What Do People Gain From All Their Toil? (Eccl 1:1-11)

Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

Key Verse: Eccl 1:3

"What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun?

What does the Teacher/Preacher (Eccl 1:1) say about God? Nothing! Why? He is reflecting on the world on the horizontal level. He is looking at human life apart from God. He describes life "under the sun" (Eccl 1:3, 9). He describes life from a secular perspective.

Questions:

What is The Meaning of 666?

This is an expanded edited excerpt from my sermon (10/20/2013) entitled The Beast, 666, and The Lamb:

What is the mark of the Beast? What is the meaning of 666 (Rev 13:16-18)?

666 is one of the most fascinating enigmas in the book of Revelation. Countless and exhausting explanations have been given over the last 2,000 years. It is scary and mysterious. So what is it? How did the Christians in the first century understand 666 when they first heard Revelation read to them?

Show Yourself A Man

1 Corinthians 16:13 says, "Act like a man" (HCSB), "act like men" (ESV, NASB), "be men of courage" (NIV '84), "be courageous" (NIV 2011, NRSV), "be resolute" (The Message).

1 Kings 2:2 says, "So be strong, show yourself a man" (NIV '84, ESV), "So be strong, act like a man," (NIV 2011), "Be strong and be courageous like a man" (HCSB), "Take courage and be a man" (NLT), "Be strong, be courageous" (NRSV), "be strong, show what you're made of" (The Message).

Courage is the mark of a man. No one likes to be a wimp, and no one likes wimps.

Take the Word, Eat It, It is Sweet and Bitter (Revelation 10:8-11)

This is my typed recollection of a part of what I preached extemporaneously.

Yesterday (9/29/13), I preached on the Seven Trumpets (Rev 8:1-11:19) with the title of The Two Kingdoms, and the theme of "The Kingdom of This World Becomes The Kingdom of Christ." In a vision John was told to take and eat a scroll that was in the hand of the angel (Rev 10:8-9), which he did (Rev 10:10), and then he was told to prophesy (Rev 10:11). This is similar to what Ezekial was told to do (Eze 2:8-3:3, 10). Though the scroll Ezekial ate tasted as sweet as honey in his mouth (Eze 3:3), it caused him to be deeply distressed (Eze 3:15).

In my sermon I explained four aspects of how to prophesy, i.e., how to communicate Christ well through Scripture.

1. Take it
2. Eat it
3. It is Sweet
4. It is Bitter

C.S. Lewis on How To Write

C. S. Lewis on Writing (#4 is elaborate):

1. Always try to use the language so as to make quite clear what you mean and make sure your sentence couldn't mean anything else.

2. Always prefer the plain direct word to the long, vague one. Don't implement promises, but keep them.

3. Never use abstract nouns when concrete ones will do. If you mean "More people died" don't say "Mortality rose."

What Sad Words Before One's Death

Before his death, philosopher and agnostic Bertrand Russell said, "There is darkness without, and when I die there will be darkness within. There is no splendor, no vastness anywhere, only triviality for a moment, and then nothing."

I love quotes because words reveal what is in a man. Russell's words about death reveal plainly in eloquent words what his view of death is: It is darkness and nothingness.

Contrast Russell's sad words with Dietrich Bonhoeffer who is considered a martyr for his faith. When facing his untimely execution at age 39, he said, "This is the end --- for me the beginning of life."

Russell was a brilliant man. Here are a few of his quotes:

"Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind."

B.L.E.S.S. Others

1. Begin with prayer.
2. Listen (James 1:19).
3. Eat together.
4. Serve them (according to their needs*).
5. Share your story.

*Consider these needs:

1. Body needs.
2. Labor needs.
3. Emotional needs.
4. Social needs.
5. Spiritual needs.

Half Faith is No Faith (Judges 17-18)

"Judges For You" (by Tim Keller) has helped me share gospel lessons from the book:

• Faithful But Flawed (Judg 1:1-2:5),
• Gideon (Judg 6:1-8:35), who starts well and ends badly, and
• Samson (Judg 13:1-16:31), the womanizer and sex addict whom God choose from birth.

