Series- Been There- Done That- Now What? #15- LIFE AIN T FAIR BUT GOD IS FAITHFUL Ecclesiastes 9:11-18 In Ecclesiastes 9 Solomon is dealing with the issues of death and life. In summary he is saying that death is certain while life is uncertain. Reality is Death plays to win. Life plays unfairly! In our last message we looked at how Death is Unavoidable. There is no getting around it. We also looked at how Death is Unpredictable. People die all sorts of ways. And we quickly looked at how Death id Motivational. Knowing that we are going to die it should motivate us to live for God. It should motivate us enjoy life and not to waste a second. The fact of the matter is we know we are going to die. We have no control over when and where. So are we living any differently? ILL- Erma Bombec, after she found out she was dying from cancer, wrote: IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren t there for the day. I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage. I would have talked less and listened more. I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained or the sofa faded. I would have eaten the popcorn in the good living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace. I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth. I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed. I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains. I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn t show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime. Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I d have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle. When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner." There would have been more "I love you s." More "I m sorry s." But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute, look at it and really see it, live it and never give it back. Can anyone testify that life is not always easy? Can anyone agree life is not always fair? I. THE BEST MAN DON T ALWAYS WIN A. EXPECT DISAPPOINTMENTS Ecclesiastes 9:11 11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, ILL- Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe knows it s true. He was widely hailed as the fastest swimmer. Thorpe was expected to be the 2004 Olympic champion in the 400 meter freestyle, his best event. At the trials in Sydney, he was getting into starting position just before the race when a terrible thing happened: he tumbled off the blocks into the pool. Thorpe was disqualified. He appealed his case to the referee and three person jury and they stated the rules are the rules. The crowd erupted in an uproar. The Australians were furious at the judges. But rules are rules. Ian Thorpe the world s fastest swimmer calmed his nation by saying, I accepted it, and now everyone else has to as well. Every now and again the long shot wins the race! Solomon continues to say: Ecclesiastes 9:11 11 I returned, and saw under the sun,,nor the battle to the strong, ILL- I think of David against Goliath. There was no way David should have been put up against the giant. Goliath outweighed him, overpowered him. He was taller, stronger and looked unstoppable but the underdog won the match! Every now and again the Mike Tyson s of the world are knocked out by the Buster Douglas of the world.
Ecclesiastes 9:11 11 I returned, and saw under the sun,, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; Every now and again the GUY SWINGING THE HAMMER gets promoted to manager. Every now and again the HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT becomes the boss to those who have more education. GOD HANDS OUT BLESSINGS TO WHOEVER HE WANTS TOO! Solomon says but time and chance happeneth to them all. Life just ain t fair sometimes! B. EXPECT DEATH Ecclesiastes 9:12 12 For man also knoweth not his time: (Solomon says man don t know when he s going to die. That s probably a good thing it would scare us all to death!) as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; (he draws us a picture of little fish swimming thoughtlessly down stream and suddenly a net surrounds them. And then he pictures birds flying effortlessly through the open sky and bam! They are caught in a net!) so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them. ILL- There were Two gas company service men, one a senior training Supervisor and the other a young trainee. They were out checking meters and parked their truck at the end of the alley and worked there way to the other end. At the last house a woman looking out her kitchen window watched the two men as they checked her gas meter. As they finished the meter check the older supervisor challenged his younger co-worker to a foot race down the alley back to the truck. As they came running up to the truck, they realized that the lady from the last house was huffing and puffing right behind them. They stopped and asked her what was wrong. Gasping for breath she said, "When I see two gas men running full speed away from my house, I figured I had better run too." Sometimes life don t make sense! Just weeks before he was to collect a $1.5 million inheritance, a 43-year-old Australian construction worker died when a wall fell on him. Witnesses said the backhoe operator had taken shelter from a brisk wind when a brick wall collapsed on him.
II. THE GOOD AREN T ALWAYS REMEMBERED- (Vs. 13-18) In the next verses Solomon tells a story about a little city that seems to capture the ultimate in life s unfairness. He tells about a great army that was smashing its way through the countryside. The army came across a little unassuming town. Solomon mentions: A. THE SIZE OF THE CITY- Vs. 14- There was a little city, and few men within it. This was the kind of city that had one stoplight in it and one convenience store. They had no army. And the Bible emphasizes it had few men within it. B. THE SEIGE OF THE CITY- Vs. 14b- and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: Rather than going around the city and taking a detour, this wicked King thought to terrorize the city by surrounding it and taunting it! C. THE SAVIOUR OF THE CITY- Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city 1- THE CITY is a picture of THE CHURCH. In the world s eyes, the Church looks small. 2- THE GREAT KING is a picture of SATAN. Notice it does not say that this King goes into the city. But rather he is on the outside making threats. Building what he thinks are strongholds that will force the city to surrender. (But even though there are few men in it GOD s gotta deliverer on the inside!) 3- THE SAVIOUR is a picture of CHRIST. a. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE POOR WISE MAN- 1- He was ALREADY PRESENT! Just like when Daniel and the three Hebrew children were thrown into the fire. The Son of man was already in the fire. This Poor Wise Man was already in place in the city. Can I tell you before the foundation of the world JESUS was already in place! 2- He was ALTOGETHER POOR- 2 Corinthians 8:9 9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. (Preach! Preach! Preach!) b. THE DELIVERANCE OF THE POOR WISE MAN- and he by his wisdom delivered the city. (This poor wise man did not roll up his sleeves and say I ll whip you! Oh no! He came up with a wise plan that sent that great King running back where he came from! You say WHAT DID HE DO? The Scriptures do not say! But I ll tell you what our Lord did! He did the very same thing! By wisdom, He delivered you and I from the SEIGE SIN had on us! Jesus did not call out the Devil in the Street and say We gone fight to the finish! NO!
Jesus defeated the devil the only way possible. And that was being born of a virgin. Living a SIN-FREE LIFE. Jesus marched through this world of Sin & Temptation and never once did He sin! By Wisdom, HE defeated Satan in the wilderness by saying It Is Written! By Wisdom, He defeated Satan while the angry crowd and falsely accused Him by saying NOT A WORD! By Wisdom He defeated Satan on the Cross by shedding H-O-L-Y S-I-N-L-E-S-S B-L-O-O-D. HE Defeated Satan who had brought such a crippling siege on Humanity when He cried, It Is Finished went down into death and walked around as King even in death took away the KEYS to Hell and the Grave and Rose Again Triumphant over SIN- DEATH & the DEVIL. D. THE SIN OF THE CITY- yet no man remembered that same poor man. Ecclesiastes 9:16 16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: (Jesus defeated Satan NOT WITH A SHOWDOWN but WITH A SACRIFICE!) nevertheless the poor man s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. Oh how that city should have thrown a party and showered the poor wise man with praise but nevertheless the poor man s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. Conclusion: Have You Forgotten what our Lord did on the Cross? Have we as a Church Forgotten what our SAVIOUR did for us at Calvary? If ANYONE had a right to say LIFE IS UNFAIR OUR LORD DOES! Let s NOT FORGET and just accept the fact that life is UNFAIR. Remember this, this life is just getting us ready for our Eternal Life. The Best is yet to Come!