the cluttered life
TRANSCRIPT
W E L C O M E T O T H E J A C K S O N S T R E E T C H U R C H O F C H R I S T
W E ’ R E G L A D Y O U ’ R E H E R E
(Eccl 2:1-11) I said in my heart, “Come
now, I will test you with mirth;
therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely,
this also was vanity. {2} I said of
laughter; “Madness!”; and of mirth,
“What does it accomplish?” {3} I
searched in my heart how to gratify my
flesh with wine, while guiding my heart
with wisdom, and how to lay hold on
folly, till I might see what was good for
the sons of men to do under heaven all
the days of their lives. {4} I made my
works great, I built myself houses, and
planted myself vineyards. >>>
{5} I made myself gardens and orchards,
and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in
them. {6} I made myself water pools
from which to water the growing trees
of the grove. {7} I acquired male and
female servants, and had servants born
in my house. Yes, I had greater
possessions of herds and flocks than all
who were in Jerusalem before me. {8} I
also gathered for myself silver and gold
and the special treasures of kings and
of the provinces. I acquired male and
female singers, the delights of the sons
of men, and musical instruments of all
kinds. >>>
{9} So I became great and excelled
more than all who were before me in
Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained
with me. {10} Whatever my eyes desired
I did not keep from them. I did not
withhold my heart from any pleasure,
For my heart rejoiced in all my labor;
And this was my reward from all my
labor. {11} Then I looked on all the
works that my hands had done And on
the labor in which I had toiled; And
indeed all was vanity and grasping for
the wind. There was no profit under the
sun.
"Peanuts" comic strip
• Lucy: “Life is like a lounge chair
on your deck. Some place it so
they can see where they are
going; some place it so they can
see where they have been; and
some place it so they can see
where they are at present.”
• Charlie Brown: "I can't even get
mine unfolded."
LIFE CAN BE COMPLICATED
AND CLUTTERED.
• Rushing here and there,
• this appointment, that meeting,
• activities centered around kids,
friends, and self that never cease,
• work, and family,
• it all begins to resemble that junk
drawer, closet or room that we so
haphazardly throw things in.
• If our lives seem cluttered let’s learn
from the life of Solomon, whose life
had come to a point of clutter.
BUSYNESS . . . 2:4,5,6
I made my works great, I built
myself houses, and planted myself
vineyards. {5} I made myself
gardens and orchards, and I
planted all kinds of fruit trees in
them. {6} I made myself water
pools from which to water the
growing trees of the grove.
BUSYNESS . . . 2:4,5,6
• Activity is not wrong in itself.
• But when our activity results in
neglected relationships with…
•our spouse,
•our family,
•our friends,
•and our God,
• it is wrong.
BUSYNESS . . . 2:4,5,6
• Unfortunately, people who are
constantly busy think they have not
done enough.
• Solomon was busy!
- He made
- He built
- He planted
• And in the midst of it all, life was
becoming cluttered.
• Living with the idea that "the busier
the better," is simply not true!
CONSTANT PURSUIT OF GAIN ... 2:7,8,9
I acquired male and female servants,
and had servants born in my house. Yes,
I had greater possessions of herds and
flocks than all who were in Jerusalem
before me. {8} I also gathered for myself
silver and gold and the special treasures
of kings and of the provinces. I acquired
male and female singers, the delights of
the sons of men, and musical
instruments of all kinds. {9} So I became
great and excelled more than all who
were before me in Jerusalem. Also my
wisdom remained with me.
CONSTANT PURSUIT OF GAIN... 2:7,8,9
• The cluttered life is often
consumed with the pursuit of
gaining more and more.
• Solomon acquired ....
– Servants
– herds & flocks
– silver, gold & special treasures
– singers & musical instruments
• He gained so much that he was
"greater" than all before him (vs.9).
CONSTANT PURSUIT OF GAIN... 2:7,8,9
• J.D. Rockefeller was asked how
much it would take to really satisfy
him. He answered, "Just a little bit
more."