They teach us:

• how compromise always devastates us,
  
• how success often leads to pride and makes us worse, and
  
• how God bears with our fallen humanity and depravity---only by his grace.

The last 5 chapters are particularly graphically brutal, violent and bleak---so much so that they are hardly ever taught in church or preached on. It shows the reality of a life without God, even though the people act and behave religiously, and even call on God's name. But it is everyone doing "as they saw fit" (Judg 17:6; 21:25).

God's Love May Be To Keep You Weak

Paul, the great apostle, was given a "thorn in the flesh," a messenger of Satan, to torment him and to keep him from becoming conceited because of surpassingly great revelations that he received from God (2 Cor 12:7). Despite endless speculation, this thorn is not specifically known. God's specific intended purpose was to keep Paul humble and weak, so weak, that his only recourse is to rely entirely on God's sufficient grace (2 Cor 12:9).

Every Christian who has any degree of self-awareness is surely conscious of some unbearable thorn in their own flesh, which feels like torture and which thus weakens and frustrates them.

A Manipulative Christian Leader

No one likes to be manipulated or to feel manipulated. Sadly, every person's sinful default is to control and manipulate others to do what we believe they should do. Church leaders are not exempt in being manipulators. They might even be the worst possible manipulators because they know how to skillfully use the Bible to justify their manipulation of others in their church. This post, how-to-spot-a-manipulative-church-leader, helps you to identify manipulative Christian leaders.

A Christian leader who is manipulative will:

Is There More to Life Than This?

How would you start an Alpha Course?

I attended one in downtown Chicago. It is from noon to 1 pm with lunch thrown in (which is an incentive to attend). Consider doing the following:

* Start with this light-hearted, unoffensive, funny 20 min introductory video (that has been shown to introduce the Alpha Course): Is There More To Life Than This? (Preparing light snacks won't hurt.)

Painful Percentages

THE BAD NEWS (August 2013)

• 18 percent of today's young adults (age 18-29) say they were raised in a religion but are now unaffiliated with any particular faith. Nearly all come from homes with lukewarm or nominal faith.
• It's the Mainline Protestant churches that have seen marked declines in participation/membership in both real numbers and percent of population.
• The nones have increased from 15% to 20% of the adult population in the last 5 years.

Faithful But Flawed (Judges 1:1-2:5)

"Judges For You" by Tim Keller is a small, short (217 pages), succinct and well written Bible study guide. I have blogged briefly on Gideon, Samson and the six key themes of Judges. This is an overview of chapter 1 of the book: Half-Hearted Discipleship (Judg 1:1-2:5). It shows how the people were faithful yet flawed; they were committed (to God), yet given to compromise, convenience, and common sense.

Radical risk-taking discipleship requires faith and obedience.

I Can't Hug Every Cat

Is this an amazing eHarmony Video Bio or what? 27 million viewers think so!

If that’s not enough, check out this Songify version of Can't Hug Every Cat.

It reminded me of this quote: "There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats." Albert Schweitzer. 

Why Are Leaders Leaving Your Church

This is an excellent post sent to me by my friend David: Why The "Leadership Movement" is Leaving Your Church Leaderless. It answers a question I had asked: Does your church raise Christ-centered leaders of Church-centered followers?

There are two kinds of leaders:

1. Those who want to raise leaders.
2. Those who want to raise followers.

What type of leader are you?

Sadly, all Christian leaders say #1, but in actual practical reality many are doing #2. Why??

Samson: How God Used A Womanizer

Samson's story has many Hollywood themes: illicit sex, graphic violence, revenge, death and a Rambo style hero. But his story is perplexing. He was conceived miraculously, chosen by God, set apart to serve him from birth, blessed by God and empowered by his Spirit. Yet, he may be the most flawed character in Judges. He is violent, impulsive, sexually addicted, emotionally immature and selfish. Most troubling of all, the "Spirit of God" seems to anoint him and use his worst sins for God's purpose--especially his sexual addiction and violent temper. How can such a person ever be called and chosen by God to fulfill his purpose of redemption?

What Is Your Worship Status?

