First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012
Sermon Notes (Sunday ~ September 27, 2020)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
Ecclesiastes 10:1-4; 2 Galatians 5:7-10
 
You may have heard a version or another of this powerful proverb.  The proverb can be traced back to the 13th century A.D.  and it highlights the importance of small things.  Small things matter.  This is a lesson that we get to learn over the years and sometimes we learn it the hard way.  The proverb goes like this: “For want of a nail, the shoe was lost.  For want of a shoe, the horse was lost.  For want of a horse, the knight was lost.  For want of a knight, the battle was lost.  For want of a battle, the kingdom was lost, and all for the want of a horseshoe nail.”  It’s almost impossible to believe that because of a missing horseshoe nail, the kingdom would eventually fall.
 
This morning we continue our sermon series in the Book of Ecclesiastes, and I believe this is our 13th lesson in Ecclesiastes.  I hope you’ve gotten some wisdom out of all of this.  In Ecclesiastes, Solomon, who calls himself the Qoheleth, which means the Preacher or the Teacher, has been pressing home a very sobering message.  His basic message is that life without God, life without a real saving knowledge and relationship with and of God is empty–it’s meaningless; it’s vain; it doesn't make sense; it’s for no end or no purpose–there’s no sense to it at all.  Solomon wants us to get this transforming truth.  So throughout Ecclesiasts, the Qoheleth is inviting us to think hard about life and how we’re living our life.
 
Solomon says that people try so hard to fill this vacuum, this emptiness.  There are all sorts of ways that people attempt to find meaning and fulfilment in this life.  He says that some people try to find or create meaning in money, in pleasure, in vocation, in family, in education, and in so many other things.  Solomon says, in themselves, all these things are not bad or evil, but they will fail to provide meaning for life.  Only in a relationship with a loving God that we find meaning and purpose in life.  Life will be meaningless without the ONE who created this life and gave it meaning.
 
Then the Preacher comes to chapter 10.  Suddenly we get this unassociated list of parables and proverbs.  What are we supposed to do with this?  How does this fit with the flow of the Qoheleth argument?  Well, remember that Solomon is still dealing with folly and wisdom.  This whole chapter, Ecclesiastes 10, though it may seem like a rambling set of unconnected proverbs is actually a meditation on foolishness and what it means to be a fool.  One single thought for this morning: a little folly can do a lot of damage.
 
A Little Folly Can Do a Lot of Damage
“Dead flies make the perfumer’s ointment give off a foul odor; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor,” says the Preacher in Ecclesiastes 10:1.  A little folly can do a lot of damage. Don't underestimate folly.  Just one little dead fly can make the best perfume stinks.  One bad apple ruins the whole barrel.  A little match can burn down a forest.  “Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines,” says Song of Songs 2:15.  Little foxes do spoil the vine. The little foxes in our spiritual life can do so much harm.  Unless they are chased away, these foxes will damage the vine and life’s tender grapes will be destroyed.  “A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough,” says Paul in Galatians 5:9.  A small mistake can mess up a wonderful reputation.  Ecclesiastes 10:1 is actually packed with meaning, and I want to point out two things this morning:
 
First: Our Character has a Fragrance
Ecclesiastes 10:1 reminds us that our character has a fragrance.  In this passage the wise person’s character, is compared to perfumer’s oil and the fool’s character is compared to dead flies. The point that Solomon is making here is that wisdom shows.  Our character shows, or, to use the particular sense being emphasized here, you can literally smell character.  For the wise person, it’s a glorious fragrance.  But for the foolish, it’s a stinky odor, like dead flies.  In 2 Corinthians 2:15, Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth saying.  “For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.”
 
Second: Folly is a Heart Problem
Folly is a heart problem, shows itself in character and conduct.  In Ecclesiastes 10, the Preacher argues that folly is essentially a heart problem, that it shows in our character and conduct.  In Ecclesiastes 10:2-3, Solomon says, “The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of a fool to the left.  Even when fools walk on the road, they lack sense, and show to everyone that they are fools.”  Folly is a heart problem.  A wise person’s heart directs them towards the right, but a foolish person’s heart directs them towards the left.  
 
Friends, little things do matter.  Little good things can have a great impact on those around us.  In the same way, little bad things can leave a sour taste in somebody’s mouth.  Let’s never forget that our character has a fragrance.  What kind of aroma we spread around us?  Let’s also remember that folly is a heart problem.  May be we need to examine our heart and pray the words of King David in Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.  See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”  Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  Amen.

