WEBVTT 00:00:31.940 --> 00:03:13.960 Father we thank you for this day. Thank you for the opportunity to gather together yet again and sing praises and hear worship in your name. 00:03:13.960 --> 00:03:18.930 I pray that you'd be with the salvation that we had this evening and any other seeds that may have been planted. 00:03:18.930 --> 00:03:25.900 Also pray that you would just be with us for this service, that you'd open our ears to the message and that you would fill pasture with your spirit. 00:03:25.900 --> 00:03:27.890 These things we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. 00:03:27.890 --> 00:03:45.880 For our next hymn number 39, how beautiful heaven must be, hymn number 39. 00:03:45.880 --> 00:03:48.970 Sing there starting on the 1st. 00:03:48.970 --> 00:03:50.920 We pray. 00:03:50.920 --> 00:07:55.760 We have our on the front there, 2nd Timothy 1, 5. 00:07:55.760 --> 00:07:58.480 Call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee. 00:07:58.480 --> 00:08:04.080 In thy grandmother Lois, Eunice, waited that in thee also. 00:08:04.080 --> 00:08:09.130 On the inside we have our service times listed as well as our soul winning times. 00:08:09.130 --> 00:08:19.330 Then we have our year to date statistics, which we got our first update from Brother Eric and Brother Zach as far as their soul winning that is done for Anchor. 00:08:19.330 --> 00:08:24.290 Anything they're doing with Verity or with Setfast is not being counted, but things they're just doing on their own. 00:08:24.290 --> 00:08:32.280 So we have the soul winning there for 2026 Philippines, local, our year to date, so we're excited to see that number grow each week. 00:08:32.280 --> 00:08:39.610 And then we're going to go to our backside here, upcoming events, March 28th is the listeners pick soul winning marathon. 00:08:39.610 --> 00:08:48.560 So next Saturday, yeah, the 14th, the upcoming Saturday, the 14th is when we'll decide what city we're going to be sending Brother Cameron to to lead the soul winning marathon. 00:08:48.560 --> 00:08:54.530 And so we'll have a video release this Saturday with all the details and plan everything out this Saturday. 00:08:54.530 --> 00:08:59.100 So looking forward to that. April 1st will be the Lord's Supper. 00:08:59.100 --> 00:09:09.060 April 4th, we're going to do the mega marathon participating with steadfast and a lot of other churches are going to be doing this mega marathon right before Easter. 00:09:09.060 --> 00:09:16.030 And so we're going to actually meet at early wine park, the playground area at early wine at nine o'clock a.m. 00:09:16.030 --> 00:09:26.010 And we'll kind of do the structure that we had done it in times past where it's like 10 to 12 soul winning and have lunch and have a second round of soul winning for this Easter marathon. 00:09:26.010 --> 00:09:31.290 So that's going to be on the fourth, April 25th, we're going to have a ladies fellowship event. 00:09:31.290 --> 00:09:37.300 May 2nd, another soul winning marathon at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. 00:09:37.300 --> 00:09:44.250 May 9th, Mother's Day tea. May 20th through the 24th, the anti-Israel conference at St. Fast Baptist Church. 00:09:44.250 --> 00:09:49.200 And then June 17th through the 20th is the European soul winning conference in Frankfurt, Germany. 00:09:49.200 --> 00:09:57.540 Then we have our online visitor card as well as our online giving information and our prayer list with a couple updates there. 00:09:57.540 --> 00:10:06.720 One being to pray for Jennifer's mother's knee surgery recovery now because the surgery already happened and I think it went well so that's great to hear. 00:10:06.720 --> 00:10:13.280 And then also keep brother Eric and brother Zach in your prayers as well as they're doing great work over in the Philippines. 00:10:13.280 --> 00:10:16.250 Let's go ahead and have a word of prayer before we go to our next song. 00:10:16.250 --> 00:10:22.200 Lord we thank you for Anchor Baptist Church for the opportunity to be in your house this evening to sing praises to your name. 00:10:22.200 --> 00:10:26.280 I pray that you just answer all of our requests Lord according to your will. 00:10:26.280 --> 00:10:33.240 I pray that you please bless Jennifer's mother and that you just help her with the healing process after this surgery. 00:10:33.240 --> 00:10:39.210 That she would just regain full mobility in the future and that you just help as well for the pain to be minimal Lord. 00:10:39.210 --> 00:10:49.340 Also we want to pray for brother Zach and brother Eric to just keep them safe over in the Philippines and help them to work hard and just to do a great work while they're over there. 00:10:49.340 --> 00:10:53.300 Keep the door open for them to just get many people saved. 00:10:53.300 --> 00:11:02.600 I also want to pray for soul winning Baptist Church and pastor Matthew Stuckey that you just greatly bless the work that he's doing and that you just enlarge his coasts Lord. 00:11:02.600 --> 00:11:06.540 Allow him to do great works in the future for you there in the Philippines. 00:11:06.540 --> 00:11:18.520 I also want to pray for Brother Theodore just that his mother's cancer would be fully healed and for Brother Miles that his health would be improved Lord that you'd strengthen the Houseburg family. 00:11:18.520 --> 00:11:23.580 That you'd be with all the people in our church that have loved ones that are not saved. 00:11:23.580 --> 00:11:32.750 Those people would be able to hear the gospel Lord and also want to pray a special blessing for my brother and that you bless his new marriage and bless the remainder of this service. 00:11:32.750 --> 00:11:44.100 In Jesus name we pray, Amen. 00:15:34.630 --> 00:15:40.880 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh, but the earth abideth forever. 00:15:40.880 --> 00:15:48.380 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. 00:15:48.380 --> 00:15:53.240 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the earth. 00:15:53.240 --> 00:16:00.440 Unto the north it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. 00:16:00.440 --> 00:16:04.830 All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. 00:16:04.830 --> 00:16:09.120 Under the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again. 00:16:09.120 --> 00:16:13.920 All things are full of labor. Man cannot utter it. 00:16:13.920 --> 00:16:19.570 The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. 00:16:19.570 --> 00:16:24.530 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be. 00:16:24.530 --> 00:16:29.190 And that which is done, is that which shall be done. 00:16:29.190 --> 00:16:31.100 And there is no new thing under the sun. 00:16:31.100 --> 00:16:37.150 Is there anything whereof it may be said, See, this is new? 00:16:37.150 --> 00:16:41.960 It hath been already of old time, which was before us. 00:16:41.960 --> 00:16:54.300 There is no remembrance of former things, neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come for those that shall come after. 00:16:54.300 --> 00:17:05.330 I the preacher was king over Israel and Jerusalem, and I gave my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven. 00:17:05.330 --> 00:17:14.720 This sort travaileth hath God given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith. 00:17:14.720 --> 00:17:22.170 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. 00:17:22.170 --> 00:17:28.290 That which is crooked cannot be made straight, and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. 00:17:28.290 --> 00:17:40.130 I communed with my own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that had been before me in Jerusalem. 00:17:40.130 --> 00:17:51.500 Yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge, and I gave my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. 00:17:51.500 --> 00:17:56.150 I perceive that this also is vexation of spirit. 00:17:56.150 --> 00:18:03.520 For in much wisdom is much grief, he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. 00:18:03.520 --> 00:18:12.790 Right? Gracious Lord, thankful to be here, and to have the first faithful have the word of the name of Jesus. 00:18:12.790 --> 00:18:16.710 Very grateful for the speech that I am extracting from the book of the preaching of the word. 00:18:16.710 --> 00:18:23.480 Amen. So we're starting a new Bible study this Wednesday in the book of Ecclesiastes. 00:18:23.480 --> 00:18:30.420 The Bible says in verse one, the words of the preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 00:18:30.420 --> 00:18:36.470 So verse one gives us the author of the book of Ecclesiastes, which of course is Solomon. 00:18:36.470 --> 00:18:40.450 And it's kind of interesting that Solomon here is like a preacher king. 00:18:40.450 --> 00:18:46.530 He's described as being both of these, the king of the king in Jerusalem and also just a preacher. 00:18:46.530 --> 00:18:50.510 And of course, the word Ecclesiastes literally just means the preacher. 00:18:50.510 --> 00:18:53.490 So that's what this book is, this is the preacher. 00:18:53.490 --> 00:18:56.470 And if you would keep your place there, go to 1 Kings chapter number four. 00:18:56.470 --> 00:19:01.590 We know that Solomon is the wisest man, the Bible says, to have ever lived. 00:19:01.590 --> 00:19:04.560 Of course, excluding the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:19:04.560 --> 00:19:06.540 Solomon's a very wise man. 00:19:06.540 --> 00:19:13.800 And this book really is Solomon's inner musing, his ideas, his thoughts. 00:19:13.800 --> 00:19:16.770 And of course, it's a very deep psychological book. 00:19:16.770 --> 00:19:19.740 But look what 1 Kings chapter four, verse 29 says. 00:19:19.740 --> 00:19:30.910 It says, "And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding, exceeding much and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the seashore." 00:19:30.910 --> 00:19:37.910 So it sounds like this is a good man to learn from because the Bible just straight up says that God gave him wisdom exceeding much. 00:19:37.910 --> 00:19:39.900 Just an extremely wise man. 00:19:39.900 --> 00:19:46.880 And Solomon's wisdom, notice, excelled the wisdom of all the children of the East Country and all the wisdom of Egypt. 00:19:46.880 --> 00:19:49.820 For he was wiser than all men. 00:19:49.820 --> 00:19:59.230 Then, Ethan the Ezraite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahal, and his fame was in all nations round about. 00:19:59.230 --> 00:20:07.210 You know, people today, psychology seems to be a kind of popular theme when it comes to books and movies and TV shows. 00:20:07.210 --> 00:20:10.200 People like to think about psychology. 00:20:10.200 --> 00:20:15.190 It's a very popular major at college, which has a very bad degree to get, don't get it. 00:20:15.190 --> 00:20:17.180 And of course, worldly philosophy is vain. 00:20:17.180 --> 00:20:21.170 We're told to avoid philosophy and vain deceits. 00:20:21.170 --> 00:20:23.160 But, you know, this is actually a very wise person. 00:20:23.160 --> 00:20:26.160 Solomon is the wisest. He was wiser than all men. 00:20:26.160 --> 00:20:31.140 And so his musings and his philosophy kind of in Ecclesiastes, I think, will be a treat to learn from. 00:20:31.140 --> 00:20:33.140 Look what it says in verse 32. 