One of the greatest blessings God gives us“under the sun” is relationships. As the Preacher affirms,“two are better than one” and“a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” However, many of us still find relationships, especially close relationships, really hard. Why is that? What contributes to it? What are the forces that eat away at our relationships in this life? The Preacher identifies two of these destructive forces in our passage today and we get to see how the gospel frees us from their destruction.
Application Questions
1. Who are you on the journey of life with?
2. When do you find yourself comparing yourself to others?
3. In what areas in life do you find yourself most often motivated by comparison?
4. How have you seen that comparison (envy) get in the way of developing deep friendships?
5. How have you seen pride (not being teachable) get in the way of developing deep friendships?
6. How has the gospel freed you to love others instead of comparing yourself to them?
10. All the Lonely People
“The gospel frees us from the prison of envy and pride, and it frees us to truly love those around u
September 23, 2018
04. What the World is Like
July 29, 2018
Ecclesiastes asks hard questions to show us what life is really like—and to show us the way to have joy in it all. It opens with an explanation of how fleeting and uncontrollable life really is. While we might pretend we know how to make things happen in the world, the truth is that outcomes are out of our control. Instead of coping by trying to make life obey our will, or by trying to find meaning on our own terms, we find joy by knowing there is someone above the sun who loves us and is in control of all things. Seeing Jesus come below the sun to live as one of us and die for us shows us that we can enjoy the gifts of life until he returns. Application Questions 1. What are some ways you“play pretend” about the world and your life in it? 2. What do you think about the opening 11 verses of Ecclesiastes? Do they encourage you or discourage you? Why? 3. Are there ways you have experienced life as a vapor? Are there ways you have tried to“gain” from life and found it to be like chasing after the wind? 4. How do you finish the sentence:“There's nothing better than _______” ? How do you think Jesus would finish that sentence? 5. What about the gospel frees you to embrace being human instead of trying to“get above the sun” ?
05. Wisdom vs. Reality
August 12, 2018
It's generally assumed that the more you know, the more you can control the things that happen in your life. The idea is that if you get the right knowledge and know the right techniques, you can shape your life into what you want it to be. But the Preacher in Ecclesiastes shows us that this is playing pretend: as human beings, we don't have access to enough knowledge to get control over life or create meaning for ourselves. But when we see God's wisdom in the gospel, it shows us that we don't need to use knowledge to grab control. God's love teaches us that we can enjoy learning as humans beings, the way we were created to be. Application Questions 1. How do you look at knowledge as a way to find meaning and success in your life? Are there ways you see yourself trying to“get into the control tower” in your life now? 2. What are some ways you've seen the inability of human wisdom to get control over life or bring lasting significance? Are there ways you've tried to hide those things under the wood chips? 3. How does Jesus show us true wisdom? How does the gospel free us to enjoy learning for learning's sake, instead of trying to leverage it for our own gain?
06. Pleasure vs. Reality
August 19, 2018
After having evaluated the wisdom of the world, the Preacher of Ecclesiastes next searches out earthly pleasure as a possible source of joy and fulfillment. Unsurprisingly, he also finds pleasure lacking the ability to truly satisfy. He tests entertainment, alcohol, work, possessions, and sex and finds that they are all fleeting and“vanity.” None of them truly last or satisfy. However, each one can be still be enjoyed as gifts from God when they are understood in light of his perfect design. Application Questions 1. In what ways do you try to get joy and fulfillment out ofentertainment, alcohol, work, possessions, and sex? 2. How can you be ultimately satisfied in Christ? What practical steps might help you pursue true joy in God alone? 3. How would your engagement withentertainment, alcohol, work, possessions, and sex change if you were more fully satisfied in Christ and freed to truly enjoy them?