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Spiritual Planning:

Spiritual Planning:. What is the Purpose of Your Life?. What Is the Purpose of My Life?. New Year’s resolutions is a good time to pause and reflect soberly on our life pursuits

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Spiritual Planning:

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  1. Spiritual Planning: What is the Purpose of Your Life?

  2. What Is the Purpose of My Life? • New Year’s resolutions is a good time to pause and reflect soberly on our life pursuits • On Judgment Day and time is no more, we will have lost interest in land, fancy furnishings, automobiles, credit ratings, and the pleasures of this life. Only things we have done for Christ will last. • “whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God” (I Co. 10:31). A life that fails to give glory to God is a failure, no matter what else may be accomplished in this life. • A successful life is not measured in God’s sight by earthly wealth, political power or social prestige. God says, “godliness with contentment is great gain; for we brought nothing into this world, for neither can we carry anything out…” (I Tm. 6:6-8) • When we die and leave this world, we can take none of our material possessions with us. The only thing that matters is what service we have performed for God.

  3. What Is the Purpose of My Life? • The Book of Ecclesiastes presents the inward struggle of an honest man seeking to find the true meaning of life. • Solomon was promised wisdom and wealth, but he allowed these blessings to lead him astray. • The purpose of the Ecclesiastes is to convince men of the uselessness of any world view which does not rise above the horizon of man himself. • The book seeks to teach us the right relationship to this earthly life. • Our purpose will be to see what the wise man found out about the true meaning of life upon this earth. • Solomon answers three important questions: • What should we do with our lives? • What will bring us the greatest good or happiness in this life? • What will be the end or conclusion of my earthly life?

  4. Solomon’s Effort to Answer These Questions • The answer is not in earthly knowledge and wisdom which brings grief and sorrow. • “And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this grievous task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be exercised. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind. What is crooked cannot be made straight, And what is lacking cannot be numbered. I communed with my heart, saying, “Look, I have attained greatness, and have gained more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart has understood great wisdom and knowledge.” And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived this is grasping for the wind. For in much wisdom is much grief, And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.” (Eccl. 1:12-18). • As we increase knowledge; we increase responsibility, expectations and opportunities.

  5. Solomon’s Effort to Answer These Questions • The answer is not found in laughter, intoxication, building, gardening, art, or theatre. • “I said in my heart, Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure; but surely this also was vanity. I said of laughter, “It is madness”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?” …Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, For my heart rejoiced in all my labor; And this was my reward from all my labor. Then I looked on all the works that my hands have done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.” (Eccl. 2:1-11) • The search for pleasure and happiness is a series of failed experiments. Name your failed experiments (I.e. dating, sports, humor, etc.).

  6. Solomon’s Effort to Answer These Questions • The answer is not in earthly wealth and riches. • “He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance with increase. This also is vanity. …The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, Whether he eats little or much; But the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep…As he came from his mother’s womb, naked shall he return, To go as he came; And he shall take nothing from his labor Which he may carry away in his hand…” (Eccl. 5:10-20) • This is no satisfaction with jewelry, precious metals, money, or possessions. People will always want more. • “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (I Tm. 6:10) • “…Take heed of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of things he possesses.” (Luke 12:15)

  7. Solomon’s Effort to Answer These Questions • The answer is not in human labor. • “Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind. Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I have toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. … For all his days are sorrowful, and his work grievous; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.” (Eccl. 2:18-24) • People will despair over leaving your earthly things to others.

  8. Solomon’s Answers to These Questions • The answer is not in power, high estate, and popularity. • “Better is a poor and wise youth Than an old foolish king who will be admonished no more. For he comes out of prison to be king. Although he was born poor in his kingdom. I saw all the living who walk under the sun; They were the second youth who stands in his place. There was no end of all the people over whom he was made king; Yet those who come afterward will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and grasping for the wind.” (Eccl. 4:13-16) • It is better to be wise and poor than rich and foolish. There is no rejoicing in more responsibility and ruling over more people. • Bottom Line: All is vanity!!! Life has no meaning apart from God.

  9. Solomon Answers The Questions • What should we do with our lives? What will bring us the greatest good or happiness in this life? What will be the end or conclusion of my earthly life?” • Death is inevitable to all; make the best use of this life. Life is brief!!! • “For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten…Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all the days of your vanity…Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all you might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.” (Eccl. 9:5-10) • 99.9999+ % of our life will be spent in eternity, not on earth. • This life is not the end of our existence. • “Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, Or the golden bowl is broken, Or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, Or the wheel broken at the well. Then the dust will return to earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it.” (Eccl. 12:6-7) • “And as it is appointed unto man to die once, but after this the judgment.” (Heb. 9:27)

  10. What Is the Purpose of Our Life? • “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing whether it is good or whether it is evil.” (Eccl. 12:13-14) • Fear God means reverence, respect and piety toward God as the controlling force in our lives. • Fearing God is not a mere fear of His power and righteous retribution, but a wholesome dread of displeasing Him. • Fear is reverence at the thought of God’s infinite majesty, holiness and justice; gratitude for His loving-kindness and tender mercy; confidence in His wisdom, power, and faithfulness; submission to His will and delight in our communion with Him • Keeping His commandments is the outward manifestation of an inward fear and respect for God. This is a means of testing our faith in God. • Two elements constitute holiness: 1) a God-fearing spirit; 2) a blameless life. • A fear of God which does not lead us to obey His commandments is not beneficial (Mt. 7:21-23) • Where God is honored and His will is cheerfully performed, there the whole duty of man is fulfilled, and we find the purpose of life.

  11. Why Should I Fear God and Keep His Commandments? • Ecclesiastes is a Book largely concerned with that which will bring happiness and success in this life. Solomon’s discovery was made after a long and painful search is that the source of true happiness is to “fear God and keep his commandments.” • All else in life is but vanity and vexation of spirit. • We should learn to be content and enjoy life by serving God to the best of our ability. • Judgment Day is Coming!!! • The Judge is absolutely just and wise. His sentence will be final. • If we regard our happiness in this life, then we should be moved to secure it by love and service to God. We need to control our thoughts, actions, and deeds knowing that we will give an account to God. • The Bottom Line: Fulfill Your Duty and Purpose in Life Now!!! Fear God and Keep His Commandments.

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