00:20:33.140 --> 00:20:38.660 And he spake three thousand Proverbs and his songs were a thousand and five. 00:20:38.660 --> 00:20:44.660 Now, of course, there's like twenty nine Proverbs that are inspired scripture preserved for us in his word. 00:20:44.660 --> 00:20:49.630 But yet he spoke three thousand Proverbs and we have the song of Solomon. 00:20:49.630 --> 00:20:53.610 But apparently he wrote a thousand and five songs. 00:20:53.610 --> 00:21:01.580 I mean, that's got to be more than Michael Jackson and the Beatles and Elvis Presley probably all put together like this is a super wise person. 00:21:01.580 --> 00:21:08.810 Right. And he and it says and he spake of trees from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon, even unto the hyssop that spring it out of the wall. 00:21:08.810 --> 00:21:13.800 He spake also of beasts and a foul and of creeping things and of fishes. 00:21:13.800 --> 00:21:19.780 So when you look at the life of Solomon, he kind of just gave himself to every area of study. 00:21:19.780 --> 00:21:25.770 It's not like he was just specialized in music, like he's a really wise musician and could tell you all about it. 00:21:25.770 --> 00:21:30.760 No, I mean, he's writing literature, proverbs. He's writing music. He's studying trees. 00:21:30.760 --> 00:21:36.740 He's studying everything. And Ecclesiastes talks about that, how he just he gave himself to no knowledge. 00:21:36.740 --> 00:21:41.730 He gave himself over to wisdom. And so there's definitely gonna be a lot we can learn from this chapter. 00:21:41.730 --> 00:21:51.420 Go back to Ecclesiastes chapter number one. And it really starts off in verse two just giving us the main thesis of the book of Ecclesiastes. 00:21:51.420 --> 00:21:55.520 Number one, I want to say this, the vanity of life. Look what it says in verse two. 00:21:55.520 --> 00:22:01.600 Vanity of vanities sayeth the preacher. Vanity of vanities all is vanity. 00:22:01.600 --> 00:22:10.550 And that is like one of the biggest points that he wants to drive home throughout this book is, you know, the preacher, the wisest man who ever lived, 00:22:10.550 --> 00:22:17.510 the guy who's writing all this music and literature and studying all these things, he's like, let me tell you about the nature of our world. 00:22:17.510 --> 00:22:25.290 Everything is vain. And at first that could seem kind of blackpilling, like, wow, the wisest man, he's going to drop his wisdom on us. 00:22:25.290 --> 00:22:32.540 What's he going to tell us? Just everything is empty, meaningless, without value. He's saying all is vanity. 00:22:32.540 --> 00:22:41.330 But there's a qualifier there, notice it says, what profit hath a man of all his labor which he taketh, notice this phrase, under the sun. 00:22:41.330 --> 00:22:49.730 And that is another really key phrase in Ecclesiastes, you're going to see that phrase 29 times in the book of Ecclesiastes. 00:22:49.730 --> 00:22:58.700 Because the main thing he's trying to drive home to us is that when it comes to our carnal lives, when it comes to that which is done under the sun, 00:22:58.700 --> 00:23:06.670 just our carnal life in this world, work and play and entertainment and all these things, at the end of the day when you really boil it down, 00:23:06.670 --> 00:23:11.630 it's all completely meaningless and it's all completely empty, our life under the sun. 00:23:11.630 --> 00:23:17.100 What profit hath a man of all his labor, which he taketh under the sun? 00:23:17.100 --> 00:23:25.010 So if you would, keep your place there and go to Psalm 39. So he says, "Hey, everything is vain, just all, all is vanity." 00:23:25.010 --> 00:23:29.420 So if Solomon says, "Hey, everything is vain, everything is meaningless," 00:23:29.420 --> 00:23:35.410 I would expect to be able to find a lot of Bible backing this up, of this idea of just everything being meaningless. 00:23:35.410 --> 00:23:39.580 What are some things that the Bible says is just vain? 00:23:39.580 --> 00:23:43.550 And again, if you don't know that word, it just means empty, meaningless, without profit, without value. 00:23:43.550 --> 00:23:47.510 Here's one thing that the Bible says is just vain, and you know what that is? 00:23:47.510 --> 00:23:55.050 Mankind in general, me and you and all of us, and just humanity, the Bible describes as being vain. 00:23:55.050 --> 00:24:03.500 Notice what it says in Psalm 39 verse 5, it says, "Behold, thou hast made my days as in hand breath." 00:24:03.500 --> 00:24:08.590 Just saying like, man, I'm living this life, and God, you've made my days like a little hand breath. 00:24:08.590 --> 00:24:12.530 I mean, think about like a hands width in just comparison to the space in this room, right? 00:24:12.530 --> 00:24:13.900 It's like nothing. 00:24:13.900 --> 00:24:20.130 But then you just think about our lives in the scope of eternity and in this world and in, you know, God's just eternal state. 00:24:20.130 --> 00:24:22.110 It's just like a little hand breath, right? 00:24:22.110 --> 00:24:23.100 So small. 00:24:23.100 --> 00:24:27.700 He says, "And my age is as nothing before thee." 00:24:27.700 --> 00:24:33.630 I mean, I don't care if you're the oldest man on earth, when you're comparing it to eternity, our age is like nothing. 00:24:33.630 --> 00:24:39.750 So hey, you know, if you ever get insecure about aging, you can turn to Psalm 39 and say, "Hey, my age is nothing before you," right? 00:24:39.750 --> 00:24:48.140 Get this, verily, every man at his best state is altogether vanity. 00:24:48.140 --> 00:24:53.600 Hey, be careful about being too impressed by certain people or getting too impressed with yourself 00:24:53.600 --> 00:24:59.870 and thinking you're so great and thinking you've arrived and you're so spiritual and you're so much better than everyone else. 00:24:59.870 --> 00:25:05.220 The Bible says every man at his best state is vanity. 00:25:05.220 --> 00:25:08.320 You know what? Solomon was kind of at his best state, wasn't he? 00:25:08.320 --> 00:25:12.510 I mean, he was the king in Jerusalem. He had just read a ton. He had learned a ton. 00:25:12.510 --> 00:25:16.560 He was richer than anyone on earth. He had more wisdom than anyone on earth. 00:25:16.560 --> 00:25:21.500 I mean, he's just giving himself to understand this world, to understand the nature of things. 00:25:21.500 --> 00:25:25.690 You know what the Bible says about Solomon at his best state? Vanity. 00:25:25.690 --> 00:25:29.960 What does that say? Just, you know, our carnal lives under the sun. 00:25:29.960 --> 00:25:38.880 And when people just choose to live life for this temporal world, for carnality, for self, 00:25:38.880 --> 00:25:42.830 it doesn't matter how far you go in life, at the end of the day it's totally vain. 00:25:42.830 --> 00:25:48.160 I mean, let's just think, let's say someone just dedicates their life to being successful in business. 00:25:48.160 --> 00:25:51.640 And they make a ton of money. And they have a real successful company. 00:25:51.640 --> 00:25:54.600 And let's say they become the most successful businessman in the world. 00:25:54.600 --> 00:26:00.070 You become Elon Musk. You have the most, you know, net worth in the world. 00:26:00.070 --> 00:26:03.220 But it's like, okay, but if you go to hell, what does that mean? 00:26:03.220 --> 00:26:05.510 Absolutely nothing. And you know what? 00:26:05.510 --> 00:26:09.460 Even if you are saved, God has given us a mission in this world. 00:26:09.460 --> 00:26:12.630 He's given us a purpose after he has saved us, right? 00:26:12.630 --> 00:26:15.770 And if we just decide to not live in that purpose, it's like, what are we doing? 00:26:15.770 --> 00:26:18.770 It's just empty and meaningless. 00:26:18.770 --> 00:26:21.710 And so, hey, under the sun, if we're living under the sun, 00:26:21.710 --> 00:26:26.000 every man, even in his best state, is vanity. 00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:28.570 You know, that should cause us to be humble. 00:26:28.570 --> 00:26:31.800 That should cause us to look at ourselves and think like, 00:26:31.800 --> 00:26:33.740 you know what, I am nothing special. 00:26:33.740 --> 00:26:35.720 I'm like a hand breath. 00:26:35.720 --> 00:26:37.860 You know, my age before you, God, is nothing. 00:26:37.860 --> 00:26:40.820 And you know what, even in my best moments of life, 00:26:40.820 --> 00:26:43.790 even when I'm on top, even when I'm doing that, which is right, 00:26:43.790 --> 00:26:46.110 you know what, it's still just vanity. 00:26:46.110 --> 00:26:47.030 I'm still just nothing. 00:26:47.030 --> 00:26:50.200 Notice what, let's keep reading there. 00:26:50.200 --> 00:26:56.000 He says, "Surely every man walketh in a vain show. 00:26:56.000 --> 00:26:58.640 Surely they are disquieted in vain. 00:26:58.640 --> 00:27:04.100 He heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them." 00:27:04.100 --> 00:27:07.080 You know, when it comes to mankind being vain, 00:27:07.080 --> 00:27:10.060 first of all, even in his best state, he's vain. 00:27:10.060 --> 00:27:16.020 But notice also, what is mankind's default setting is to walk in a vain show. 00:27:16.020 --> 00:27:17.450 What does that mean? 00:27:17.450 --> 00:27:21.430 Empty, meaningless, nothing of substance, but putting on a show. 00:27:21.430 --> 00:27:23.420 This is the Pharisees, right? 00:27:23.420 --> 00:27:27.400 Putting on a pretense, honoring God with their lips, with their mouth, 00:27:27.400 --> 00:27:29.390 but their heart is far from Him. 00:27:29.390 --> 00:27:33.370 The Bible says that every man walks in a vain show. 00:27:33.370 --> 00:27:36.510 You know, it's interesting, someone recommended to me a book, 00:27:36.510 --> 00:27:39.490 and it was about, it was like about moral psychology, 00:27:39.490 --> 00:27:41.480 and basically the first point of this book, 00:27:41.480 --> 00:27:44.450 this was written by an atheist, not a Christian, 00:27:44.450 --> 00:27:46.440 but the first point of his book was this, 00:27:46.440 --> 00:27:49.420 that how people come to moral judgments is they have an intuition, 00:27:49.420 --> 00:27:51.380 and then they go seeking for a justification, 00:27:51.380 --> 00:27:53.570 which I find that to be true, right? 00:27:53.570 --> 00:27:55.540 People don't genuinely say, "Hey, you know what? 00:27:55.540 --> 00:27:57.520 What's right and wrong is what the Bible says." 00:27:57.520 --> 00:27:59.780 Now, that's how we should determine right and wrong. 00:27:59.780 --> 00:28:01.690 We should be renewed in the spirit of our mind, right? 00:28:01.690 --> 00:28:03.830 We should be transformed. 00:28:03.830 --> 00:28:05.810 We should read the Word of God and decide what is right. 00:28:05.810 --> 00:28:07.800 And then his second point was this, 00:28:07.800 --> 00:28:13.750 is that basically people care more about looking virtuous than being virtuous. 00:28:13.750 --> 00:28:18.090 People care more about looking moral than being moral. 00:28:18.090 --> 00:28:20.030 That actually matches with what the Bible says, 00:28:20.030 --> 00:28:25.170 because the Bible says, "Surely, every man walketh in a vain show." 00:28:25.170 --> 00:28:28.150 And you know what most people are doing today in this world, 00:28:28.150 --> 00:28:32.120 is most people in this world today are not considering, 00:28:32.120 --> 00:28:37.340 are not concerning themselves with things like justice, things like virtue. 