The Satisfied Life | Working Things Out

ECCLESIASTES 2:1-26

Ecclesiastes:

This Book Encourages Us:

To Fear God, Keep His Commandments, And Enjoy Life.

Fear: HONOR. Keep: OBEY.

The Book Of Ecclesiastes Is A Sermon.

The Theme Is: What Is The HIGHEST GOOD?

The Initial Standpoint: Based On Natural Reason.

The Quest: Where Does The Highest Good Leads Us.

When Conducted On The Ground Of Natural Experience, Observation, And Induction.

The Title: Ecclesiastes: A Preacher.

Who Was This Preacher-Author: Solomon.

THE BOOK OUTLINED:THE SEARCH FOR SIGNIFICANCE:

EXPLORATION:

IS EVERYTHING IN VAIN:

VANITY IN DOING:

VANITY IN HAVING:

EXHORTATION:

IS LIFE LIVED WELL:

USING LIFE FOR GOOD:

GOOD FROM GOD'S POINT OF VIEW.

ADVANCE KINGDOM, GLORY TO GOD.

SOURCE OF TRUE LIVING:

CONTENTS:

THE PREACHER FULLY PROVES

AS HE DEMONSTRATES WITH HIS LIFE:

THE TOTAL INABILITY

OF ALL OUTWARD CIRCUMSTANCES OF NATURE

TO OBTAIN HAPPINESS.

SOLOMON’S CONCLUSION:

TO HONOR GOD AND OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS.

DIVINE BLESSINGS ARE TO BE ENJOYED.

DIVINE JUDGMENT IS COMING.

THE CONTRAST:

HUMAN WISDOM VERSUS GOD'S WISDOM:

Paul Wrote In Contrasting Human Wisdom With God’s Wisdom:

But You Are In Christ Jesus,

Who Became For Us Wisdom From God;

And Righteousness And Sanctification And Redemption;

That, As It Is Written, “He Who Glories, Let Him Glory In The Lord.”

1 COR 1:30-31.

Paul Also Quotes From Jeremiah:

That All Boasting Should Be In The Lord Only.

Not In Ourselves And Our Wisdom And Our Strength.

It Gains For Us Nothing Of Any Lasting Value.

Knowledge Is Good And Commendable.

2 TIMOTHY 2:15.

But Knowledge Cannot Save Us.

JAMES 2:19.

SUMMARY OF BOOK:

THE ONLY HOPE OF A GOOD LIFE:

PREPARING OURSELVES FOR HEAVEN.

THE ONLY REASONABLE RESPONSE:

BELIEF IN HIM BY FAITH.

THE ONLY EXPECTED RESPONSE:

OBEDIENCE TO OUR SOVEREIGN GOD.

God Precisely Works Out All Activities Under The Sun.

God Has A Perfect Plan Revealed In His Perfect Time.

God Discloses Only What His Perfect Wisdom Dictates.

God Holds All Mankind Accountable.

God Will Doom A Life To Vanity If God Is Not Taken Serious.

God Will Doom A Life To Fleeting Meaningless Worthlessness.

THE VANITY OF THE WORLD SYSTEM:

All Is Vanity Said The Preacher.

Without The Life Of God In You.

MEANING: IN CHRIST As We Know Through Revealed Scripture.

THE VANITIES OF ECCLESIASTES:

HUMAN WISDOM 2:14-16

HUMAN EFFORT 2:18-23

TODAY: HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT 2:26

HUMAN LIFE 3:18-22

HUMAN RIVALRY 4:4

HUMAN SELFISH SACRIFICE 4:7-8

HUMAN POWER 4:16

HUMAN GREED 5:10

HUMAN ACCUMULATION 6:1-12

HUMAN RELIGION 8:10-14

THE PREACHER’S SEARCH FOR MEANING: (2:1-26):

FOCUS TODAY: WORKING THINGS OUT:

HUMAN EFFORT AND HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT.

PREVIOUSLY:

How The Preacher Began His Search For Meaning In Life.

Observing The Futility Seen In The Cycles Of Nature And Life.

