Dr JD Harless Tri-County Christian Church July 31, 2016 Resources: Expositors & Commentaries REMEMBER YOUR CREATOR Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:8 There once was on old man who loved to play golf. But he was approaching eighty years old, and his vision wasn t very good anymore. He always had partners with him when he went out to play so they could watch his ball and tell him where it went. One day his golf partners did not show up to play golf with him. It was a beautiful day for golf, and as he waited at the clubhouse, he got more and more agitated that he wasn t going to be able to play a round of golf that day. After a while another old man in the clubhouse saw him, came over, and asked, What s wrong? The first man explained his dilemma: I was really looking forward to playing golf today. But I don t see very well anymore, so I need someone to watch where the ball lands after I hit it. Now the second old man was even older than the first man. That s no problem, he said. I ll be glad to ride around with you. I ve still got twenty/twenty vision. I can see like a hawk. You just hit the ball, and I ll watch to see where it lands. Great! said the first old man. So they went out to the first tee. The first old man put down his ball, and smacked it straight down the fairway. He turned to his partner, and asked, Did you see it? I saw it all the way until it stopped rolling. Well, where did it go? The older man paused for a moment. And then he said, I forgot. I am sure that all of us have found times when we have forgotten something right? I have had numerous people tell me that they would go into a room and stand there trying to figure out why they were there and had to return to the room REMEMBER YOUR CREATOR 1
they were in before they remembered what they were doing. When I hear that I feel so much better! I am not the only one losing my mind! Sometimes it is hilarious the things we forget but sometimes it is not funny at all ESPECIALLY when it is forgetting about God! God was constantly reminding the Jews not to forget him! Moses tells them in DEUTERONOMY 8:10-14 10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. 11 Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. 12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, 13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. And you know what that is exactly what happened. When things got good they forgot about God! You know what is sad about this? What is really sad is that we have a tendency to do the same thing today don t we? When times are really tough and at a crisis point then we cry out to God. BUT when things are going really well we sometimes have a tendency to forget about him don t we? This morning Solomon warns us to remember our Creator! Turn with me to ECCLESIASTES 11:7 12:8 this morning where we are going to find three recommendations from our preacher/teacher Solomon. 1 REJOICE IN THE YOUTH OF YOUR LIFE Some of us are sitting here this morning thinking a little too late Jim! My young days have come and gone. Some of you might remember the Grimm s fairy tale titled The Duration of Life REMEMBER YOUR CREATOR 2
God originally determined 30 years as the ideal span of life for all animals, including mankind. The donkey, the dog, and the monkey considered it much too long, however, and begged God to reduce their years by 18, 12, and 10. Being healthy, vigorous, and somewhat greedy, the man asked to be given those extra years. God agreed, so man's years totaled 70. The first 30 are his own and they pass quickly. The next 18 are the "donkey years," during which he has to carry countless burdens on his back. Then come the "dog years"...12 years when he can do little but growl and drag himself along. This is followed by the "monkey years," his closing 10, when he grows rather strange and does things that make children laugh at him. Grimm's Fairy Tales. One tradition puts it this way The seven ages of man: spills, drills, thrills, bills, ills, pills, wills. And for many of us we are past the spills, drills, and thrills days and are enduring the bills, ills, pills and wills days. BUT I still think that Solomon has something for us as well. READ VERSES 7-9a A week and a half ago I was eating lunch with Vicki, Matthan and Adriel. Out of the blue Adriel said I cannot wait until tomorrow! What is tomorrow Adriel? We get to go to Poseyville! I loved the excitement and enthusiasm she was showing about life. That is what Solomon is saying here in these two verses Be enthusiastic about life! In VERSE 8 where he says But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many he is not talking about bad times in life he is talking about growing older and not being able to do the things you were once able to do. He is telling us to enjoy life while we can because there will come a day when we really cannot enjoy it we are not going to be physically able to do so. Many of us know exactly what Solomon is talking about here! We used to have a softball team here at Tri and many of us in this room used to play. It was fun! But at least for me it is a thing of the past along with basketball football walleyball and racquetball. I have traded those all in for tidily-winks and checkers. REMEMBER YOUR CREATOR 3
I have a friend that often says I wake up of the morning check the obituaries and if I am not in them I get up and get ready for another day. That may seem a bit morbid but think about it none of us are guaranteed another day so enjoy the days you have to the fullest! Enjoy life do things that are fun! I am reminded of the shirts and hates that used to be so popular. They had Life is Good printed across them then they would have some activity that would seem to make life good Camping makes life good Fishing makes life good Golf makes life good Shopping makes life good Dogs or cats make life good God has blessed us with all kinds of things that we can enjoy that makes life good enjoy them while you can. The Apostle Paul says ti this way in the last part of 1 TIMOTHY 6:17 but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 2 REMOVE THE SOURCES OF ANXIETY IN YOUR LIFE Although Solomon tells us that we need to enjoy life while we can he has another recommendation for us do not forget that we are held responsible for the things we do. READ VERSES 9b-10 Solomon is not telling us here nor has he ever told us in the Book of Ecclesiastes that it is okay to throw all caution to the wind. A good way to have a happy adult life is to enjoy life even at an old age is to begin doing the right things when you are young. Young people who live like a Christ follower reflecting Christ in their lives will avoid those sins that bring physical, emotional and spiritual judgment on us in our old age. It is better to enjoy life in a way that pleases God than to live life by sowing wild oats and hope for a crop failure! REMEMBER YOUR CREATOR 4