00:28:37.340 --> 00:28:40.300 You know, people in the Justice Department in the United States, 00:28:40.300 --> 00:28:42.280 you know what they really care about, 00:28:42.280 --> 00:28:47.470 is getting a big hot shot job with the Justice Department in the United States. 00:28:47.470 --> 00:28:51.410 Oftentimes, people want to become the Attorney General so they could be the AG, 00:28:51.410 --> 00:28:54.540 so they could be the big shot, so they could have this title, 00:28:54.540 --> 00:28:56.530 so they could have the praise of men, 00:28:56.530 --> 00:28:59.510 and be close to the President, and be close to the inner circle. 00:28:59.510 --> 00:29:00.500 But you know what? 00:29:00.500 --> 00:29:03.480 It's rare today to find someone that wants to be in that position, 00:29:03.480 --> 00:29:06.720 because they actually care about justice. 00:29:06.720 --> 00:29:08.650 Why? Because what's the default position for man? 00:29:08.650 --> 00:29:11.910 Vanity, vanity of vanity, say the preacher, all is vanity. 00:29:11.910 --> 00:29:16.170 Hey, every man, even in his best state, he's vain. 00:29:16.170 --> 00:29:20.400 Oh, and by the way, every man, he's just walking in a vain show, 00:29:20.400 --> 00:29:21.380 just putting on a show. 00:29:21.380 --> 00:29:26.310 Now, look, here's the thing, it's not hopeless because we have the Holy Spirit of God. 00:29:26.310 --> 00:29:28.550 Now, here's the thing, if we did not have the Holy Spirit, 00:29:28.550 --> 00:29:33.530 every single person in this room would be this verse 100% of the time. 00:29:33.530 --> 00:29:36.740 Now, here's the thing, if we walk in the Spirit, 00:29:36.740 --> 00:29:41.680 we actually have the power to transcend the default state of human nature. 00:29:41.680 --> 00:29:45.040 I mean, God has just made human beings, right? 00:29:45.040 --> 00:29:50.000 And of course, because Adam and Eve sinned, there's that sinful nature that comes on. 00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:53.970 And hey, there's no temptation taking you but such as is common to man. 00:29:53.970 --> 00:29:58.020 What do people struggle with? We all struggle with the exact same things. 00:29:58.020 --> 00:30:00.970 Unless you're a reprobate and you're given over to a reprobate mind or something. 00:30:00.970 --> 00:30:04.910 But it's like, what do people struggle with? Pride. 00:30:04.910 --> 00:30:11.620 What do people struggle with? Envy, lust, covetousness, adultery. 00:30:11.620 --> 00:30:14.710 Like all of these things that people struggle with, 00:30:14.710 --> 00:30:16.930 it's the same thing that the world struggles with. 00:30:16.930 --> 00:30:21.070 But how can you overcome that? You could actually walk in the Spirit, right? 00:30:21.070 --> 00:30:25.030 Become the new man, put off the old man, be renewed in the Spirit of your mind. 00:30:25.030 --> 00:30:29.990 So you know, we have to be careful and not get this idea that we think like because we're a Christian, 00:30:29.990 --> 00:30:31.980 like we're automatically just better than the world. 00:30:31.980 --> 00:30:36.190 Because here's the thing, if you're not reading your Bible, you're not going to church, 00:30:36.190 --> 00:30:41.240 you're not praying, you're not humbling yourself before God saying like, God, I know I'm vain. 00:30:41.240 --> 00:30:44.210 God, I know I'm sinful. God, I know these are my tendencies. 00:30:44.210 --> 00:30:47.180 Like will you please fill me with the Spirit? Will you please help me? 00:30:47.180 --> 00:30:53.440 You too will walk in a vain show. And guess what? There's not a person in this room that has not been this person. 00:30:53.440 --> 00:30:56.670 Because doesn't the Bible say every man walketh in a vain show? 00:30:56.670 --> 00:30:59.650 And guess what? You know, there's going to be times in the future in our lives. 00:30:59.650 --> 00:31:05.620 We're not going to be like the Lord Jesus Christ where he's just always anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows. 00:31:05.620 --> 00:31:08.600 He's just always filled to the Holy Spirit with the max. 00:31:08.600 --> 00:31:11.710 Like we're going to have low moments, right? 00:31:11.710 --> 00:31:13.680 And there's going to be times that you're going to walk in a vain show. 00:31:13.680 --> 00:31:19.100 You know, at those times is when you need to check yourself and say, "Hey, I don't want to go down that path. 00:31:19.100 --> 00:31:21.140 I don't want to be the default state. 00:31:21.140 --> 00:31:23.130 Hey, I'm saved. I have the Spirit of God. 00:31:23.130 --> 00:31:25.110 I need to actually not just have the Spirit. 00:31:25.110 --> 00:31:27.100 I need to live in the Spirit. 00:31:27.100 --> 00:31:32.060 I need to walk in the Spirit so that I'm not just a person walking in a vain show. 00:31:32.060 --> 00:31:34.360 Surely they are disquieted in vain. 00:31:34.360 --> 00:31:37.850 He heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them." 00:31:37.850 --> 00:31:40.770 But look at the next verse, "And now, Lord, what wait I for? 00:31:40.770 --> 00:31:42.840 My hope is in thee." 00:31:42.840 --> 00:31:46.920 That's the only hope, that's the only hope that you have to not be vain. 00:31:46.920 --> 00:31:48.410 Go to Psalm 12. 00:31:48.410 --> 00:31:49.350 So what's vain? 00:31:49.350 --> 00:31:50.490 Well, everything's vain. 00:31:50.490 --> 00:31:52.460 More specifically, what's vain? 00:31:52.460 --> 00:31:55.850 You, me, mankind, everyone is vain. 00:31:55.850 --> 00:31:56.890 What else is vain? 00:31:56.890 --> 00:31:58.880 You know, man's words are vain. 00:31:58.880 --> 00:32:00.310 Man's words are vain. 00:32:00.310 --> 00:32:02.450 Look at Psalm 12 verse 1. 00:32:02.450 --> 00:32:09.900 It says, "Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth, for the faithful fail from among the children of men." 00:32:09.900 --> 00:32:19.670 Notice, they speak vanity, everyone with his neighbor, with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak. 00:32:19.670 --> 00:32:24.150 So notice, Solomon's noticing just the nature of this world. 00:32:24.150 --> 00:32:26.130 He's noticing that everything is vain. 00:32:26.130 --> 00:32:30.100 But is the Bible painting a positive picture of vanity, of being vain? 00:32:30.100 --> 00:32:32.080 Absolutely not. 00:32:32.080 --> 00:32:39.260 You know, someone that would just speak vanity with his neighbor is also someone who's flattering and has a double heart. 00:32:39.260 --> 00:32:42.450 Right? And what is this world like? What's the default position? 00:32:42.450 --> 00:32:44.360 Is people just speaking vanity? 00:32:44.360 --> 00:32:49.590 You know, when people talk to you at work and it's like the water cooler talk, are they like, 00:32:49.590 --> 00:32:52.700 "Hey, you know, I was reading here, like I got a message today. 00:32:52.700 --> 00:32:56.950 Hey, you know, the Bible says that sin is the transgression of the law. 00:32:56.950 --> 00:32:58.920 But how did that work before the law existed?" Right? 00:32:58.920 --> 00:33:01.880 Like, that's like a substantive question that I got today. 00:33:01.880 --> 00:33:03.860 That's not happening at the workplace. Okay? 00:33:03.860 --> 00:33:08.860 That's not happening, you know, at the clubs that this world goes to, the bowling club, 00:33:08.860 --> 00:33:10.840 the book club, stuff like that. 00:33:10.840 --> 00:33:12.820 You know what people are talking about today? 00:33:12.820 --> 00:33:14.800 It's like, "Did you watch the football game, buddy?" 00:33:14.800 --> 00:33:16.920 "Yeah, I saw it. Did you see that tackle?" 00:33:16.920 --> 00:33:18.900 "Oh man, that was a great tackle." 00:33:18.900 --> 00:33:21.860 "Hey, how you hanging in there after that tornado? You guys good? Everything good?" 00:33:21.860 --> 00:33:23.900 Right? It's just the world today. 00:33:23.900 --> 00:33:27.820 It's just speaking, vanity, no substance, just a bunch of nonsense. 00:33:27.820 --> 00:33:29.940 That's how the world is today. 00:33:29.940 --> 00:33:34.680 And it says, notice it's connected with flattering lips and with a double heart. 00:33:34.680 --> 00:33:36.740 Do they speak? So what's vain today? 00:33:36.740 --> 00:33:39.880 Man, what's vain today? Man's words. 00:33:39.880 --> 00:33:41.900 Man, just talking about random nonsense. 00:33:41.900 --> 00:33:46.290 The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips and the tongue that speaketh proud things. 00:33:46.290 --> 00:33:48.320 Who have said with our tongue, will we prevail? 00:33:48.320 --> 00:33:51.760 Our lips are our own. Who is Lord over us? 00:33:51.760 --> 00:33:56.020 For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I rise, sayeth the Lord. 00:33:56.020 --> 00:33:59.180 I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him. 00:33:59.180 --> 00:34:05.350 The words of the Lord are pure words, as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. 00:34:05.350 --> 00:34:08.310 Just contrasted with man's words, which is what? 00:34:08.310 --> 00:34:13.300 Vain, flattering, of a double heart, not sincere. 00:34:13.300 --> 00:34:16.600 What's the answer to that? Hey, the words of the Lord. 00:34:16.600 --> 00:34:19.540 The words of the Lord are pure words. 00:34:19.540 --> 00:34:23.740 So hey, if you don't want to be a vain person, if you don't want to stick in that default position, 00:34:23.740 --> 00:34:26.710 and you just think like the world, and you talk like the world, and you act like the world, 00:34:26.710 --> 00:34:31.100 what's the only option we have is going to the Word of God. 00:34:31.100 --> 00:34:35.160 And you know, people who are ingesting the most Bible into their hearts 00:34:35.160 --> 00:34:38.310 are going to be the people that speak the least amount of vanity. 00:34:38.310 --> 00:34:41.260 You know, they're not as concerned with just the vain things of this world 00:34:41.260 --> 00:34:45.280 because you read the Bible and you get wisdom, the fear of the Lord, 00:34:45.280 --> 00:34:48.510 like good wisdom that actually can affect your life. 00:34:48.510 --> 00:34:52.100 Go to Psalm 62. Psalm 62. 00:34:52.100 --> 00:34:58.750 You know, a lot of people today just get impressed with themselves. 00:34:58.750 --> 00:35:01.900 Oh, I'm a, people have this idea, oh, I'm a good speaker. 00:35:01.900 --> 00:35:04.870 Oh, I'm, you know, I'm wise. I'm a good teacher. 00:35:04.870 --> 00:35:07.840 And it's like, no, man's words are vain. 00:35:07.840 --> 00:35:11.220 You know, the psychologists of this world today are vain. 00:35:11.220 --> 00:35:13.180 You know, Jordan Peterson, 00:35:13.180 --> 00:35:16.560 just listening all day to these podcasts, 00:35:16.560 --> 00:35:18.530 these worldly influencer, 00:35:18.530 --> 00:35:21.620 you're just going to be filling your mind and heart with vanity. 00:35:21.620 --> 00:35:24.210 Look what the Bible says in Psalm 62, verse 8, 00:35:24.210 --> 00:35:26.160 "Trust in him at all times, ye people. 00:35:26.160 --> 00:35:28.300 Pour out your heart before him. 00:35:28.300 --> 00:35:30.250 God is a refuge for us, see law." 00:35:30.250 --> 00:35:34.720 Notice this, surely men of low degree are vanity. 