ECC 1:4-11.

Beginning With Human Wisdom.

ECC 1:12-18.

He Was Blessed With Great Wisdom From God.

He Used To Search Out The Value Of Human Wisdom.

His Conclusion Concerning Such Wisdom Providing Answers ?

Trying To Find The Answer In Human Wisdom:

Was LIKE Grasping For The Wind.

And Caused Much Grief And Sorrow.

ECC 1:17-18.

SO HE BEGAN TO LOOK ELSEWHERE:

In The Second Chapter We Read:

Of His Efforts To Explore The Value Through:

Pleasure, Wine, Folly.

Of His Search To Find Meaning Through:

The Acquisition Of Wealth.

Great Accomplishments.

I. THE PREACHER TESTED LIFE:

HE SUMMARIZES WHAT HE FOUND:

Mirth And Pleasure Is Vanity.

ECC 2:1.

Laughter Is Madness, Hilarity Accomplishes Little If Anything.

ECC 2:2.

HE DESCRIBES WHAT HE DID:

He Experimented With Wine And Folly.

ECC 2:3.

He Made Many Things.

ECC 2:4-6.

Houses, Vineyards, Gardens, Orchards, Water Pools

He Acquired Whatever He Desired.

ECC 2:5-8.

Servants, Livestock, Silver, Gold, Treasures, Singers, Concubines, Musical Instruments.

He Became Great And Seemed To Be Happy,

ECC 2:9-10.

Greater Than Any Before Him, While Maintaining His Wisdom.

Having All His Eyes And Heart Desired.

Finding Enjoyment In His Labor.

HIS CONCLUSION FROM WHAT HE DID:

He Did Admit That He Found Joy In His Labor.

ECC 2:10.

Upon Reflection, Looking Back At What He Did.

ECC 2:11a.

All Was Vanity, And Grasping For The Wind.

ECC 2:11b.

There Was No Profit Under The Sun.

ECC 2:11c.

But When We Consider What He Says Next.

We Begin To Understand After His Great Experiment.

II. THE PREACHER HATED LIFE:

AFTER REFLECTING UPON WISDOM, MADNESS, AND FOLLY:

Realizing His Unique Opportunity.

Realizing He Did More Than What Anyone Has Done.

HE CONSIDERED:

The Relative Merits Of Wisdom, Madness, And Folly.

ECC 2:12.

He Saw That Wisdom Was Better Than Folly.

ECC 2:13-14a.

But Ultimately The Advantage Of Human Wisdom Is Vanity.

ECC 2:14b-16.

FOR BOTH THE WISE MAN AND THE FOOL DIE.

SO The Preacher Hated Life,

Because All The Work Done Was Grievous To Him.

Because All The Work Was Vanity And Grasping For The Wind.

ECC 2:17.

AFTER REFLECTING UPON HIS WEALTH:

HE CAME TO HATE HIS LABOR.

ECC 2:18-19.

BECAUSE HE MUST LEAVE IT TO ONE AFTER HIM.

Who Knows When Those Who Inherit Will Be Wise Or Foolish?

Either Way, Someone Else Rules Over The Results Of His Labor!

HE CAME TO DESPAIR OF ALL HIS LABOR.

ECC 2:20-23.

FOR A PERSON WITH WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL

MUST LEAVE HIS HERITAGE

TO ONE WHO HAS NOT LABORED FOR IT.

HE DID NOT THINK THIS RIGHT.

IN THE END, WHAT DOES HE HAVE FOR ALL HIS EFFORTS?

Sorrowful Days, Restless Nights.

Grievous Work, Leading To Vanity.

BUT AS HE SAID, MY WISDOM REMAINED WITH ME.

ECC 2:9.

WITH THAT WISDOM

HE SHARES FOR THE FIRST TIME

WHAT ONE SHOULD DO IN LIFE.

III.THE PREACHER ACCEPTED LIFE:

Man Should Seek To Enjoy The Good In His Labor.

There Is Nothing Better, A Conclusion He Will Draw Six Times.

ECC 2:24a; Ecc 3:12-13, 22; 5:18-19; 8:15; 9:7-9.

