CCW Podcast

Is life a dead-end street? Sometimes it seems to be, especially when we don't reach our goals or when we reach our goals but don't feel fulfilled in our achievement. More than one person in the Bible became so discouraged with life that he either wanted to die or wished he had never been born. This list of discouraged souls includes Moses, Elijah, Job, Jeremiah and Jonah. Even the great apostle Paul despaired of life during a particularly tough time in his life (2Cor. 1:8-11). Perhaps the basic problem is that life confronts us with too many mysteries we can't understand and too many puzzles we can't solve. For life to be truly satisfying, it has to make sense. When it doesn't make sense, we get troubled or frustrated. If people can't see that they have a purpose in life, especially when they go through deep suffering, they start to question God and even wonder if life is worth living.

In Ecclesiastes 6, Solomon discusses three of life mysteries: riches without enjoyment ( 1-6), work without satisfaction (7-9), and questions without answers (10-12). You don't want to miss this important look at life's issues.

"As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor, this is a gift from God, " Ecclesiastes 5:19. Have you considered that before? Have you stopped to thank God for the joy you share with friends and family when the money you have earned makes possible a meal eaten out, an enjoyable evening or a summer vacation? If we would just faithfully open our hands and thank God for the ability to work and thank God for the grace to enjoy both our work and the fruit of our labor, we would be more blessed. Putting Him first, in our work and in the enjoyment of its rewards, is the key, Matthew 6:33. Remember: Don't blame God, don't bribe God, don't be surprised at the government's failures, and don't believe the lie about riches - that money is the answer. When troubles comes, keep your eyes on Him and thank Him for it all; and you will be glad you did.

Sometimes in life we are guilty of not seeing the forest for the trees,of missing something that is as clear as the nose on our face. Solomon does not do that in his book called Ecclesiastes. He tells us exactly how things are in the plainest of language. So far we've learned there is no real meaning in life apart from God. We've also learned that there is a time and season for everything, that God's plans are good, His purpose is clear, but His ways are sometimes mysterious. In this message Sunday we are going to look at five aspects of life with which Solomon struggled. We struggle with the same problems of life! Solomon was making observations about life and writing them down, calling them just as he sees them, then he explains what he saw, and tells us how we can be overcomers. Don't miss this exciting truth that will show us how we can live victoriously over our problems.

Rabbi Harold Kushner wrote a book titled, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, in which he told the tragic story of his young son's death from a debilitating disease. As a religious person, he wrestled with why God allowed such a thing to happen. He concluded one of two things must be true: Either God is all-loving, but not all-powerful (He wants to prevent disease but can't) or God is all-powerful, but not all-loving ( He is able to prevent disease but won't).

The conclusion the rabbi came to was the first of the two options: God is loving but not omnipotent. God cares about us, but has decided to let the world run on its own without intervention from Him. God is not sovereign or all powerful; He keeps his distance from the everyday affairs of this world. Solomon would not agree with Rabbi Kushner's conclusions. He believed that God was sovereign over all of time and history and that nothing happens outside of his purpose including suffering. This week at the Church at Chelsea-Westover, we will look at what Solomon says about life. Solomon offers impressions about life, insights about God, and instructions about living which touch the issues of pain and suffering in this life. We will see how we can live a victorious life in the midst of the pain and suffering we sometimes experience. We must remember the words of Paul. We know all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose (Rom.8:28)

Many people today are searching for the meaning in life, but in all the wrong places. Trying to find eternal meaning in a temporal world is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hold. God made us for eternity, and only His eternal presence in our lives can satisfy our thirst for meaning. For decades, Solomon tried to find meaning in life through riches, extravagant and wild living, his work as King, and through the study of philosophies and beliefs of others. Ecclesiastes is the history of that ill-fated search, written at the end of his life when he came to the conclusion of his youth: God is at the center of life and to ignore God makes life vain and meaningless. Life is a matter of deceptive illusions when it is lived apart from God. The things that disappointed Solomon are the same illusions the world uses today. We must learn from Solomon's mistakes so we don't fall into the same traps.

All of us want meaning and purpose in life, and we can have it! Dr. Hugh Moorhead wrote to 250 leading intellectuals and scientists asking them,"What is the meaning of life?" Most had little to offer in terms of a philosophy. In fact, some wrote Moorhead and said, "If you find out what the purpose of life is, please let me know." The search for meaning and purpose in life is the most
profound journey one can embark on.

The book of Ecclesiastes, written by Solomon, chronicles his own search to find the purpose of life. Solomon was a man on a mission and the Bible records his philosophical search for meaning and describes the conclusions he reached. We will learn from Solomon's conclusions, the richest and wisest man who ever lived . You don't want to miss this exciting truth if you really want to find your purpose in life this new year.

I'll be preaching, " What Child is This?" as we focus on the best gift ever given, the Savior, Christ the Lord. As men seek to answer that question, some say Jesus is a "good teacher", but good teachers don't claim to be God. Some say He's a "good example" but good examples don't hang around prostitutes, drunks, and dirty politicians. Some say He's a "religious madman" , but madmen don't speak the kind of words He spoke, nor do they draw women and children to themselves. Others say that Jesus was a "religious fake" , but fakes don't rise from the dead. Some say He was a "phantom" , but phantoms don't have flesh to crucify and blood to spill. Still some have said that He was "only a myth" but myths don't set the calendar for history. What child is this?

Have you every wondered why God chose the Shepherds to be the first people to receive the glorious news concerning Jesus' birth? The shepherds were despised by the Orthodox Jews of the day. They were looked down upon as very common people. Most likely these shepherds were in charge of the sheep from which the temple offerings where chosen. How precious to think that these men were the first to hear of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

In this message we will look at why God selected the shepherds to be the first to receive this glorious announcement. Only when Christ becomes a personal Savior and Lord can we turn to the world outside and make known abroad the things concerning the holy child. So the search of the shepherds is a quest for the best.

As we begin the season of Christmas, we are challenged by the incredible circumstances surrounding the birth of the God-man Jesus. Imagine God choosing a virgin's womb and a smelly stable with as the birthplace of the Savior of the world! The world tries to disguise the true meaning of Christmas in decorations, shopping, and parties, but God calls us yearly to look into the wonder and significance of the birth of our Savior and then to respond in a manner worthy of such love. In this message we will look at the circumstances of Christmas, the crime of Christmas and the claims of Christmas.