00:35:34.720 --> 00:35:37.030 So people of low degree, 00:35:37.030 --> 00:35:39.990 they don't have power or authority or riches. 00:35:39.990 --> 00:35:41.960 Maybe they're servants, maybe they're poor. 00:35:41.960 --> 00:35:42.950 You know what the Bible says they are? 00:35:42.950 --> 00:35:46.890 Vanity, emptiness, nothingness. 00:35:46.890 --> 00:35:50.030 What do a lot of people care about today, even the poor? 00:35:50.030 --> 00:35:53.670 Their next cigarette, their next drink of alcohol, 00:35:53.670 --> 00:35:55.980 their next party, their next hookup. 00:35:55.980 --> 00:35:57.950 Their life's just completely vain. 00:35:57.950 --> 00:36:01.100 Men of low degree, vain, empty. 00:36:01.100 --> 00:36:03.030 But it doesn't stop there, because it also says, 00:36:03.030 --> 00:36:06.150 "And men of high degree are a lie." 00:36:06.150 --> 00:36:08.670 What's that? That's that vain show, right? 00:36:08.670 --> 00:36:10.640 Don't get this idea just like, 00:36:10.640 --> 00:36:13.730 "Oh man, I know we're all sinners, 00:36:13.730 --> 00:36:16.700 but this person is just above everyone else, 00:36:16.700 --> 00:36:17.700 and they don't struggle with anything, 00:36:17.700 --> 00:36:20.670 they don't have any issues, they don't have any problems, 00:36:20.670 --> 00:36:21.670 because they're of high degree." 00:36:21.670 --> 00:36:23.650 If someone's putting off that persona, 00:36:23.650 --> 00:36:26.860 or if someone's telling you that that's how they are, 00:36:26.860 --> 00:36:27.820 you know what that is? A lie. 00:36:27.820 --> 00:36:31.030 Men of high degree are a lie. 00:36:31.030 --> 00:36:35.550 And again, people have sometimes this over-exaltation 00:36:35.550 --> 00:36:37.540 of the position of a pastor. 00:36:37.540 --> 00:36:39.530 And of course, you should respect the pastor. 00:36:39.530 --> 00:36:40.530 The Bible teaches that. 00:36:40.530 --> 00:36:43.510 But you also don't want to go to this weird extreme 00:36:43.510 --> 00:36:45.500 where people start worshipping the pastor 00:36:45.500 --> 00:36:47.490 or thinking the pastor can do nothing wrong. 00:36:47.490 --> 00:36:51.520 And it also should not be something where pastors are putting off 00:36:51.520 --> 00:36:54.520 that they can never do anything wrong and never do anything wrong. 00:36:54.520 --> 00:36:57.480 That's ridiculous. That's going to build a weird culture. 00:36:57.480 --> 00:36:58.470 And it's just like, here's the thing. 00:36:58.470 --> 00:37:00.800 Men of high degree are a lie. 00:37:00.800 --> 00:37:03.430 Don't be so impressed with man. 00:37:03.430 --> 00:37:04.410 You know who you should be impressed with? 00:37:04.410 --> 00:37:05.380 God. 00:37:05.380 --> 00:37:07.870 That's who you should be impressed with. 00:37:07.870 --> 00:37:10.950 I mean, it's like, we don't go to church because of a man. 00:37:10.950 --> 00:37:15.220 You know, we don't listen even to our favorite preacher, whoever that is, because of a man. 00:37:15.220 --> 00:37:17.190 It's because of the words of God. 00:37:17.190 --> 00:37:21.620 And look, if the words of God are being preached, I'm happy to be there. 00:37:21.620 --> 00:37:24.600 I'm happy to listen to anyone preach the word of God. 00:37:24.600 --> 00:37:29.570 You know, it's not like when a pastor gets up and preaches a really good sermon based off the word of God, 00:37:29.570 --> 00:37:35.540 that that's somehow more magical or special than a layman who gets up and preaches a really good sermon from the word of God. 00:37:35.540 --> 00:37:37.760 It's about the word of God. 00:37:37.760 --> 00:37:39.160 And you know what? 00:37:39.160 --> 00:37:45.070 We just need to stop having this idea where we just start getting too impressed with men, too impressed with ourselves. 00:37:45.070 --> 00:37:47.160 You know, we just need to realize we're vanity. 00:37:47.160 --> 00:37:48.360 Our words are vanity. 00:37:48.360 --> 00:37:49.470 Our thoughts are vanity. 00:37:49.470 --> 00:37:51.650 Your status is vanity. 00:37:51.650 --> 00:37:52.770 And you know what? 00:37:52.770 --> 00:37:57.690 The only way that you're not going to be a vain person is when you're actually saying what the Bible says. 00:37:57.690 --> 00:37:59.990 There's a lot of vain preachers in this world, isn't there? 00:37:59.990 --> 00:38:10.750 You go to churches and it's just like jokes, haha jokes, and just constant news articles and constant poems and constant fluff. 00:38:10.750 --> 00:38:11.740 And it's just so vain. 00:38:11.740 --> 00:38:14.170 It's like where's the Bible? 00:38:14.170 --> 00:38:18.190 You know, I've had people say to me like they think I put a little too much Bible in my sermons. 00:38:18.190 --> 00:38:24.140 I'd rather that be the criticism than I'm just getting up here and just emptying my thoughts, my heart, my idea to you guys. 00:38:24.140 --> 00:38:26.130 No, because that's completely vain. 00:38:26.130 --> 00:38:31.880 You know, it annoys me when I visit a church and the Bible is not being preached. 00:38:31.880 --> 00:38:32.950 It annoys me. 00:38:32.950 --> 00:38:38.230 I mean, I'll tell you about one of the maddest times I've ever been in church is in 2016. 00:38:38.230 --> 00:38:44.420 We had this winter in Idaho that we called Snowmageddon where we had snow on the ground for over 100 consecutive days. 00:38:44.420 --> 00:38:45.420 And here's the thing. 00:38:45.420 --> 00:38:48.390 The city doesn't shut down because you can't shut down things for 100 days. 00:38:48.390 --> 00:38:49.380 We're going to school. 00:38:49.380 --> 00:38:50.380 We're going to work. 00:38:50.380 --> 00:38:51.370 We're going to church. 00:38:51.370 --> 00:38:53.350 Nothing shutting down because that's just life in Idaho. 00:38:53.350 --> 00:38:57.380 And I get off work at like, I don't know, 4 p.m. services at 7. 00:38:57.380 --> 00:39:01.330 But because of the snow, it takes a long time just to get a short distance. 00:39:01.330 --> 00:39:04.360 So I'm in the car for three hours. 00:39:04.360 --> 00:39:06.350 I show up to church in my work uniform. 00:39:06.350 --> 00:39:08.340 I didn't have time to go home and change or anything like that. 00:39:08.340 --> 00:39:13.310 I show up to church and the preacher just gets up, and I think he got to Matthew 10. 00:39:13.310 --> 00:39:15.300 And he's just like, all right, let's read right here. 00:39:15.300 --> 00:39:20.280 I am not sent but for the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 00:39:20.280 --> 00:39:21.630 God came for Israel. 00:39:21.630 --> 00:39:22.580 Amen. 00:39:22.580 --> 00:39:24.700 Let's pray, literally close the sermon. 00:39:24.700 --> 00:39:27.470 I'm just like, why did I come here? 00:39:27.470 --> 00:39:30.530 Like, I want you to preach the word of God. 00:39:30.530 --> 00:39:32.680 God just give one verse, call it good. 00:39:32.680 --> 00:39:36.700 It's like, and even one verse is more than some versus some churches. 00:39:36.700 --> 00:39:39.740 You know, I saw this this freak in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 00:39:39.740 --> 00:39:48.020 Someone tell me the name of that church that the black guy with the dreadlocks who has all the fire and smoke and swinging and all that crazy stuff. 00:39:48.020 --> 00:39:49.000 What's what am I talking about? 00:39:49.000 --> 00:39:50.270 No one knows of this guy. 00:39:50.270 --> 00:39:51.230 Praise God. 00:39:51.230 --> 00:39:52.190 All right. 00:39:52.190 --> 00:39:54.420 But he's he's getting up from behind the pulpit. 00:39:54.420 --> 00:39:55.410 Talk about vanity. 00:39:55.410 --> 00:40:02.340 He's like, ladies, you know, before you find you a Boaz, make sure you don't marry a Poe ass. 00:40:02.340 --> 00:40:04.720 And it's just like, wow. 00:40:04.720 --> 00:40:06.930 Talk about a vain sermon. 00:40:06.930 --> 00:40:08.310 It's like, really? 00:40:08.310 --> 00:40:09.300 This is the house of God. 00:40:09.300 --> 00:40:10.290 Like, this is your sermon. 00:40:10.290 --> 00:40:12.270 Yeah, you're going to get some chuckles. 00:40:12.270 --> 00:40:13.260 You're going to get some ha ha's. 00:40:13.260 --> 00:40:17.230 But it's like people actually think they're being spiritually fed by going to that. 00:40:17.230 --> 00:40:19.560 What's the name of the transformation church? 00:40:19.560 --> 00:40:22.500 Don't ever go to a church that starts with trans. 00:40:22.500 --> 00:40:23.480 That's a bad idea. 00:40:23.480 --> 00:40:26.670 It starts with trans and go to a different church. 00:40:26.670 --> 00:40:28.700 But man, that's a vain guy right there. 00:40:28.700 --> 00:40:30.830 I mean, it's a smoke and light show. 00:40:30.830 --> 00:40:36.770 It's, you know, the Gangnam style popping up out of the stage and jumping. 00:40:36.770 --> 00:40:37.760 Oh, everyone's going crazy. 00:40:37.760 --> 00:40:38.750 It's like, that's vain. 00:40:38.750 --> 00:40:44.030 It's like, hey, I'd rather go to a country Baptist church with a leather lung old man preacher 00:40:44.030 --> 00:40:47.020 that's just going to preach the word of God than to go to some show. 00:40:47.020 --> 00:40:50.990 I'm not going to church to get entertainment, to get free food, to get free events. 00:40:50.990 --> 00:40:54.970 It's like, I go to hear the word of God preached and to serve Him. 00:40:54.970 --> 00:40:58.220 Go back to Ecclesiastes 1. 00:40:58.220 --> 00:41:00.180 So we're just talking about, hey, what are some things that are vain? 00:41:00.180 --> 00:41:04.040 Man, you, me, everyone are words. 00:41:04.040 --> 00:41:06.970 Men of low degree, men of high degree, I mean, truly everything. 00:41:06.970 --> 00:41:09.090 Here's another thing, generations. 00:41:09.090 --> 00:41:14.960 Notice in verse 4, "One generation passeth away and another generation cometh, 00:41:14.960 --> 00:41:16.870 but the earth abideth forever." 00:41:16.870 --> 00:41:21.100 You know, sometimes people love to, like, exalt certain generations and say, like, 00:41:21.100 --> 00:41:26.050 "Oh, you don't understand, like, this generation was just different than all others, 00:41:26.050 --> 00:41:28.030 and they were just superhumans compared to others." 00:41:28.030 --> 00:41:32.400 And it's like, no, one generation passes away, and another generation cometh. 00:41:32.400 --> 00:41:38.780 It's like, hey, the greatest generation, the baby boomers, Gen X, millennials, Gen Z. 00:41:38.780 --> 00:41:43.920 Here's what they all have in common, is that they're born, and they will live, and they will die. 00:41:43.920 --> 00:41:48.450 One generation comes, one, you know, generation goes, that's just how it is. 00:41:48.450 --> 00:41:53.410 And it's like, oh man, you understand, you know, the greatest generation, they fought World War II, 00:41:53.410 --> 00:41:57.380 they beat the Nazis, they beat the Japanese, you know, they made America a great superpower, 00:41:57.380 --> 00:42:00.400 and it's like, and they're almost all dead and in the grave. 00:42:00.400 --> 00:42:04.740 It's just gone. That period of history is just gone. Great exploits of the past, gone. 00:42:04.740 --> 00:42:10.010 I was in Pennsylvania this weekend, and I'm standing on the ground where the Civil War was fought, 00:42:10.010 --> 00:42:14.360 and where parts of the revolution was fought, and it's like, but those people are just gone. 00:42:14.360 --> 00:42:18.760 That generation's gone. Yeah, sure, we know of these things. We know of the Civil War. 00:42:18.760 --> 00:42:22.880 We know of the Revolutionary War. But you know what? They came, they lived, they died. 00:42:22.880 --> 00:42:28.240 We were born, we're gonna live, and we're all going to die, unless the Lord comes, right? 