely human standpoint, he is left with a hopeless existence. Yet when he begins to view life from God’s perspective, he realizes that vanity can vanish and purpose can appear. Hopelessness can be swallowed by purpose; mourning can be overtaken by joy. It all depends upon your perspective. It is not a matter of positive thinking; it is a matter of a God-centered life of purpose versus a man-centered life of hedonism.

“Under the sun” is a compelling phrase used over two dozen times in Ecclesiastes and nowhere else in Scripture. It is imperative that we accurately interpret this frequent phrase to understand the true meaning of Ecclesiastes.

As a matter of observation, almost every time “under the sun” is used, it is in a negative sense. When Solomon wants to convey the vanity of life, he uses this phrase. He frequently uses this phrase with “a chasing after the wind” to describe the meaninglessness of life without God.

I believe that Solomon is using this phrase to describe life from a purely human perspective, without God. In his grand experiment, he tested life and found it to be empty, futile, redundant, and meaningless – apart from God. “Under the sun” is his way of describing what he observed from a human standpoint, without recognizing the divine plan or working of God. In chapter 4, Solomon describes the oppression, wickedness, and unfairness that are part of life. Evil is everywhere, and life is tragically unfair. No matter how good or bad a person is, the same fate awaits them both.

With almost a hint of fatalism, Solomon admits that with all his wisdom, he is still unable to logically comprehend all that happens “under the sun”. In a shocking confession of his failed experiment, Solomon admits he is unable to find meaning in life on his own: “When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe man’s labor on earth – his eyes not seeing sleep day or night – then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all his efforts to search it out, man cannot discover its meaning. Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it.”[5]

When Solomon begins to factor God into the equation, life under the sun takes on a new flavor. No longer is all life meaningless and worthless. Suddenly there is contentment, satisfaction, and purpose in life. For Solomon, this was a heartening realization![6]

What a compelling lesson for Americans! We live in a culture that pursues the American dream. We cry out for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Yet in the rush to grab hold of the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, we come up empty. Solomon’s sermon is as relevant to us as it was to his Jewish audience. We live in a world of hedonism. We should listen to a man who took pleasure to the max, and came out empty-handed. The pursuit of personal pleasure does not satisfy. Hedonism is taking a drink of saltwater in the desert. We can never satisfy ourselves.

The only real purpose and fulfillment that can be found in life is when we change our focus from ourselves to God. Life is not about our dreams, goals, and desires for our life. Life is not about us. Life should be about God’s dreams, goals, and desires for my life. My life must revolve around God and becoming the person God wants me to be. Only then can I find contentment, satisfaction, and meaning under the sun. Without a God-perspective, hopelessness is imminent and suicide is the only logical conclusion.

Pleasure: What Satisfies You?

Part of Solomon’s experiment was experiencing all the pleasures of life and making observations about them: “I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly.”[7] This empirical search for happiness left him empty. His search for meaning produced only meaninglessness: “I perceived this also is grasping for the wind.”[8] This oft repeated phrase highlighted the impossibility of finding pleasure apart from God. As one cannot hold the wind in his hand, neither can one find pleasure apart from God.

Solomon was a man of extremes and excess. As he looked out over his crowd of loyal subjects, he admitted his lack of moderation: “Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure.”[9] He rode every roller coaster in Palestine, he owned every late model chariot, he built the largest and most majestic house in the world, and he was empty. He realized that despite his immense wealth, there are some things money simply cannot buy: “And how does a wise man die? As the fool! Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distress to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind. Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me.”[10]

Solomon had a single outcome from his pursuit of pleasure without God: meaninglessness. His life had no pleasure, only sleepless nights: “For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun? For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.”[11] His pursuit of pleasure yielded dissatisfaction with life, not unlike our own result of seeking satisfaction apart from God.

While his audience sat in uncomfortable silence wondering if all hope for pleasure was lost, Solomon continued: “Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.”[12] His audience certainly looked perplexed at the glaring contradiction and paradox of his conclusion.

Upon closer inspection of his conclusion we find crucial lessons. Solomon did not say that wealth provides pleasure. He looked for the largest thrills and adrenaline rushes, but they came with hangovers. He sought the grandest bragging rights, but they got old. He undertook the biggest projects, but they left him empty.

Solomon became a hedonist during his experiment. Hedonism provides momentary adrenaline rushes followed by hours of boredom. Hedonism offers temporary happiness today, but there is always a hangover tomorrow. Solomon said there must be more to life than this. Then he realized that the source of true pleasure is not man-made. It is divine. True pleasure can only come as a gift from the hand of God. Solomon had been looking in all the wrong places.

