First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012
Sermon Notes (Sunday ~ July 26, 2020)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
Ecclesiastes 3:1-11; Ephesians 5:15-16
 
The story is told of a farmer in a Midwestern state who had a strong dislike for Christians and churches.  As he plowed his field on Sunday mornings, he would shake his fist at the church folk driving by on their way to worship.  October came and went, and the farmer had his best crop ever.  When the harvest was complete, he placed an advertisement in the local newspaper which belittled and made fun of the Christians for their faith in God.  This was the message in the newspaper, “Faith in God must not mean much if someone like me can prosper.”  The response from the Christians in the community was quiet and polite.  In the same newspaper was this comment: “God doesn’t always settle His accounts in October.”  For everything there is a season for sure.
 
As you may remember, this summer I am preaching through the book of Ecclesiastes.  We are in the third chapter this morning.  Ecclesiastes chapter three is probably the best-known passage in the entire book.  It’s a poetic masterpiece.  I think it has so much to teach us, so this morning we will ponder its wisdom as it relates to our lives.  As we do so, let me offer two reminders from Ecclesiastes 3:1-11
 
First: Recognize the Seasons of Life
Ecclesiastes chapter 3 states its main point in verse 1: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”  The Preacher then gives 14 examples in pairs that cover every area of life.
 
There was a time that you were born; there will also be a time that you will die.  There are times that you plant a tree; there are times that you have to chop a tree down because it’s grown old and no longer bears fruit.  There’s a time that soldiers are at war shooting each other; there’s a time when peace is declared, and former enemies stand together at the cenotaph in remembrance.  There’s a time to build a building; there’s a time when you take down the building in order to make something new.  There are times to weep, and times to laugh.  To cry at the wrong time is just as bad as laughing at the wrong time.  There’s a time to accumulate possessions; then there’s a time to give things away because they are no longer needed.
 
What the Preacher is saying in Ecclesiastes 3 is simple, yet profound: recognize the seasons of life.  When we do so, we will evaluate, reorganize, and reorder our lives.  You will allow some new things to be born in your life, and let other things die.  You will be able to recognize whether this is a time to plant, labor under the scorching sun, or just a time to wait for the harvest.  Is it a time to break down or a time to build up?  Is it a time to keep silence or a time to speak up? 
 
The process of reorganizing our lives is transformative.  Most likely, you will have to give up some stuff in your life to make room for other things that are more valuable and beneficial.  You will look at the things that your heart adore, and you will either love them more or stop loving them at all.  You will have to reevaluate what you do, and you will come up with either yes, this is so central to my life, this what makes my life meaningful, or no, this is just time consuming but has no value to it.  Life is to a great extent all about timing; it’s about doing the right thing in the right season.  
 
Second: Acknowledge Your Limitation
Ecclesiastes chapter 3 offers another truth that is for some people may sound very uncomfortable one, but for me, it’s very comforting.  This truth is that we humans don’t control the seasons of life; God does.  You may notice that most of the things, of life activities, the Preacher has listed in Eccles9astes 3 are things we have no control over, but God does.  As I said, this could be a troubling reality to a lot of people today, but for us, Christians, it should be a comforting one.
 
We believe in God’s providence.  Nothing can happen to us by chance.  This great truth ought to cause all of God's children to shout “Hallelujah!”  We believe in a God who is wise, who sees the end from the beginning, who is never caught by surprise.  We believe in a God who is powerful, who is Almighty, to cause all things to work together for the good of those who love Him.
 
We’re not in control, the Preacher says, but God is.  He is the King of time, and He does everything just at the right time.  God is always right on time; He’s never too early and He’s never too late. This is very good news for us, especially given the ever-changing circumstances of life.  God is in control of the times, and he’s always on time.  
 
Our work, our choices, our decisions, therefore, need to flow within the timing of God.  We need to stop trying to force our will on life and instead, learn to live within the timing of God.  In other words, we need to learn some humility.  A lot of our stress comes from trying to get control of what is beyond our control.  Once we know that it is God's timing that matters most, we can rest in this truth. Then we become more faithful, more gracious, more generous, and more responsive to the movement of God in our lives.  That’s why Ecclesiastes 3:11 states, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”
 
The peace of God comes to those who learn to live within the beauty of God's timing.  Jesus lived and died with great sensitivity to what he called “His hour.”  “My hour has not yet come,” ~ a phrase that Jesus repeated several times in the gospels to indicate His submission and obedience to God’s timing.
 