NOTE:

The Preacher Is Not Promoting A Fatalist View Of:

EX: Let’s Eat, Drink, And Be Merry, For Tomorrow We Die.

He Is Saying To Enjoy What You Do And What God Has Given You.

1 TIMOTHY 6:17.

THE ABILITY TO ENJOY ONE’S LABOR IS A GIFT FROM GOD.

FOR NO ONE CAN TRULY ENJOY LIFE WITHOUT GOD.

ECC 2:25.

To Those Good In God's Sight: Gives Wisdom, Knowledge, Joy.

ECC 2:26a.

To The Sinner: He Gives The Work Of Gathering And Collecting.

ECC 2:26b.

To Give To The One Who Is Good Before God.

PROV 28:8.

For The Sinner, His Work Therefore Becomes (to Him) Vanity.

ECC 6:1-2.

SOME ARE SUCCESSFUL IN GAINING WEALTH: BUT FOR WHAT END?

CONCLUSION

For The First Time:

THE PREACHER HAS INTRODUCED GOD INTO THE PICTURE.

Up To This Time:

THE PREACHER LOOKED AT LIFE UNDER THE SUN WITHOUT GOD.

The Preacher Has Sought For Meaning Through Wisdom, Folly, Madness, Pleasure And Wealth.

Even When Successful, The Realities Of Life And Death Can Cause One To Hate Life.

He Could Only Conclude That UNDER THE SUN All Is Vanity And Grasping For Wind.

BUT NOW,

WITH GOD GIVING WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE, JOY TO A PERSON.

ONE CAN ENJOY THE GOOD IN THEIR LABOR.

A PURPOSE AND MEANING FOR LIFE IS NOW POSSIBLE.

HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT IN GOD'S PURPOSES:

GOD GIVES A PERSON WHAT IS ESSENTIAL TO PLEASE GOD.

(ECC 2:26).

Have You Consider What Is Essential To Please Him?

It Begins With Faith,

Without Faith It Is Impossible To Please Him,

For He Who Comes To God Must Believe That He Is,

God Rewards Those Who Diligently Seek Him.

The Satisfied Life | Is Life Worth Living

ECCLESIASTES 1:1-3

This Book Encourages Us:

To Fear God, Keep His Commandments, And Enjoy Life.

Fear: HONOR.

Keep: OBEY.

The Book Of Ecclesiastes Is A Sermon.

There Is The Announcement Of A Theme,

The Theme Is: What Is The HIGHEST GOOD?

The Initial Standpoint: Based On Natural Reason.

The Quest: Where Does The Highest Good Leads Us.

When Conducted On The Ground Of Natural Experience, Observation, And Induction.

The Title: Ecclesiastes: A Preacher.

Who Was This Preacher-Author: Solomon.

THE BOOK OUTLINED:THE SEARCH FOR SIGNIFICANCE:

EXPLORATION:

IS EVERYTHING IN VAIN:

VANITY IN DOING:

VANITY IN HAVING:

EXHORTATION:

IS LIFE LIVED WELL:

USING LIFE FOR GOOD:

GOOD FROM GOD'S POINT OF VIEW.

ADVANCE KINGDOM, GLORY TO GOD.

SOURCE OF TRUE LIVING:

CONTENTS:

Under A Great Variety Of Evidences,

Taken From The Circumstances Of Human Life,

The Preacher Fully Proves:

The Total INABILITY Of All Outward Circumstances Of Nature To OBTAIN Happiness.

Words Of The Preacher, Son Of David, King In Jerusalem.

The Book Opens Very Properly With The Name.

Or Rather The Office And Connection Of The Author.

And The Significance Of His Sermon.

Find Solomon And You Find Wisdom.

HOW MUCH MORE THEN WITH JESUS.

In Whom Are Hid All The Treasures Of Wisdom And Knowledge. Colossians 2:3.

SUBJECT MATTER OF BOOK:

VANITY OF VANITIES, SAITH THE PREACHER, VANITY OF VANITIES; ALL IS VANITY.

