Flagstaff Christian Fellowship

Ecclesiastes 9:11-18 | True Power for Perilous Times

1. Wisdom’s Vanity

2. Wisdom’s Virtue

3. Wisdom’s Vindication

1. Sober Up: This life is far more broken than you thought (v. 1-6)

Four Key Observations: The future is uncontrollable; Death is inescapable; Evil is unavoidable; Yet life is better than death

2. Press In: This life is far more precious than you enjoy (v. 7-10)

Enjoy creaturely comforts (v. 7-8); Enjoy creaturely companions (v. 9); Engage in creaturely vocation (v. 10)

The Beloved Son Reigns Supreme:

1. In Creation (v. 15-17)

John 1:18

Psalm 89:26

2. In Reconciliation (v. 18-20)

Colossians 1:13-14

Colossians 1:21-22

Colossians 2:13-15

1. The Holy Spirit Enables Jesus’ Ministry

2. The Pharisees Attribute the Work of the Spirit to Satan

3. Salvation is an Act of the Holy Spirit

4. Rejection of the Gospel is the Unpardonable Sin

Main Idea: Grace reshapes how you see yourself and how you serve Christ's church.

1. Grace Reshapes How You See Yourself (v. 3)

2. Grace Reshapes How You Serve Christ's Church (4-8)

1. We can have joy in our giving because of God’s amazing grace (v. 1)

2. We can have joy in our giving even in trials, whether we have little or much, for we have much (v. 2-4)

3. We can have joy in our giving because we can be encouraged to excel in faith, speech, knowledge, love, earnestness, but also in this act of grace, for generosity is a spiritual discipline (v. 5-7)

4. We can have joy because Christ’s indescribable gift is the example: He became poor so we might become rich (v. 8-9)

5. We can have joy in our giving because eternity is at stake

1. The Response of Folly (v. 9-10)

2. The Response of Wisdom (v. 11-14)

Outline:

1. The Sin Of Self-Sufficiency (vv. 1-9)

2. The Sentence For Sin (vv. 10-17)

3. The Salvation Of Sinners (vv. 18-25)

Application:

1. God is always sovereign, so trust in His providence

2. God is the righteous Judge, so repent and believe

3. God has provided us the better David, Jesus Christ, so trust in His finished work

Five Aspects of the Blood of Christ:

1. Substitutionary sacrifice through the blood of Christ (Luke 22:20)

2. Remission of sin through the blood of Christ (Hebrews 9:22)

3. Redemption through the blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19)

4. Propitiation/Expiation through the blood of Christ (Romans 3:25)

5. Justification through the blood of Christ (Romans 5:8-9)

Lament Is:

1. The space between brokenness and God's mercy

2. The transition between pain and promise

3. The path from heartbreak to hope

4. The transformation from evil to good

In lament, we move from pain to trust by:

1. Turning to God (v. 1-3)

2. Complaining to God (v. 4-9)

3. Asking God (v. 10-15)

4. Trusting in God (v. 16-20)