Ecclesiastes 12:1-8

IS YOUR LIFE IN VAIN?

Intro: This passage was written to the young. It was written to remind young people that the wheel of life is ever turning and the years will pile up. Before they know it, those who are young today, will one day be old.

 

In Eccl. 11:7-12:1, Solomon is challenging young people to serve the Lord while they are still young. He tells them in verse 1 that “evil days” are coming. The word “evil” refers to days that are “difficult, distressing, painful and hard.” As we all know, as our bodies and our minds age, it becomes more and more difficult to serve the Lord, and it becomes harder and harder to simply live life.

 

George Bernard Shaw once said, “Youth is wasted on the young.” There is some truth in that. It often seems that younger people are so wrapped up in building their lives and enjoying themselves that they take no thought for the things that truly matter. They seem more committed to themselves than they are to the will of God for their lives. They sometimes seem to lack a deep sense of commitment to the things of God; this is seen in their putting their agendas ahead of God’s. They often lack motivation; many younger people seem willing to sit back while older folks do all the work.

 

Young people want to be respected. They want to feel like they matter. The way to guarantee that is for them to step up to the plate and show the older folk around them that they are serious about their commitment to the Lord, to the church and to the things of God.

 

It means bringing a dish to that church fellowship. It means helping to clean up after that fellowship. It means learning to serve rather than always waiting to be served. It means volunteering to help in some program or class at church. It means being faithful to church and to the Lord. Ladies and gentlemen, respect is something that must be earned.

 

I am not here to slam the young. I thank God for you. You are our future leaders, and you matter, at least you do to this preacher. I am simply challenging you to stand up and be counted and take advantage of the physical and mental advantage you have over the rest of us.

 

As one ages, the reality of life’s shortness becomes very real. By the time you realize that you need to do something to make your life matter, it may be no longer physically or mentally possible to accomplish those things. That is why Solomon says what he does in verse 1.

 

Apparently, Solomon wrote this book when he was a bitter, old man.  He was discouraged, depressed, disillusioned and walking at a distance from God. He had allowed himself to lose the joy of his youth. He had allowed his walk with the Lord to slip. He had allowed the years to overtake him.

 

Solomon had come to believe that his life was in vain. He uses the word “vanity” 33 times in this book. He uses the word “vanities” 4 times. Those words both come from the same Hebrew word, which means “breath, or vapor.” It literally refers to “the breath that escapes our bodies”. It speaks of that which is “nothing.” When he uses the phrase, “Vanity of vanities,” he is saying that all the days of our lives “are altogether made of nothing.” I hope you don’t feel that way about your life. I hope that you don’t feel that your life is vain, that all of life is “altogether made of nothing.”

 

Someone once said, “You are only as old as you feel.” Someone else said, “Age? It’s like weight; it’s just a number.”  Another person penned the following poem about youth and aging.

 

YOUTH POEM

Author Unknown

 

Youth is not a time of life - it is a state of mind,

It is a temper of the will,

A quality of the imagination,

A vigor of the emotions,

A predominance of courage over timidity,

Of the appetite for adventure over love of ease.

 

Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years.

People grow old only by deserting their ideals.

Years wrinkle the skin,

But to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.

Worry, doubt, self-distrust,

Fear and despair - these are the long,

Long years that bow the head and

Turn the growing spirit back to dust.

 

Whether they are sixteen or seventy,

There is in every being’s heart

The love of wonder,

The sweet amazement at the stars

And starlike things and thoughts,

The undaunted challenge of events,

The unfailing childlike appetite

For what is to come next,

And the joy and the game of life.

 

You are as young as your faith,

As old as your doubt;

As young as your self-confidence,

As old as your fear,

As young as your hope,

As old as your despair.

When the wires are all down

And all the innermost core of your heart

Is covered with the snows of pessimism

And the ice of cynicism,

Then you are grown old indeed.

 

But so long as your heart receives messages

Of beauty, cheer, courage, grandeur

And power from the earth,

From man and from the Infinite,

So long you are young.

 

I don’t know how you feel about your life today, but I want you to know that your life is not in vain. I know that those who have lived many years in this world do not need someone who hasn’t lived as long to tell them about the issues they face. Be that as it may, this passage has something to say about the days we will all face, if we are blessed to live long enough.

 

I want to take these verses and speak for a few moments around the question: Is Your Life In Vain? I want to answer that question at the beginning of the sermons. The answer is no, your life is not in vain! Let me show you a few lessons we can learn from these verses.