The lesson that Solomon taught his audience is that pleasure can be enjoyed by all who work, eat, and have families. Thus pleasure was not reserved just for the upper class. Pleasure could be experienced by all who enjoyed the fruit of their labor. God has designed the simplest parts of life to bring pleasure. A man should enjoy the fruit of his work, his family, and his marriage. [13]

Solomon is teaching us that pleasure is a gift from God. Enjoy the gifts that God has given you. Find satisfaction and meaning in the moment. Do not get so lost in the past or future that you cannot enjoy the moment. Pleasure is a gift from God, not man-made. Do not search for meaning or pleasure apart from God; for the search will leave you empty handed.

Toil: What are You Working For?

Solomon pursued the American dream. The harder he worked, and the more he accumulated, the more his dream eluded him. Laziness was not a weakness for Solomon. He was a man of action and hard work. He undertook huge building projects.[14] He built majestic homes, vineyards, gardens, and orchards. He planted fruit trees and made watering pools and irrigation systems. He acquired many servants, herds and flocks. He multiplied his wealth by saving gold, silver, and treasures. He owned a personal orchestra complete with musicians and instruments. There was none like him in the history of Israel.

The end result of all his labor must have been painful to him, and stunning to his audience: “Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.” He pursued fulfillment and dreams through his labor. But his work could not provide the outcome he desired.

Over and over Solomon asks his audience: “What does a man get for all his toil?”[15] The first four chapters he has almost nothing but bad things to say about work. It is a fruitless and thankless task that leaves you feeling empty. Then Solomon puts his finger on motive: “And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man’s envy of his neighbor.”[16] When work is about “keeping up with the Joneses” is does not satisfy. Someone always has something more, something better. In Solomon’s case, he had it all, and yet the fruit of his labor was still bitter. Hard work does not always produce happiness and pleasure. If work is unbalanced, it can lead to loneliness, greed, and shortsightedness.[17]

Chapter 3 provides a peek into a different perspective on work. Solomon reveals that looking at work as God-given can change everything: “I have seen the God-given task which the sons of men are to be occupied. He has made everything beautiful in its time…I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor – it is a gift of God.”[18]

From chapter 5 forward, the perspective on work is positive. From his new perspective, Solomon views work as meaningful and the results of work as gifts from God. In our Monday through Friday society, this biblical theology of work is crucial. We try to make it through the week and live for the weekends. Life for many people begins every Friday evening and ends every Monday morning. Yet Solomon implores us to look at our work as a good part of life, not a burden. We should see the results of our jobs as divine gifts, and enjoy them with our families.

Solomon also exhorts his audience to be risk-takers. In a pre-curser to Nike’s “Just do it”, he says: “Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.”[19] Investing in the future is a must for the diligent worker. Taking risks is a must for those who want fruit from their labor. Solomon pokes fun at the farmer who does not plant his crops because he is paralyzed by fear of poor weather.[20] His conclusion is that taking risks is a must, because we cannot know the future.[21] Only God can know and control the results of our work.

Besides simple contentment, Solomon teaches us to enjoy the fruit of our work! Have fun with your family. Enjoy meals together. Enjoy your possessions. Do not try to keep up with your neighbors, but do not view wealth as evil. Instead, view material possessions as gifts from your Heavenly Father: “It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage. As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor – that is the gift of God. For he will not dwell unduly on the day of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.”[22]

What a powerful theology of work! I am busy because God keeps me busy with the joy of my heart. My work is not troublesome or useless, it is a labor of love given me by God to earn his blessings and gifts for the enjoyment of myself and my family.

Wisdom: Are You Thinking and Living Accurately?

Far be it from the wise King Solomon to not discuss the benefits and pitfalls of wisdom with his audience. As the wisest King ever, he was intimately aware of the foolishness that surrounded him. He was also aware of the foolishness of his own instincts. Over two dozen times Solomon speaks about wisdom. After all, wisdom was his primary vial in which the entire experiment was conducted: “I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven.”[23]

As Solomon tested and used wisdom in his experiment, he grew increasingly frustrated at the results. Instead of satisfaction he experienced futility. Instead of joy, his increase of knowledge produced grief. In a stunning blow to those who believed that education could save mankind, Solomon decried the inability of wisdom to cure the ills of life: “For in much wisdom is much grief, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.”[24]

Solomon saw life as a cycle that repeats itself endlessly.[25] There are no original ideas: “There is nothing new under the sun.”[26] Although wisdom is better than folly, both the wise and foolish man die the same death. This disgusted him to the point of hating his life.[27]

In a very real sense, Solomon was the world’s earliest post-modernist! He realized millennia ago just how empty knowledge was without God. The more you know, the more you realize how unable you are to change the hopelessness of life under the sun. Education does not have the answer to life. Science cannot explain the purpose or meaning of life. The pursuit of education and knowledge is meaningless…without a pursuit of God.

