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Sunday, July 19- Ecc 2:18-23 by Jonathan Putnam
THE BIG IDEA: the gospel makes it possible for us to glorify God in the work He has assigned us.
First Point: Death renders work meaningless.
Sin has affected our work to the point that we want to labor for our own honor. We see a picture of this in the Tower of Babel. The curse on work in Genesis 3 demonstrates God's opposition to our attempts at working for our glory. In this sense, the curse on work is the mercy of God that makes self-centered labor fruitless.
Second Point: Christ rendered death powerless.
The resurrection of Jesus marks the triumph of Christ over death as the final payment for sin. Instead, Jesus' death on the cross pays our debt before God, and God's resurrection of Christ demonstrates that this payment is effective. If that is true, then death is powerless over us... and our work can be meaningful.
Third Point: Christians can labor in a meaningful way for God.
Jonathan pointed out that (in seeking to live for God) Christians can glorify God in three ways:
- We glorify God in the tasks of our work. We can actually bring glory to God because our labor imitates God's labors (see Genesis 1). In this sense, we labor like God.
- We glorify God in the quality of our work. We can bring glory to God because our labors are a means of "working heartily, as for the Lord and not for men." In this sense, we labor for God.
- We glorify God in the goal of our work. We can make God look good when we remember that God uses our jobs as ways of restoring the world to himself. In this sense, we labor with God.
- What has God been showing you about how you've built your own Tower of Babel?
- How does Jesus' victory over death give you hope that your work can be meaningful again?
- In what way (from the third point) are you encouraged that you can glorify God at work?
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Sunday, July 26- Ecc 3:16-4:3 by Darren Lander
THE BIG IDEA: the greatest injustice the world's ever seen provides courage to act against injustice and comfort when I'm treated unjustly.
First Point: Injustice distorts our outlook.
The injustices of life can make us think that nobody is in control over life and that there is no comfort for those who suffer in this life. The Preacher saw this in the courts and in the workplace, and we can find those same injustices publicly on display today in corrupt trials and unfairness towards workers and stockholders today. This evidence can tempt us because...
Second Point: Injustice lies about our God.
The "Preacher" in Ecclesiastes came to the conclusion that injustice makes life a hopeless cause. He thought that people were no better off than animals and that death was the only hope for those who suffer. In fact, when we try to reconcile whether our lives are meaningful, we often look (like George Bailey) back on the impact we've made on those around us. Sadly, we often find a lack of evidence that supports the idea that our suffering in life has been worth it. But God brings hope to us because...
Third Point: Injustice reveals God's justice and control.
The truth is that we've never suffered in any degree as Jesus has suffered for us. Rather than making us feel guilty that we struggle under suffering, this should encourage us about 4 things:
a. God uses our suffering to prove our faith (1 Peter 1:3-7)
b. God uses our suffering to magnify His glory (Romans 8:16-19)
c. God used Christ's suffering to bring us to God (1 Pet 3:17-18)
d. God used Christ's suffering to reveals His righteousness (Romans 3:21-26)
If God can use the greatest injustice in history to guarantee His justice and our salvation, then we can trust Him to use the lesser suffering in our life to rivet our faith on Christ and to declare His worthiness to others who suffer. Therefore,
- We will never WINK at injustice, instead- we'll act wisely to help others who suffer.
- We will never WORRY about injustice, instead- we'll pray fervently when we suffer.
- We will always TAKE COMFORT in the cross- the greatest injustice ever seen.
- In what ways have you been feeling as though you've been unjustly treated lately?
- What has this tempted you to believe about God and His way of dealing with you?
- How does God's treatment of you (through Christ's suffering) encourage you as you suffer?
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Sunday, August 2- Ecc 4:13-16 by Darren Lander
THE BIG IDEA: the lies of popularity to stick with us and protect us are countered and conquered by the fear of the Lord and the love of Christ.
First Point: Popularity pledges to stick with us forever.
The "Preacher" observed the ways in which the king of Israel (beloved and old) would be replaced by his successor and forgotten by his people... and that this would be the lot for all who would succeed him on the throne. This reality sobered him, but we are all tempted to place our identity in what others think of us. Because we all want to be remembered and have our namesake honored forever...
Second Point: Popularity pledges to protect us from harm.
In Ecclesiastes 8, the Preacher gave advice to the counselors to the king, who would be in danger of suffering harm at the hands of the tyrannical king of Israel. To protect them, the Preacher provided rules to live by in order to keep themselves out of trouble. In the same way, we can live under rules that we think should help us to know the right thing to say at the right time (v 2-6)... but we can't really know how to act all the time (v 6-9). People are troubled by things we can't see and respond in ways we can't predict. We see this in public settings and in our private lives. We'd love to be free from this desire to live for other's approval so that we'd never feel hurt in social settings again... but we seem chained by the desire to live for other people's approval. But good news exists...
Third Point: The Savior pledges to change our allegiances.
Jesus died to free us from living for our glory and to release us to live for His namesake. We see a model of this in Paul's life (who was threatened and mocked but who chose to serve Christ and others nonetheless). In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul demonstrates that he was motivated by 2 things:
- Paul was motivated by the fear of the Lord (v 11). This knowledge of Jesus as the Creator and Judge over all freed him from fearing others' opinion or lack of honor for himself.
- Paul was motivated by the love of Christ (v 14-15). This awareness of Christ's love for Him motivated him to die to others' approval and to live for Him who died (namely Christ).
- In what ways are you living for the limelight... aiming to be the "flavor of the month" for others?
- What do you think you might be afraid of that keeps you so committed to living for other's approval?
- What could you imagine being different about the way you lived if you were to grow in an awareness of God's majesty (the fear of the Lord) and God's affection (the love of Christ)?
I hope these are some reminders of what we've discussed and help to provide a refresher of what God's been doing both to convict you of sin, to remind you of His work, and to encourage you that He's provided grace for you. Have a great night together!
Darren