The Contrast:

The Durable Riches VERSUS Righteousness In Christ.

The Opposite To THIS VANITY, Which Is Found In Christ.

WORD TRANSLATED: VANITY:

IT LOOKS AT THE NATURE OF MAN’S ACTIVITY “UNDER THE SUN”:

1) FLEETING: Which Has In View Being Vapor-Like.

2) MEANINGLESS: Which Focuses On The Cursed Condition Of The Universe.

3) INCOMPREHENSIBLE: Which Refers To The Mysteries Of God's Purposes.

SUMMARY OF BOOK:

The Only Hope Of The Good Life.

The Only Reasonable Response.

Is Faith And Obedience To Sovereign God.

He Precisely Works Out All Activities Under The Sun.

Each In Its Time According To His Perfect Plan.

Discloses Only As Much As His Perfect Wisdom Dictates.

God Holds All Mankind Accountable.

Be Careful: Take God And His Word Seriously.

If NOT, A Person Is Doomed To A Life Of VANITY.

SOLOMON’S CONCLUSION:

TO HONOR GOD AND OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS.

DIVINE BLESSINGS ARE TO BE ENJOYED.

DIVINE JUDGMENT IS IMMINENT.

SOLOMON:
Who Had Riches As Plentiful As The Stones.

(1 Kings 10:27).

Who Had Wisdom As Large As The Sand Of The Sea.

(1 Kings 4:29).

Who Had All The Advantages, Could Experiment, Could Draw Conclusions.

(Ecclesiastes 1:16, 17).

For This Wise Man Himself Concludes:

To Fear God And Keep The Commandments Of God.

Therefore, He Pronounces All To Be Vanity,

It Must Be Meant Of All Worldly And Earthly Things;

1. The World Is NOT VAIN In Respect To:

Its Natural Being:

Whatsoever God Made Is, In Its Kind, Good.

(Genesis 1:31).

Solomon Did Not Mean The Works Of God Were Vain.

God The Creator:

He Makes His Ends Out Of All;

Creation Glorifies Him According To Divine Order.

Rational Mankind Is A Most Obvious Demonstration Of God's Infinite Being, Wisdom, And Power.

2. The World Is VAIN In Respect To:

The Sin And Folly Of Man:

Worldly Things Will NOT Perform The Way We Expect.

Our Great Expectation Is Happiness;

Our Great Folly: Is Not Found In Enjoyments Of This World.

All Worldly Enjoyments Are Leaky And Broken Cisterns.

Leaky And Broken Cisterns Cannot Hold This Living Water.

THIS IS WHY THEY ARE CONSIDERED VANITY.

WHAT CAUSES THE WHOLE WORLD TO BECOME VANITY?

WHEN WE BREAK THE DIVINE ORDER OF ENJOYMENT.

WHAT IS THIS DIVINE ORDER ?

HOW IS LIFE LIVED WELL ?

THE WHOLE WORLD IS VANITY:

1. BECAUSE ALL ITS GLORY DEPENDS MERELY UPON THE OPINION OF MANKIND.

Example: Gold And Silver:

Had Not Mankind DETERMINED Them An Excellency Far Beyond Their Natural Usefulness?

GOLD Was Of Little Value Beyond Natural Usefulness In The World Until Mankind Determined It To Be Of High Value.

Gold And Silver Became Prized Possessions.

Lusting For Gold And Silver Makes Us Needy.

IT IS NOTHING BUT CONCEIT

THAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN

THE RICHEST AND THE LEANEST

AS LONG AS BOTH HAVE THE NECESSITIES.

Mankind Tends Toward Coveting Possessions Of Others:

What Is Gold And Silver But Diversified Earth?

What Is A Diamond But A Hard Shiny Rock?

2. BECAUSE IT IS DECEITFUL.

Lying Vanity Betrays Both Our Hopes And Our Souls.

(a) It Betrays Our Hopes: Leaves Us Nothing But Disappointment, When It Promises Happiness.

(b) It Betrays The Soul: Guilt And Eternal Condemnation.

The World System Snares The Soul.

