Life Under the Sun
Passage: Ecclesiastes 3:9-15
We learned in seminary that in preaching pastors are allow two finallys and three in conclusions. Tonight is our third of three in conclusions to the book of Ecclesiastes. We started in February and have heard 26 sermons on this remarkable and unique book. I am very grateful to Pastor Mike and Elder David Watson for their excellent contributions along the way.
The two of them convinced me to do this series, I am not sure I would have done so otherwise. It is one of the harder books to understand. It reminds me of the late, great Winston Churchill’s famous quote defining Russia as “a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.” That’s Ecclesiastes.
The book of Ecclesiastes is a profoundly unsettling book. It is devastating to our pride concerning the meaning of our lives and our work. It is a devastating blow to all that we hold near and dear as Americans, our strong sense of independence, our strong sense of self-achievement, self-advancement.
Our grand emphasis of success and accomplishment. Success in our world is defined with setting goals and then achieving them. This is how we measure worth, value, importance. Our self-worth depends on what you have to show for ourselves.
It challenges everything we use to measure our self-worth in what we have, what we have done. In our world the most important thing is to do something. We are bound up in finding efficiency, effectiveness, the right methods. We are on a hamster wheel of ceaselessly striving for relevance and importance.
When we introduce ourselves to others, the first thing is always what do you do? Our worth is in our utility, in our usefulness. We have lost an understanding of what is worthwhile and useful, what truly promotes joy and peace.
Ecclesiastes blows up our whole world, especially our western American mindset and mentality. If Ecclesiastes hasn’t rattle you to the core of where you get your identity and self-worth, then you have missed it.