First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012
Sermon Notes (Sunday ~ September 20, 2020)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
Ecclesiastes 9:11-12; 2 Timothy 4:6-8
 
A teenage boy was once asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”  Influenced by the threat of nuclear war, the reality of terrorist attacks around the world, and the most recent pandemic, the boy thought for a moment and then replied with just one word: “Alive.”  I believe all of us today join this teenage boy in his wish.  We want to be alive.  From the dawn of time, the love of life lies deep in the human heart.
 
This morning we continue working our way through the book of Ecclesiastes and we get to chapter nine.  It’s been a great journey teaching and preaching from Ecclesiastes and although we didn’t get to study the book verse by verse, I believe we covered all the major themes found in Ecclesiastes.  In chapter nine, the Preacher continues to tackle the topic of wisdom and folly and our focus this morning will be Ecclesiastes 9:11-12.  In today’s passage, the Preacher addresses the brokenness of our world and our response to such brokenness.  So, what does the Preacher in Ecclesiastes nine have for us today?  Two short observations:
 
First: Life is not Always Fair
Listen to the words of King Solomon in Ecclesiastes 9:11-12 “Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to the skillful; but time and chance happen to them all.  For no one can anticipate the time of disaster. Like fish taken in a cruel net, and like birds caught in a snare, so mortals are snared at a time of calamity, when it suddenly falls upon them.”
 
Life is not always fair.  Many of us have had experiences that confirm the truth of the words of the Preacher in Ecclesiastes nine.  All our carefully laid plans have fallen apart; all our dreams that we had what it took to succeed in some particular area of life crumbled, and we could not understand why.  We had to learn, as this text says, the race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong.  We experience today the same exact thing the Preacher of Israel noticed three thousand years ago.  It’s not always the fastest runner winning the race.  It’s not always the best leader becoming CEO.  It’s not always the strongest soldier winning battles.  It’s not always the highest skilled worker getting the promotion.  It just doesn’t always work out that way.
 
“Time and chance happen to them all,” says the Preacher in Ecclesiastes 9:11.  In other words, there are elements of circumstance that have to fall together even before someone with great abilities can accomplish his or her goals.  You have to be the right person, at the right place, at the right time. 
 
The message that King Solomon wanted to share with us today is that life is not always under our control.  The illusion that the secular media presses upon us all the time is that we can handle our life by our choices.  It’s your life!  You can live it the way you please. 
 
But Ecclesiastes reminds us that it cannot be done that way.  “Time and chance happen to them all.”  Just when you think you have something under control, it can all fall apart.  Disasters come when we least expect them.  Our inability to see the future means we cannot anticipate or prevent all of the evil that might conspire against our labors.  “For no one can anticipate the time of disaster.  Like fish taken in a cruel net, and like birds caught in a snare, so mortals are snared at a time of calamity, when it suddenly falls upon them,” says the Preacher in Ecclesiastes 9:12.  What is the wise response to the brokenness and unfairness of life?
 
Second: Trust in God’s Sovereignty
If this is the case, and if it’s true that no matter how carefully we plan or how hard we work, the swiftest might lose the race; the stronger army can be defeated; the smartest person does not always earn the most money; the most learned may not receive favor; and the wisest can go hungry, what is the wise response?
 
Scripture repeatedly commends wise planning and hard work, yet we need to remember that we live in a fallen and broken world.  We also remain subject to two powerful forces: “time” and “chance.”  One important observation here is that we need to know that in Ecclesiastes, the Preacher does not view chance as a force operating outside of God’s oversight.  Ecclesiastes has a strong doctrine of divine providence that understands the Lord as having established a set time for every matter under heaven (3:1–8).  Therefore, we know that our brokenness and failures happen for a reason.
 
The point of Ecclesiastes 9:11-12 is not to dissuade or to discourage us from planning or to make us cynical about what we can do to live successfully; rather, the Preacher’s aim is to keep us humble and to remind us of our proper place in creation.  We are called to be diligent and wise, but events are never entirely under our control.  God is sovereign, and we are not, and that truth should encourage us, as we plan, to trust finally and wholly in the Lord and not in our plans.
 