 

  I.  v. 1b-7a A LESSON ABOUT THE PROBLEMS OF GROWING OLDER

·      These verses paint a vivid picture of aging. Notice Solomon’s description.

o   v. 3  The keepers of the house shall tremble - Arms and hands tremble

o   v. 3  The strong men shall bow themselves - Legs, knees, and back weaken and the body bends.

o   v. 3  The grinders cease because they are few - Teeth fall out

o   v. 3  Those that look out of the windows shall be darkened - Vision turns bad

o   v. 4  The doors shall be shut in the streets – Speaks of some who are closed off, shut in, and abandoned by others.

o   v. 4  When the sound of the grinding is low – Because of diminished hearing, sounds that were once clear become indistinct and hard to make out. Some things have to be repeated over and over.

o   v. 4  He shall rise up at the noise of the bird - Awake early because of a lack of sleep.

o   v. 4  All the daughters of music shall be brought low – Another reference to diminished hearing.

o   v. 5  When they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way - Afraid of falling, and of other things that would not have bothered us in our youth.

o   v. 5  The almond tree shall flourish - Hair turns white like an almond blossom. (Ill. Sometimes it just turns loose instead.)

o   v. 5  The grasshopper shall be a burden - Drag self about like grasshopper at the end of summer.

o   v. 5  Desire shall fail - Loss of appetite for all things, even life itself.

o   v. 5-6  Man goes to his long home – All these changes are a reminder that death is coming. A wise man sees trouble coming and prepares for it! (Ill. The ant versus the grasshopper, Pro. 6:6-11.  How well are you prepared for Eternity?

 

(Ill. The Japanese could make no preparations for what they endured last week. The earthquake and the tsunami were beyond their control. Death should not take us by surprise. We know it is coming and we should prepare.)

 

 Ill. Verse 6 describes, in vivid language, the end of life - The fragile cord breaks and the golden pitcher breaks. The clay jar is dropped at the well and is broken. The windlass breaks and the bucket is lost in the well. The end of life comes as well! Death is coming - Heb. 9:27! Every day we live is a day of preparation for what we know is inevitable.

 

·      How many can identify with the things Solomon says here? Ill. Some of us are like the elderly man who said, “I don’t go out much anymore. My parents won’t let me.” “What do you mean your parents won’t let you?” asked his friend. “That’s right,” replied the old man, “My parents Mother Nature and Father Time won’t let me go out much any more.”

·      We all can to some degree, but even though these problems are real, it does not mean that our lives are in vain.

 

  I.  There Is A Lesson About The Problems Of Going Older

 

 II.  v. 7b  THERE IS A LESSON ABOUT THE PEACE OF GROWING OLDER

·      Solomon reminds is that while death is coming, life goes on beyond the grave. When death comes, our bodies will sleep in the grave until he resurrection, 2 Cor. 5:8. The soul, however, lives on in the presence of the Lord forever, Ill. 2 Cor. 5:1-8; 1 Thes. 4:13-18.

·      One of the great truths of the Bible is one that gives us all hope in Jesus. While age may relentlessly stalk us through this life, the end of this earthly life brings with it the peace and the promise of a better, eternal life in the presence of the Lord.

·      When we arrive there and we are given our new, glorified bodies, none of the problems that plague us here will follow us there. Ill. 1 Cor. 15:35-57.

·      That should give us peace as the years roll by! The days of your life are not in vain; they are merely leading you home!

·      This is only true if you have faith in Jesus. If you do not know Him, the future is indeed filled with darkness, dread and fear.

·      Ill. The older Japanese lady who was rescued from the rubble left behind by the earthquake and tsunami. When she saw the death and devastation all wound her, she said, “I don’t know if I am glad I was rescued or not.” That is a person who feels like life is in vain. That is a person who does not know the Lord! We do not have to feel that way!

 

  I.  There Is A Lesson About The Problems Of Growing Older

 II.  There Is A Lesson About The Peace Of Growing Older

 

III.  v. 1, 8  THERE IS A LESSON ABOUT THE PRIVILEGES OF GROWING OLDER

Hearing all this information about aging and death can make you think that life is vain. That Solomon is right when he says that all of our days “are altogether made of nothing.” But, is that all there is to it? No! Consider a few truths that speak about the privileges of aging.

 

·      v. 1, 8 Notice who authored these verses. A young man did not write these words, a man who had walked a far peace down the road of life wrote them. Those years, and the experiences of those years, uniquely qualified Solomon to reach out to younger people with words of warning and admonition. While it isn’t true of all, many of those who have been privileged to live in this world for a while have grown wiser through their experiences. They have much to teach the generations that follow behind them.

 

Ill. “The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.” (Pro 16:31)

 

Many of you have walked through the hard, dark places of life. As a result, you have great wisdom to share with those who follow behind you. I know that younger generations will not always listen to you, but you have an obligation to try and share the lessons you have learned along the way.