Friends, we are creatures of time who were made for eternity. Yes, we are mortal and trapped in time, yet, we know there’s more. We are made to ask the bigger questions of life. We want to understand and find the meaning, to discern God’s purpose for our lives, and wrestle with it to make it happen.  That’s what the Preacher is saying in Ecclesiastes 3:11, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” 
 
Life isn’t random.  God is in control.  This saves a lot of worry.  Philip Melanchton (1497-1560 AD) was a dear friend with Martin Luther (1483-1546 AD).  Melanchton would occasionally worry a bit too much about the situation in Germany.  Luther chided him, saying, “Let Philip cease to rule the world.  It is none of our work to steer the course of providence, or direct its motions, but to submit quietly to Him who does.”  It’s liberating to know we’re not in control.  There is a king who reigns, and we are to honor Him in all the seasons of life.  So whatever season you are living right now, make the most out of it.  “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15-16.  Amen.

First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012
Sermon Notes (Sunday ~ July 19, 2020)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
Ecclesiastes 2:1-11; Matthew 7:24-27
 
I read a story about a rich American businessman who was vacationing in Mexico.  While vacationing in Mexico, the wealthy man was disturbed to find a fisherman just sitting lazily beside his boat.  “Why aren’t you out there fishing?” the wealthy man asked.  “Because I’ve caught enough fish for today,” said the fisherman. “Why don't you catch more fish than you need?” the rich man asked again.  “What would I do with them?”  “You could earn more money,” came the impatient reply, “and buy a better boat so you could go deeper and catch more fish.  You could purchase better nets, catch even more fish, and make more money.  Soon you’d have a fleet of boats and be rich like me.”  The fisherman asked, “Then what would I do?”  “You could sit down and enjoy life,” said the wealthy man.  “What do you think I'm doing right now?” the fisherman replied with a big smile on his face.
 
If you’re to examine your life today, how would you describe it?  Are you happy?  Are you satisfied?  What is the one thing that will finally make you satisfied?  When will you finally be happy and satisfied?  I think one of human beings’ biggest tragedies is that so many people live under the false hope of “I will be happy if I achieved this or if I acquired that.  Every one of us has some-thing or some set of circumstances in the back of our mind that we anticipate will make us happy.  We assume that once we achieved this, once we have accomplished that, then we will be satisfied and finally be happy!
 
Because we operate with this mentality, we keep working harder and harder to make more money, climb the corporate ladder, pursue new relationships, with the hope that someday, we finally find satisfaction and happiness.  Where can true happiness be found?  How can someone live a satisfied and fulfilled life?
 
Well, I don’t think we have to reinvent the wheel.  In the book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon had tried it all and he gave us his conclusion at least a couple times in the first chapter.  In Ecclesiastes 1:2, the Preacher said, “Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities!  All is vanity.”  This conclusion is clarified in chapter 1:14 as Solomon says, “I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”
 
Wisdom is Not Satisfying
Solomon tried it all.  The first chapter revealed Solomon as he looked for the meaning of life in wisdom, in gaining more and more knowledge.  Knowledge didn’t satisfy the hunger of his heart.  In Ecclesiastes 1:18, he said, “For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.”  Although wisdom is better than folly, it is ultimately unsatisfying.
 
Solomon elaborates more on this in chapter two and he compares wisdom to light and folly to darkness in 2:13. Wisdom helps us understand the world around us, but turning on the light does not change the room itself.  Of course, it’s nice to have the light on, but turning on the light will not change how messy the room might be.  Solomon is just frustrated with the limitations of knowledge.
 
In Ecclesiastes chapter 2, Solomon examined and tried various avenues in the pursuit of the meaning of life and in his pursuit of happiness.  Ecclesiastes chapter 2 highlights at least three of them:
 
First: The Pursuit of Pleasure (2:1-3)
In Ecclesiastes 2:1 we read, “I said to myself, “Come now, I will make a test of pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But again, this also was vanity.”  Solomon tried every pleasure.  It didn’t work.  Humans always live with the thought that getting the next thing would do it.  We think that getting more would do it, but unfortunately, it doesn’t.  Solomon says to us today, “Don't think that the next thing will do it; don't think that the more will do it, because I had the next thing and I had the more, and it didn't do it.”  Be aware of the false promises of pleasure.
 