It Offers LOVE OF SELF

Which Is Inconsistent With The LOVE OF GOD.

The World System Is Satan's Temporary Domain.

Satan's Goal Is To Drag You To Hell With Him.

Because Of The Inclination To The Lusts Of The World:

It Is Almost Impossible:

To Moderate Our Affections Towards Them.

To Control Our Appetites And Desires.

3. BECAUSE IT OFFERS LURING COMFORTS BUT ALONG COME CERTAIN BURDENS.

(a) There Is A Great Deal Of Turmoil And Trouble In Getting The World's Comforts.

Nothing Can Be Acquired Without Sacrifice.

(b) Getting The World's Comforts Or Not, Still Mankind Is Disappointed In Its Reward.

The World Is Much Better In Show Than Substance;

The World Causes Us To Admire Things Before We Enjoy Them.

When We Enjoy These Things THEN We Discover The Disappointment In Them.

4. BECAUSE THE LONGER WE ENJOY ANY WORLDLY THING THE LESS SATISFYING IT BECOMES.

5. BECAUSE THE PLEASURE OF THE WORLD IS NOTHING BUT A TEDIOUS REPETITION OF THE SAME THINGS.

6. BECAUSE PLEASURES OF THE WORLD ARE INADEQUATE:

When We Have Great Need Of Support And Comfort.

When We Are Under The Conviction Of Our Guilt.

When We Are At The Hour Of Our Death.

7. BECAUSE THE WORLD IS UNSUITABLE TO SATISFY THE DESIRE FOR JOY AND HAPPINESS:

The Necessities Of The Soul Are Altogether Different.

Worldly Things Are NOT Able To Supply These Needs.

Worldly Things Are Wholly Unsuitable.

The Soul's Necessities Are Spiritual.

Worldly Things Can Not Reach Spiritual Heights.

8. BECAUSE OF ITS INCONSTANCY:

God's Providence Administers All Things In Perpetual Fluctuation.

It Is In Vain To Expect Happiness From What Is So Uncertain.

All Our Treasures Are Like Quicksilver,

Which Strangely Slips Between Our Fingers.

Which We Think We Hold It Securely.

9. BECAUSE IT IS UNSATISFACTORY:

Even Great Abundance Can Not Give Real Contentment.

The Whole World Offers Only Such Empty Things.

(1) Cannot Free Us From Cares And Crosses.

(2) We Still Desire Change.

If The Worldly Possessions Did Not Disappoint,

If The Worldly Possessions Did Not Frustrate Us,

Would Any One Think Of God ?

Would Any One Remember Heaven?

Would Any One Remember The Life To Come?

HOW FOOLISH:

To Lay Our Most Serious Cares Upon It.

To Give Up Peace And Purity Of Serving A Loving God.

To Lose Our Precious Souls.

To Fear Death That Only Deprives Us Of Fading Vanity.

To Be Discontent With Our Present State And Condition.

BUT, WHATEVER OUR OBSERVATIONS,

THE VANITY OF WORLDLY POSSESSIONS

SHOULD TEACH US:

TO ADMIRE AND ADORE

THE GOOD PROVIDENCE OF GOD.

Authentic Righteousness | Security

Matthew 6:19 Thru 34.

PRACTICING AUTHENTIC RIGHTEOUSNESS:

Demonstrated By A Transformed Life.

We Have Talked About Worshiping The Right God The Wrong Way:

JESUS CAME AND SET A CORRECT STANDARD.

HE Explained To Them:

You Have Torn Down The DIVINE Standard.

You Have Reconstituted A HUMAN Standard.

Your Human Standard Is NOT Acceptable To God.

HE Says To Them:

I Am NOT Come To Destroy The Law And The Prophets.

I Am Come To: Reaffirm Them.

I Am Come To: Reassert True Righteousness.

I Am Come To: Re-Establish God's Established Standard.

SO: In Chapter 6: Jesus Tells Them:

They Have The Wrong Approach Towards The Things Of Life.

They Have The Wrong Approach To What Defiles You.

They Have The Wrong Approach To Theology.

