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 10:1-20 NIV
MESSAGE TEXT
Ecclesiastes 10:1-20
INTRODUCTION
Solomon has been a king for decades. He’s near the end of his career and life when he wrote his journal called Ecclesiastes. In chapter 10 today, he seems to be giving his best advice on how to act and behave on the royal court. Now, it shouldn’t be a surprise that an old and experienced king named Solomon would give us insights related to the life of royalty and how to live as a royal on the royal court. He wants you to act like royalty with class, dignity, wisdom, and respect and so he tells you how to do that.
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PROPOSITION
In a way, Solomon tells you what you can’t do because you are royalty. But think small things. Little words, not eloquent speeches; little deeds, not miracles or great battles won. It is not in one heroic effort, but through little things, that a life of royalty is wisely lived. Since a wise and royal life is truly made up of a multitude of small things, God graciously gives us advice for the common situations.
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MESSAGE POINTS
YOU ARE ROYALTY, SO THINK LIKE IT - LIVING OUT OUR ROYAL STATUS (1-3)
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YOU ARE ROYALTY, SO ACT LIKE IT - WHAT A ROYAL LOOKS LIKE WITH PEOPLE (4-7)
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YOU ARE ROYALTY, SO WORK LIKE IT - HOW A ROYAL DOES THEIR JOB (8-11)
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YOU ARE ROYALTY, SO TALK LIKE IT - HOW A ROYAL TALKS (12-15)
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YOU ARE ROYALTY, SO LOOK LIKE IT - HOW A ROYAL HANDLES PLEASURE (16-20)
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SUMMATION
The easiest way to remember the message of the Teacher is to think of the three kinds of animals he has mentioned in this passage: flies, snakes, and birds. “All are small and apparently insignificant creatures, but each has a potential for harm.” Dead flies spoil a lot of precious ointment; little snakes can kill a big person; and a little bird can tell the king your secret thoughts and get you into trouble. Just like these little animals, a little folly can do a lot of harm. There are lots of little things in our text today: flies in perfume, leaky roofs, dull axes, and broken-down fences. If you don’t cap the perfume, it’s ruined, no matter how expensive when flies die in it. If you move a boundary, you might get snake bitten. If you quarry stone, you might get a hernia. If you log timber with a dull axe, you’ll definitely get blisters; you might even glance off the wood; but you might over swing and miss and send an axe head tumbling through the air. It’s the little things that the royals do that set them apart for a life of influence.
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CONCLUSION
Invitation: Ecclesiastes 10:17 Blessed is the land whose king is of noble birth and whose princes eat at a proper time—
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If we want to govern ourselves wisely, we do well to follow the example of our King. Although verse 17 is not a direct prophecy of Jesus Christ, it aptly describes his wisdom and the character of his kingdom. As the Son of David and the Son of God, Jesus is “the son of the nobility” twice over. He knew when to feast, as he did with his disciples. But his first priority was the work of God’s kingdom. As the born-again children of God, we are princes and princesses of his kingdom. We should know the time to feast, which includes keeping the regular feast of the Lord’s Supper as well as the occasional celebrations of the Christian life, all of which remind us that our King has a feast waiting for us in Heaven. You are royalty in Him. Now, let's honor our King.