Second: The Pursuit of Projects (2:4-7)
Listen to Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastes 2:4-7, “I made great works; I built houses and planted vineyards for myself; I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees.  I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees.  I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house; I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem.”
 
There is of course some satisfaction in designing and building things.  But what happens when the task is completed?  We are left unsatisfied or with little satisfaction.  No matter how magnificent our projects might look, they don’t fill the emptiness of our lives.  You may notice that everything Solomon lists in the plural, houses, gardens, vineyards, parks, etc.  His building and landscape projects were great projects.  1 Kings 7:1 tells us it took him thirteen years to build his own palace. 
 
But there is an important thing to notice here.  It actually seems odd that in his list of all his building projects he does not mention the biggest, most historically significant thing he built – the Temple in Jerusalem.  The account in 1 Kings tells us it took him seven years to build the Temple.  Do you know why?  Because whatever investment we make in the Kingdom of God isn’t vanity.  It’s not in vain.  It has some eternal value.  That’s why the temple is not listed here.  The Temple was built for the glory of God – the palace was built for the glory of Solomon.
 
Third: The Pursuits of Possessions and Prominence (2:8-11)
From the pursuit of wisdom, pleasure, and projects, Solomon moved on to the pursuits of possessions and prominence.   This is Solomon’s own account of his possessions and prominence in Ecclesiastes 2:8-11, “I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and of the provinces … I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem.  Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them; I kept my heart from no pleasure.”  We read about Solomon’s incredible wealth in 1 Kings 10:14-29.  But in verse 11, Solomon again concludes, “ Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had spent in doing it, and again, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.”  In other words, Solomon built his castles in the sand.
 
So where can true happiness be found?  The easy and challenging answer is that true happiness is found in doing life God’s way.  I love the words of Psalm 119:35, “Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found.”  It doesn’t say, “Give me a nice house in a nice neighborhood, for that is where my happiness is found.”  Neither does it say, “Give me good health, for that is where my happiness is found,” nor “Give me a family without dysfunction, for that is where my happiness is found.”  Nope. Happiness is found when we do life God’s way; when we seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness.  To God alone be the glory now and forever more.  Amen

First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012
Sermon Notes (Sunday ~ July 12, 2020)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
Ecclesiastes 1:12-18; John 4:13-14
 
Alexander the Great (356 BC – 323 BC), was the King of the ancient Greek Kingdom of Macedon, and one of the great warriors the world has ever known.  He led many military campaigns and by the age of 30 years old, he ruled over one of the largest empires ever, stretching from Greece to India.
 
While returning home after one of his successful military campaigns, Alexander the Great fell ill in Babylon.  While he was on his death bed, he thought of the vast empire he has built and the might of his military machine.  Alexander the Great went into depression, realizing nothing was worth it; even after an extremely successful life, he could not avoid death.
 
Knowing that his days on earth are short, Alexander the Great called his loyal generals and made three last wishes before dying.  “I have three last wishes, please carry them out, for soon I will depart,” Alexander said.  My first wish is that my doctors should alone carry my coffin.  My second wish is that the path towards my grave shall be strewn with gold, silver and all the precious possessions in my treasury, while my body is being brought to be buried.  My third and last wish is that both my hands shall be kept dangling out of my coffin.
 
Though the generals wondered at the king’s strange wishes, no one dared to question or ask him the reason for these three wishes.  One of Alexander’s favorite generals after kissing his hand and pressing it to his heart said, “Your Majesty, we assure you that all your wishes will be fulfilled. But could you please enlighten us on why you make such strange wishes?”
 
At this Alexander took a deep breath and said: “I would like the world to know of these three fundamentals: I want my physicians to carry my coffin because people should realize that no doctor can really cure anybody.  Doctors are powerless and cannot save a person from the clutches of death.  My second wish to strew gold, silver and other precious stones on the way to the graveyard is to let the people know that though I spent all my life accumulating riches, not even a grain of gold will come with me when I leave this world. I want people to understand that it is a sheer waste of time, energy, and peace of mind when one yearns to be rich.  With my third wish of having my hands dangling out of the coffin, I want people to know that I came empty handed into this world and likewise will go empty handed from this world.”
 