They Have The Wrong Approach To Worship.

They Have The Wrong Approach To Prayer.

They Have The Wrong Approach To Fasting.

JESUS SUMS UP OUR RELIGIOUS RESPONSIBILITY:

OUR WORSHIP TOWARD GOD,

SHOULD BE COMING FROM THE DEPTHS OF A PURE HEART.

THE PREVIOUS 4 LESSONS HAVE FOCUSED ON AUTHENTICITY:

Jesus Is Warning Against

Doing Righteous Deeds So That Others Will See Them.

Which Is Hypocritical or Phony or Unauthentic.

Verses 19–34: 2 Underlying Questions Concerning Authenticity.

FIRST, WHAT IS YOUR TRUE MOTIVE ?

SECOND, WHY ARE YOU ANXIOUS ?

SO,

CONCERNING PRACTICING RIGHTEOUSNESS: JESUS DISCUSSES POSSESSIONS AND MOTIVES.

HIS POINT: Wealth Is Not Evil, Itself.

HIS CONCERN: Prioritizing Material Things Over Godliness.

HIS SOLUTION: Build Up "Treasures" In Heaven;

HIS MEANING: Make Right Choices From Sincere Devotion To God.

A PERSON WILL

INVEST THEIR TREASURE:

(INCLUDING TIME, MONEY, AND EMOTION)

IN WHAT IS THEY CONSIDER

A PRIORITY OF THEIR HEART.

(MATTHEW 6:19–21).

HIS MESSAGE: You Can't Serve Both GOD and POSSESSIONS.

YOU MUST CHOOSE.

God And Possessions Are Two Different Masters.

If You Try, You'll End Up Resenting One And Loving The Other. (Matthew 6:22–24).

THEN, JESUS SPEAKS TO THOSE WITH LITTLE OR NO MONEY.

Live NOT In Anxiety Over The Basic Needs Of Life,

Even If One Don't Know How They Will Pay For Food And Clothing.

God The Father Feeds The Birds And Clothes The Lilies.

And His People Are Far More Valuable Than That.

He Tells Them Not To Live In Anxiety Over The Basic Needs Of Life,

Even If They Don't Know How They Will Pay For Food And Clothing.

God The Father Feeds The Birds And Clothes The Lilies,

And His People Are Far More Valuable Than That.

THE POINT: Worry Accomplishes Nothing.

THE CONCERN: Not Trusting God To Provide For All Our Needs.

THE SOLUTION: Let Tomorrow Worry About Tomorrow.

THE MEANING: Trust God For Today's Troubles.

(Matthew 6:25–34).

THE POINT OF LIFE:

TO PURSUE GOD'S KINGDOM | HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS.

AUTHENTIC SECURITY:

Do We Put Our Faith In The Lord.

OR Do We Trust Our Wealth And Resources,

TODAY'S KEY TAKEAWAY:

Authentic Righteousness Demands Authentic Faith.

We Will Never Be Able To Seek God’s Righteousness:

If We Are More Concerned With How Others Perceive Us.

If We Are More Concerned With Earthly Possessions,

If We Try To Obtain Our Own Rewards.

OUTLINE:

I. PURE MOTIVES (19–24).

FIRST, IF I DO THE RIGHT ACTIONS,

DOES IT REALLY MATTER,

WHAT MY MOTIVES ARE?

II. ANXIETY (25–32).

SECOND, CAN I TRUST GOD,

TO TAKE CARE OF MY NEEDS,

IF I DON’T TAKE CARE OF THEM MYSELF?

THIS STUDY DEALS WITH OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD:

How We Worship Him With Our Possessions.

How We Use Our Treasure For His Glory.

How We Serve Him With Our Attitudes.

How We Serve Him As Our Master.

GENERAL CONTEXT OF MATTHEW 6:

The Contrast Between.

The False: External Righteousness.

The Genuine: Internal Righteousness (Imputed To The Believer).

AUTHENTIC FAITH:

I. PURE MOTIVES (19–24).

So, The Pharisees Were Very Rich.

