What is your

Worldly footprint

?

Eccl. 2:12-17

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–

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FIRST, SOME THEOLOGY

• ANTITHESIS OF SOLOMON’S SEARCH FOR FULFILLMENT AND LASTING SATISFACTION…

• I WAS READING THE WORDS OF Edward Mote (1787-1874) – THE SOLID ROCK

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THE SOLID ROCK• My hope is built on nothing less, that Jesus

BLOOD AND RIGHTEOUSNESS, • No merit of my own I claim, but wholly lean on

Jesus name.• When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His

unchanging grace;• In every high and stormy gale, My anchor holds

within the veil.

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Continued• His oath, His Covenant, His blood,

Sustain me in the raging flood• When all supports are washed away, He

then is all my hope and stay.• When he shall come with trumpet sound,

O, may I then in Him be found,• Clothed in His righteousness alone,

Redeemed to stand before the throne.

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REFRAIN

• On Christ the solid Rock, I stand,

• All other ground is sinking (quick) sand,

• All other ground is sinking (quick) sand.

Message of Eccl…….

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THE SOLID ROCK• My hope is built on nothing less, that

Jesus BLOOD AND RIGHTEOUSNESS, • No merit of my own I claim, but wholly

lean on Jesus name.• When darkness veils His lovely face, I

rest on His unchanging grace;• In every high and stormy gale, My anchor

holds within the veil.

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Questions

• When scripture talks about HIS BLOOD, what are they referring too?

• What did the shedding of BLOOD by Jesus accomplish?

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Questions• When scripture talks about HIS BLOOD, what are

they referring too?• What did the shedding of BLOOD by Jesus

accomplish?– The satisfaction of the “wrath of God” against

our sin, (Every sin is a rebellion against God …Jesus took our due “wrath” in the excruciating death on the Cross)

– So, by believing that Jesus took our personal sins on the cross (a substitution), now are we relieved from having to experience the wrath of God ourselves.

– That is, we will NOT be sent to HELL…..

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2nd QUESTION

• OK, WE HAVE NOW AVOIDED HELL, (BY HIS SACRIFICIAL, SUBSTITUTIONARY DEATH)

• BUT HOW DO WE GET INTO HEAVEN?– REMEMBER THE MANDATORY

REQUIREMENT: ONE MUST BE PERFECT

– ANY QUESTIONS? I.E. WILL YOU MAKE IT INTO HEAVEN?

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READ 2 CORINTHIANS 5:21

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READ 2 CORINTHIANS 5:21

• “HE MADE HIM WHO KNEW NO SIN TO BE SIN ON OUR BEHALF, (SHEDDING OF BLOOD),

• SO THAT, WE MIGHT BECOME THE RIGHTOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM.”

• Question: What is HIS righteousness?

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2 CORINTHIANS 5:21• “HE MADE HIM WHO KNEW NO SIN TO

BE SIN ON OUR BEHALF, (SHEDDING OF BLOOD), SO THAT, WE MIGHT BECOME THE RIGHTOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM.”

• Question: What is HIS righteousness?• JESUS PERFECT SINLESS LIFE

IS IMPUTED TO US. (I.E.WE ARE “ROBED” IN HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS) Romans 5: 18-19

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THE SOLID ROCK• My hope is built on nothing less, that

Jesus BLOOD AND RIGHTEOUSNESS, • No merit of my own I claim, but wholly

lean on Jesus name.• When darkness veils His lovely face, I

rest on His unchanging grace;• In every high and stormy gale, My anchor

holds within the veil.

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continued

• On Christ the solid Rock, I stand,

• All other ground is sinking (quick) sand,

• All other ground is sinking (quick) sand.

• Message of Eccl…….

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Lets continue to look at Solomon’s Search for “other ground”

• Remember, Solomon had walked with God as a young adult…

• But as he matured, he wandered into sinful activities … searching for something that would bring him lasting satisfaction, and a genuine sense of fulfillment.