This morning we continue our summer sermon series on the book of Ecclesiastes.  Last week we said that Ecclesiastes is written by King Solomon as Ecclesiastes 1:1 states, “The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.”   The title of the book in Hebrew is “Qoheleth.” It is the same Hebrew word that is translated “teacher” or “preacher” or “leader” in chapter 1:1, so the book is actually a long sermon delivered by King Solomon.
 
The language of Ecclesiastes may suggest that the author was a pessimist or someone who is worn out and has given up on life, but I truly believe the words of Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes are the words of someone who has searched and examined life and came to a conclusion.  His conclusion, his thesis, is Ecclesiastes 1:2: “Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities!  All is vanity.”  The word “vanity” is found 38 times in Ecclesiastes.  In our Scripture reading today, Solomon clarifies his thesis and he states in Ecclesiastes 1:14, “I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”
 
So what is at stake in Ecclesiastes 1:12-18?  If life is “meaningless and a chasing after the wind”, as Solomon says, should we quit our daily activities and other obligations?  Are we endorsing epicurean lifestyle ~ those who pursue pleasure as the chief aim of life ~ “Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we must die" philosophy”?  Absolutely not.  I think Solomon is calling us to be mindful of two things:
 
First: Lamenting the Futility of Life
I think what Solomon is doing here is that he is lamenting the futility of life.  Ecclesiastes could be read as a song of lament.  The Preacher laments the fact that everything is transitory, ephemeral and elusive, just beyond our grasp, resistant to our control, here today and gone tomorrow.  Everything is ultimately worthless.  Life, the Preacher says, feels like chasing after the wind, trying to catch something that cannot be caught.
 
Life under the sun is full of futility and frustration.  I am sure you’ve experienced some of life’s futility and lamented this reality.  You just want to be all set financially, but something always goes wrong, or there’s always car trouble or another bill to be paid.  You just want to have a close friend, but you can’t find one, or when you find one, they always move away or drift away.  You just want to be healthy, but every day you experience in one way or another the decline of your body.  You just want to be the person God created you to be, but the more you try the more you fail.  You want the church to be a fulfilling community, but you just can’t seem to experience that.  We want to see justice in this world, but the suffering and injustice we see is out of control and there is no end in sight.  Trying to keep things under control and to be satisfied is like chasing the wind.  We lament the futility of life.
 
Second: Only God Can Fill our Deepest Void
Like chasing the wind, human effort is futile.  Not that nothing we do matters, but the “net profit” is not to be found in human effort.  It doesn’t matter what kind of effort or how much effort we pour our lives into, Solomon says that no human effort in and of itself can possibly fill our deepest void. 
 
Solomon says that every kind of activity that people invest their lives on is just vanity.  It’s chasing the wind.  In John 4:13-14, Jesus said these great words to the Samaritan woman, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
 
Friends, apart from God, human’s ongoing pursuit of money, success, joy, wisdom is never satisfied and never satisfying.  In his Confessions, Augustine of Hippo (354 AD – 430 AD) prayed “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in you.” 
 
Only in Jesus Christ do we find the rest our hearts have always longed for.  Only in Jesus do we hear the promise: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” Matthew 11:28-30.  Ecclesiastes calls us to have more of Jesus and less of the world.  It leaves us hungry for the grace of Christ.  It’s only His grace that makes our work and efforts valuable.  Our actions and efforts gain their true value when eternity in mind; when they are done for the glory of God and the expansion of His Kingdom.  Amen!

First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012
Sermon Notes (Sunday ~ July 5, 2020)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
Ecclesiastes 1:1-11; Mark 8:37-38
 
This morning we are kicking off a new sermon series looking at some key passages in the Book of Ecclesiastes.  During the months of July and August, we will be walking though Ecclesiastes with our eyes open on one major thought: what are the ingredients of a life well lived?  Is it even possible to live such a life?  Every day is a gift from the Lord, and we want to make it count.  The good news is it’s never too late to turn your live around.
 
