Let's pray together, church. Father, we come before you thanking you for the provision of the cross, that Jesus saves sinners that repent, that you provided and purchased salvation for us. Open our eyes this morning to understand the greatness that you provide us, meaning and fulfillment and fullness of life in your son. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. On December 24th, 1945, George stands on a bridge over the water, high above the water, looking down. Contemplating, is life worth living at all? George had gotten into some financial trouble. George had had a rough evening with his family. George had given up so much of the things he could have pursued, but he gave things up for others. George begins to realize through circumstances that what he has given up have really made other people better, that he's changed the course of history in some of the things that he's done. George also finds out that his family is one of the most precious treasures that he has. And the town comes through for George and makes up the financial debt that he owes. And by the end of It's a Wonderful Life, George realizes that life is worth living. Life does have meaning because the people around him make it worth living. That's a small microcosm, a small story that relates to something much bigger. And we can look at what the scripture says, and I've titled the message today, Meaning in God. And you may have to pull your Bible out this morning, because we may not have all the scriptures behind us today. But I'd love for you to open up to the book of Ecclesiastes, the book of Ecclesiastes, meaning in God. I was talking with a church member this week or this past week, and they said, man, Ecclesiastes sure is a dark book. And as I thought to myself, I had just studied Ecclesiastes and done some in-depth study and thought, Ecclesiastes sure can be understood as a dark book, but But I think there's something in there that it's doing something different for us. And so I want to make the proposal to you that what the book of Ecclesiastes is doing is it's offering a life reset. And if you've seen the movie, It's a Wonderful Life, there was an angel on the bridge that was helping him realize all these things. What was his name? Somebody help me out. Clarence! If you've never seen A Wonderful Life, please sit down this Christmas season and watch it. Such a great movie. Clarence helps him realize, you need a reset, George. What you've done your whole life has been good. And it does make a difference. When we get to the book of Ecclesiastes, and the writer of Ecclesiastes is named nothing other than Kaholeth, or the teacher. Many people think it may have been Solomon. Some think it may have been a grandson of David or someone in Solomon's family. But nonetheless, this was a book given by the teacher, and that is where scripture stops, so that's where we'll stop. The teacher says, he opens up the book, and you can see in verse one and verse two, verse two says this. Vanity of vanities, says Koholeth, or the preacher. Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. And this word for vanity is, you've probably heard this before, the word vanity, but it's the Hebrew word havel, havel. And literally, the word havel means breath or vapor, something passing away. If you've ever been around a concert or even some church services these days, there are smoke machines that provide smoke. And what you'll see is if you look on the stage where things are happening, you'll see smoke in and out, reflecting generally lights that are shined through that smoke. And it creates an effect of an aura almost. But what you'll notice is that smoke doesn't ever stay in the same place. It continues to move. And if you were to try to grab that smoke and hold it in your hands, you would be sorely disappointed because when you open your hands, what would happen? It would all be gone. That is Havel. It is mentioned 38 times in the book of Ecclesiastes and five times here in the second verse. Havel of Havel, says the preacher, Havel of Havel, all is Havel. What is he trying to communicate? Now, oftentimes you'll hear the word meaningless, meaningless. Everything is meaningless. And while that's a translation, I don't think personally that it's the best one because I don't think what the author of Ecclesiastes is trying to communicate to us is your life and everything about it is meaningless. That's not a biblical message. It doesn't line up with the rest of scripture. It doesn't really line up with what the theme of the book is either, and I'll share that with you, but rather, Havel, it's hard to grasp. It's a breath that's hard to hold onto. In other words, it's passing. It is vain in that it's not lasting. Y'all know Proverbs 30, right? Y'all can probably help me quote it. Charm is deceitful and beauty is what? Beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Beauty is vain. There are beautiful people in this room today, physically beautiful. in 50, 100 years? probably won't be quite as beautiful as you were at that point physically. It is passing. It's something that changes. Havel of havels. Vapor of vapor. It is something transient and something that is moving on. Why is this a better translation of what's going on? I'll tell you, but let me give you a couple of other Old Testament uses of this word. Havel, Genesis 4.2. This one's interesting. The name Abel is actually the word Havel. And if you know Hebrew, B's and V's are the same, so it's Havel. Abel's name, what happened to Abel? His life was taken away in