00:42:28.240 --> 00:42:31.850 You know, one thing in common, though, it says, "But the earth abideth forever." 00:42:31.850 --> 00:42:35.820 And I think that's a picture of the fact that though generations come and go, 00:42:35.820 --> 00:42:39.780 here's one thing that is constant, is that God is faithful to all generations. 00:42:39.780 --> 00:42:47.470 I'll read for you Psalm 119, verse 90. The Bible says, "Thy faithfulness is unto all generations." 00:42:47.470 --> 00:42:51.880 Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. 00:42:51.880 --> 00:42:56.030 So, you know, even though one generation passes away, and even though another generation comes, 00:42:56.030 --> 00:43:00.960 God's faithfulness has just remained constant throughout all of human history, right? 00:43:00.960 --> 00:43:07.230 The Gospel has remained the same. Even though all these crazy things have happened throughout history, 00:43:07.230 --> 00:43:11.200 and different generations have faced, you know, more extreme challenges, less extreme challenges, 00:43:11.200 --> 00:43:14.180 it's like they're still all sinners deserving of hell. 00:43:14.180 --> 00:43:18.600 And they still all have to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. 00:43:18.600 --> 00:43:22.630 You know what? God's saving grace was there for all generations, right? 00:43:22.630 --> 00:43:27.900 God's just been faithful to all generations. Go to Psalm 8, Psalm chapter 8. 00:43:27.900 --> 00:43:33.440 There's a lot of Psalms tonight, Psalms tonight that definitely relate. 00:43:33.440 --> 00:43:37.840 And even though man is vain, think about this humbling thought, even though man is vain, 00:43:37.840 --> 00:43:43.240 our words are vain, we're putting on a show, we're doing all these things, mankind in general, 00:43:43.240 --> 00:43:50.370 even though man is like that, it's still just amazing to think that God loved the whole world. 00:43:50.370 --> 00:43:56.780 All humanity, all people who have ever existed, just unknown multitudes of people, 00:43:56.780 --> 00:44:01.740 even though they're vain, even though they're selfish, even though they're wicked, he still loved them. 00:44:01.740 --> 00:44:06.850 And he still sent his son to die on the cross for them, that's a humbling thought right there. 00:44:06.850 --> 00:44:15.050 Psalm 8 verse 3, "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon, and the stars, which thou hast ordain, 00:44:15.050 --> 00:44:20.790 what is man, that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou visitest him?" 00:44:20.790 --> 00:44:26.900 You think about all the generations that have ever lived, all the events in history that have taken place. 00:44:26.900 --> 00:44:32.860 You look up and you look at the beautiful moon, God's creation, and the beautiful stars, and the galaxies, 00:44:32.860 --> 00:44:37.830 and the Milky Way, and the concept of time, and just all these amazing things to think about. 00:44:37.830 --> 00:44:44.330 And you think about how God cares about you, and God cares about me, and God died on the cross for me, 00:44:44.330 --> 00:44:49.290 and He died on the cross for every single person, and He has the number of hairs on our head counted. 00:44:49.290 --> 00:44:54.390 And not only did He love the world, but He loves us still. He cares about us still. 00:44:54.390 --> 00:45:00.860 He wants us to sing praises to Him. It's like, "Who am I that you would listen to my praise?" 00:45:00.860 --> 00:45:06.210 "Who am I that you say to me, 'Hey, come boldly to the throne of grace.'" 00:45:06.210 --> 00:45:09.170 "That you can obtain help in time of need." That's a humbling thought. 00:45:09.170 --> 00:45:12.140 And you know what? We need to stop puffing ourselves up thinking we're so great. 00:45:12.140 --> 00:45:15.190 This generation thinks they're so great. They're so wise. 00:45:15.190 --> 00:45:20.530 You know, we're nothing. God's great. God's wise. God is all-powerful. 00:45:20.530 --> 00:45:26.300 You know, I try to teach this to my kids to just help them understand that God just loves them. 00:45:26.300 --> 00:45:29.260 And you know, if we see the stars, if it's a really dark night and we see the stars, 00:45:29.260 --> 00:45:33.210 sometimes my kids will point it out to me. And I'll say, "Yeah, God put those all there for you." 00:45:33.210 --> 00:45:38.500 You know, and it's true. It is true. God gave us His creation that we would what? Praise Him. 00:45:38.500 --> 00:45:42.650 That would have been glory and honor to Him. And when you actually stop and consider 00:45:42.650 --> 00:45:47.740 and every once in a while stop spending every waking second of your life scrolling on social media 00:45:47.740 --> 00:45:52.710 and being distracted by every smartwatch notification and every ding and every buzz and every email and every text, 00:45:52.710 --> 00:45:56.680 you know, sometimes it's just good to look up at the stars and be like, "Wow, God made that for us." 00:45:56.680 --> 00:45:59.780 Wow, God cared about us. Wow, God sent His Son to die for us. 00:45:59.780 --> 00:46:05.720 Wow, even though I am vain, even though I am nothing, even though I am sinful, God still loves me. 00:46:05.720 --> 00:46:09.390 It's an amazing thought. I'll read for you Psalm 37 verse 25. 00:46:09.390 --> 00:46:16.710 "I have been young and now am old, yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor a seed begging bread." 00:46:16.710 --> 00:46:21.110 One generation comes, another, you know, is born, another dies, another goes. 00:46:21.110 --> 00:46:24.060 But one thing that has remained constant, God has always taken care of His people. 00:46:24.060 --> 00:46:27.340 God has remained faithful throughout all generations. 00:46:27.340 --> 00:46:30.620 God has preserved His Word for all generations. 00:46:30.620 --> 00:46:31.580 You know, that's an amazing thought. 00:46:31.580 --> 00:46:36.880 Go back to Ecclesiastes 1, Ecclesiastes chapter number 1, look at verse 5. 00:46:36.880 --> 00:46:44.520 It says, "The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose." 00:46:44.520 --> 00:46:47.690 Now, obviously we know that the earth rotates, okay? 00:46:47.690 --> 00:46:52.640 Please don't look at a verse like this and be like, "Oh, you know, geocentricity," or something like that. 00:46:52.640 --> 00:46:55.610 What's the whole point of this book is that it's describing life under the sun. 00:46:55.610 --> 00:46:58.920 And, you know, from an earthbound perspective, what do we see? 00:46:58.920 --> 00:47:03.950 We see man is vain. We see a generation come. We see a generation go. 00:47:03.950 --> 00:47:05.920 And from our perspective, we see the sun come up. We see it go down. 00:47:05.920 --> 00:47:09.260 Obviously, the earth is spinning. But what is it describing? 00:47:09.260 --> 00:47:13.540 It's just describing this monotonous, cyclical nature in the universe. 00:47:13.540 --> 00:47:20.900 Oh, born, die. Work, get off work. Do stuff. Next generation does stuff, too. 00:47:20.900 --> 00:47:24.190 And then they die. And then the sun goes up. And then the sun goes down. 00:47:24.190 --> 00:47:29.270 This is the wisest man. And he's just like, "Wow, you know, one thing has stayed constant. 00:47:29.270 --> 00:47:31.250 The sun has gone up and gone down to every generation. 00:47:31.250 --> 00:47:34.210 Hey, the wind goeth toward the south and turneth about unto the north. 00:47:34.210 --> 00:47:39.710 It whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits." 00:47:39.710 --> 00:47:42.660 It's just that cyclical nature of life. Sun's going up. Sun's going down. 00:47:42.660 --> 00:47:47.150 Wind's going north. Wind's going south. Just constantly going back and forth. 00:47:47.150 --> 00:47:50.740 "All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. 00:47:50.740 --> 00:47:55.080 Unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again." 00:47:55.080 --> 00:48:00.080 It's like, how vain. How vain for all of this water to travel all the way down this river. 00:48:00.080 --> 00:48:02.060 All the way to the mouth in the ocean. 00:48:02.060 --> 00:48:06.010 Oh, just to evaporate in the clouds, just to go through the water cycle again. 00:48:06.010 --> 00:48:09.090 It's like all that work, all those miles traveled. 00:48:09.090 --> 00:48:12.040 You know, it made it all the way just to go through the same cycle again. 00:48:12.040 --> 00:48:16.490 And it's like, that's our life, right? That is our life. 00:48:16.490 --> 00:48:19.460 And you know what? There's no satisfaction. 00:48:19.460 --> 00:48:24.420 There's no filling, a void of meaning in our life when you live under the sun. 00:48:24.420 --> 00:48:27.580 Because you chase something, you chase after something. 00:48:27.580 --> 00:48:30.530 Oh, I want to get that career, you get it, it's not fulfilling. 00:48:30.530 --> 00:48:34.130 It's the next promotion, right? Oh, I want to learn this skill. 00:48:34.130 --> 00:48:37.090 I want to learn this language. I want to learn this instrument. 00:48:37.090 --> 00:48:39.470 You learn it, it's just, it doesn't fulfill. 00:48:39.470 --> 00:48:42.000 Because life under the sun doesn't fulfill. 00:48:42.000 --> 00:48:44.950 You just have these cycles going on and on and on. 00:48:44.950 --> 00:48:48.030 People live, people die. People come, people go. 00:48:48.030 --> 00:48:50.010 You start things, you finish things. 00:48:50.010 --> 00:48:52.070 It's just how life is. Verse 8. 00:48:52.070 --> 00:48:57.150 All things are full of labor, man cannot utter it. 00:48:57.150 --> 00:49:02.730 Notice, the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. 00:49:02.730 --> 00:49:04.920 See, I'm not making that up there. 00:49:04.920 --> 00:49:06.870 Whatever you do, it doesn't satisfy man. 00:49:06.870 --> 00:49:09.110 All things are full of labor. 00:49:09.110 --> 00:49:12.040 You will never run out of these cycles of things to do. 00:49:12.040 --> 00:49:14.450 There will always be another work day. 00:49:14.450 --> 00:49:16.650 There will always be another meal. 00:49:16.650 --> 00:49:19.630 There will always be another thing to do, right? 00:49:19.630 --> 00:49:22.600 Hey, there's always going to be, you know, Lord willing another church service, right? 00:49:22.600 --> 00:49:24.580 Unless the Lord comes, you know, tribulation. 00:49:24.580 --> 00:49:26.570 Alright, I already precessed for it. You know what I'm saying. 00:49:26.570 --> 00:49:30.400 And, hey, there's no, things will calm down, right? 00:49:30.400 --> 00:49:33.320 That's something you always see the memes about, next week things will calm down. 00:49:33.320 --> 00:49:36.640 No, it will never calm down. There is no discharge in this war. 00:49:36.640 --> 00:49:41.020 Things will never calm down. Things will, your finances will never be perfect. 00:49:41.020 --> 00:49:43.970 Your health will never be perfect. You will never be fully content. 00:49:43.970 --> 00:49:47.940 You will never, oh man, next week, you know, my eyes are going to be satisfied with seeing. 