Lie #1 – The meaning of life can be found in the wisdom of the world

Lie #2 – True fulfillment is found in the pursuit of significance

Lie #3  – Happiness is found in material possessions

Forgiveness

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)

For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” (Hebrews 8:12)

As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:12)

Consequence

Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. (Galatians 6:6)

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14)

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. (John 10:27-28)

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)

Judgment

• Our salvation is secure in Christ.
• We still experience consequences for our sins, even though we’re forgiven.
• One day we’ll stand before Christ, and be rewarded for what we’ve done for Him.

Discipline

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Reality #1 – Life is monotonous

What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? (Ecclesiastes 1:3)

Under the sun = Living life without the perspective that there is a God.

A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again. All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It has been already in the ages before us. There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after. (Ecclesiastes 1:4-11)

Solomon learned that life without God is just plain tiring.

Reality #2 – Human wisdom is limited

I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind. What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted. I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind. For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. (Ecclesiastes 1:12-18)

Solomon learned that life without God makes no sense.

Reality #3 – Money can’t buy happiness

I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man. So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11)

“We are driven to believe that in some ways we are important. This inner drive is as intense as our need for water and oxygen.”

– R.C. Sproul

“We are built for significance. Our problem is not that we search for it, but that we search for it in all the wrong places.”

– Joe Stowell

Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This is also vanity and a striving after wind. (Ecclesiastes 4:4)

“Both the workaholic and the alcoholic are doing the same thing. They’re running away from the reality, and living on substitutes. One day the bubble of illusion will burst. We only make life harder when we try to escape. Instead of running away from life, we should run to God and let Him make life worth living.

– Warren Wiersbe

Solomon learned that life without God is empty.

Reality #4 – Life is short

So I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only what has already been done. Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. The wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the same event happens to all of them. Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. For of the wise as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise dies just like the fool! (Ecclesiastes 2:12-16)

As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. (Ecclesiastes 5:15)

It is better to go the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting, for death is the end of all mankind… (Ecclesiastes 7:2)

Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them.” (Ecclesiastes 12:1)

3 Questions

• Are my life choices honoring my Creator?
• Where am I really seeking significance?
• Is what I’m living for, worth Christ dying for?