Facebook enables us to share updates on our status and our relationship status, should it change or when it changes. As Christ followers, I thought it would be good to share our "worship status." What do I mean?

My sermon yesterday was entitled Heaven? Worship? That's It?? I wanted to emphasize that the sole predominant activity of heaven is to worship the One on the throne (Rev 4:2, 8-11) and the Lamb who was slain (Rev 5:6, 9-14). Might this seem excessive to some? Will we really only be worshiping God in heaven? Will that not eventually make worshiping God boring and tedious?

10 Things To Do To Loose Weight/Burn Calories

Like the boy Jesus, I seek to always grow "in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man" (Lk 2:52), which is to grow:

• spiritually (in favor with God)
• socially (in favor with man)
• intellectually (grow in wisdom)
  
• physically--maintaining good health (grow in stature)

Tips for Overseeing Small Groups

Tips for Small Group Leaders

Tips include:

1. Active Listening
2. Being Attentive
3. Telling Your Story (Without Going On and On)
4. Group Check-In #1
5. Asking Good Questions
6. Calling Out the Best in Others

Why It's NOT The Nail

Since posting "It's Not About The Nail," a question was asked, "Can you give an example?" My sermon on Cain and Abel explains how our "deeper" sins hide beneath our conscious awareness, causing all of us to have "blind spots."

Can you identify with any of these statements?

• "I'm not a Pharisee. I can just see and feel how sinful other people are."
• "I'm not bitter. I'm just expressing moral righteous outrage."
• "I'm not flirtatious. I'm just friendly."

Good to Bad; Grace to Retribution

Judges is downright depressing to read and reflect. It is about despicable people doing deplorable things. Even the "heroes" (judges) are flawed increasingly throughout Judges, doing many appalling things. It is a dismal story...that points to and finds resolution only in the Gospel. In "Judges For You," Tim Keller identifies 6 main themes.

This post addresses elements--both good (initially) and bad (eventually and progressively)--in the story of Gideon (Jud 6:1-8:35), a "hero"/judge who starts out extremely well with the grace of God, but who then gets worse and ends horribly by displaying the overweening pride and arrogance of spectacular success.

It's NOT About The Nail

It's NOT About The Nail.

It's NOT About The Nail.

Judges: God Gives Grace Even As We Deteriorate From Bad to Worse

Tim Keller identifies six key themes/truths about God in his new book "Judges For You":

1. God relentlessly offers his grace to people who do not deserve it, seek it, or even appreciate it after they've been saved by it.
2. God wants lordship over every area of our lives, not just some.
3. There is a tension between grace and law, between conditionality and unconditionality.
4. There is a need for continual spiritual renewal in our lives here on earth, and a way to make that a reality.
5. We need a true Savior, to which all human saviors point, through their flaws and strengths.
6. God is in charge, no matter what it looks like.

Grace is a major theme if not the singular most important theme throughout the Bible, both OT and NT. Judges is no exception. The people and their sins get worse and worse throughout the book. The judges (saviors/deliverers) are less and less admirable with each new judge. Yet God gives grace and never gives up.

Do Not Touch The Lord's Anointed

What does this mean? Usually, the popular understanding of this phrase is meant by church leaders and their supporters to caution anyone who dares to critique or criticize the preacher or church leader. Many preachers, evangelists and Bible teachers today teach that if anyone criticizes them, or finds fault with them in any way, or goes against their wishes, then that miserable sinner has "touched the Lord's anointed." They say, "If you criticize "servant(s) of God" who are "the Lord's anointed," you will face the wrath of Almighty God." It is meant as a threat to, "Shut up. Don't complain. Submit. Or else...." It is virtually saying that the Christian leader or clergy is "above the rest" and is untouchable by commoners, sinners and the laity, and implies that they are unaccountable and have a free pass.

Love God with All Your.... (Mark 12:30-31)

Do you love God? Do you love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength (Mk 12:30-31)? What does this even mean?