So, my friends, plan hard, work harder.  Do your part!  And then rest easy.  God is in control of both our talent and our time.  We know that the winds sometimes only blow in ways that ships don’t desire.  Be ready for life’s detours. 
 
The realities of the brokenness of our world, human inability, time and chance, should drive us to seek God’s mercy and grace.  The randomness of life should drive us to God.  No wonder that toward the end of his life, Paul was able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” 2 Timothy 4:7.  Paul didn’t mean that he never lost a battle, he never got discouraged running a race, he never struggled spiritually, but Paul says, looking at my spiritual journey since that day I met the Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, I can say one thing: when faced with the randomness of life, trust in God’s sovereignty.  Who wins the race of life, then?  It’s those who trust in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.  In the Name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen!

First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012
Sermon Notes (Sunday ~ September 13, 2020)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor

​Ecclesiastes 8:16-17; James 1:5-8
 
As we continue this morning our series in the book of Ecclesiastes, I want to refresh your memory that the second half of Ecclesiastes has a special flavor to it.  As I mentioned last week, there is a shift that begins in chapter 7 and continues through the end of the book, through chapter 12; a shift that you cannot miss.  It seems that the Preacher has gained a new perspective.  He decided to view life through a different lens.  His journey of wrestling with what life is all about has come to an end.  One evidence of this change, of this shift, is the frequent occurrence of two important terms, “wise” and “wisdom.”  They appear almost 35 times in the latter half of the book.
 
Highlighting the importance of gaining wisdom, Solomon opens chapter 8 with these words, “Who is like the wise?  Who knows the explanation of things?  A person’s wisdom brightens their face and changes its hard appearance.”  The Message translates Ecclesiastes 8:1 this way, “There’s nothing better than being wise, knowing how to interpret the meaning of life.  Wisdom puts light in the eyes and gives gentleness to words and manners.”  Wisdom is a very broad concept and it can be defined in many different ways.  What is wisdom?  How can a person acquire wisdom?
 
I like this story of the writer who arrived at an ancient village to write a book about the wise man in that village.  “People say you are a genius.  Are you?”, the writer asked.  “You might say so,” said the wise man with a smile.  “And what makes one a genius?” asked the writer.  “The ability to see,” said the wise man.  The writer was betwixt and between.  Scratching his hair with one hand and rubbing his tummy with the other, he muttered, “To see what?”  The wise man quietly replied, “To see the butterfly in a caterpillar, the eagle in an egg, the saint in a selfish person, life in death, unity in separation, the divine in the human and the human in the divine.”  What a great statement the wiseman made!  Being wise is having “the ability to see.”
 
Having examined very carefully and found out the vanity of many things in life, Solomon now in the second half of Ecclesiastes turns his heart to seek wisdom.  If you remember from our reflections in Ecclesiastes 6, Solomon offered us a long and detailed list of good things, in fact, great things, but they never brought him lasting joy.  Solomon talked about wealth and possessions, social status and honor, family and social life, longevity, achievement and successful careers.  These are all great things, but they left King Solomon discontent.  They never filled the emptiness of his heart.
 
As we get to chapter 8, Solomon’s heart is set to pursue one thing: wisdom.  Wise up, Solomon would invite us today.  What is wisdom?  How can we gain wisdom?  Is it even possible to gain wisdom?  According to Ecclesiastes, who is a wise person?  This morning, we will briefly address and examine these questions.
 
What is Wisdom?
Wisdom and knowledge are both recurring themes in the Bible; they are related but not synonymous.  The dictionary defines wisdom as “the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting.”  Knowledge, on the other hand, is “information gained through experience, reasoning, or acquaintance.”  Knowledge can exist without wisdom, but not the other way around.  One can be knowledgeable without being wise.  Wisdom, therefore, is the appropriate application of knowledge.  From a spiritual point of view, wisdom is a capacity of the mind that allows us to understand life from God’s perspective.
 
So, if we are to ask King Solomon today to briefly describe to us a life of wisdom, what would he say to us?  What does a life of wisdom look like?  The more I study Ecclesiastes, the more it becomes clear to me that Solomon would summarize the life of wisdom in two fundamental ways:
 
First: Bring God into the Center of Your Life
The first piece of advice Solomon would give us today in order to cultivate a heart of wisdom, we need to bring God to the center of our lives.  A life of wisdom is a Christ-centered life.  Whether you are young or old, rich or poor, busy or got plenty of time on your hand, healthy or sick, let God be at the very center of your life.  I know in the 21st century American culture, this is easier said than done.  Our culture has deliberately chosen to reject God and God’s ways.
 
