ecclesiastes study booklakeshorechurch.org.au/.../10/ecclesiastes-study-book.pdf · 2019. 4....

Growth Group Study Booklet

Living for Jesus By making, maturing and mobilising disciples

For His Glory

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Growth Group Study Booklet

Diary Dates -‐ Introduction to Ecclesiastes -‐ Page 3 Recommended Reading -‐ Page 4 Space for Notes -‐ Page 5

Study 1 – Ecclesiastes 1:1-‐11 -‐ Page 6 Study 2 – Ecclesiastes 1:12 – 2:26 -‐ Page 8 Study 3 – Ecclesiastes 3:1-‐15 -‐ Page 10 Study 4 – Ecclesiastes 3:16 – 4:16 -‐ Page 12 Study 5 – Ecclesiastes 5:1-‐7 -‐ Page 14 Study 6 – Ecclesiastes 5:8 – 7:14 -‐ Page 16 Study 7 – Ecclesiastes 7:15-‐29 -‐ Page 18 Study 8 – Ecclesiastes 8:1 – 11:6 -‐ Page 20 Study 9 – Ecclesiastes 11:7 – 12:14 -‐ Page 22 Space for Notes -‐ Page 24

Diary Dates

Tuesday October 9 Term 4 Prayer Night Sunday October 21 AGM Forum Sunday October 28 Lakeshore 2018 AGM November 8-‐11 Senior’s Getaway Sunday November 25 Together for the Gospel (Brisbane) Sunday December 16 Christmas Carols Tuesday December 25 Christmas Day Service (9am)

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Introduction to Ecclesiastes Author The author of Ecclesiastes calls himself “the Preacher” (1:1). Some interpreters have concluded that this was Solomon, while others think he was a writer later than Solomon. Either way, the book claims that its wisdom comes from the “one Shepherd” (12:11), the Lord himself. The Gospel in Ecclesiastes Jesus taught us to read our Bibles with him in mind—“everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms” (Luke 24:44). Even “the Psalms” or “the Writings,” which include Ecclesiastes, bear witness to him (John 5:39) and can “make [us] wise for salvation” (2 Tim. 3:15). For the Christian, what Jesus taught in John 15:10–11 is an excellent summary of the wisdom of Ecclesiastes: “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” Our search for eternal life, rest, joy, and justice moves us beyond the creation’s subjection to futility (the frequent subject of Ecclesiastes) to Christ (Rom. 8:20). The movement to Christ is not by direct statement but by the words of this “son of David” (Eccles. 1:1), revealing the futility of everything that is not of God. Throughout Ecclesiastes we are led forward to other answers, other solutions, and other wisdom than the world’s vain promises of satisfaction, happiness, and fulfillment. Our eyes are constantly taken heavenward for God’s ultimate and eternal provision of which Christ becomes the ultimate revelation (2 Cor. 4:6; Eph. 1:17). He is the world’s supreme sage (e.g., Matt. 7:24–27; 28:20a) as well as the ultimate embodiment and demonstration of the “wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:24, 30; Col. 2:3).

From the Gospel Transformation Bible (Study Notes for Ecclesiastes by Doug O’Donnell).

Key Themes in Ecclesiastes

1. The tragic reality of the fall 2. The “vanity” of life 3. Sin and death 4. The joy and frustration of work 5. The grateful enjoyment of God’s good gifts 6. The fear of God

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Recommended Reading

Some recommendations for further reading related to the content and themes of Ecclesiastes:

The Message of Ecclesiates (The

Bible Speaks Today Commentaries) By Derek Kidner

A helpful and readable introductory commentary on Ecclesiastes

Gospel and Wisdom By Graeme Goldsworthy

How to understand wisdom literature through the eyes of the gospel.

God’s Big Picture By Vaughan Roberts

Fitting the whole Bible (including Ecclesiastes) into the big picture of

God’s plan for all of history.

Recovering Eden By Zach Eswine

“The gospel according to Ecclesiastes” Top Recommendation

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Notes

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STUDY 1

Ecclesiastes 1:1-‐11 Kick Off: Do you ever feel that life is repetitive or boring? What does this make you wonder about life?

Key Verse: Ecclesiastes 1:2-‐3 Big Idea: Striving for gain in this life under the sun is meaningless.

