Saturday, November 12, 2005
Sermon Notes: Ecclesiastes Experience, pt. 2
Note: This series comes from an idea that a friend of mine is writing a book about. The book will be far more detailed than this sermon, and will no doubt be better to read and understand. The book is in progress.
Sermon taken from pastor prep notes. No video available.
Scripture: Ecclesiastes 12:13-14; Matthew 22:37-40
Last week we talked about how the book of Ecclesiastes is just as much telling of Solomon's life as the biographical accounts in other Old Testament books. During the time he is said to have written this, it was a time of great joys and sorrows. One can see the currents going on, as Solomon gets to the sunset of his years, and finds himself wanting more than simply the power and glory of king. He is striving to find the purpose of it all, the meaning. He is struggling to find the keys to the answer. Well, he begins with calling it all meaningless, then he comes to the conlcusion that the best thing to do is to fear God and keep His commandments. This is a good start, but it is not hte end for us as Jesus people.
Solomon got to a point of fearing God and following his commandments. However, this is not complete. Look at what happened between God and the Israelites in the prevailing time. Fear breeded routine and even, in some cases contmept. Sure, you feared God, so you kept his commandments, not out of caring and obedience, but because you feared Him and were afraid of His anger. This breeded contempt, not just for God, but for others in society. It caused people to put masks on trying to hide from God, and trying to hide the true nature of God.
This is Halloween. Let's look at the masks we put on God. There is God the angry God, the God of sodom and gomorrah, who destroys. People who see this view of God are in the position of the post-Ecclesiasties israel. You do what he says,b ut there is an underlying contempt and even hate there.
Then, there are those who put on another view of God, who see only the loving, grandfatherly God. There is no way he can punish us. There is no hell, he understands I have faults and accepts them. He won't send me to perdition for my sins. You are right, yo umake that choice yourself, and you fool yourself by putting a mask on God if you think you won't be judged.
Which view is right? Well, we need to look to Scripture. When we peel away the masks of the spoiling God and the vengeful God,w e get the true nature of God. Look back at Genesis. What did God want? He wanted us to walk beside Him. He wanted a relationship. He wanted something more meaningful than just fear. He wanted love. He wanted to give and receive love.
While God is the God of power and creation and even destruction, He is also the same God who konws everything about each of us, and wants us to strive to know more about him. WE have to pull away the masks from God, and likewise from ourselves.
We put up masks. The masks of outward obedience, of chastity, of abstinence. Inside, we are cauldrons of hurt, anger, deceit, and holes in our hearts. God wants us to pull away the masks and stand revealed, needy though we are, but knowing we can trust him to guide and strengthen us.
The Ecclesiasties experiences of our lives don't need to end with fear. They should end with love. Love from God, because he cared enoug to send his Son. He didn't have to, but he did. And, he desires to hear form each of us. He desires for us to talk to Him, to walk with him, not just to fear him. Therefore, the complete exit of the Ecclesiastes experience is "love the lord and follow his commandments."
Sermon taken from pastor prep notes. No video available.
Scripture: Ecclesiastes 12:13-14; Matthew 22:37-40
Last week we talked about how the book of Ecclesiastes is just as much telling of Solomon's life as the biographical accounts in other Old Testament books. During the time he is said to have written this, it was a time of great joys and sorrows. One can see the currents going on, as Solomon gets to the sunset of his years, and finds himself wanting more than simply the power and glory of king. He is striving to find the purpose of it all, the meaning. He is struggling to find the keys to the answer. Well, he begins with calling it all meaningless, then he comes to the conlcusion that the best thing to do is to fear God and keep His commandments. This is a good start, but it is not hte end for us as Jesus people.
Solomon got to a point of fearing God and following his commandments. However, this is not complete. Look at what happened between God and the Israelites in the prevailing time. Fear breeded routine and even, in some cases contmept. Sure, you feared God, so you kept his commandments, not out of caring and obedience, but because you feared Him and were afraid of His anger. This breeded contempt, not just for God, but for others in society. It caused people to put masks on trying to hide from God, and trying to hide the true nature of God.
This is Halloween. Let's look at the masks we put on God. There is God the angry God, the God of sodom and gomorrah, who destroys. People who see this view of God are in the position of the post-Ecclesiasties israel. You do what he says,b ut there is an underlying contempt and even hate there.
Then, there are those who put on another view of God, who see only the loving, grandfatherly God. There is no way he can punish us. There is no hell, he understands I have faults and accepts them. He won't send me to perdition for my sins. You are right, yo umake that choice yourself, and you fool yourself by putting a mask on God if you think you won't be judged.
Which view is right? Well, we need to look to Scripture. When we peel away the masks of the spoiling God and the vengeful God,w e get the true nature of God. Look back at Genesis. What did God want? He wanted us to walk beside Him. He wanted a relationship. He wanted something more meaningful than just fear. He wanted love. He wanted to give and receive love.
While God is the God of power and creation and even destruction, He is also the same God who konws everything about each of us, and wants us to strive to know more about him. WE have to pull away the masks from God, and likewise from ourselves.
We put up masks. The masks of outward obedience, of chastity, of abstinence. Inside, we are cauldrons of hurt, anger, deceit, and holes in our hearts. God wants us to pull away the masks and stand revealed, needy though we are, but knowing we can trust him to guide and strengthen us.
The Ecclesiasties experiences of our lives don't need to end with fear. They should end with love. Love from God, because he cared enoug to send his Son. He didn't have to, but he did. And, he desires to hear form each of us. He desires for us to talk to Him, to walk with him, not just to fear him. Therefore, the complete exit of the Ecclesiastes experience is "love the lord and follow his commandments."
# posted by Mark : 2:09 PM