In a moving self-argument, Solomon convinces himself that although wisdom is better than folly, the wise person is often forgotten and overlooked.[28] There is no intrinsic dignity or glory in wisdom. Although wisdom yields positive results, it only takes one sinner to destroy much good.[29]

One of the most ironic portions of Ecclesiastes is when Solomon explains the benefits of attending funerals rather than parties.[30] He says the wise person goes through tough times and understands serious matters of life. The foolish person is always partying and ignoring mature matters. Tragedy and grief are a part of life that will be experienced by all. Instead of ignoring grief, we would be wise to embrace and learn from it. Both hard times and good times can come from God's hand. Don't be too quick to escape hard times. Life is not always about pleasure.[31]

Solomon teased young people by telling them to follow their hearts in what has become the typical modern graduation speech: “Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes.”[32] As his audience smiled and nodded in agreement, Solomon quickly threw a left hook: “But know that for all these God will bring you into judgment.”[33] While his audience reeled from the sudden revelation that he was being sarcastic, he continued: “Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh…remember now the Creator in the days of your youth.”[34]

The wise person realizes that there is more to life than this earth. One day there will be a judgment. God will call all people to account for their actions. In a fitting conclusion to his message, Solomon reminds his audience that the ultimate duty of man is obedience and wise living: “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.”[35] Wisdom must produce right thinking and living before God. To live any other way is not only foolish, it is eternally meaningless!

Conclusion

At the end of this grand experiment, we see that life is meaningless apart from God. As hard as Solomon tried, he was unable to extract purpose or genuine pleasure from life on his own. He teaches profound lessons to people of all ages and cultures about perspective, pleasure, labor, and wisdom.

Our lives were designed to be centered on God, not ourselves. When we live apart from God, there is no hope or meaning to life. Temporary pleasure can be obtained through possessions, accomplishments, and experiences but this usually vanishes rapidly into emptiness.[36] When we live an honest life we can enjoy the fruits of our labor with a clean conscience and a happy heart. The wise realize that God did not intend that we are always happy. There is a time for pleasure and pity, happiness and mourning, life and death.[37] Wisdom is not the solution to life – rather it should lead us to God.

As hard as Solomon tried to figure life and God out, he admitted failure. He honestly acknowledged that the ways of God are incomprehensible.[38] God’s mind was much too deep for Solomon. If God’s mind is too deep for the wisest man ever, where does that leave us? Instead of embarking on the same grand experiment, it behooves us to accept his conclusions by faith. The pursuit of pleasure is a dead end, one that Solomon implores us not to travel. “Just trust me” he essentially says, “I have traveled every path imaginable, and they all left me hopeless. Stop pursuing selfish goals. Pursue God! Judgment is coming. Each person will give an account.”

In summary, life without God is meaningless, regardless of the experiences and riches acquired. But accepting the gifts of God in this life with contentment can yield a life of pleasure and fulfillment.

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[1] Ecc. 1:1, see also 1:12

[2] Unless noted otherwise, all Scripture taken from the New King James Version, Nashville: Nelson, 1982.

[3] MacArthur, John. The MacArthur Study Bible. Nashville: Nelson, 1997. 927.

[4] See Ecc. 1:1, 2, 12; 7:27; 12:8, 9; 12:10

[5] Ecc. 8:16-17 NIV

[6] Ecc. 5:18; 8:15

[7] Ecc. 1:17a

[8] Ecc. 1:17b

[9] Ecc. 2:10a

[10] Ecc. 2:16b-18

[11] Ecc. 2:22-23

[12] Ecc. 2:24

[13] Ecc. 9:9

[14] Ecc. 2:4-9

[15] Ecc. 1:3; 2:17, 22, 23; 3:9; 4:8; 5:16;

[16] Ecc. 4:4 NIV

[17] Ecc. 4:8

[18] Ecc. 3:9-13

[19] Ecc. 11:1

[20] Ecc. 11:3-4

[21] Ecc. 11:5-6

[22] Ecc. 5:18-20

[23] Ecc. 1:13

[24] Ecc. 1:18

[25] Ecc. 2:12

[26] Ecc. 1:9

[27] Ecc. 2:12-23

[28] Ecc. 9:13-17

[29] Ecc. 9:18

[30] Ecc. 7:1-4

[31] Ecc. 7:14; 11:8

[32] Ecc. 11:9a

[33] Ecc. 11:9b

[34] Ecc. 11:10-12:1a

[35] Ecc. 12:13-14

[36] Ecc. 2:1-11

[37] Ecc. 3:1-8; 8:14; 12:1-5

[38] Ecc. 8:17 Job came to a nearly identical conclusion! (see Job 42:1-6)