The Search for Purpose
Weekly Reading
Monday: Numbers 30-31, Acts 21
Tuesday: Numbers 32, Acts 22
Wednesday: Numbers 33, Acts 23
Thursday: Numbers 34, Acts 24
Friday: Numbers 35-36, Acts 25
Saturday: Psalm 83-85, Proverbs 19
Sunday: Song of Songs 8, Isaiah 1-15
Tuesday: Numbers 32, Acts 22
Wednesday: Numbers 33, Acts 23
Thursday: Numbers 34, Acts 24
Friday: Numbers 35-36, Acts 25
Saturday: Psalm 83-85, Proverbs 19
Sunday: Song of Songs 8, Isaiah 1-15
Discussion Questions
- Since the fall of man in the Garden, humanity has tried to get back to Eden in ways contrary to the will of God. How can we as Christians point a lost world to the only way to fill the void inside them — a faith in Jesus Christ as Savior?
- Many of us are confused about what we need to make us happy. Focus on the question posed in the sermon: For me to be happy right now, I need _________.
- How do I maintain the right priorities with the work that I have been given?
Sermon Notes
Key Passage: Ecclesiastes 1:16-2:23
Genesis 2:7
Romans 7:23
Jeremiah 16:19b
Zechariah 10:2
Ecclesiastes 3:11b
Ecclesiastes 1:12, 15
1 Kings 11:3
Colossians 3:23-24
Psalm 16:11
“The author of Ecclesiastes is pushing us to the logical conclusion of our position, exposing any philosophy that would seek to live life without God as the ultimate foundation.” — Tim Keller
“There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.”—Blaise Pascal
“We are trying to line up the squares on the Rubik’s Cube of life with a couple of colors missing.”— Alistar Begg
“Within the house of hedonism, there are many rooms, and Solomon tries to sleep in them all.”—Douglas O’Donnell
“You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find rest in You.” — St. Augustine
“Work is where you make (and spend) money. It is all God’s, not yours. You are a trustee. Turn your earning into the overthrow of generosity in how you spend God’s money. Don’t work to earn to have. Work to earn to have to give and to invest in Christ-exalting ventures. Make your money speak of Christ as your supreme treasure.”—John Piper
“I said to myself, ‘Let’s go for it — experiment with pleasure, have a good time!’ But there was no meaning to it, nothing but smoke. What do I think of the fun-filled life? Insane! Insane! My verdict on the pursuit of happiness? Who needs it? With the help of a bottle of wine and all the wisdom I could muster, I tried my level best to penetrate the absurdity of life. I wanted to get a handle on anything useful we mortals might do during the years we spend on this earth. Oh, I did great things: built houses, planted vineyards, designed garden and parks and planted a variety of fruit trees in them, made pools of water to irrigate the groves of trees. I bought slaves, male and female, who had children, giving me even more slaves; then I acquired large herds and flocks, larger than any before me in Jerusalem. I piled up silver and gold, loot from kings and kingdoms. I gathered a chorus of singers to entertain me with song, and — most exquisite of all pleasures — voluptuous women for my bed.” Ecclesiastes 2:1-8 from The Message
“And I hated everything I’d accomplished and accumulated on this earth. I can’t take it with me — no, I have to leave it to whoever comes after me. Whether they’re worthy or worthless — and who’s to tell? — they’ll take over the earthly results of my intense thinking and hard work. Smoke. That’s when I called it quits, gave up on anything that could be hoped for on this earth. What’s the point of working your fingers to the bone if you hand over what you worked for to someone who never lifted a finger for it? Smoke, that’s what it is. A bad business from start to finish. So what do you get from a life of hard labor? Pain and grief from dawn to dusk. Never a decent night’s rest. Nothing but smoke.” Ecclesiastes 2:18-23 from The Message
Genesis 2:7
Romans 7:23
Jeremiah 16:19b
Zechariah 10:2
Ecclesiastes 3:11b
Ecclesiastes 1:12, 15
1 Kings 11:3
Colossians 3:23-24
Psalm 16:11
“The author of Ecclesiastes is pushing us to the logical conclusion of our position, exposing any philosophy that would seek to live life without God as the ultimate foundation.” — Tim Keller
“There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.”—Blaise Pascal
“We are trying to line up the squares on the Rubik’s Cube of life with a couple of colors missing.”— Alistar Begg
“Within the house of hedonism, there are many rooms, and Solomon tries to sleep in them all.”—Douglas O’Donnell
“You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find rest in You.” — St. Augustine
“Work is where you make (and spend) money. It is all God’s, not yours. You are a trustee. Turn your earning into the overthrow of generosity in how you spend God’s money. Don’t work to earn to have. Work to earn to have to give and to invest in Christ-exalting ventures. Make your money speak of Christ as your supreme treasure.”—John Piper
“I said to myself, ‘Let’s go for it — experiment with pleasure, have a good time!’ But there was no meaning to it, nothing but smoke. What do I think of the fun-filled life? Insane! Insane! My verdict on the pursuit of happiness? Who needs it? With the help of a bottle of wine and all the wisdom I could muster, I tried my level best to penetrate the absurdity of life. I wanted to get a handle on anything useful we mortals might do during the years we spend on this earth. Oh, I did great things: built houses, planted vineyards, designed garden and parks and planted a variety of fruit trees in them, made pools of water to irrigate the groves of trees. I bought slaves, male and female, who had children, giving me even more slaves; then I acquired large herds and flocks, larger than any before me in Jerusalem. I piled up silver and gold, loot from kings and kingdoms. I gathered a chorus of singers to entertain me with song, and — most exquisite of all pleasures — voluptuous women for my bed.” Ecclesiastes 2:1-8 from The Message
“And I hated everything I’d accomplished and accumulated on this earth. I can’t take it with me — no, I have to leave it to whoever comes after me. Whether they’re worthy or worthless — and who’s to tell? — they’ll take over the earthly results of my intense thinking and hard work. Smoke. That’s when I called it quits, gave up on anything that could be hoped for on this earth. What’s the point of working your fingers to the bone if you hand over what you worked for to someone who never lifted a finger for it? Smoke, that’s what it is. A bad business from start to finish. So what do you get from a life of hard labor? Pain and grief from dawn to dusk. Never a decent night’s rest. Nothing but smoke.” Ecclesiastes 2:18-23 from The Message
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