We are to live life responsibly even when we are young. Every sin has its price and every price takes away from the bank account of a joyful life! Solomon tells us in VERSE 10 to banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body. What does he mean when he says that? You ever gossip about someone and then when you are around them you are really uneasy because you think they might know what you said? You ever steal something from someone and then worried that they might find out? Have you ever come home with alcohol on your breath and were afraid that your mom or dad might smell it? That is the anxiety he is talking about that uneasy, worried feeling that you are going to get caught for something you knew was wrong but you did it anyway. Solomon s recommendation is simple here remove the sources of those anxieties from your life and life will be much more enjoyable! There is one last recommendation that Solomon gives us 3 REMEMBER THE ONE WHO MADE YOUR LIFE READ VERSES 1-2 I find it interesting that Solomon suggests that we remember our Creator when we are young. Why is that? You people who are more my age remember when you thought you could whip the world? There was nothing you could not do! You were strong you were smart you were good looking you had it all! And all you had a tendency to do was think about yourself and the things that made you happy. You pretty well thought you were a self-made man or woman. But what Solomon tells us in VERSE 1 is that we need to spend less time thinking about ourselves and more time thinking about God. Brother Lawrence from the Carmelite brotherhood of monks describes it as practicing the presence of God. REMEMBER YOUR CREATOR 5
I find it interesting that Solomon intentionally used the word Creator rather than the word God. Why do you suppose that is? I believe he is driving home a point here The life you have God created it The family and friends you have God created it The job you have God created it The wisdom and knowledge you have God created it The wealth you have God created it There is no doubt that any enjoyment of life we might have God is the source of that and we must not forget that! Jesus verbalizes it this way in MATTHEW 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. In VERSE 1b-2 Solomon says before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, I find no pleasure in them 2 before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain; When you were a kid did your mom or dad ever say Go out and play before it starts raining? What did they mean? They meant that you need to play while you can because you are not going to be able to later right? That is what Solomon is saying here as well. He is once again urging those who are young to enjoy life while they can. According to Wiersbe a commentator Solomon gives us in VERSES 3-7 one of the most imaginative descriptions of old age and death found anywhere in literature. READ VERSES 3-7 There are numerous words in these verses describing those of us that are in the bills, ills, pills, and wills days of our lives. Keepers of the house Our arms and hands tremble Strong men Our legs, knees, and shoulders weaken and we walk bent over Grinders We start to lose our teeth Windows Our vision begins to deteriorate Doors our hearing begins to fail REMEMBER YOUR CREATOR 6
Grinding We cannot chew our food Rise up We wake up in the morning to the chirping of the birds and wish we could sleep longer Music Our voice starts to quaver and weaken Afraid We are terrified of heights and are afraid of falling while walking down the street Almond tree If we have any hair left, it has turned white like almond blossoms Grasshopper We drag ourselves along like a grasshopper at the close of a summer season Desire We lose our appetite for many things Long home We go to our eternal home and people mourn our death. Some of us probably feel like Solomon had us in mind when he wrote this right? One person once said that because of his age he felt like his body had gotten totally out of shape, so he got his doctor's permission to join a fitness club and start exercising. He decided to take an aerobics class for seniors. He bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up and down, and perspired for an hour. But, by the time he got his leotards on, the class was over. For many of us we are on the tail end of what Solomon is talking about. We are no longer in the spills, drills, and thrills days of our life. And we could sit here and be depressed by what Solomon has to say. BUT Solomon did not know what was to come did he? The New Testament teaches us that death is not the end. Jesus conquered death and through him there is life beyond death. That fact should keep us from wasting the life that we have. Rejoice every day by remembering our Creator. He has given us much more that the teacher in Ecclesiastes was aware of. Our creator has given us hope through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We ve got one life to live rejoice and be glad in it! We ve got one set of teeth one set of eyes one set of ears one set of hands and they may be growing weak. But we have a life coming that will never grow old! Remember your Creator for he is the one who not only provide for us the lives we live here on earth but also the eternal life that we will life in Heaven! REMEMBER YOUR CREATOR 7