I truly believe the book of Ecclesiastes has so much to say to us today.  In fact, Ecclesiastes wrestles with some of the most fundamental questions of life; questions like: What’s the point of life?  What are we pursing?  Where do we go to find wisdom, meaning, and purpose?  What is the point of all our accomplishments?  Where is our hope when life is met with failure or even simple toil and boredom?  Can we find satisfaction in life?  These are fundamental questions that can’t be ignored.
 
The book of Ecclesiastes helps us ask real questions.  The questions being asked in Ecclesiastes are not hypothetical or philosophical questions; they are real life questions.  We have to be in a place where we can be realistic about our experiences in this life.  We should never be afraid to ask difficult questions.  In fact, the book of Ecclesiastes invites us to wrestle with our doubts until we find the true meaning and purpose of life.
 
This morning, we will be looking at the first eleven verses of Ecclesiastes chapter one which give us a fair introduction of the major theme we will encounter through the book.  Today, we will just scratch the surface of this wonderful yet neglected book.  But before we do that, I will say a brief word about the author.
 
Who Wrote Ecclesiastes?
The book begins with an identification of the author.  Ecclesiastes 1:1 states, “The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.”  While there are a few theories regarding the authorship of Ecclesiastes, I think Ecclesiastes 1:1 leaves no room for any speculation, rather, it makes it very clear that the author of the book is King Solomon.  “The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.”   
 
The title of the Book in Hebrew is “Qoheleth.” It is the same Hebrew word that is translated “teacher” or “preacher” in chapter 1:1.  So, where did we get the word “Ecclesiastes”?  Ecclesiastes is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word “Qoheleth”, used in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament.  In the New Testament, Ecclesia, is used as a title for God’s assembled people—the church.  Ecclesiastes literally means the “Leader, Teacher, or Preacher” of the assembly.  The book, therefore, is a long sermon that we will spend these two months exploring its deep meaning and relevant implications on our lives today.
 
Vanity of Vanities, all is Vanity
So, what does the Preacher have to say to us?  “Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities!  All is vanity” Ecclesiastes 1:2. In this opening statement, the Preacher states his thesis.  It is a thesis he will draw out throughout the book.  The primary key word is repeated 5 times in this verse, “Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities!  All is vanity.”
 
The word translated “vanity” is found 38 times in Ecclesiastes. It has a broad range of usage, but literally, it means “vapor” or “breath.”  It’s your breath that appears on a window if you get up real close and deeply exhale.  It’s only there for a second or two.  The Preacher is comparing everything in life to that breath that quickly disappears.
 
What does the Preacher mean by these words?  Well, the language of Ecclesiastes has led commentators to take widely differing views with regards to the overall meaning of the book, some arguing that the writer is an agnostic, others that he is a pessimist in his view of life; for some, it seemed that the author had given up on life.  He was desperate and hopeless.
 
Needless to say, King Solomon was neither an agnostic nor a pessimist; rather, Solomon wants us to say that, without the LORD, the world, ourselves and all our hopes, dreams and ambitions as they truly are, futile, pointless, and ultimately meaningless and purposeless.  His hope is that, rather than driving us to despair, this revelation of truth, this reality check, this wake-up call would cause us to earnestly and faithfully seek the Lord. 
 
As I said earlier, Ecclesiastes is a long sermon, and Solomon makes us wait until the final chapter to give us the answer for life’s tough question and give us the solution of our brokenness.  Ecclesiastes 12:13 states, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for that is the whole duty of everyone.”  Solomon wouldn’t disagree with the words of Jesus in Mark 8:36-37, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?  Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”
 
In other words, King Solomon would say to us today, should you feel the weight of sin, should you feel the brokenness of creation, look to Him and submit to the ONE who stands outside creation as immutable, glorious and wise.  Ecclesiastes points us to find meaning, purpose, and value in our relationship with the Lord and in a God-centered life. 
 
So, as we wrestle with the difficult questions of life, be ready not to actually receive answers, but to rest in what is true, right and good about God.  When things get messy and we get frustrated, let’s hold onto the promises of the One who said He will make everything new.  Let’s remember that His words are trustworthy and true.
 
Yes, “all is vanity” when it’s done away from the Lord and when eternity is not in mind, but the apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”  Amen.