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” says Solomon in the book of Proverbs 9:10.  “Fear” in this context is not the fear one has of an enemy; it’s not being frightened, rather, it is honor and love for the Lord.  Such fear is manifested in reverence and awe, in obedience to what God has revealed in order to live a life that pleases Him in gratitude for His salvation and grace.
 
Since the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, the surest way to become wise is to pursue the knowledge of God and take it to heart. As we come to know more about Him, the foundation for wisdom becomes firmer in our lives, and we grow in our ability to discern things according to God’s revealed truth.  We come to know the Lord primarily through the prayerful reading, preaching, and teaching of His Word. If you want to be wise, you must know the God of Scripture.
 
Second: Remember that All that Glitters is Not Gold
The second advice Solomon would give us today is to remember that all that glitters is not gold.  Solomon would remind us that not everything that looks precious or true turns out to be so.  Throughout the course of our study in the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon kept reminding us that there are lots of things in life that would promise joy, satisfaction, and contentment, but at the end of the day, they fail us.  Let’s not be deceived by the lies of the world.
 
Gaining the heart of wisdom is a challenging process and it’s also a life-long journey.  In Ecclesiastes 7:23-24 Solomon said, “I am determined to be wise”— but this was beyond me.  Whatever exists is far off and most profound—who can discover it?”  In Ecclesiastes 8:17, he also said, “Much they may toil in seeking, they will not find it out; even though those who are wise claim to know, they cannot find it out.”  Fortunately, the apostle James tells us in James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you,”
 
Friends, the Lord offers wisdom freely; however, most don’t bother to ask and, therefore, receive.  Let’s ask God this heart of wisdom.  Let’s “look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure” as Proverbs 2:4 says.  Let’s remember the words of Psalm 119:130, “The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.”  To get wisdom we must fear God, study His Word and prayerfully desire to understand life from God’s perspective.  Amen.

First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012
Sermon Notes (Sunday ~ September 6, 2020)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
Ecclesiastes 7:1-6; Luke 6:20-26
 
“Wisdom for Better Living” is the title of my Meditation today and I believe it captures the spirit of the words of Ecclesiastes chapter 7.  Ecclesiastes chapter 7 marks the second half of the book.  In this chapter, King Solomon pauses, and he seems to reflect on the wisdom he has shared in the previous six chapters.  The key word in today’s scripture is “better”; it’s mentioned 5 times in six verses.  In Ecclesiastes 7, the Lord shows us that some of the medicine that tastes the worst has the best cure.  In these verses, Solomon is going to goad us into thinking outside the box. 
 
Most Bible commentators would tell us that there is a shift in Ecclesiastes 7.  You can easily notice it.  It’s a different way of looking at things; a different way of looking at life.  You could say that the Preacher has gained a new perspective.  From chapter 7 on, the Preacher’s focus becomes less man-centered and more God-centered.  His journey of wrestling with what life is all about is ending; he is beginning to come back home.  Some evidence of this change is the frequent occurrence of two terms, “wise” and “wisdom.”  They appear almost 35 times in the latter half of the book.
 
The Preacher’s new perspective is illustrated by seven examples in chapter 7.  King Solomon was able to see things differently.  The apostle Paul said the same thing in Philippians 3:7, “Whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.”  So this morning and next Sunday, we will be exploring how Solomon looked at things differently at eventually, this led him to better living.
 
First: Reputation is Better than Riches
“A good name is better than fine perfume,” says the Preacher in Ecclesiastes 7:1.  This parallels the words of Proverbs 22:1 which similarly reads: “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.”
 
Just to clear up any confusion, the Bible is not talking about our actual names.  My name is Mouris.  There is nothing fancy or unique about that as thousands probably shar it.  I’m talking about what your name implies; your reputation and the character you possess inside.  It identifies who you are from a moral and ethical standpoint.  Essentially it is what you are all about.  When people hear your name mentioned, what do they immediately think of you?
 