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Reminds me of my former boss

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Became ONE OF the richest men in the world (at that time)

• Raced airplanes..• Bought TWA, RKO, et al• Bought and developed most of Las Vegas• Made dozens of movies• Owned major companies.. Hughes Tool, Hughes

Aircraft, TWA, RKO, etc• Built largest-ever Airplane and largest-ever Helicopter• Loved women• Became an iconoclast.. Primarily nocturnal• Became a drug addict• Died with 4 inch finger nails and hair of a homeless… of

kidney failure.. Hating life

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Solomon’s Search for Satisfaction

Sought Fulfillment In:

Wisdom (1:12-18)

acquiring more knowledge

Pleasure (2:1-3)

laughter and pleasure

Accomplishments(2:4-6)

building projects

agriculture endeavors

engineering experiments

• Result was:

Much grief and increased sorrow (1:18)

Vanity (2:1)

Vanity (2:11)

Search continued

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• Possessions (2:7-11)

large number of servants

herds of cattle

wealth in silver and gold

choirs and orchestras

voluptuous women (700 wives)

• Education (2:12-17)

increased knowledge

is there an advantage over the ignorant person?

• No profit under the sun (2:11)

• Yes, wisdom (knowledge) has its advantages

• No better than a fool at death (2:16)

• Hated life (2:17)

Read ECCL. 2:12-17

video

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VS 12: “THEN I TOOK A LOOK AT WHAT’S SMART AND WHAT’S STUPID” - (“THE MESSAGE”

VERSION)

I.E. IS THERE VALUE IN EDUCATION (BEING SMARTER/HAVING MORE KNOWLEDGE?)

…”YES, I DID SEE THAT IT’S BETTER TO BE SMART THAN STUPID, JUST AS LIGHT IS

BETTER THAN DARKNESS. THE WISE MAN’S EYES ARE IN HIS HEAD”

(I.E. USE YOUR HEAD/MAN’S ABILITY TO THINK, AS YOU GO THROUGH LIFE)

“BUT THE FOOL (IGNORANT) WALKS IN DARKNESS.”

(WATCHES CNN)

“YET I PERCEIVED THAT THE SAME EVENT HAPPENS TO THEM ALL”

(SAME FATE BOTH TO THE SMART AND IGNORANT… DEATH)

“WHEN I REALIZED THAT MY FATE’S THE SAME AS THE

IGNORANT (FOOL), I HAD TO ASK MYSELF “SO WHY BOTHER BEING

WISE/LEARNED””

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“ITS ALL SMOKE, NOTHING BUT SMOKE,

THE SMART AND THE STUPID BOTH DISAPPEAR OUT OF SIGHT.

IN A DAY OR TWO THEY ARE FORGOTTEN. YES, BOTH THE

SMART AND THE STUPID DIE, AND THAT’S IT.”

Dr. Charles HogueCurator, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural Science

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“THEREFORE, I HATED LIFE BECAUSE THE WORK THAT WAS

DONE UNDER THE SUN WAS DISTRESSING TO ME, FOR ALL IS VANITY AND GRASPING FOR THE

WIND”

wow!

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Solomon’s summary

(at this point)

12-17 Human wisdom suffers another crucial shortcoming– it leaves both the wise/learned and the ignorant/fool empty-handed at the threshold of death…..

Or said another way…

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•TO EXPEND GOD-GIVEN RESOURCES FOR HUMAN ACCOMPLISHMENTS ALONE IS EMPTY… THUS,LIFE PURSUITS APART FROM GOD WILL ONLY BRING FRUSTRATION/DESPAIR/DEPRESSION. THEY ARE SINKING (QUICK) SAND

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REASON:

OF THE PURSUITS I TRIED, THERE WAS NOT ONE THAT HAD

LASTING VALUE THAT PRODUCED ENDURING SATISFACTION

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BUT FOR THE BELIEVER…WHAT DO WE LOOK FORWARD TO:1. WILL WE BE REWARDED FOR OUR WISDOM?2. WILL NOT WE BE REWARDED AT THE BEMA SEAT? (OUR MOTIVATION AND CHARACTER)

A. AN INCORRUPTIBLE CROWN FOR THOSE WHO GET MASTERY OVER THE OLD MAN (I COR 9:25)

B. A CROWN OF REJOICING FOR SOUL-WINNERS (I Thess 2:19)

C. A CROWN OF LIFE FOR THOSE ENDURING TRIALS (JAMES 1:12)

D. A CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR LOVING HIS APPEARING (2 TIM 4:8)

E. A CROWN OF GLORY FOR BEING WILLING TO FEED THE FLOCK OF GOD (I PET 5:4)

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PLUS..AN ETERNITY OF JOY, PEACE, SERVICE TO GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON, AND GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT

WOW!NOW, THAT IS NOT DEPRESSING….

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As compared with your Christian Footprint???