00:49:47.940 --> 00:49:50.200 And my ears are going to be satisfied with hearing. 00:49:50.200 --> 00:49:53.300 Nope, that's not going to happen. It's just going to keep going on and on and on. 00:49:53.300 --> 00:49:58.280 It's just teaching us, hey, that everything temporal in life will disappoint you. 00:49:58.280 --> 00:50:14.080 If there's anything in this life that is temporal that you could seek, education, fitness, money, relationships, romance, academics, whatever it is, if it's temporal, it will not satisfy you. 00:50:14.080 --> 00:50:21.080 And you know what? People today, the reason why so many people are depressed is because they just feel like their life lacks meaning. 00:50:21.080 --> 00:50:26.800 Let me tell you something, it does! Like if you're not serving God, your life is meaningless. 00:50:26.800 --> 00:50:31.820 Now I'm not saying you're without value, because God loves you, God died on the cross for you, he wants you to be saved. 00:50:31.820 --> 00:50:36.990 But I'm just saying like, you know, the monotonous cycle of our life is just completely meaningless. 00:50:36.990 --> 00:50:40.720 Go to Ecclesiastes 5, if you will, Ecclesiastes 5. 00:50:40.720 --> 00:50:48.490 You know, think about this, when you hit a PR in the gym, you don't think like, I'm done working out, I never need to work out again, I mean I hit it. 00:50:48.490 --> 00:50:54.460 You know, when you get your best mile time, you're like, oh, I'm never going to run again. I mean, I'm satisfied, I'm now satisfied with that. 00:50:54.460 --> 00:51:01.410 I've reached that, you know, oh, I got this job, it's like, hey, you know, perfect, oh, I finished this project at work, there'll never be a project again. 00:51:01.410 --> 00:51:04.430 I did it, I made it. It's like, no, it never is like that. 00:51:04.430 --> 00:51:12.480 Then look at this, he that loveth silver should not be satisfied with silver, nor he that loveth abundance with increase, this is also vanity. 00:51:12.480 --> 00:51:18.420 So a lot of those other things I was talking about, you know, PRs, getting a good job, like those things aren't even sinful to desire. 00:51:18.420 --> 00:51:24.690 But they still won't satisfy you. But of course, the Bible talks about how we should not desire to be rich, labor not to be rich. 00:51:24.690 --> 00:51:32.660 The love of money is the root of all evil. A lot of people, they're not even like desiring good things and then attaining it and realizing that it's vain. 00:51:32.660 --> 00:51:37.650 But they're just loving money. I mean, that's got to be one of the biggest drivers of people in America today. 00:51:37.650 --> 00:51:44.890 What gets them up in the morning is chasing after money, wanting more money, wanting more riches, wanting, getting more wealth. 00:51:44.890 --> 00:51:48.850 The Bible says, "If you love that, he that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver." 00:51:48.850 --> 00:51:54.250 What a sad life, right? To just love something and you're chasing after something. 00:51:54.250 --> 00:51:58.260 And then if you don't get it, you're going to be discontent. You're going to be angry. You're going to be sad. 00:51:58.260 --> 00:52:02.190 "Oh man, I want to be rich. I'm not rich." And if you do get it, you'll still hate your life. 00:52:02.190 --> 00:52:07.440 You'll still be unsatisfied. I mean, that sounds like a horrible way to live your life, right? 00:52:07.440 --> 00:52:13.080 Just living under the sun. "Nor he that loveth abundance with increase, this is also vanity." 00:52:13.080 --> 00:52:18.580 Notice, people that love abundance, when they increase, when they get more, it's not like, "Alright, 00:52:18.580 --> 00:52:23.560 I finally got the perfect amount of cars, perfect amount of motorcycles, perfect amount of guns, 00:52:23.560 --> 00:52:28.520 you know, perfect square footage in the house." We finally, no, what does the foolish rich man do? 00:52:28.520 --> 00:52:35.030 He's like, "Oh man, you know, I don't have place to bestow all my goods. That's okay, I'm content. 00:52:35.030 --> 00:52:38.950 Thank God for everything he's given." No, he says, "You know, I'm just going to tear down and build greater. 00:52:38.950 --> 00:52:46.160 I'm just going to tear down and just try to build bigger stuff." Notice, go back to Ecclesiastes 1 verse 9, 00:52:46.160 --> 00:52:53.770 "The thing that hath been is that which shall be. That which is done is that which shall be done, 00:52:53.770 --> 00:53:00.210 and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there anything whereof it may be said, 'See, this is new? 00:53:00.210 --> 00:53:07.750 It hath been already of old time, which was before us.'" Now, some people go way too literal in this verse, 00:53:07.750 --> 00:53:11.680 and you know, they'll just act like there's never been a new invention, there's never been a new product, 00:53:11.680 --> 00:53:15.940 and it's like, "Look, they didn't have fighter jets in Tartaria, okay? 00:53:15.940 --> 00:53:21.960 They didn't have AI in your little magic kingdom Tartaria. No, no, no. There's new inventions, stuff like that." 00:53:21.960 --> 00:53:26.070 But what this is, is that this is just a summary of everything that he's talked about. 00:53:26.070 --> 00:53:31.440 There's no new thing under the sun. Guess what? The sun comes up, it goes down. Man is vain. 00:53:31.440 --> 00:53:36.840 One generation comes, another goes. Rivers go into the sea. The wind goes about continually, right? 00:53:36.840 --> 00:53:40.920 There's no new thing. It's just like life is the same for every generation. 00:53:40.920 --> 00:53:45.850 The temptations we have, our human nature, the struggles we all face is the same in every generation. 00:53:45.850 --> 00:53:47.900 That is just the default state of man. 00:53:47.900 --> 00:53:52.820 But here's the good news is even though, you know, we're kind of stuck in a default state that way, 00:53:52.820 --> 00:53:58.090 God also never changes and God is the same in every generation. 00:53:58.090 --> 00:54:03.120 Of course, the Bible says Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever. 00:54:03.120 --> 00:54:08.220 So, hey, nothing changes. This Bible will never need an update. 00:54:08.220 --> 00:54:12.920 You know, it's never going to be like, well, you know, Ecclesiastes is kind of outdated. 00:54:12.920 --> 00:54:15.870 Let's put in Maccabees. Maccabees is better for the times. 00:54:15.870 --> 00:54:22.070 It's like, no, for every generation that will ever live, Ecclesiastes will be applicable to them. 00:54:22.070 --> 00:54:27.470 For every generation that will ever live, the Romans road will be how people get saved 00:54:27.470 --> 00:54:31.410 by calling upon the name of the Lord. And so, you know, nothing changes. 00:54:31.410 --> 00:54:33.930 Let's make sure we're not changing the Bible, right? 00:54:33.930 --> 00:54:37.090 Hey, everything's the same. There's no new thing under the sun. 00:54:37.090 --> 00:54:40.170 Try to update the Bible keep the Bible with the times 00:54:40.170 --> 00:54:44.100 Look at verse 11 Ecclesiastes 1 00:54:44.100 --> 00:54:49.560 Here's another thing that's vain your legacy is vain. It says there is no 00:54:49.560 --> 00:54:57.650 Remembrance of former things neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after 00:54:57.650 --> 00:55:03.400 Notice like hey someday in the future your life will be forgotten under the Sun now 00:55:03.400 --> 00:55:07.050 Hey, if you're saved you're gonna be alive still you're gonna be in heaven. You're gonna be with the Saints 00:55:07.050 --> 00:55:13.110 You're gonna be with God. You're not gonna be forgotten then but I'm just saying your earthly legacy. You're under the Sun legacy someday 00:55:13.110 --> 00:55:18.500 There will be people that don't remember you no one will remember you and look even if you achieve great things 00:55:18.500 --> 00:55:21.350 Even if you become a man of high degree 00:55:21.350 --> 00:55:27.960 Even if you become wealthy you will be forgotten by future generations as well because like who could tell me who was the richest person? 00:55:27.960 --> 00:55:29.980 In the year 00:55:29.980 --> 00:55:36.150 1308 does anyone know but someone on this earth was the greatest man financially in 1308 00:55:36.150 --> 00:55:40.400 Someone was it was probably the Pope if I have to guess, you know, maybe I got that one, right? 00:55:40.400 --> 00:55:46.780 I don't know. But you know, how about this? I wrote down this example here. What president like what order, you know? 00:55:46.780 --> 00:55:54.180 George Washington was the first what number was president James Garfield. Can anyone tell me can anyone tell me? 00:55:54.180 --> 00:55:58.850 This was the president of the United States. I mean, this was the 00:55:58.850 --> 00:56:02.290 President folks. No one can tell me can anyone tell me what year he was in office 00:56:02.290 --> 00:56:12.420 Can anyone tell me anything about him? Can anyone tell me anything that he did? Can anyone tell me how he died? 00:56:12.540 --> 00:56:22.300 He was assassinated even famous presidents that were assassinated. None of you even know why because hey, there'll be no remembrance, right? 00:56:22.300 --> 00:56:29.100 So it's like how foolish would it be to just sit here and obsess about your legacy? Oh, I gotta get a street named after me 00:56:29.100 --> 00:56:32.950 Oh, I gotta get a plaque. Oh, I gotta go down in history. I gotta be remembered 00:56:32.950 --> 00:56:40.250 You know for the future you won't be remembered stop caring so much about yourself and your life 00:56:40.250 --> 00:56:47.460 I love what the Apostle Paul said neither count on my life dear unto myself. It's not about my dear little life 00:56:47.460 --> 00:56:52.160 It's not about my dear little name. It's not about my dear little legacy because even if I build one 00:56:52.160 --> 00:56:53.590 It'll all be forgotten someday 00:56:53.590 --> 00:57:01.280 That's the truth and you think about like people today like Donald Trump Elon Musk and you'll think there's no way history 00:57:01.280 --> 00:57:05.890 We'll forget those history will forget those people if the Lord tarries and we go on for a long time 00:57:06.400 --> 00:57:11.470 History will completely forget those people and that's kind of in fab unfathomable for us 00:57:11.470 --> 00:57:15.970 But that's true because you didn't even know what happened to the president. It was assassinated 00:57:15.970 --> 00:57:22.700 I mean, and that's a big deal right crazy. Please. Yes. He's one number two the vanity of wisdom 00:57:22.700 --> 00:57:27.490 So we talked about just the vanity of life the vanity of everything now the vanity of wisdom 00:57:27.490 --> 00:57:28.460 He says in verse 12 00:57:28.460 --> 00:57:34.420 I the preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem and I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom 00:57:34.980 --> 00:57:41.460 Concerning all things that are done under heaven this sore travail has God given to the sons of man to be exercised 00:57:41.460 --> 00:57:45.550 Therewith so he just fully gave his heart to seek out 00:57:45.550 --> 00:57:53.520 Wisdom and he says concerning all things that are done under heaven like Solomon