Under the Sun / Week 7

Death – A Powerful Teacher
Ecclesiastes 7, 9, 12    August 7, 2022  

1. Introduction:
   1. Let me ask you a question – it’s New Year’s Eve 2022 and you have two engagements, one in the morning to go to a funeral of someone you deeply loved and the second in the evening to go to a party with some of the most fun people you know!
      1. Which would you rather go to?
      2. Which would be more beneficial for you to go to?
   2. Turn to Ecclesiastes 7 and read v2-4
      1. Read v2 again note - it is better …. because/for that is the end of every one of us and it has an impact upon our heart.  
         1. Simply stated when you go to a funeral one of God’s purposes of this is to remind us that someday it will be our turn to be in that box. 
      2. Read v3. Give the literal translation of v3
         1. Hebrew lit – the heart “becometh” better
         2. NLT – sadness has a refining influence on us.
      3. Bottom line - the sorrow, pain, and grief that the death of a loved one brings to us has the potential to make us better, to refine us, and transform us!

• Death, both in the book of Ecclesiastes and in life, is a powerful transformational teacher.  Let’s see some basic 

1.  Truths about death  
   1. Ecclesiastes uses death to impress four things upon our hearts
      1. That our life is temporary, short and is fleeting - Ecclesiastes 6:12a; Psalm 39:4-5
      2. That no one escapes death – everyone will experience it - Ecclesiastes 9:2-3a
      3. When we die, we will take nothing with us! - Ecclesiastes 2:18-19 – 
      4. Nobody knows when they will die and it is out of our control, it is in God’s hands –   read 9:12 and Ecclesiastes 3:2 – a time to give birth and a time to die! James 4:15 “if the Lord wills, we shall live” 
      5. We live life as if it is going to go on forever and make plans as if we are in control of what and when things are going to happen.  The wise man recognizes that being alive today is a gift of God and he does not even have a guarantee to make it to the end of the day.  And yes, someday he will die
   2. We also see in Ecclesiastes the nature of death. 
      1. Remember as I read the next few verses the focus of Ecclesiastes is upon life here on earth and what people will be missing out on in life here on earth. It is not meant to be a statement of what after life will be like.  Read v4-6
      2. Reread v4a – “there is hope” there is still the hope for future dreams; there is still the opportunity to partake in life on earth. 
      3. You still can have knowledge of things, you still can experience the rewards that God gives you in life, you still can know and be known personally by people, you still can have the passions of your heart and you still can have the opportunity to participate in all that is going on here on earth.
      4. What he is saying is that while you are alive you still have opportunities to engage in life here on earth.  But once you die that ends!

• So he is using the truths that we are going to die someday at an unexpected time to “motivate” us not to miss the opportunities that lay before us today! In verses 7-10 he lays out for us …

1.  Four wise ways to live in light of the fact we will die
   1. Note that he starts off in v7 with “go then,” in other words here is what you should do in light of what has been said.  
   2.  Read v7 - enjoy life! 
      1. We have seen this many times in the book before; actually, it forms the heart of the repeated refrains in the first half of the book.  
      2. One of the good things we are told to do is enjoy life, the simple things in life like eating and drinking and the task/work that we do!
   3. Read v8 – make every day a special day!
      1. In their culture, they could not afford to wear white clothes, cologne, and perfume every day.  So they brought them out for special occasions, like weddings and special holy day celebrations
      2. But note in this verse he says to do it “at all times.”  In other words, live every day as a special day.
      3. Turn the simple things of life into special occasions and pleasures.  
      4. Here in North America we are busy people driven either by a written or internal to do list that never seems to have an end.  To follow this instruction it will simply take a matter of cutting down the list for today and giving some intentional thought how to make the day special and not just another day of getting things done. 
   4. Read v9- enjoy life with your mate 
      1. If you are single, you can apply this truth to your special friend!
      2. The reason for this is that this life is flying by us.   
      3. Yes, there will not only be an end to your life but an end to your marriage relationship so enjoy that gift while you have it.   
      4. I went to visit a man from MVC six months after his wife died. I just wanted to check in with him and see how he was doing.  I will never forget what he told me that day as it has lodged deep within my heart.
         1. He said, “Pat, retirement is not what it is cracked up to be. My wife and I had dreams for years what we would do when we got here, but for most part either one of you does not have the health at that time to pull off what you dreamed of doing, or one of you dies and all those dreams go into the ground with them!”   
      5. If you are not enjoying the ride with your mate, do something about it!    There is help here at MVC, there is help with personal marriage mentors – (look around and go ask) and there is help with professional counselors.    
         1. Do not waste this special gift God has given you for a limited time! 
   5. Read v10 – live life to the fullest  
      1. The reason again is that when you die that opportunity is all gone.
      2. Here is a principle that I use - do everything you can to live your life fully, limiting yourself only to the things you can do with joy and passion.
         1. We may need to prune some things to do this!  In other words, are you burning yourself, your joy and strength out by doing too much?   
         2. To keep our passion, joy and energy up we need to take enough time to enjoy the simple things God has given to us, make every day special and enjoy the mate or special friends that God has given to us 

• Regarding these four ways to live you could be feeling: I could have gotten this same info in a secular speech or article, maybe even the local atheist club.  But he adds a fifth one near the end of the book that puts all these into perspective.

1. He adds a fifth  
   1. Read Ecclesiastes 12: 6-7 – remember him
      1. The emphasis is remember him before you die!
      2. In other words everything we have heard so far must be put in the broader context of remember God
      3. That means for us believers today that we should remember Jesus when we enjoy life, make every day special, enjoy our mates and live life to the fullest! 
   2. When it comes to enjoying life 
      1. Read Ecclesiastes 2:24-25  
      2. Joy is a gift of God, a fruit of the Spirit, either we can get all bent out of shape, angry and anxious about all the enigmas, uncertainties of life and the fact we are going to die, or we can enjoy gifts God has given to us in this broken world!
   3. When it comes to make every day a special day!
      1. Read Colossians 3:17  
      2. Everything we should do we should do it with the Lord Jesus Christ in mind and for his glory!
   4. When it comes to enjoy life with your mate
      1. We learned in Ephesians 5, when we studied marriage that marriage is ultimately a picture of Jesus’ relationship to the church and husbands and wives should emulate that in their relationship to those around them.   How Jesus lays down his life for his bride the church and how his bride, the church submissively responded to him in a submission that responds to his loving leadership!
      2. Are you using your marriage to model for other believers what Jesus can do for them in their marriage and for the lost world in what a relationship with Jesus can look like for them?
   5. When it comes to live life to the fullest
      1. John 10:10 teaches us that the fullest life possible is only through Jesus
      2. Colossians 3:23 teaches us that everything we do we should do with all our hearts for the sake of the Lord!  
   6. Are you living for Jesus?  Is he the purpose and driver of your life?
      1. While these four ways of living are wise in light of the fact we are going to die, they are meant to be carried out in the context of Jesus at the center of all of them!                                      

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