ECCL. 3: 14-22

1. THE HUMANIST CYNIC CONTINUES.. (With Occasional Godly Insight) ECCL. 3: 14-22

2. LAST WEEK – DR. SAM • WOW – WHAT A BLESSING • CLICK-CLACK • PASTOR HEGG AND WIFE • NO LOUSY EXCUSSES FOR ABSENCES WILL BE PROCESSED. PERIOD.

3. READ ECC. 3: 14-22 • REVIEW: TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON, A TIME FOR EVERY PURPOSE • THIS IS THE WAY GOD MADE THE UNIVERSE, I.E. YOU CANNOT PLANT SEEDS IN THE WINTER SNOW… • GOD IS IN CONTROL OF ALL THINGS… YOU EITHER CAN FIGHT HIM (E.G. “I DID IT MY WAY”) OR ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AS SOVERIGN AND BE IN AWE

4. A TIME TO WEEP AND A TIME TO LAUGH • NO ONE IS GOING TO ESCAPE THE SORROWS AND HURTS OF LIFE… BECAUSE GOD HAS DETERMINED WE NEED THEM (THINK OF GOD’S SON).. THEY HAVE A PURPOSE .. SO THANK HIM. • GOD ALSO PROVIDES TIMES OF LAUGHTER… (E.G. OUR GRACE GROUP VALENTINE PARTY). THIS ALSO IS A GIFT FROM GOD.

5. GOD HAS GIVEN TO US TASKS • HE SAYS “EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL IN ITS TIME” (OUR LABORS .. RAISING CHILDREN.. SERVING OUR LORD, ET AL) • SO ENJOY AND SEEK OPPORTUNITIES TO PRAISE HIM .. EATING.. DRINKING .. CHILDREN ..GRANDCHILDREN.. • ANTICIPATING MEETING HIM IN THE CLOUDS E.G. “HE HAS PUT ETERNITY IN OUR HEARTS” UNTIL WE RECOGNIZE AND TRUST THE SUPERIOR WISDON OF GOD, WE HAVE NOT BEGUN TO “FEAR” HIM.

6. INTERLUDE • SOLOMON NOW INSERTS A VERY INTERESTING INTERLUDE: • WHAT GOD DOES--

7. 3: 14 - 15 • “I KNOW THAT WHATEVER GOD DOES, IT SHALL BE FOREVER. NOTHING CAN BE ADDED TO IT, AND NOTHING TAKEN FROM IT. GOD DOES IT SO MEN WILL REVERE HIM.” • IF YOU TRY TO LIVE YOUR LIFE WITHOUT RECOGNIZING HIM.. UTLIMATELY, YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF EMPTY, LIFE MEANLESS, MISERABLE, AN A CYNIC • MOST OF LIFES STRUGGLES ARE WHEN WE TRY TO PLAY GOD/BE IN CONTROL/BE IN CHARGE (E.G. TED TURNER/CORRIE TEN BOOM) • THE SECRET OF LIFE IS THE PRESENCE OF GOD HIMSELF LIVING IN THANKFUL SUBMISSION TO HIS SOVEREIGNITY

8. BY THE WAY • HAVE YOU NOTICED THE COMPLETENESS OF GOD’S WORK? (ESPECIALLY THE CROSS) • EARTH, HEAVENS, SCRIPTURE (HIS WORD)… INCLUDING EVENTS OCCURING JUST AS HE SAID • EZEK 37: DRY BONES RETURN • DID YOU NOTICE THAT NETANYAHU WILL BE PRIME MINSTER AND NOT LIVNI? (ONE STATE –GOD’S PLAN VS TWO STATES – THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD PLAN) • WILL IRAN NUC ISRAEL? NO (READ EZEK 38/39) • GOD PERFORMS THINGS THAT CULTIVATE RESPECT FOR HIM…