Investigate & Apply: Read Ecclesiastes 1:1-‐11. 1. Who is ‘the Preacher’ (or ‘the Teacher’), according to verses 1 and 12? 2. The Preacher repeatedly makes observations about life “under the sun”. What does he mean by this? 3. What does the Preacher ask about ‘gain’ under the sun in verse 3? (See also 3:9, 5:16) 4. What is the Preacher’s basic answer to this question? (See verse 2; see also 1:14, 2:11, 5:16-‐17, 12:8) 5. The word translated “meaningless” or “vanity” is the Hebrew word hebel, which literally means ‘vapour’ or ‘mist’. Why do you think the Preacher uses this word so often to describe humanity’s efforts to achieve gain under the sun? 6. What is it about the world that makes life this way? (v. 4-‐11)

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7. Do you think the Preacher’s outlook on life is healthy? Why or why not? Read Romans 8:18-‐21. (The word translated “subjected to futility” corresponds to the Hebrew word hebel, translated as ‘meaningless’ or ‘vanity’.) 7. Who does Paul say is responsible for the futility of life? (See also Eccl. 1:13). 8. What hope is held out to those who are subject to this futility and frustration? 9. Think of a current example of frustration in your life – a task, a relationship, etc. How might Ecclesiastes help you understand and respond to this situation?

Prayer: In your group prayer time: 1. Share prayer requests and pray for one another in your group. 2. Use a copy of the Lakeshore Church prayer points (either from Sunday’s bulletin or from the weekly email) to pray for people and events across the church.

Read Ahead: For next week’s sermon and growth group, read Ecclesiastes 1:12 – 2:26.

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STUDY 2

Ecclesiastes 1:12 – 2:26 Kick Off: What is one of the most frustrating things for you about ‘toil’ (i.e. all the things you have to do in life – study, paid work, jobs at home, making time for friends & family)?

Key Verse: Ecclesiastes 2:3 Big Idea: Pleasure and toil under the sun cannot provide meaning, yet in their proper place can still be a source of satisfaction.

Investigate & Apply: Read Ecclesiastes 2:1-‐11. 1. a) The Preacher wanted “to see what was good for people to do under the heavens” (v. 3). How did he find out? b) What does the Preacher say that he achieved from his toil? c) Yet what was his conclusion at the end of his experiment (v.11)? 2. Choose one of the pleasures listed – jokes (v.2), alcohol (v.3), “great projects” (v.4), houses (v.4), gardening or nature (v.4-‐6), money & possessions (v.7-‐8), music (v.8), sex (v.8), status (v.9), work (v9-‐10) – and talk about the role it has played in your life. How does Ecclesiastes both affirm you and warn you about this “pleasure”? 3. Read Ecclesiastes 2:14-‐23. Why did the Preacher find his toil so frustrating? List his various grievances.

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4. Read Ecclesiastes 2:24-‐26. The Preacher began by wanting to find out “what was good for people to do under the heavens”. What is his interim conclusion? What is the upside of toil “under the sun” in the Preacher’s view? Read 1 Corinthians 15:50-‐58. 5. According to the Preacher, the great frustrator of toil is death. How does our knowledge of the resurrection change our view of this reality? 6. What is “the work of Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58)? How does Jesus’ victory over death effect our attitude to this kind of toil? 7. How can you enjoy the good things about ‘toil’ in this life (Eccl. 2:24) without letting them become more important to you than they should be? 8. How can you bring more of the lasting “work of the Lord” (1 Cor 15:58) into your everyday toil?


Read Ahead: For next week’s sermon and growth group, read Ecclesiastes 3:1-‐15.

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STUDY 3

Ecclesiastes 3:1-‐15 Kick Off: Do you think that you usually use your time well? What things do you tend to waste time on?

Key Verse: Ecclesiastes 3:14 Big Idea: Our perspective on life and time is frustratingly limited. God however, is in control of all that happens in our world, which means we can trust him.

Investigate & Apply: Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-‐8. 1. What is the principle given in verse 1? What do you think the Preacher means? 2. Do any of the examples listed in verses 2-‐8 particularly stand out to you? Have you experienced any of these stark contrasts in your own life, and what have you learned through them? Read Ecclesiastes 3:9-‐15. 3. What do we learn about the place of work and pleasure in our lives from these verses? 4. What does it mean that God has “set eternity in the human heart” (verse 11)? 5. How might this encourage us in our efforts to tell people about Jesus?

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6. What do verses 14 and 15 reveal about God’s character? 7. What difference should this make to the way that we live? Read 1 Corinthians 7:29-‐31. 8. How does the gospel re-‐shape the way that we use our time in this world? 9. Are there any changes you need to make in your own life in light of today’s study?


Read Ahead: For next week’s sermon and growth group, read Ecclesiastes 3:16-‐4:16.

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STUDY 4

Ecclesiastes 3:16 – 4:16 Kick Off: Does it bother you when people do the wrong thing and get away with it? Discuss some examples.

Key Verse: Ecclesiastes 3:17. Big Idea: God has sovereign control over good and evil, and over wealth and poverty.