 

Ill. Elihu: “And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, I am young, and ye are very old; wherefore I was afraid, and durst not shew you mine opinion. I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.” (Job 32:6-7)

 

Elihu was willing to sit quietly and learn from his elders. That is a lesson that young people today should take to heart. Of course, not every older person is filled with wisdom. This is what Elihu discovered when he listened to the older men around him speak. Ill. “Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment,” Job 32:9.

 

There are times when those who are younger are wiser in their own way that those who are older. Ill. “Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished,” Eccl. 4:13. That is a lesson older people should take to heart. Just because someone is younger than you does not mean you are wiser than them.

 

The fact is, the young, the old, and every one in between can learn from others, if they possess a teachable spirit.

 

·      v. 8  Notice the attitude of the author. Solomon had allowed life to make him bitter. All the problems, pains and sorrows had calloused his heart, and he came to believe that life was “altogether made of nothing.” Ladies and gentlemen, it is possible to grow older while staying sweet. We have some wonderful examples of that truth in this room. I have seen many others in the church since I have been saved.

 

I challenge you, regardless of your age, to stay tenderhearted before the Lord. I challenge you to stay sweet in spite of the problems and pains of life. I challenge you to exhibit a Christ-like demeanor before all that others might see Jesus Christ living in you and through you.

 

Ill. Moses – “And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.” Deut. 34:7. He was still enthusiastic about life.

 

·      Notice the legacy the author left behind. When Solomon put his pen to paper, he left a legacy of blessing that still helps us today. Through the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and The Song of Solomon, and through the Psalms he wrote, Solomon continues to minister today.

 

·      Look at your legacy.

o   Have you lived out and passed down your faith?

o   Do some of those who are the product of your life serve the Lord?

o   Have you left a mark on your family, your church and your community?

o   If you answer to any of these questions is yes, then your life has not been in vain, and your life will not be reduced to a dash between two dates. Your life counts and it still matters today. There I much that needs to be done for the kingdom of God, and you should stay busy serving the Lord until He calls you home!

 

·      Look at your life.

o   Do you still have children growing up in your home?

o   Is there some productive way you can serve God in your church and community?

o   Do you feel that life is somehow passing you by, and you have a desire to do something for God before your life is over?

o   Do you want to leave a legacy of faith and faithful service when you depart from this life?

o   If your answer to these questions is yes, then your life is not in vain! God can and will use you for His glory. You simply need to get busy for Him!

 

Conc: Ill. Ponce de Leon, the Spanish explorer, came to the Americas in search of the fountain of youth. He did not find it. Like everyone who came before him, and everyone who came after him, he eventually died. Folk, there is no fountain of youth. The truth is, the longer we are in this world; the older we are going to become.

 

Of course, age is relative. One man said, “Old age is always 15 years older than I am.” I think we all feel that way. You might be in your 70’s or 80’s and not feel old. Or, you might be like me, still in my 40’s, and feel old from time to time.

 

Chuck Swindoll tells us know we can know for sure that getting older.

 

How to Know You're Getting Older

 

Everything hurts! and what doesn't hurt, doesn't work!

You feel like the night before, and you haven't been anywhere!

You sit in a rocking chair and you can't get it going!

Your knees buckle and your belt won't!

Dialing long distance wears you out!

Your fortune teller offers to read your face!

The little gray haired lady you help across the street is your wife!

You sink your teeth into a steak, and they stay there!

You wake up in the morning and your water bed has sprung a leak,

and you realize you don't have a water bed!

When you watch a pretty girl go by, your pace-maker makes the garage door go up!

When you know all the answers, and no one asks you the questions!

When you decide to procrastinate, but never get around to it!

 

You may be old, and you may not be, but we are all headed there today. My whole point is to tell you that your life matters. It matters as much as it did when you were a teenager, a newlywed, a young parent, or a worker on a job. Your life is not in vain! As long as you are in this world, you are here for a purpose, and that purpose is to bring glory to the God Who made you in Him image and Who redeemed you for His glory, 1 Cor. 10:31.

 

Here are a few reminders for each of us, regardless of where we stand on the timeline of life:

·      You matter even when no one sees your worth.

·      You matter even when those around you seem to have no time for you.

·      You matter even when the difficulties of life have piled up around you and you are not able to do the things you used to do.

·      You matter even when it seems like life is going on without you.

·      You matter even when your steps are short and your nights are long.

·      You matter even when no one appreciates your input or respects your efforts.

·      You matter because you are a child of God!

·      You matter because many of you have walked the hard paths of life, and you can help me as I walk my road.

·      You matter because you have much to contribute. See that you squeeze every drop out of your life for the glory of God.

·      You matter because you are alive and God has you here for a purpose. Find it, fulfill it and live your life with gusto, determination and diligence until the moment God calls you home!