is this all there is to life

“Life is like a tin of sardines – we’re all looking for the key”

Alan Bennett

New series

‘How can I make sense of life?’

Which of these statements would you agree with?

• Generations come and go, but the world stays just the same

• A man is no better than an animal, because life has no meaning for either

• It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to always want something else

• Put your investments in many places, because you never know what kind of bad luck you’re going to have in this world!

• I found one man in a thousand that I could respect, but not one woman!

Which of these statements would you agree with?

… everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the

Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope

Romans 15:4

Philosophical ideas of our day

• Fatalism

• Existentialism

• Hedonism

• Cynicism

• Pessimism

Who wrote Ecclesiastes?

‘the Teacher, the son of David, king of Jerusalem’

Solomon

‘qoheleth’ = speaker in an assembly or one who gathers and assembles

Key words & phrases

‘Meaningless’ (39x)

Heb word ‘heh'vel’ = breath/vapour

‘Under the sun’ (29x)

describes the earthbound perspective

Key words & phrases

‘Chasing after the wind’ (6x)

‘God’ (40x)

Key to understanding Ecclesiastes

Viewpoint 1

‘Secular’ person

Viewpoint 2

‘Spiritual’ person

Earthbound (under the sun)

God not in view

Meaningless

Heaven bound

God included

Meaningful

Theme of the Book

‘Without God, everything is meaningless’

Today – ‘Is this all there is to Life?’

‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher.

‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless’

Ecc 1:2

Today – ‘Is this all there is to Life?’

What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while

and then vanishes

James 4:14

‘Is this all there is to Life?’

1. Life is often a grind

What do people gain from all their labours at

which they toil under the sun?

Ecc 1:1-3


2. Life is fleeting

Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains for ever

Ecc 1:4


3. Life is often repetitive

The sun rises and the sun sets … The wind blows to the south and turns to the north … All streams flow into the sea …

Ecc 1:5-7


4. Life is unsatisfying

All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing

Ecc 1:8


5. Life is unchanging

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun ... ‘Look! This is something new’? It was here already, long ago …

Ecc 1:9-10


6. Life is insignificant

No one remembers the former generations, and even those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them

Ecc 1:11


“Unless you assume a God, the question of life’s purpose is meaningless”

Bertrand Russell – Atheist

If you feel that Life is:-

A daily grind

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord,

not for human masters

Col 3:23


Fleeting

Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us

to spend them as we should

Psalm 90:12 LB


Repetitive & tiresome

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:29-31


Unsatisfying

Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth

1 Tim 6:6 NLT


Unchanging

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not

change like shifting shadows

James 1:17


Insignificant

For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to

give you hope and a future’

Jer 29:11