Investigate & Apply: Read Ecclesiastes 3:16-‐4:3. 1. What observations does the Preacher make about human wickedness in 3:16 & 4:1-‐3? 2. a) What perspective do you get when you consider wickedness from a human point of view (4:1-‐3)? b) What perspective do you get when you consider wickedness from an eternal viewpoint (3:17)?

3. a) Compare and contrast the worldview of 3:18-‐22 and 3:11-‐15 (from last week). What is the basic difference? What do they have in common? 4. What is one area in which you need to remember God’s sovereign control over all things in this coming week? Read Ecclesiastes 4:4-‐16. 5. a) What two extremes attitudes to work are described in 4:4-‐8, and what are the dangers of each?

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b) Would you say you naturally tend more towards working too much (workaholism) or working too little (laziness)? How does this effect the way you use your time? c) How does the wisdom of verse 6 help you as you think about work and wealth?

6. From 4:9-‐12, how do relationships help when it comes to the dangers of evil in the world and having a healthy attitude to work? 7. What is one way you would like to grow in healthy relationships with other people?



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STUDY 5

Ecclesiastes 5:1-‐7 Kick Off: Do you think sometimes we take worship too lightly? If so, in what ways?

Key Verse: Ecclesiastes 5:1. Big Idea: A reverent, humble & worshipful attitude will lead us to be slow to speak and quick to listen.

Investigate & Apply: Read Ecclesiastes 5:1-‐7. 1. According to these verses, what are some characteristics of a foolish worshipper? 2. According to these verses, what are some characteristics of a wise worshipper? 3. We now worship Jesus directly, with no need for a temple (John 4:21-‐24). Jesus abolished ceremonial vows, commanding plain speaking & honesty (Matthew 4:33-‐37). a) With this in mind, how do the warnings of Ecclesiastes 5:1-‐7 apply today? b) Do you think this makes them harder or easier to obey? Explain. 4. For an example of “the sacrifice of fools”, see Luke 18:9-‐14. How can you avoid falling into this trap?

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5. Jesus also speaks about careful, short prayers (Matthew 6:5-‐13). What encouragement do you take from these commands about how to pray? 6. One of the Preacher’s favourite teachings is the need to fear God (5:7). In what ways are you guilty of taking God too lightly?



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STUDY 6

Ecclesiastes 5:8 – 7:14 Kick Off: Everyone has heard the saying, “Money is the root of all evil” – but the actual Biblical quotation is “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evils” (1 Tim 6:10). Do you think the two statements are all that different? Why / why not?

Key Verse: Ecclesiastes 5:18-‐19 Big Idea: The riches of this world will not satisfy.

Investigate & Apply: Read Ecclesiastes 6:1-‐6. 1. What evil has the Preacher seen under the sun? Are there examples of this that you have seen? 2. Reading between the lines, what is the Preacher’s underlying assumption about the link between wealth and happiness? Read Ecclesiastes 5:8-‐17. 3. What is it that ruins the ability of wealth to make people happy? 4. How is this illustrated in each example? a) 5:11 b) 5:12 c) 5:13-‐17

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5. Read Ecclesiastes 5:18-‐20. What does the Preacher conclude about the right way to approach wealth? 6. Read 1 Timothy 6:6-‐10, 17-‐19. a) What similarities are there between what Paul says and what the Preacher says? b) In light of what we’ve read in Ecclesiastes, why do you think “love of money” can cause us to “wander from the faith” (v.10)? What might this look like in practice?

7. What might “godliness with contentment” (v.6) look like in your life? What steps can you take to avoid the pitfalls we’ve discussed and gain this contentment?



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STUDY 7

Ecclesiastes 7:15-‐29 Kick Off: What are some of the decisions you have made in the past that you most regret?

Key Verse: Ecclesiastes 7:29 Big Idea: Wisdom teaches humility to honestly admit our own sinfulness and limitations.

Investigate & Apply: Read Ecclesiastes 7:15-‐18. 1. How does verse 15 fit in with the overall message of Ecclesiastes? What does the Preacher want us to conclude from this unjust situation? 2. Verse 16 warns against self-‐righteousness and pride, and verse 17 warns against immorality and unrepentant sin. How does this gospel balance help you understand the warning of verse 18? Read Ecclesiastes 7:19-‐24. 3. How would you summarise the Preacher’s point in these verses? 4. What kind of attitudes should we have in response to these verses? Read Ecclesiastes 7:25-‐29. 5. Verses 25-‐26 warn against the dangers of sexual temptation as the worst example of “stupidity” and “madness”. (See Proverbs 7 for a similar warning). Why do you think the Preacher finds sexual sin to be so bitter?