just wants to understand the nature of everything 00:57:53.520 --> 00:57:57.580 You know, he just wants to understand how this world works 00:57:57.580 --> 00:58:02.970 He's one of those guys that's just interested in every topic like he likes the book about every subject 00:58:03.310 --> 00:58:10.190 Like he just really wants to just figure everything out and he says this sore travail. So this exercise he's doing it's not like fun 00:58:10.190 --> 00:58:12.180 It's not like enjoyable necessarily 00:58:12.180 --> 00:58:18.530 Like in its end state because it says this sort travail have God given to the sons of men to be exercised there with 00:58:18.530 --> 00:58:26.670 So, you know one of the things that that separates us from animals that like evolutionists will never get is like we as human beings 00:58:26.670 --> 00:58:30.320 You know, we have been created by God, of course 00:58:30.320 --> 00:58:35.830 We're all his offspring and we have a conscience where God has imprinted his law 00:58:35.830 --> 00:58:40.870 You know, there's certain things just default inside of man and and we're made after God's image 00:58:40.870 --> 00:58:44.390 So we can have a lot of characteristics of God and you know 00:58:44.390 --> 00:58:49.660 One of the things that we could do the animals can't is we could think about thoughts think about that 00:58:49.660 --> 00:58:55.050 We could think about thoughts and we could we could like look at ourselves and say like why am I thinking this right now? 00:58:55.050 --> 00:58:57.120 Is it right for me to be thinking this right now? 00:58:57.120 --> 00:59:03.250 Is this the right way I'm viewing a situation and we could think about the nature of the world and we could think about the 00:59:03.250 --> 00:59:09.260 Cyclical nature of humanity and we can think about what this water and the river is doing and what the wind is doing 00:59:09.260 --> 00:59:15.280 And what the Sun is doing is like there's no animals that do that. There's no monkey that's doing that 00:59:15.280 --> 00:59:20.180 There's no gorilla that's doing that. Oh human beings. We're so close to the monkeys 00:59:20.180 --> 00:59:21.440 No folks 00:59:21.440 --> 00:59:29.170 We did not evolve from monkeys because there's no animal that has the sore travail to be exercised with where they're you know 00:59:29.170 --> 00:59:33.970 In their little cave thinking about like man was that right when I stole that banana from that other monkey 00:59:33.970 --> 00:59:38.670 Did I do the right thing when I you know violently punched that other gorilla in the face? 00:59:38.670 --> 00:59:42.380 How about how about animals just eat their own children? 00:59:42.380 --> 00:59:48.690 I know I was hungry, but did I really have to eat my offspring like that's kind of that doesn't happen, right? 00:59:48.690 --> 00:59:52.840 But you know humanity we actually think about our own thoughts our own actions 00:59:52.840 --> 00:59:57.640 And it just goes to show how stupid evolution is we just this verse alone 00:59:57.640 --> 01:00:02.670 I mean what animal comes even close to something like this. It just does not exist 01:00:02.670 --> 01:00:05.570 You know we think about our own thoughts like verse 14 01:00:05.570 --> 01:00:13.140 I have seen all the works that are done under the Sun behold all is vanity and vexation of spirit 01:00:13.140 --> 01:00:15.120 I gave myself to wisdom 01:00:15.120 --> 01:00:21.770 I wanted to figure out what life is all about and let me tell you it's vain and it's vexing. It's dark 01:00:21.770 --> 01:00:27.290 It sucks life sucks life is hard life is violent 01:00:27.290 --> 01:00:32.340 You know life under the Sun is negative in many ways. It's vexation of 01:00:32.340 --> 01:00:41.750 Spirit he says that which is crooked cannot be made straight and that which is wanting cannot be numbered some people 01:00:41.750 --> 01:00:47.400 They try to find fulfillment and joy in in writing the wrongs of this world, right? 01:00:47.400 --> 01:00:52.710 They want to they want to fix the injustice. They want to fix the issues. They see they see all it's vain 01:00:52.710 --> 01:00:57.410 Oh, it's vexation of spirit and they want to try to fix that and you know what that which is crooked 01:00:57.410 --> 01:01:01.270 Cannot be made straight. You cannot fix this world carnally 01:01:01.270 --> 01:01:08.900 That's why this idea that we're gonna fix America from a political agenda is so foolish 01:01:08.900 --> 01:01:12.900 Because you know what that which is crooked cannot be made straight 01:01:12.900 --> 01:01:18.410 You know what? You're not supposed to just straighten out the old man and get the old man to go on the straight and narrow 01:01:18.410 --> 01:01:21.850 It's like you're supposed to kill the old man and put on the new man 01:01:21.930 --> 01:01:29.130 You have to get born again, right? There's no fixing your life. No, it's you're born again. No, you get a new man 01:01:29.130 --> 01:01:30.270 No, you get a new spirit 01:01:30.270 --> 01:01:36.750 It's like the only way to fix things in this world is for people to get saved and for people to walk in the spirit 01:01:36.750 --> 01:01:41.620 But you know if you just set out in life like oh man, I just want to I want to make that straight 01:01:41.620 --> 01:01:46.230 Which is crooked, you know, you may from time to time succeed in small ways 01:01:46.230 --> 01:01:50.000 But at the end you're gonna find out all it's vain, right? 01:01:50.000 --> 01:01:55.370 And there's a lot of people like this, you know, maybe not a lot, but there's some people that go into politics for this reason 01:01:55.370 --> 01:01:59.760 For a truly altruistic reason they want to fix things in their government 01:01:59.760 --> 01:02:01.060 They want to fix things in their country 01:02:01.060 --> 01:02:06.710 But you know what those people will find that you cannot make it straight and if they do they're like 01:02:06.710 --> 01:02:11.140 Let's get the Bible's in school as soon as they're gone up. It's crooked again. That's just done again 01:02:11.140 --> 01:02:16.240 It's like oh, you know the police the FBI they're gonna go clean up the streets. They're gonna go round up the criminals 01:02:16.240 --> 01:02:23.450 All right, we arrested him and the DA lets him go up catch and release. How about that guy that murdered Irina? 01:02:23.450 --> 01:02:31.050 Zaruzka who he was multiple time convict for violent violent offenses. Just let go let go let go let go 01:02:31.050 --> 01:02:38.000 Murders the girl and it's like oh, I'm sure the cops really thought they were fixing the world when they arrested that guy 01:02:38.000 --> 01:02:42.660 No, he's just let go he just goes and murders some woman that which is crooked cannot be made straight 01:02:42.660 --> 01:02:45.590 He says I communed with my own heart saying low 01:02:45.590 --> 01:02:50.480 I am come to great estate and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem 01:02:50.480 --> 01:02:56.840 Yay, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. He's speaking by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost 01:02:56.840 --> 01:03:03.040 He's not just bragging on himself here. It's like hey, I'm a reliable source. I really checked all this stuff out 01:03:03.040 --> 01:03:06.200 I really gave myself to wisdom. I really did get that wise 01:03:06.200 --> 01:03:10.840 He says and I gave my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly 01:03:10.840 --> 01:03:19.020 I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit notice this for in much wisdom is much 01:03:19.020 --> 01:03:22.540 Grief and he that increaseth knowledge 01:03:22.540 --> 01:03:30.290 Increaseth sorrow so even wisdom especially wisdom under the Sun Oh like wisdom for the sake of wisdom 01:03:30.290 --> 01:03:33.700 Eventually is just exposed as vanity as well 01:03:33.700 --> 01:03:40.560 So it's like, you know the cyclical nature of the world man our words our thoughts. It's all vain. Oh, that's okay 01:03:40.560 --> 01:03:43.130 I'm gonna I'm gonna seek wisdom. I'm gonna get really smart 01:03:43.130 --> 01:03:45.020 I'm gonna read all the books. I'm gonna get all the degrees 01:03:45.020 --> 01:03:49.460 I'm gonna watch all the podcasts and learn all the things and you know what you're gonna find out 01:03:49.460 --> 01:03:53.250 If you actually get wisdom if you actually get knowledge, you're gonna feel this thing called grief 01:03:53.250 --> 01:03:57.290 That's strange, right? Because you would think like I'm gonna be fulfilled in this 01:03:57.290 --> 01:04:02.650 But you know what in some ways and please hear me right on this in some ways 01:04:02.650 --> 01:04:08.890 Ignorance can be bliss now. I'm not talking about God's commandments because what you don't know can hurt you 01:04:08.890 --> 01:04:09.640 Okay 01:04:09.640 --> 01:04:14.220 Hey, if you're saved God is your father and he will punish you for your sin. And so, you know what? 01:04:14.220 --> 01:04:19.570 You should know what the Bible says because ignorance is not bliss in that case. But in some things in this world 01:04:19.570 --> 01:04:22.290 Ignorance is bliss. I mean when the 01:04:22.290 --> 01:04:28.360 Epstein files were going around they were going viral things were just popping up on my feet. I'm like I wish I never saw that 01:04:28.360 --> 01:04:34.940 I didn't I didn't ask for this. I didn't seek this out like what even even though it's blurred even though it's blurred 01:04:34.940 --> 01:04:39.180 It was so horrific. I'm just like I wish I never saw that ignorance would have been bliss 01:04:39.180 --> 01:04:44.100 I felt grief. I felt SARS like get as much wisdom in all areas. No, no, no 01:04:44.100 --> 01:04:48.440 Let's be simple concerning evil like I don't want to be wise and all those things 01:04:48.440 --> 01:04:54.040 But here's the thing. I'm not glorifying stupidity because the Bible says in Proverbs 4 7 wisdom is the principal thing 01:04:54.040 --> 01:05:01.570 Therefore get wisdom with all that getting get understanding Proverbs 1 7 the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools 01:05:01.570 --> 01:05:05.300 despise wisdom and instruction so even though 01:05:06.030 --> 01:05:12.390 Wisdom under the Sun is not perfect. It's definitely better than being a fool and you should seek wisdom 01:05:12.390 --> 01:05:18.530 You should seek knowledge, but I'm just telling you even if you do don't expect that to fully fulfill your life 01:05:18.530 --> 01:05:25.530 Because you will still find an emptiness and a sorrow and a grief associated with that wisdom. What's some examples of this? 01:05:25.530 --> 01:05:31.050 Well, how about this the more wise you are the more knowledge you have the more you read the Bible in some ways 01:05:31.050 --> 01:05:34.430 It could bring grief and sadness because you know your own sinfulness 01:05:34.670 --> 01:05:37.100 You know your own 01:05:37.100 --> 01:05:42.130 Vanity, you know, you know this world can sometimes be like oh happy like oh a pretty good person 01:05:42.130 --> 01:05:47.230 And it's just like I am chief of sinners, you know, this world's like oh, I'm good. I'm a good person 01:05:47.230 --> 01:05:52.980 Meanwhile Paul like the greatest Christian is just like I am chief of sinners think about that, right? 