an instant by his angry brother, Havel. Psalm 39.5, surely all mankind stands as near Havel. a mere breath in the grand scheme of eternity. Are you getting the picture? Your life is passing. Your life is not permanent on this earth. That's an important principle that the teacher wants you to know. Not that your life is meaningless, George Bailey, but rather that your life does have meaning and you need to take advantage Psalm 144, verse four, man is like a breath. His days are like a passing shadow. Take advantage of the days that you have. You are meaningful in God. There's a way to find meaning in your passing days, and that's what the word of Ecclesiastes wants to teach us. One more, Proverbs 21.6, the getting of treasures is by a lying tongue and a fleeting vapor and a snare of death. Fleeting havel. So here's what I want you to grasp onto this morning. Apart from God, even the good things in life, wisdom, pleasure, work, wealth, justice, time, relationships, all of these things, these good things that God has given to us are fleeting. They are passing. apart from God. Let me give you an illustration, if I may. When I was young, I played, I had a big bag. It was a laundry sack. Y'all know what I'm talking about, where you put your laundry in and you can take it down to the laundromat. I had it for when I went on trips and stuff. Well, I had a laundry sack and it was filled with Legos. Y'all know those little building blocks, right? Everybody knows Legos. I had a laundry sack filled with Legos. And I would take that laundry sack. I had, I think, as I remember, it was like a dark brown shag of carpet in my room. And I would pour my bag of Legos out and start building things. What was the first piece that I went for? Anybody? it was the big foundation because I knew if I was gonna, if I were to build a house or if I were to build anything, I would need something that tied it all together so that my doorway and my walls would all be able to work together to find their fulfillment in what I was doing. Now, grown up today, There are lots of good tools that you and I have been given in life. I mentioned them earlier. Wealth, family, pleasure, wisdom, relationships. You've been given Lego pieces. You need something of a foundation to where you can build those on to where they mean something in relationship to life. If you don't have something tying them together, and that is where our theme for the year comes right in. Trust God, do what's right. If you don't find their root in what Jeff read us this morning, fearing God and keeping his commandments, then all of those things are just fleeting and passing away. Let's look in Ecclesiastes. Look in chapter 2, verse 24. Ecclesiastes 2, 24. There is nothing better for a person than he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also I saw is from where? Help me out, church. Let me start over, because here's where many people think, well, a Christian, I'm supposed to avoid fun, happy, and good things. And let me draw some clarity to that. There is nothing better for a person than he should eat, drink, and find enjoyment in his work. This also, I saw, is from where? The hand of God. Now this might ruffle some feathers, But when you read Ecclesiastes, what you find, and in fact, go ahead, Wayne, to the next verse. He even says this, he goes further in verse 25 and says, for apart from him, the hand of God, who can eat or who can have what? Hey, Christian, you were made to enjoy God. Come on, I like that. I'm going to say it again. I think we can do better than that. You were made to enjoy God. He is giving you wisdom, wealth, relationships, fellowship. justice, mercy, all of your Lego tools in your life, he's given to you that you might be the happiest person around as a Christian. And I'll say it over and over, and I'll say it till I die, because who can find enjoyment apart from God? And the answer is, if you look around in our world that tries to offer fulfillment and all of these things that will give you pleasure and joy, apart from God, it's a short circuit failure. You can have surgeries. You can find relationships. You can have kids and wives and you can have lots of money. But if they're separated from the foundational piece that draws all things into meaning, you have missed out on life. and you can find rich people, and you can find married people, and you can find mamas and daddies, and you can find people with lots of athletic ability or musical ability, and they will tell, and you ask them, are you truly and deeply happy? And most of them, if they're honest, they'll say, no, that's why I turn to this substance or that substance, or I keep looking for something that's going to satisfy my soul. Let me read Ecclesiastes 2, chapter 2, verse 24 and 25 one more time. There is nothing for a person that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also I saw is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment. The ultimate truth that Ecclesiastes wants to get to us is we find meaning by fearing God and keeping his commandments. Ecclesiastes 12, 13, as Jeff read earlier, the end of the matter, all has been heard. The teacher says, fear God and keep his commandments. It sounds a whole lot like what you've heard over and over this year, trust God. and do what's right. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. Christian, maybe you need a reset from Ecclesiastes this morning. Why has God made you? To trust Him, to do what's right, to realize, yes, I have meaning, but I only have so much breath. In my season of life, I need to make the most of it. Young people, camp's coming up. Y'all excited? Yeah. You're young. Your life is in front of you, people will tell you. And it's true. Havel of Havel. But your life will be gone before you know it. Take advantage of opportunities. I tell my family all the time, Tell my family, you learn a skill. That's what I tell them. So I'll tell everybody in here, young people listen. Learn a skill. Because skills create what, Eli? Opportunities. If you learn a skill, then you'll have an opportunity. And when you have an opportunity, then you can make meaning out of it. That's life wisdom. Learn a skill, Tristan. Skills are gonna give you opportunities. Seize the opportunities and you have major meaning in life. Trust God. Do what's right. I'm gonna give you eight categories. We're gonna get practical here. Y'all with me this morning? Are we good? So the principle is, the teacher has given you a reset. Life has meaning in God. When you trust God and do what's right, you have meaning, but all of that meaning relates to how you're using pleasure, relationships, food and drink to honor and enjoy God, to obey God and keep his commandments. Now, let me give you eight categories which the teacher gives specifically that he sought to find meaning in apart from God, but then realized at the end of the matter, it was all about fearing God and keeping his commandments and all of those things, as we've just read. Here are the eight categories, wisdom and intelligence. There is a wisdom and intelligence that lacks God. You can go study scientists and astronomers and philosophers and political consultants, and they'll give you all sorts of wisdom and intelligence. Problem is, if there's no foundational board to build their structures on, it all falls apart and has no eternal me. Ecclesiastes 1, 16. I said in my heart, I've acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me. And my heart has had great experience of wisdom and of knowledge. And verse 18, he says, and as he's done that, in much wisdom is much vexation. I've learned all of these things that nothing can compare, but I've just learned that I'm confused by it all. That there are things that just don't make sense in life. And if you increase in mere knowledge, you're gonna just increase in sorrow. Because you know more, and the more you know, the more you realize there's no meaning behind any of this apart from God. What happens to the fool, he says in chapter 2, verse 15, will also happen to me. Why have I spent my time becoming wise? The wise dies just like the fool dies. What's the point? The point is this, wisdom means nothing, intelligence means nothing apart from using it for God. So like I said earlier, develop a skill. Everybody, get skills in life. Learn how to do things. Because when you learn how to do things and you know how to do things, you're gonna have opportunities to be a blessing to other people. The Christian man says, I'm to love God above all and then love my neighbor. As I'm learning skills, I can bless somebody. Friday night, I had a friend, we were over in the neighborhood, and I had a friend, he said, man, help me out. I need a computer that can do this for me. Can you help me? I said, man, I can help you. So we went, we found something. I said, look, I'm gonna help you get it all working all together. Talked with him yesterday, we're gonna get together. I know computers. So I'm helping, I have a skill, I'm gonna take that skill, I'm gonna say, look, this is a secular skill. I know computers. But I'm going to use it to be a gift to this person that I might be a blessing. Because God wants me to bless the people around me. Many of you do that. That's an example. Have seized opportunities when you're given the skills. I listen to preachers a lot. I listen to preachers on YouTube or the Sermon Audio app. It's a great app if you're not in it. Sermon Audio is a great app. Our sermons are located there, too. I listen to two different people I find, and I meet with pastors regularly who give wisdom to me. Because I want to be able to be wise for you, church. If I don't study, if Pastor Stephen doesn't study and prepare himself, how are the youth and our young people going to learn from him? Wisdom. has meaning in God. Secondly, pleasure. Pleasure. Pleasure in hedonism. Ecclesiastes 2.1, I said in my heart, come now, I will test you with pleasure. Enjoy yourself. But this, behold, was also fleeting. The pleasure was certainly there, but it passed away. Many of y'all have enjoyed a good meal, right? You enjoy a good meal, it gives you pleasure, otherwise you wouldn't be eating it. Right, Eli? Enjoy that meal. But what happens 30 minutes later? You can't still taste that spicy fried chicken. You can't taste that gumbo anymore. That stuffed bell pepper, it's just not hitting it anymore. It passes away. But for the Christian, what does the Christian do When he tastes that spicy fried chicken, he says, thank you, Lord. And before the meal, he says, thank you, Lord, for this food. You provided it for me. And you taste that chicken, you go, oh, that's so good. Thank you, Lord. You have put meaning behind the fleeting pleasure of the moment. I can tell you, I've had some great times visiting different places around the country. We went to Grand Canyon, went to New York, been to the beach, we've been in the mountains. I can tell you going all of those places alone wouldn't be nearly the experience if the people I love the most weren't right next to me. Y'all know what I'm talking about, right? It