They Taught That Riches Were A Sign Of God's Blessing.

And OF COURSE, They Were Rich.

Their Point Being God's Approves Of Their Teaching.

They Were Very Proud Of Their Wealth.

They Were Very Proud Of Their So-Called Spirituality.

Jesus Sets Out To Correct Their False Views Concerning Wealth.

Materialism Deals With The Problem Of Worldliness.

Worldliness Is An Attitude About Life.

IT IS ANY ATTITUDE THAT EXCLUDES THE PERSON OF CHRIST.

This Part Of Matthew:

Wealth, Possessions And Money Are Blessings From God.

POINT: OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD THESE MATERIAL BLESSINGS.

WHAT THEN DOES GOD OPPOSE?

An Attitude That Excludes Christ From Our Material Possessions.

An Attitude Where Wealth Possesses And Obsesses Us.

Put No Trust In Extortion; Set No Vain Hopes On Robbery; If Riches Increase, Set Not Your Heart On Them. Psalm 62:10.

SO, YES IT DOES MATTER TO GOD ABOUT

ATTITUDES AND MOTIVES

TOWARD RECEIVING MATERIAL BLESSINGS.

A. POSSESSIONS SHOULD BE USED FOR GOD: 6:19,20.

LAY NOT Up For Yourselves Treasures Upon Earth,

Where Moth And Rust Destroy,

Where Thieves Break Through And Steal.

POINT:

ALL MATERIAL POSSESSIONS CAN PERISH OR BE STOLEN.

Earthly Wealth:

Something One Can Have Today And Lose Tomorrow.

Is Transitory And Passing.

Is Never Secure And Certain.

Earthly Wealth:

Should Be Used For Advancing God's Kingdom.

Should Be Used For The Glory Of God.

This is a positive command.

Christians are to be more concerned about spiritual and heavenly things than carnal and earthly things.

The great thrust of the Christian's life is to glorify God.

Christians are to employ their earthly treasures and money for spiritual ends.

Our material investments should be accumulating heavenly profits.

Money used for God down here on earth is actually put on deposit in heaven.

Every investment for Christ is eternally safe in the heavenly bank. I Timothy 6:17-19).

B. POSSESSIONS SHOULD BE:

A DEMONSTRATION OF COMMITMENT TO HIM: 6:21.

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

The Lord gives an explanation of what He means by treasure.

It deals with what a person desires most in life.

Where the aim of his life is, there is his heart.

If his aims are earthly, that is where his heart is set;

if they are heavenly, that is where his heart is.

What a man does tells what a man is.

Martin Luther said, Whatever your heart clings to and relies on is your God.

C. POSSESSIONS CAN:

DISTORT YOUR SPIRITUAL GOALS: 6:22,23.

The Light Of The Body Is The Eye:

If Therefore Your Eye Be Single,

The Whole Body Shall Be Full Of Light.

But If Your Eye Be Evil,

The Whole Body Shall Be Full Of Darkness.

If Therefore The Light That Is In Thee Be Darkness,

How Great Is That Darkness!

Possessions Can Distort Our Vision.

Possessions Can Distort Our View Of Life.

We Depend On Healthy Eyes To View Life.

We Depend On Spiritual Vision To View Our Relationship To God.

Possessions Have The Potential Of Causing Spiritual Eye Disease.

Your Vision Becomes Clear If You Lay Up Heavenly Treasures.

D. POSSESSIONS CAN:

BECOME YOUR MASTER: 6:24.

No Man Can Serve Two Masters:

For Either He Will Hate The One,

And Love The Other;

Or Else He Will Hold To The One, And Despise The Other.

You Cannot Serve God And Mammon.

There Must Be Exclusive Service.

The Two Masters In Context Are God And Mammon (riches).

These Two Masters Are So Different That You Cannot Love Both.

Both God And Possessions Make Demands Upon You.

Either One Demands All Your Service,

For You Are A Slave To Either;

And Each Has A Different Way Of Controlling Your Life.

You Cannot Serve God And Riches,

For What A Man Serves Is What He Really Loves.