This leaves no room whatsoever for loving God partially, or with loving God with only a part of ourselves. Jesus, quoting Dt 6:5 and Lev 19:18, emphatically emphasizes that loving God must be without any reservation, and that it must include loving those who are not a part of our family or inner circle. My wife will certainly be grieved and saddened greatly if I ever said or expressed to her that, "I love you sometimes, and I am faithful to you most of the time."

What does loving God with our entire being and our entire self mean?

Steps for Conflict Resolution in the Church (Mt 18:15-17)

The problem with the church is that it has people. That is why the church has conflicts and divisions. The need for biblical conflict resolution is always urgent and crucial. How might this happen? Jesus' recommended steps in Mt 18:15-17 is often cited. But Jesus did not give us these steps so that we can get rid of people who bother us, who sin against us or with whom we disagree! The purpose is not to get rid of but to gain!

The following principles/steps are suggested:

1. Strict confidentiality. "If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you" (Mt 18:15a). This matter is private. Do not share the conflict with other church members. Do not gossip or slander that person, which is most destructive to the person and to the church. Deal directly only with the person involved.
2. Total Honesty. "...go and point out their fault" (Mt 18:15a). It is important to note that Christ commands the offended party who is responsible to go meet the person privately preferably as soon as possible. If it was up to us, we'd look for the one in the wrong to do something first. But Jesus places the responsibility squarely on the injured party. If you have been wronged, hurt, or sinned against, to you Jesus says "go." It is prudent to make observations, rather than accusations. Approaching the sinning brother should be done calmly and rationally with the spirit of Christian love and humility. Note that this is a divine imperative from Jesus. It is not optional for believers. These are not suggestions. These are not just words of advice. Every Christian, every elder, every pastor and every church court must strictly obey and follow Christ's instructions. No excuse is acceptable for violating this passage.
3. True Forgiveness. "If they listen to you, you have won them over" (Mt 18:15b). Real restoration requires complete forgiveness.
4. Proper Appeals. "But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses'" (Mt 18:16). If the two of them fail to resolve the conflict, the problem should be heard by one or two more individual witnesses. The purpose should not be to gang up on that person, or choose only people "on your side."
5. Severed Relationship. "If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector" (Mt 18:17). If the offended party is unrepentant and unable to live with the final resolution of the problem, the relationship must be severed. The church serves as the final authority. The purpose of the discipline is not to remove the irritant, but to restore the offended person by the grace of God and protect the purity of the church.

References:

1. The Lord's Conflict Resolution Plan.
2. The Most Misapplied Passage on Church Conflict.
3. Conflict Resolution in the Church: A Study of Matthew 18:15-16.
   

Einstein and Billy Graham

My brother sent me this interesting account. Billy Graham, now 94 years old, once shared a story about Albert Einstein.

As we know Einstein was one of the most brilliant men of recent times. In 2000, he was voted the Man of the Century by Time Magazine. With his unkempt hairdo and German accent, Einstein was instantly recognizable by everyone he met.

One day Einstein was traveling from Princeton by train. The conductor came to collect tickets. When he reached Einstein, Einstein was frantically patting his pockets and going through his papers looking for his ticket. The conductor recognized his famous passenger. Kindly he assured Mr. Einstein that he was sure that he had purchased a ticket and that it was not necessary for him to find it. Einstein however, continued to dig around, searching even more diligently for the absent ticket. The ticket was not in his luggage, pockets, or in his pile of papers.

What Great Men Say About Themselves

Those who think they are great Christians would likely emphasize their own strengths, which inadvertently disparages others: "I thank God that I am not like nominal Sun Christians. I actively teach the Bible, disciple others and give much money to my church" (Lk 18:11-12). Surprisingly, this is not what great Christians say, suggest or think about themselves.

On his 70th birthday, pioneer missionary William Carey (regarded as the father of modern missions) wrote these remarkable words to one of his sons:

Stunningly Amazing Birds of Paradise

Majestic, mesmerizing and magnificent. This 5 min video shows some remarkable birds that exist only in the forests of New Guinea: Birds of Paradise. I was awestruck by their beauty and their majesty, which was stunningly mesmerizing and captivating. If you aspire to be an ornithologist, here are the 39 species captured in 4 min: The 39 Species.

