Searching For Meaning

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Searching For Meaning</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="21"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id226.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="When Youve Lost It All"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Church Ministry</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org"><U>stan@stanbaker.org</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Ecclesiastes 1:1-18, “Searching for Meaning,” Berean Bible Church, September 9, 2001am</B></div> <bR> <div> <I>     </I>In 1979, a study was done among teenagers in Sweden, who were asked to respond to the statement, "I think the following could give my life more meaning..." Of those surveyed, eighty-seven percent thought that meaning could be found in a good job, eighty-five percent thought it could be found in a marriage partner, and eighty-four percent thought it could be found in sports and recreation. Only fifteen percent thought that reading the Bible and prayer could help, and another fifteen percent indicated that they thought alcohol could help.</div> <div>      World’s answers to finding meaning – <I>hedonism</I> (relentless pursuit of pleasure, <I>contemplation</I> and <I>philosophy</I>, <I>education</I>, <I>ignorance</I> (is bliss! – don’t think about the larger realities of life, it is depressing), <I>service</I> to mankind (or trees or animals), <I>money and work and business and wealth</I> (“Work sixteen tons, what do you get, another day older and deeper in debt”), <I>entertainment</I>, <I>sports</I>, <I>relationships</I> (marriage), <I>power and control and influence</I>.</div> <div> What brings happiness today fails to bring happiness tomorrow.  Your new car gets old (and loses a lot value when you drive away from the dealer). Your new computer is obsolete tomorrow. Your New kitchen appliance sits on the counter.</div> <div> <I>     </I>Is it even worthwhile to search for meaning in life? Where do we go to find it?</div> <bR> <div> Introduction to Book: Ecclesiastes was probably written by King Solomon, late in his life, after rebellion against God (1 Kings 11:4-6). He had experienced the pinnacle of the Kingdom of Israel (1 Kings 10:23-24). The perspective is a man’s search for meaning. Not all statements in the book reflect God’s views – much of it is not “This is what the Lord says.” An example is in vs. 2, “meaningless” says the Teacher. But is it God’s view that everything is meaningless? No.</div> <bR> <div> <B>I. The Search for Meaning Apart from God is Futile.</B></div> <div> <U>A. Eccl 1:1-11 – Introducing the Search for Meaning Apart from God</U></div> <div> 1. Vss. 1-3 – Theme: Everything under the sun is meaningless.</div> <div> Vs. 1 – “Teacher,” a wise one who gathers and addresses an assembly of the wise. Son of David, King – probably Solomon.</div> <div> Vs. 2 – “Meaningless” (also vs. 14). Literally, vapor, breath, smoke. Futility, frustration, vanity, emptiness, worthless rather than worthwhile.</div> <div> Vs. 3 – “Gain,” profit, value, worth. “Labor,” human pursuits and activities; “Under the sun” (also vs. 13-14), life on earth, worldwide.</div> <div> 2. Vss. 4-7 – Wearisome cycles of nature that never amount to anything.</div> <div> 3. Vss. 8-11 – Nothing new in history and progress. </div> <div> Vs. 8, No satisfaction – like Christmas gifts, we tire of what used to satisfy. Books, CDs.</div> <div> Vs. 11, Events or people. Explosion of space shuttle Challenger (Jan 1986). Cuban Missile Crisis (1962).</div> <div> <U>B. Eccl 1:12-18 – Embarking on the Search for Meaning Apart from God</U></div> <div> 1. Vs. 13a – Relentless pursuit, based on wisdom.</div> <div> 2. Vss. 13b-15 – A failed pursuit. Vs. 14, “Chasing after the wind”</div> <div> 3. Vss. 16-18 – Searching for meaning in wisdom.</div> <bR> <div> <B>II. Two Principles.</B></div> <div> A. Search for meaning in the right place – God and his Word vs. “under the sun”. Micah 6:8: “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” – following these simple directives leads to satisfaction. God calls it “good,” not meaningless. If you are looking for ultimate satisfaction anywhere else, you will not find it.</div> <div> B. If there is no meaning, no satisfaction, in our relationship with God, we have nothing to offer anyone else.</div> <bR> <div> <I>     </I>Cartoonist Ralph Barton, although successful and in demand, took his own life, leaving a note nearby that included these words, "I am fed up with inventing devices to fill up twenty-four hours of the day." The search for meaning apart from God is futile. So search for meaning in the right place, then offer it to others who are searching for it. </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2001, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>