A Choice To Put God First And Trust God For Whatever Material Blessings Come His Way,

Or Put Materialism First And God Will Be Left Out Of The Picture.

II. ANXIETY (25–32).

DO NOT BE ANXIOUS.

NOTE:

THIS PROMISE IS FOR THOSE WHO BELONG TO HIM.

IT IS ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF BELONGING TO HIM.

IT IS SPECIFIC GRACE FOR HIS OWN.

REMEMBER:

SPECIFIC GRACE IS DIFFERENT FROM COMMON GRACE.

LOGICAL REASONS FOR NOT WORRYING:

THE LORD TOLD US NOT TO WORRY.

Worry About Material Things Is Sin, For God Has Promised To Meet The Needs Of His People (Phil. 4:19).

Worry Is Futile And Useless For It Never Solved Any Problem At All.

We Are To Take Their Concerns About Material Things To God And Leave Them There For God To Handle (Phil. 4:6, 7).

The Lord Is Not Condemning Foresight;

He Is Condemning A Worrying Foresight As Though It Were Our Responsibility To Provide And Not His.

THE LOGIC OF CREATION:

Since God Gave Us Life, Certainly He Can Provide Us With Food.

The Giver Of The Gift Of Life Will See To It.

THE LOGIC OF THE ANIMAL WORLD:

The Example Of The Animal World: In Particular The Bird World.

Birds Have No Way Of Storing Food But God Provides For Them.

He Sees To It That Their Life Is Sustained.

NOTE:

Do Not Think This Teaches That We Can Be Lazy.

Do Not Think This Teaches To Sit Around And Expect Bread To Fall.

Do We See Birds Perched Waiting For Food To Come To Them.

They Search For It Diligently.

Mankind Must Work, Trusting God To Provide For His Needs.

THE LOGIC OF MAN'S INABILITY TO EXTEND LIFE:

Life Is Planned And God Has An Appointed Hour For His Death.

God Will Provide For His Own Until That Moment Of Death.

THE LOGIC OF VEGETATION:

Consider The Lilies Of The Field, How They Grow;

They Toil Not, Neither Do They Spin:

God Is Interested In A Lone Flower

How Much More Will He Care For His Own Family.

THE LOGIC OF PRIORITY:

But Seek Ye First The Kingdom Of God, And His Righteousness; And All These Things Shall Be Added Unto You.

IT IS PERFECTLY LOGICAL:

If The Christian Puts God First,

Then God Will Be Pleased,

And He Will Meet The Believer's Material Needs.

(II Chron. 16:9: Them That Honor Me I Will Honor.

THE LOGIC OF DAILY SUFFICIENCY:

Take Therefore No Thought For The Morrow:

For The Morrow Shall Take Thought For The Things Of Itself.

Sufficient Unto The Day Is The Evil Thereof.

The Final Argument Is That Of The Burden Of A Day.

In Itself A Day's Burden Is Heavy Enough.

WHY DOUBLE THE BURDEN BY WORRYING ABOUT TOMORROW?

Add Worry Of Tomorrow To Today Will Double The Burden.

NOTE:

There May Be Greater Sins Than Worry,

But Few Are More Disabling.

Worry Occupies The Mind

It Keeps From Being Useful In Areas That Should Be Occupied.

Worry Prevents Joy And Happiness.

It Is Useless And Accomplishes Nothing.

BE CAREFUL TO REMEMBER:

If You Have Experienced Saving Faith And STOP Growing:

A Person Is Going To Face Defeat By The Enemy.

A Person Will Be Prone To Worry.

If You Have Experienced Saving Faith And CONTINUE Growing:

The Lord Will Bless Anyone Who Chooses To WALK BY FAITH.

The Lord Will Bless Anyone Who Chooses To DO GOD'S WILL.

FAITH TRUST THE GOD WHO CONTROLS CIRCUMSTANCES.

That Is How One Can MASTER THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

NOT LET THE CIRCUMSTANCES MASTER YOU.

TRUST IN YOUR SOVEREIGN LOVING HEAVENLY FATHER

TO MEET YOUR NEEDS.