God is Greater Than... Series Conclusion: After considering the traps of pleasure, wisdom, work, and wealth here are the conclusions of King Solomon's search for meaning: Fear God and obey his commandments. What does this mean and how might this lead to lasting significance? God is greater than all. Recorded on May 29, 2022, on Ecclesiastes 12, by Pastor David Parks.

This message is part of our "God is Greater Than..." sermon series. There are several common traps that human beings have fallen into for thousands of years. Traps of believing that certain pursuits are satisfying enough to take the place of God in your life. But in the end, these pursuits reveal themselves to be ultimately meaningless and lead to a hollow and deeply unsatisfying life. Our series will examine the traps of pursuing pleasure, wisdom, work, and wealth before coming to the conclusion that God is greater than all.

Sermon Transcript

All year, we’re focusing on, The Greatness of God. And today, we’re finishing a sermon series called “God Is Greater Than…” from the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible. And in this series, we’ve said that there are several common traps that human beings have fallen into for thousands of years. These are traps of faith, of believing that certain pursuits are big/important/satisfying enough to take the place of God in your life. But in the end, these pursuits lead to a life of hebel, the Hebrew word translated as meaningless; ultimately, these pursuits lead to a life that is hollow and deeply unsatisfying. Next week, we’ll start a new sermon series on the book of Jonah called Sovereign to Save. But today, we’ll consider the conclusion of King Solomon in his search for meaning. In some ways, it’s a very simple solution. But, in light of everything we’ve covered so far, I believe it is rooted in real wisdom, which, if we listen, will help us not only avoid these traps but will lead us to a life of lasting meaning and significance. If you have a Bible/app, please open to Ecclesiastes 12. We’ll break this chapter down into three sections. So part one, v. 1.

Ecclesiastes 12:1-8 (NIV), “1 Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them”— 2 before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain; 3 when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men stoop, when the grinders cease because they are few, and those looking through the windows grow dim; 4 when the doors to the street are closed and the sound of grinding fades; when people rise up at the sound of birds, but all their songs grow faint; 5 when people are afraid of heights and of dangers in the streets; when the almond tree blossoms and the grasshopper drags itself along and desire no longer is stirred. Then people go to their eternal home and mourners go about the streets. 6 Remember him—before the silver cord is severed, and the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, and the wheel broken at the well, 7 and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. 8 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Everything is meaningless!”” 

Let’s pause here. What is going on here? Well, commentator Duane Garrett interprets vv. 2-5 as a poem describing the steady decline of the human body in old age, and I think he’s right. The trembling keepers of the house are the trembling of hands, the strong men stooping is the bent posture of a weakened back, the grinders are teeth that have fallen out or cannot easily eat anymore, and those looking out the windows are the eyes that have trouble seeing. v.