9. 3:15 “WHATEVER IS HAS ALREADY BEEN, AND WHAT WILL BE HAS BEEN BEFORE; AND GOD WILL CALL THE PAST TO ACCOUNT” • GOD PATIENTLY REPEATS THINGS UNTIL THEY ARE LEARNED… • WE GET WEARY OF LEARNING A LESSON AND WE RUN FROM IT. We turn it off… YET HE REPEATS IT AND REPEATS IT AND REPEATS IT UNTIL THE LIGHT FINALLLLLY COMES ON AND WE LEARN IT (AND RECTIFY THINGS). UNLESS WE LEARN THE COMPLETE LESSON FROM A CRUSHING EXPERIENCE.. WE WILL PASS THRU IT AGAIN UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES. … MARRIAGE, PASTORS, JOBS, OR HARBORING A SECRET SIN? Jonah? • HAVE YOU AVAILED YOURSELF OF HIS INDWELLING PRESENCE AND POWER (IT’S A GIFT)?

10. THE “HORIZONTAL” LOOK RETURNS • NOT BOWING IN SUBMISSION, NOT LOOKING UP IN PRAISE • SOLOMON IS NOW GOING TO CONSIDER SOME CIRCUMSTANCES THAT “CHALLENGE THAT GOD IS SOVEREIGN” • EACH TAKE A SEED….

11. 3:16 “I SAW SOMETHING ELSE UNDER THE SUN: IN THE PLACE OF JUSTICE; WICKEDNESS WAS THERE” • HOPE GARDENS… Co. SUPER. ANTONOVICH • INJUSTICE CREATES ANGER AND FRUSTRATION • Suffering makes us sad, but injustice makes us mad • We can handle affliction and mistreatment so long as it passes… BUT if the pain persists and the hurt is not relieved, we often become cynics… if we don’t look “up”. • SIMON WIESENTHAL – HOLOCAUST (>1000 NAZI’S) • (“GOD IS ON LEAVE”) • Notice: “I” have seen, “I” said to “myself”, “I” …. • You will NOTfind Solomon on his knees….

12. HOW ABOUT EVERYDAY LIFE • 4 WAY STOP • CUTTING INTO “Your” LANE • TAIWAN AIRPORT • JUSTICE SAYS EVERYONE TAKE THEIR TURN.. BUT THEY DON’T …. WHY … HUMANS ARE WICKED. • POOR DON’T STAND A CHANCE • GRANDSON’S BASEBALL • LIFE IS UNFAIR/KURT WARNER • IS THERE A WAY TO COPE WITH INJUSTICE?

13. VS 17 “GOD SHALL JUDGE THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED, FOR THERE IS A TIME THERE FOR EVERY PURPOSE AND FOR EVERY WORK. • RELIEF IS COMING • WRONG WONT LAST FOREVER. IT IS GOING TO BE JUDGED UNDER THE SOVEREIGN HAND OF A JUST GOD. • INJUSTICE WILL HAVE ONLY A TEMPORARY REIGN…. REST EASY (IN THIS LIFE OR NEXT) • BOB VERNON/MARK KROEKER/SHERIFF BLOCK • BELIEVERS: EVALUATION/REWARDS (BEMA SEAT) • UNBELIEVERS: GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGEMENT

14. LIFE IS RIGGED • GOD HAS RIGGED LIFE SO THAT WE HAVE TO TRUST HIM EVEN WHEN IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE… • THE QUESTION IS NOT, WHY DOESN’T GOD JUDGE EVIL? • BUT RATHER • WHY DOES HE NOT JUDGE EVIL NOW?