A verse came to mind: "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands" (Ps 19:1).

I Am Having A Really Bad Day

I am having a bad day. [My friend Abraham Lincoln of Boston UBF gave the sermon at West Loop today with this title.] What do you do when you have a bad day? When Adam had a bad day he blamed his wife (Gen 3:12). When Cain had a bad day he committed fratricide (Gen 4:8). When Abram had a bad day, he complained about his childlessness (Gen 15:2-4). When the older son had a bad day, he angrily accused his gracious father for being unfair (Lk 15:29-30).

God (always) comes in grace.

Promises Of Blessing Despite Much Sin

Last Sun I completed preaching on what Jesus said to the Seven Churches in Revelation chapter 2-3. Briefly:

1. Ephesus was a loveless church. She was excellent in Bible study and Christian activities, but lacking in love (Rev 2:4). They spoke the truth very well, but their love was not evident (Eph 4:15).
2. Smyrna was a suffering church. She received no rebuke from Jesus because they were willing to suffer for their faith unto death (Rev 2:10b). They supremely valued Jesus and did not consider it a loss to lose their own lives.

Was It A Good Message/Sermon?

How does one assess how well a preacher or Bible teacher did in preaching and teaching the Bible?

A friend came up with these excellent questions which I thought would give good feedback to the preacher, messenger and/or Bible teacher.

On a scale of 1-10, how well did the message/sermon/preacher/Bible teacher:

1. Engage your mind and your intellect?
2. Bring you into the presence of God?
3. Change your life in any significant way?

Do You Argue, Disagree and Fight Fairly?

When someone says/writes something you are upset about or do not like or agree with, how do you respond? Look carefully at the diagram to the left and see at what level of the triangle you usually resort to. The lower levels are reactive, impulsive, defensive and offensive, while the higher levels are fair, well thought out and reasoned responses. Here is a detailed explanation of each level.

For instance, when arguing or disagreeing, do you say, write or think:

• "You're so stupid"? (This is the lowest level: Name Calling.)
• "You are unspiritual, proud, immature and jealous"? (Ad hominem [which means "Against the man"].)
• "I don't like the critical way you write/speak"? (Responding to Tone.)
• "I disagree"? (Contradiction.)

Are you a Diminisher or a Multiplier?

Genius or genius maker? Bono describes best the difference between a Diminisher and a Multiplier: "It has been said that after meeting with the great British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladston, you left feeling he was the smartest person in the world; but after meeting with his rival Benjamin Disraeli, you left thinking your were the smartest person." The former is a genius (a diminisher). The latter is a genius maker (a multiplier). Which person would you rather be?

How can you tell what type of person you are? Are you a multiplier or a diminisher?

Diminishers:

• Create stress.

2 Kinds of Leadership

Hierarchical (Authoritarian) Leadership	Shepherding (Christ-like) Leadership
"Over" others.	"Among" others.
Control others.	Respect others.
Elite.	Common.
Exclusive.	Inclusive.
Top down.	Bottom up.
Oppressive.	Liberating.
Based on position, rank, status, honorific titles.	Based on godly character.
Measured by prominence, external power and political influence.	Measured by humility and servitude.
Exploits their position to rule over others as "the older."	Shuns special reverence; regard themselves as "the younger."
Operates on a political chain-of-command social structure.	Flows from childlike meekness and sacrificial service.
Plants the fear of man.	Causes awe, wonder and freedom.

Reference: 

1. Shepherding Sheep (Mt 20:25-28).
2. Two Kinds of Shepherding.

Some Quotes for Reflection

Pride: "The more pride we have, the more other people's pride irritates us." C.S. Lewis

Love (not force): "The tremendous truth of Christianity is that the coercion of God is not of force but of love. God chose the dangerous way of love (not force or coercion), and love in the end will triumph." William Barclay

Rom 12:9: "Love must be without hypocrisy" (HCSB). "Let love be genuine" (ESV). "Love must be sincere" (NIV). "Don't just pretend that you love others. Really love them" (NLT). "Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it" (MSG). "Let love be without dissimulation [deception]" (KJV).