• "Just a little bit more," is a sure
sign of a cluttered life.
OUT OF CONTROL … 2:10
Whatever my eyes desired I did not
keep from them. I did not withhold
my heart from any pleasure, For my
heart rejoiced in all my labor; And
this was my reward from all my
labor.
OUT OF CONTROL … 2:10
• When busyness leads to being
more busy, and gaining leads to
just a little bit more, we are out
of control.
• The person who is out of control
with busyness and the pursuit to
gain, doesn't know it or refuses
to admit it.
• There is no discipline in this
cluttered life.
ECCL 2:11
Then I looked on all the
works that my hands had
done And on the labor in
which I had toiled; And
indeed all was vanity and
grasping for the wind.
There was no profit under
the sun.
MANY CONSEQUENCES
• Physical Loss,
• Spiritual Loss,
• Emotional Loss
• Destruction will come. It may take
years and it may go undetected,
but it will come.
• Burning the candle at both ends
results in no wax & no wick.
The cluttered life does
not focus on the
meaning of life.
For life in all of its
busyness and pursuit of
gain has become
meaningless.
CONSEQUENCE OF A
MEANINGLESS LIFE
• The work God has given us to allow
us to achieve becomes
meaningless. It will not satisfy us.
• All our possessions, God has given
to us to enjoy become empty with
no meaning in them.
• Our relationships fail us. Nothing is
the same.
For those who choose to
remain in the cluttered life a
great price will be paid.
A price tag of meaningless.
It's all so futile, like grasping
at the wind.
THE CAUSE IS IN THE HEART
• A heart that has pushed God aside
and has placed self on the throne.
• The heart is filled with selfishness.
• Solomon, here, uses the pronouns
"I" 26 times, and "me, mine &
myself" 24 times.
• Self control through the Spirit is no
longer existent.
• “Self" has taken control.
THERE’S NO ROOM FOR GOD
• God is pushed out of His rightful
place. The cluttered life leaves no
room for God!
• There are many religious people
who go to church Sunday after
Sunday but make no room for God.
• The cluttered life has smothered
out God.
GOD IS SMOTHERED OUT
BY OUR BUSYNESS?
• With gaining the world, but loosing
our soul?
• Is God and His Son just another
aspect of your cluttered world?
• Be careful, God looks at the heart.
• He knows when He has been
pushed aside with all the clutter.
IV. CURE FOR THE
CLUTTERED LIFE
• The cluttered life does not have to
be.
• Like that drawer or closet, we need
simply to begin to clean and
straighten our life up.
• There is a three fold cure for our
cluttered life.
1. SOLITUDE
• We must begin to guard our hearts
with times of solitude.
• We have to get away from the
noise, distractions, and
interruptions to hear the voice of
God.
• God says, "be still and know that I
am God." (Psalms 46:10)
2. STEWARDSHIP
• We must understand stewardship.
It’s not just money.
• The world wants us to believe we
own everything or we can try to
own everything.
• But the truth is, God owns it all. We
are managers.
• (Psa 24:1) The earth is the Lord's,
and everything in it, the world, and
all who live in it;
3. SERVICE
• We must learn to give of ourselves
to serve others and God with our
lives, with our possessions.
• Our major purpose in life is not to
accumulate, but to focus ourselves
and the world's attention on Jesus.
3. SERVICE
• (Mat 22:37-40) Jesus replied: "'Love
the Lord your God with all your
heart and with all your soul and with
all your mind.' {38} This is the first
and greatest commandment. {39}
And the second is like it: 'Love your
neighbor as yourself.' {40} All the
Law and the Prophets hang on these
two commandments."
CONCLUSION
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Let us
hear the conclusion of the
whole matter: Fear God and
keep His commandments, for
this is man's all. {14} For God
will bring every work into
judgment, including every
secret thing, whether good or
evil.