That’s amazing when you think about it.  Your good name is better than all the money in the world!  Does that seem odd? It certainly doesn’t fit with what our culture thinks about having money.  A good name still provides more value than money.  Why?  Because riches are fleeting, but a good name is eternal.  Riches could be with us one minute and gone the next.  We can’t take riches with us once we leave this world at the time of our death.
A good name, however, is theoretically eternal.  How many men and women of history are still being spoken of in a positive light?  Solomon invites us today to think about our own legacy.  How will your legacy be remembered and portrayed by family, friends or colleagues once you are gone?  Will they focus on the value of your life or only remember that you cared about yourself and your wealth?  What kind of legacy we are leaving behind?  “A good name is better than fine perfume.”
 
Second: The House of Mourning is Better than the House of FeastingIn verses 2-3, the Preacher introduces a few statements that totally go against what most people would think today.  “A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death, than the day of birth.  It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; for this is the end of everyone, and the living will lay it to heart.  Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of countenance the heart is made glad,” says the Preacher in Ecclesiastes 7:1-3.
 
What does the Preacher mean by these words?  How can the day of death be better than the day of birth?  How can going to the house of mourning be better than going to the house of feasting?  How can sorrow be better than laughter?  I would rather go to a wedding not a funeral, a happy occasion not a sad one. 
 
People prefer to go to festivals which brings them happiness and there is nothing wrong with that.  But Solomon wanted to remind the people back then and us today with an important truth.  Life, our life, my life and your life, has a beginning and it also has an end.  Unfortunately, lots of people forget this truth.  The present world we see today is not permanent.  The unseen ‘soon to come’ God’s Kingdom is permanent! 
 
What King Solomon is saying is simple: Death is the destiny of everyone who lives. Therefore, those who are alive should consider the reality of their own deaths in order to gain a heart of wisdom.  Our death is imminent.  The mortality rate is still 100%.  The wise will lay this to heart.  It’s important to think about the shortness of our lives and the certainty of our deaths because we are all prone to spend our days pursuing things that have no eternal value.  In other words, it is crazy to live our lives without ever thinking about the end of our lives.
 
The Bible teaches us that living with our end in mind creates a life of wisdom and purpose. So even when we think about our own mortality, when we visit the “house of mourning, may we live there with an unshakable joy in our Master who is currently preparing a “house of feasting” and a “house of pleasure” for all who trust Him. 
 
Friends, today’s Scripture passage will shock us for sure.  It puts right before our eyes some of the most unusual logic or perspective we will ever encounter.  In fact, Jesus did the same thing.  In Luke 6 he said, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.  “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.”  So today, as we remember the Lord’s death and gather around the Lord’s Table, let’s remember that the death that Jesus died, senseless and brutal as it seemed at the time, is God’s amazing logic and plan for our redemption.  The common person cannot comprehend it.  But it is the wisdom of a holy God, whose thoughts are not our thoughts neither His ways our ways.  Let us draw near with humble thankfulness.  Amen.

First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012
Sermon Notes (Sunday ~ August 30, 2020)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
Ecclesiastes 6:1-9; Mark 8:35-37
 
You may know that under King Solomon, the Kingdom of Israel was in its golden age.  Solomon reigned 40 years during which Israel enjoyed peace, prosperity, and gained the respect of the neighboring nations.  But even during these times of peace and prosperity, Solomon wanted the people of Israel to understand that success and prosperity don’t last long.  All human accomplishments will one day disappear, and we must keep this in mind in order to live wisely.  If we don’t, we will become either proud and self-sufficient when we succeed or sorely disappointed when we fail.  Solomon’s goal was to show that earthly possessions and accomplishments are ultimately meaningless.  Only the pursuit of God brings real satisfaction.  Therefore, we should honor God in all we say, think, and do. 
 
In Ecclesiasts chapter 6, Solomon is trying to help us think through the folly of seeking to enjoy life apart from God.  In Ecclesiastes chapter 6, Solomon asks an important question: what would you do when the world is not enough?  German Philosopher Immanuel Kant, said, “Give a man everything he wants, and at that moment, everything will not be everything.” 
 
An airline pilot was flying over the Smoky Mountains and pointed out a lake to his co-pilot. “See that little lake?  When I was a kid, I used to sit in a rowboat down there, fishing.  Every time a plane would fly overhead, I’d look up and wish I was flying it.  Now I look down and wish I was in a rowboat, fishing.”  When the world is not enough.
 