wouldn't be as good of a fishing day if your, if your husband weren't there with you. It wouldn't be as good of a shopping trip if your wife weren't there. The meaning comes from the fellowship that you have at those places. And y'all, that's just life. Life wouldn't mean as much if we weren't walking with God through life. The teacher says he had everything he desired. but they passed away. What can we do as a Christian? I told you last night, I went out to eat with some friends last night on a date night. We re-energized. It was a night of pouring into people, laughing, having people pour into us, just a great time of recharging. And I know for Allison who, you know, she digs into her work, is intense about the things she's doing. A night out on a date is just a recharge. The pleasure she gets from being away from her toil is a recharge for her. Christian, pleasure is a gift to you. Don't despise it. Use it to honor God, to recharge who you are, and to glorify God for the gift of pleasure in your life. Number three, work and accomplishment. Work and accomplishment. The teacher says in chapter two, verse four, I made great works. I built houses. I planted vineyards for myself. I made gardens, parks. And in verse 18 and 19, I hated all of my toil. Why? I made all of these beautiful things, but I hated it all. Well, how could you hate all those beautiful things that you made? What's his reasoning? Because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he'll be wise or a fool. Because of vanity, my life will pass away. Is the teacher saying don't work, it doesn't matter? Of course not. Every bit of work that you do does matter because you're doing it for God. If you read this book wrongly, you will get depressed and saddened. If you read it rightly, you will have a life reset to say, oh, now I do have meaning in the job that I do. So Christian, what can you do? with your work, do things with excellence. Volunteer for the things you can do that you know how to do to help people, as I stated earlier. Take whatever skills you have and do them well. If you don't know a skill, learn one so that you can be a blessing and do work that matters. It also opens opportunities. I met with someone just yesterday with my job, my computer world job. I know how to do something. It opened a door to meet somebody, was able to meet somebody and have fruitful conversation that needed to happen. Why? Because I do work. and I do care, and all of us do your work. It is meaningful. Number four, wealth and possessions. Wealth and possessions. God has given us all resources. He's given us all wealth and possessions that we have. Ecclesiastes 5, he who loves money will not be satisfied with money. How about that? So true. He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income. This is vanity. Chapter 6, verse 1, a man to whom God gives wealth, notice God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, yet God does not give him the power to enjoy them. This is vanity. It is a grievous evil. You can read Ecclesiastes and go, okay, God has given men and women, wealth and possessions. And so I'll ask you, Church, what did he say? To enjoy them. Now, look, it's very easy to let your things become the purpose in themselves. And that's not what he's saying here. You can You can have your things become your priority. That's absolutely not Christian thinking. Christian thinking is God has given me things. I'm going to enjoy them and use them as a blessing. How can you do that? Well, a lot of ways. There's somebody who buys me lunch just about every week. Why? because this person wants to be a blessing. Some folks give every week or every month to help VBS that we do every summer. Allison was telling me something really interesting last night. She was looking at budget stuff and numbers for church things and said, man, she said, we budget, I don't know, it's like a thousand dollars for VBS. Some small number, somebody can correct that. But it's a small number. And we spend about triple to make it happen. Stacy knows, she looks at those numbers all the time. How can that happen? Because of you who say, wealth has been given me, due me by God that I can bless. And so I'll give $20 a week to VBS for next year. That's a gift from God that you use and give meaning to your wealth. We have some people that do the same thing for camp. Right, Pastor Steven? There are people whose families it's difficult to pay. for one or multiple kids to go to camp. And we have you, church, who says, the wisdom that God has given me, I'm going to find joy in changing a child's, young person's life. Beautiful. Every time you put money in the offering plate, it is given to help others, to pay for meals on a Wednesday night, to help people around the world. wealth and possessions God has given to them. Let me quickly, let's keep going. Fame. How about fame and legacy? And really legacy is kind of the focus of this. Fame is a kind of a bad word, but it is something that is done that will be remembered. Havel, Havel, everything is Havel. Everything is passing. Some people really think it's important to be remembered. I want to do things to where a hundred years from now people will know my name. Some people think, maybe not knowing my name, but how about making a difference in people's lives so that my children or grandchildren go up and they know that I have meaning because I still have influence even after I die. Ecclesiastes says in chapter 1 verse 11, there's no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of latter