Stones Hill Community Church
The writer of Ecclesiastes undertook a hugely ambitious life experiment and he made himself the guinea pig, the lab rat. King Solomon had the time, money, and power to pretty much pursue any avenue of life he thought would bring pleasure or satisfaction. Solomon decided to conduct a massive experiment in human happiness and meaning. He became his own test subject, his own lab rat. “I know there is a God, but I’m going to live as if there isn’t and see what that’s like.” He became this mad scientist in search of serum, an antidote to fix him. But nothing was ever enough. He lost sight of the Giver of the Gifts. Have you lost sight of what's important?
The theme of the book is a virtual summary of the biblical worldview: life lived by purely earthly and human standards is futile, but the God-centered life is an antidote. Solomon tells us what he wants us to remember when life gets confusing, mysterious, unfair or as black as night - keep your trust in Creator God’s plan. Life in the world has significance only when man remembers his Creator (12:1).
Welcome to "A Season for Everything" - Finding Meaning in the Book of Ecclesiastes!
We welcome you to Stone's Hill today!
A typical Stone's Hill service has:
* music (so feel free to sing out);
* some announcements (things that are upcoming that you can be a part of);
* a message out of the Bible (God speaks to us through his Word);
* and an opportunity for you to respond to the message (either immediately in the case of a decision that needs to be made OR in the future as you live out the message in your daily life.)
So relax and enjoy your morning! We're so glad you are here!
Ecclesiastes 3:9-17 NIV
Message Text: Ecclesiastes 3:9-17
Introduction
A person who is a cynic is always assuming the worst of everyone and everything. A cynic develops this bite toward people and life. Small irritations turn into hostile attitudes. And this collection of attitudes and hostilities and irritations forms this shadowy perspective, where we seek out and focus on the worst in people and in life. We definitely want to avoid this view of life. But it’s especially hard to do when life’s small irritations are mingled with some of the great injustices of life.
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In his older years, Solomon had become very cynical about life. He tried everything but nothing brought a lasting joy. But here’s the irony in today’s message. The irony is that the cynic has given us the keys to avoid cynicism! How so? Does Solomon say “Retaliate! Resent! Become bitter!” Does he say “Move to some lonely spot and grind our your twilight years in frustration and anger”? Does he say “Build yourself a fantasy world. Create your dream and insulate yourself from problems”? Even as a cynic, he avoided this tone.
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Proposition
What kind of cynic-free perspective should we have? I want to put Solomon’s observations into six encouragements. They will keep you from cynicism.
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Observation #1 - Don’t lose heart as God composes your story. Reject self-pity.
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Observation #2 - Don’t lose touch with that sense of eternity.Reject living for just the here-and-now.
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Observation #3 - Don’t lose out on the joy of life’s simple things. Reject the lie that more is better.
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Observation #4 - Don’t lose sight of God’s sovereignty. Reject the depressing notion that life is static rather than dynamic.
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Observation #5 - Don’t lose peace over the raw-deals of life. Reject resentment.
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Observation #6 – Don’t lose confidence that God makes all things right. Reject retaliation.
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Conclusion
Let’s replace stale cynicism with fresh hope. The cynic is showing us how not to be cynical. If cynicism has taken an active role in your life, then it’s time to seek God’s healing. Cynicism is a product of our fallen nature. We are sinners, and, when we’re walking in the flesh, it’s easy for us to adopt a cynical attitude in response to suffering or disappointment. God has better plans for us, though. He wants to heal us and rid our lives of cynicism. Ultimately, the key to dealing with cynicism in our lives is Christ Himself. We need Christ in our hearts to remove the anger, dissolve the bitterness, and make us a new creation.