15. SOLOMON THEN GOES CRAZY • READ 3: 18-21 (MAN AND BEASTS ARE THE SAME) • HUMANISTS OPINOIN .. SAVE THE >>>>> • Green Oaks Ranch (Vista, CA)… Union Rescue Mission • $8 million versus $2.7 million • INJUSTICE REVEALS OUR “BEAST-LIKE” BEHAVIOR

16. REMEMBER • ALL SCRIPTURE IS ACCURATE AND INERRANT .. BUT ALL DOES NOT REFLECT THE EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW… I.E. WE BELIEVE THAT SOLOMON SAID PRECISELY THESE WORDS… BUT MOST OF ECCL. IS MUSINGS OF A MISERABLE MAN. • Another example… it is recorded that David committed adultery and murder… does that mean it is right? • So Solomon’s observation “that we are similar to beasts”.. Is a humanists observation.

17. SOLOMON’S CONCLUDING COMMENTS ON THIS SECTION • 3:22 “And I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot. For who will bring him to see what will occur after him?” • After spouting heresy, Solomon returns to a very Godly philosophy…`re disadvantages, unfair treatment, injustice.

18. Does He Say? • Try to understand your circumstances? NO • Compare your lot with another person’s and see how much better yours is than his/hers? NO • Retaliate, Resent, Become Bitter, you didn’t get a fair shake? NO • Move to some isolated spot and grind out your twilight years in resentful silence? NO • Get into fantasy… live there.. Build a dream… NO

19. WHAT DOES HE SAY? • REJECT SELF-PITY, REJECT REVENGE, REJECT RESENTMENT, REJECT RETALIATION… “FIND WAYS TO DISCOVER ADVANTAGES TO YOUR DISADVANTAGES” • WE NORMALLY CAN DO VERY LITTLE TO CHANGE OUR LOT. • STROKE, CANCER, TERMINAL DISEASE, DISABILITY, LOSS OF RESOURCES, STUTTER, LOSS OF SPOUSE, LOSS OF CHILDREN, LOSS OF OTHER LOVED ONE • WHAT CAN WE CHANGE… OUR RESPONSE TO OUR “LOT”

20. TOM SULLIVAN • REPEATEDLY ON “GOOD MORNING AMERICA” • IN FILM “Airport 77” • WORLD CLASS ATHLETE .. TWO NATIONAL NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS IN WRESTLING • ON 58 OLYMPIC WRESTING TEAM • DEGREE FROM HARVARD IN PSYCHOLOGY • A MUSCIAN, AUTHOR, EXCELLENT SWIMMER, SKYDIVER.. (37 JUMPS) • GREATLY SOUGHT CORPORATE SPEAKER

21. JONI EARECKSON TADA • BITTERNESS/DEPRESSION …. • SHE CHOSE TO TAKE HER “DISADVANTAGE” AND FEATURE IT TO THE GLORY OF GOD. • IMPACTING THE WORLD… RADIO… WHEELCHAIR DISTRIBUTION… CAMPING FOR DISABLED… ETC

22. REV. BRUCE KURLEE • USC SWIMMER • SPOKE AT (HIGH SCHOOL) TAHQUITZ PINES IN SUMMER OF ’50 (Christian Endeavor Camp) • WENT SWIMMING… GOT POLIO • WAS CRIPPLED… WALKED BY FLIPPING ONE LEG OUT… ONE ARM WAS ALSO AFFECTED • HIS WIFE COULD NOT TAKE IT… SHE LEFT. • Life is not fair…. • BUT subsequently NO ONE WAS A BETTER TESTIMONY THAT CHRIST IS REAL… HE IS REAL … THAN Bruce Kurlee… • Two of the MANY young people that he ETERNALLY impacted was Fran and I

23. LOOK FOR AN ADVANTAGE, THEN DWELL ON IT • QUESTION 1: What is your “unjust” disadvantage? • QUESTION 2: WHEN DO YOU PLAN TO REPLACE PASSIVE SELF-PITY WITH ACTIVE COURAGE? • QUESTION 3: HAVE YOU CONSIDERED THE IMPACT YOUR DISTINCTIVE MESSAGE WOULD HAVE ON “your” WORLD (i.e. those AROUND YOU?) • TELEMACHUS (Italian priest)

24. What is your Worldly footprint?