things for those who come after. I'll tell you how I address this, and it is somewhat simple. The buzzword in churches and other things is next gen, next gen. I went to a church recently and their youth pastor, it wasn't called their youth pastor, it was called their next-gen pastor. Several churches have next-gen days where they focus on younger folks and having them lead and worship and do certain things. Here's something that I think is fantastic. Talking with many of you church members, we have people who are elevating this idea that, look, the next generation is coming. The next generation is going to be behind us and we want to pour into those who are coming behind us. We want to lead them up and teach them how to be a deacon. We want to teach them how to, if you notice, the young folks came down here and did the offering plates. We want them to be involved in what this church is because in 10 and 20 years, some of us aren't going to be here. We want this legacy to be passed down. So trying to make a name for yourself is not Christian thinking. Trying to propagate the name of Jesus is Christian thinking. And this is where Ecclesiastes comes in and it makes things right. There is no future for my name, but there is a future for the name above all names. So Christians, make a difference in passing the name of Jesus from one generation to the next generation. I'll say it like this. Every person in this church needs to be looking behind you to make sure the church will be healthy when you're no longer here to do your job. And if you're not looking back, and getting ready for the next generation, read Ecclesiastes and wake up. The next generation is coming. And it's not about you. And it's not about me. It's about the name of Jesus. Boy, that's good, isn't it? We need to be prepared, church. We need to be prepared. Jump down a little bit, Mr. Wayne. I want to close with this. Meaningful relationships. Meaningful relationships matter. Ecclesiastes chapter 4 says this, verse 9 through 11. Two are better than one. If they fall down, one will lift the other one up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. In chapter nine, he says this, enjoy life with the wife whom you love all the days of your havel life, your passing life that he is giving you under the sun. Notice verse nine, what's the first word he says again? This is not a dark book. This is a book that brings into reality how you can have joy in your life. how you can have meaning in your life by wrapping it around fearing God, trusting God, and doing what's right. Your relationships matter. You can enjoy your wife, your husband, your children. Enjoy the people that draw you near to God. Enjoy your church family. Let me do a plug for next week. Next Sunday, July 6th, we're going to invite you to come and be a part of enjoying your church family. Bring your family. Enjoy time together up here eating. Bring a side dish. Enjoy time. of being together with your church family. We're going to have a water slide and snow cones and hot dogs. Come and enjoy that, but do that because we're doing it in Jesus' name. We're doing it as a time to be together, to draw each other together because We're a family, and that's what families do. We enjoy each other. God has given us this to enjoy. And let me say this to you. I want to encourage each of you. You only have so much time with the family members that you're living with now. Say that again. You only have so much time with the family members you're living with now. Laugh with them. Have times together where you enjoy each other regularly. We get together every night as a family, with rare exception. Laugh. Have joy together. God has given you the people you are with to enjoy. Yeah, they've got issues. We all do. They also have found you. and they also are a gift to you. God has given them to you, enjoy them. Call people on the phone that you grew up with, stay in touch with them. Find joy in the relationships that God has given to you. So let me wrap all this up. Ecclesiastes is a bright book. It draws everything into perspective that you can have joy in God in everything under the sun. all things that are created, all things that have been given to you by God, He has given to you to enjoy and to glorify His name. Fear God, keep His commandments, trust God, and do what's right. Let me read to you one more time, Ecclesiastes 311. He has made everything beautiful. He has made everything, all the things we see and have, he's made everything beautiful and it's time. And he has put eternity into man's heart. He's given you all of these beautiful things for you to see and enjoy with a eternity in your heart, knowing there's something bigger. And that biggerness is God. There's nothing better for a person that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This is from the hand of God for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment. So three things, receive all that you have been given as a gift from God. Receive all that you've been given as a gift from God. Second, Use all that you are given as a gift for God. Receive them as a gift from God. Use them as a gift for God. This, brothers and sisters, is what gives meaning to life. Let's pray together. Father, thank you for giving meaning to life and then showing us through your powerful word. We love you, Lord. We know that Jesus saves sinners that repent, and you have given us ultimate meaning in Jesus Christ, your son. Lord, align our lives with this great truth. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.