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6. From verses 27-‐29: a) How successful was the Preacher’s quest to understand “the scheme of things”? What is his only firm conclusion? b) In light of verse 20, how should we understand the Preacher’s “finding” in verse 28? (See 1 Kings 11:1-‐4 for King Solomon’s sinful and foolish relationship to 1000 women) c) Why do you think the Preacher uses the same phrase to describe mankind’s sinful rebellion against God (v. 29) as he uses to describe his own quest for wisdom (v.25, 27)?

7. What steps can you take to cultivate an attitude of humility before God and before others?



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STUDY 8

Ecclesiastes 8:1 – 11:6 Kick Off: There’s an old Scottish proverb (best read with an appropriate accent): “Be happy while you’re living, because you’re a long time dead”. How does this saying make you feel?

Key Verse: Ecclesiastes 8:17. Big Idea: God alone understands all that happens in this world, and humans can only find satisfaction by entrusting themselves to him.

Investigate & Apply: Read Ecclesiastes 8:1-‐15. 1. How would you summarise the Preacher’s advice on dealing with those in authority (v.2-‐6)? 2. The Preacher is pessimistic about human justice (4:1-‐3, 5:8-‐9). What is God’s approach to justice: a) on the one hand (v.9-‐13)? b) but also on the other (v.14)? 3. What does the Preacher conclude in light of this, and why (v.15)? 4. Read Romans 3:21-‐26. How does the coming of Jesus bring resolution to all injustice? Read Ecclesiastes 8:16-‐9:10. 5. In 8:17 the Preacher finally “saw all that God has done”. a) What does he realise?

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b) What is his conclusion (9:1-‐3)? c) Why then is it still better to be living than dead (9:4-‐6)? 6. What is the Preacher’s advice about how to live in the face of all this (9:7-‐10)? 7. Read 1 Corinthians 15:19-‐28. a) How much would Paul agree with the Preacher’s conclusions (see verse 19)? b) What new information does Paul have that makes all the difference? 8. What is one thing you want to take away from this passage to remember and apply this week?


Read Ahead: For next week’s sermon and growth group, read Ecclesiastes 11:7-‐12:14.

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STUDY 9

Ecclesiastes 11:7 – 12:14 Kick Off: Do you think Ecclesiastes is a helpful book for a non-‐Christian to read? Why / why not?

Key Verse: Ecclesiastes 12:13-‐14. Big Idea: Only God knows the meaning of life, so the duty of mankind is to fear him

Investigate & Apply: Read Ecclesiastes 11:7 – 12:8. 1. These verses contain both encouragement and warning. a) What is the Preacher’s encouragement for how to live? b) What is the Preacher’s warning for how to think about life? 2. What does the Preacher mean when he tells us to “remember our Creator” (v. 1, 6)? 3. Thinking back on Ecclesiastes, summarise the Preacher’s reasons for concluding “everything is meaningless” (v. 8) Read Ecclesiastes 12:9-‐14. 4. Even though “everything is meaningless”, the Preacher still values wisdom (v. 9-‐12). a) What might it mean that all wisdom is “given by one shepherd”? b) Why is wisdom still worthwhile “under the sun”?

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c) The Preacher’s summary of a wise life is to “fear God and keep his commandments”. What are some examples of what it means to “fear God” in day-‐to-‐day life?

5. The Preacher has demonstrated the meaninglessness of life “under the sun”. Yet, he repeatedly warns, “God will bring every deed into judgment” (11:9, 12:14). a) What does this reveal about the Preacher’s awareness that there is more to life than what humans can observe “under the sun”? b) If every human will have to face judgment once our life “under the sun” is finished, does that give meaning to our life?

6. In Ecclesiastes, the Preacher demonstrates that meaning cannot be found in any of the things we pursue “under the sun”. How do the life, death and resurrection of Jesus complement and complete this picture? 7. What are some of the warnings and encouragements you most want to remember from our study of Ecclesiastes?

Prayer: In your group prayer time: 1. Share prayer requests and pray for one another in your group. 2. Use a copy of the Lakeshore Church prayer points (either from Sunday’s bulletin or from the weekly email) to pray for people and events across the church. Next Week: Who can you invite to the Christmas Carols?!

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Diary Dates

Tuesday October 9 Term 4 Prayer Night Sunday October 21 AGM Forum Sunday October 28 Lakeshore 2018 AGM November 8-‐11 Senior’s Getaway Sunday November 25 Together for the Gospel (Brisbane) Sunday December 16 Christmas Carols Tuesday December 25 Christmas Day Service (9am)

ecclesiastes study booklakeshorechurch.org.au/.../10/ecclesiastes-study-book.pdf · 2019. 4....

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