01:05:52.980 --> 01:05:56.260 There's a level of grief and vanity that comes with that, you know 01:05:56.260 --> 01:06:02.460 How about the more you see the evil in this world for what it really is, right? 01:06:02.460 --> 01:06:06.770 the world has kind of like this this non-spiritual vision where they look at things and 01:06:06.770 --> 01:06:14.370 They don't necessarily understand the depth of depravity that we do like for example, how about the fags, right for the world? 01:06:14.370 --> 01:06:19.730 It's just like oh, it's love love wins. Isn't it so great that they just love each other 01:06:19.730 --> 01:06:24.690 Oh, how sweet you know, they this fag couple adopted a little child 01:06:24.690 --> 01:06:34.300 How wonderful and we're just like these pedophiles have a child, you know, I mean, it's like that's grieving that's vexing to our souls 01:06:34.300 --> 01:06:37.850 It's like no we know that they're not just loving we know that they're not just a little different 01:06:37.850 --> 01:06:41.330 We know that they're predators that they're haters of God now 01:06:41.330 --> 01:06:43.630 I want to know that because I want to be safe with my kids to be safe 01:06:43.630 --> 01:06:48.590 I want to warn people but there comes a cost with knowing that right when you see 01:06:48.590 --> 01:06:54.990 The them being promoted by your society and you're just like we're just begging for God to destroy our nation brings a little bit of 01:06:54.990 --> 01:06:57.580 Sadness to this world, you know 01:06:57.580 --> 01:07:01.360 You another thing is that could bring grief and sorrows the more, you know 01:07:01.400 --> 01:07:09.350 the more you could just watch people in real time destroy themselves destroy their life and destroy everything around them and 01:07:09.350 --> 01:07:15.410 It's like, you know that and they don't you know, what's an example the college parties, right? Oh doesn't look so fun 01:07:15.410 --> 01:07:21.140 Look, they're all smiling. They're all jumping around. They're all dancing. They're all listening to music. They're all drinking alcohol 01:07:21.140 --> 01:07:26.080 They're smiling and it's like but we know when they get on the road they could die 01:07:26.080 --> 01:07:30.450 We know, you know, they could have a bad child. They could have an STD 01:07:30.470 --> 01:07:34.330 They can you know die and I shall behold strange women. Oh doesn't drinking look so fun 01:07:34.330 --> 01:07:41.360 Yeah until the crime scene, right and it's like we know that and this world can sometimes look at things like hell 01:07:41.360 --> 01:07:43.800 We're just having fun. Oh, they just love each other 01:07:43.800 --> 01:07:47.640 Oh, it's just a drink and we're just kind of have that grief of like wow 01:07:47.640 --> 01:07:49.470 This person's going down a wrong 01:07:49.470 --> 01:07:55.950 I kind of think of it like this as Christians the more wise you are the more knowledge you have the more Bible you read 01:07:55.950 --> 01:08:03.350 You know you are viewing life like when you actually go to visit the house that you're looking at the rental 01:08:03.350 --> 01:08:04.320 You're looking at the house you go to buy 01:08:04.320 --> 01:08:08.860 It's like it looks one way on Zillow the world looks at life through the Zillow pictures 01:08:08.860 --> 01:08:15.490 And it's got the filter and it's been edited on Photoshop, and it's like wow this looks so great 01:08:15.490 --> 01:08:20.230 But it's like you're showing up to the house with a flashlight in broad daylight 01:08:20.230 --> 01:08:24.740 It's like you see the mold and you see the cracks and you hear the creaky doors 01:08:24.740 --> 01:08:32.130 And you see the cracks in the foundation and you see that fence that's broken and the tree that's leaning over and the mailbox is leaning over 01:08:32.130 --> 01:08:39.070 And your neighbors there's gunshots going off all of a sudden right? It's like you don't see that in Zillow, but it's like okay 01:08:39.070 --> 01:08:46.800 There comes some grief with seeing like hey life really isn't as great as you know the drunk party crowd the marijuana bros the surfer bros 01:08:46.800 --> 01:08:50.750 Make it out to be but it's like but I still want the wisdom. I still want the knowledge 01:08:50.750 --> 01:08:55.850 I still want to be able to avoid you know the gunshot neighborhood and not just pretend like everything is good 01:08:55.850 --> 01:09:04.080 But you know, that's how this life is go to Matthew 6. Well, we're almost finished here vanity of entities all is vanity 01:09:04.080 --> 01:09:12.140 What is the solution to this? Well, what is he showing us under the Sun in this carnal life? It's all vain 01:09:12.140 --> 01:09:17.100 It's all show. It's all meaningless. So hey, we have to look beyond life just under the Sun 01:09:17.100 --> 01:09:23.080 There's more to life than just the carnal life that we're in look at Matthew 6 verse 16 01:09:23.350 --> 01:09:27.080 Moreover when you fast be not as the hypocrites of a sad countenance 01:09:27.080 --> 01:09:33.820 For they disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast verily I say unto you they have their reward 01:09:33.820 --> 01:09:39.830 Hey, every man walketh in a vain show, right? Oh, I'm so sad. I'm so afflicted this 01:09:39.830 --> 01:09:45.210 Oh this fasting hurts so bad, but you see how godly I am, right? Don't you see what a wonderful person? 01:09:45.210 --> 01:09:48.910 I am. What is that? Just a vain show just all his vanity under the Sun 01:09:48.910 --> 01:09:56.350 He says but Thou when Thou fastest anoint thine head and wash thy face that thou appear not undemand to fast 01:09:56.350 --> 01:10:01.800 But unto thy father which is in secret and thy father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly 01:10:01.800 --> 01:10:08.510 Hey, every man walks in a vain show, but we what we need to do is transcend the flesh and say, okay 01:10:08.510 --> 01:10:14.340 This is how people are but Christ said to be this way. Let's walk in the spirit, right? 01:10:14.340 --> 01:10:17.660 Hey instead of fasting telling everyone how much pain you're in how hungry you are 01:10:17.660 --> 01:10:21.810 How long you've been fasting. It's like how about this? How about you? Just don't tell someone you're fasting 01:10:21.810 --> 01:10:28.460 What are the hippie hypocrites do they blow a trumpet when they give their alms? Look how much money I'm giving 01:10:28.460 --> 01:10:34.800 Look how godly I am. It's like why don't you just give don't let your right hand know. What's your left hand does? 01:10:34.800 --> 01:10:39.230 Hey wash thy face anoint thine head Catholics on Ash Friday 01:10:39.230 --> 01:10:46.380 Ridiculous, you know, we should endeavor to be godly not just endeavor to try to look godly 01:10:46.450 --> 01:10:52.490 Hey look, that's that's for all of us because you know what we all have the same flesh and we need to check ourselves 01:10:52.490 --> 01:10:55.740 We need to say hey, you know, I don't want to walk in a vain show 01:10:55.740 --> 01:11:01.270 I don't want to just be in this default state. We should endeavor to be godly not just look godly 01:11:01.270 --> 01:11:06.110 We should endeavor to be truthful not just look truthful be a good person 01:11:06.110 --> 01:11:11.690 Not just try to look like a good person be faithful not just try to look faithful 01:11:11.690 --> 01:11:18.690 Look at verse 19 lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rusteth corrupt and where thieves 01:11:18.830 --> 01:11:25.650 Break through and steal but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rusteth corrupt 01:11:25.650 --> 01:11:30.700 And where thieves do not break through nor steal for where your treasure is there will your heart be? 01:11:30.700 --> 01:11:38.090 Also last place first Corinthians 15 says hey don't lay up all this money all these goods that at the end of the day 01:11:38.090 --> 01:11:43.610 You know moths and rust and just the hand of time is just going to destroy these things 01:11:43.610 --> 01:11:47.990 Thieves can break through and steal because what would the result be vanity? 01:11:47.990 --> 01:11:53.860 Oh, I got this really cool collection stolen vain. Oh, I got all this money inflation gone vain 01:11:53.860 --> 01:11:59.330 It's like what should we be doing we should be endeavoring to live spiritual lives laying laying up 01:11:59.330 --> 01:12:06.630 You know treasures in heaven where thieves can't break through a steel where moth and rust cannot corrupt and then you know what? 01:12:06.630 --> 01:12:11.090 That's not vain anymore. Then that actually has meaning when you get a soul saved 01:12:11.090 --> 01:12:16.250 Hey, no one can take that out of his hand once someone saved. Hey, they can never lose that salvation 01:12:16.250 --> 01:12:24.350 Hey, you know just serving people loving your brothers in Christ being faithful to the house of God reading God's Word praying 01:12:24.350 --> 01:12:29.990 So winning look these are things that will earn you eternal rewards in heaven that no matter what happens 01:12:29.990 --> 01:12:31.860 Your life can never be taken away from you 01:12:31.860 --> 01:12:37.740 And you know what then you won't have this black pill mentality that the world has when they realize that all is vain 01:12:37.740 --> 01:12:38.950 But you know what? 01:12:38.950 --> 01:12:45.530 It's all vain under the Sun because look at 1st Corinthians 15 58 therefore my beloved brethren be ye steadfast 01:12:45.960 --> 01:12:47.740 unmovable always 01:12:47.740 --> 01:12:55.410 Abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord 01:12:55.410 --> 01:13:00.640 That's the only thing that's not vain is the work that we do for God and look we live under the Sun 01:13:00.640 --> 01:13:04.700 Don't we so you know what we're gonna have some level of vanity in our lives. We got to work 01:13:04.700 --> 01:13:09.540 We got to provide we got to go to the grocery store, and you know we got some fun, too 01:13:09.540 --> 01:13:11.960 We got to live our lives. Hey, you got to stay healthy 01:13:11.960 --> 01:13:13.380 You got to exercise you got to do these things 01:13:13.380 --> 01:13:20.210 But make sure while you're living your vain life that you're also abounding in the work of the Lord and not just worrying about life 01:13:20.210 --> 01:13:27.100 Under the Sun know what no matter what you're doing. You're chasing your career great still abound in the work of the Lord you're chasing relationships 01:13:27.100 --> 01:13:33.390 Hey, whatever goals you're chasing chase those goals, but don't try to find meaning in those goals try to abound in your work for God 01:13:33.390 --> 01:13:35.660 Let's pray Lord. Thank you so much for this chapter 01:13:35.660 --> 01:13:38.080 I pray that you just bless the upcoming study in 01:13:38.080 --> 01:13:43.060 Ecclesiastes that you would reveal truths to us that we need to hear and help us all to apply these to our lives 01:13:43.410 --> 01:13:57.100 We love you. And thank you for all that you do for us in Jesus name. We pray. Amen last him this evening 01:13:57.100 --> 01:14:05.080 Turn if you would to number 15 him number 15 01:14:05.080 --> 01:14:14.260 Lead me to Calvary him 15 will sing there starting right on the first