Satisfaction that is based on the things of this world is an elusive pursuit.  We go after what we think will make us happy, only to find it doesn’t. Often times, we were happier before we started the quest.  How can the world not be enough?  How is it possible for a person to have all that he/she desires and still not find satisfaction?  We see this lack of satisfaction in our astronomical rate of consumer debt.  We’re not satisfied with what we have so we go into debt to live just a bit better than we can afford.  Then, we suffer anxiety with the pressure of being able to pay all our bills.  Dissatisfaction is a mark of our culture.
 
Ecclesiastes 6 is just what the doctor ordered.  Solomon had the “world,” but as he has throughout Ecclesiastes, he is lamenting that the world is not enough.  He is still not satisfied. In Ecclesiastes chapter 6, Solomon shows the emptiness of several of the categories of life that we’re told bring satisfaction.  They didn’t for Solomon and won’t for us.  Here is a list of things left Solomon deeply dissatisfied:
 
First: Wealth, Possessions, and Honor vv.1-2
Listen to what the Preacher says in Ecclesiastes 6:1-2, “There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy upon humankind:  those to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that they lack nothing of all that they desire, yet God does not enable them to enjoy these things, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous ill.”  Neither wealth, possessions, nor social statues can bring us satisfaction. 
Our world is obsessed with money and status.  What kind of car we drive, where we live, the clothes we buy, job title, etc.  It’s an endless list, but it doesn’t satisfy.  We may have everything but satisfaction.  The irony is, as verse 2 indicates, “but a stranger enjoys them.”  The stranger is never identified.  It could be an adversary; it could be sickness; it could be domestic conflicts that drain the zest out of life.  For some, the “stranger” is death.  Solomon says it’s “a grievous ill.”  Wealth, possessions, and social status never bring lasting joy.  They’re here today, gone tomorrow. 
 
Second: Family vv. 3
Solomon says in verse 3, “A man may beget a hundred children.”  In Bible days, having lots of children was a sign of God’s blessing.  It was an agrarian culture. More children helped you be a successful farmer.  It was an economic asset to have a big family.  Also, in a culture where you often had to defend yourself, having your own in-home army, gave you an advantage. But the Preacher says, having a big family, having a hundred children, doesn’t guarantee satisfaction because satisfaction is found by first enjoying God, then His blessings.
 
Third: Longevity vv. 3 & 6
Twice in verses 3 and 6, Solomon says, “A man may beget a hundred children, and live many years … Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy no good—do not all go to one place?”  Solomon’s point is that if your life is marked by pain, hardship, calamity and tragedy, what good is it if you live even 2,000 years?  It’s just 2,000 more years of sorrow and those who live such lives want to live shorter ones, not longer.  Longevity isn’t everything.  In fact, long life is not an end in and of itself.  It’s the quality not the quantity of our days that count.
 
Fourth: Work and Careers vv.7-9
In verse 7-9, the Preacher gives us one last thing that doesn’t satisfy the longing of human’s heart, namely our careers or professions.  Finding satisfaction in our careers is often an elusive dream.  Solomon warns us that work can’t bring ultimate fulfillment, but many still don’t believe him.  So people keep switching jobs and fields, thinking satisfaction is out there somewhere but to no avail.
 
Personally, I find genuine joy in my job.  I hope you do too.  Work is a gracious gift from God. Work makes life compelling.  It teaches us about ourselves and gives us the pleasure of fruitfulness. But if you approach your job as the reason for living, you’ll end up down one more dead end.  “All human toil is for the mouth, yet the appetite is not satisfied,” the Preacher says in Ecclesiastes 6:7
 
So, what does the Preacher is saying to us today?  Simple.  Have the world; own the world, but without God, you will still be discontent. It’s only when God is at the center of our life that we experience real joy in the gifts that God gives. The fear of the Lord is not just the beginning of knowledge; it’s also the source of satisfaction.  “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?” says Jesus in Mark 8:37.
 
Friends, I think the ability to enjoy life comes from within.  It’s a God-thing. It’s a matter of character not circumstances.  Having money, family, a job, and living a good long life are all blessings, but we must first find our satisfaction in God and then enjoy what God has given us while we can.  Satisfaction is found by enjoying God and then His blessings.  If we reverse that, we’re in trouble. God first and everything else comes after that.  This order is important because it puts everything into perspective.  In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Amen!