Participants: David Shin
Series Code: FC
Program Code: FC000356
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00:31 I would like to welcome you today to Faith Chapel.
00:33 My name is David Shin, and we will be spending the 00:37 next few moments together in a study of God's word. 00:40 But before we do so, I would like to invite you 00:43 to bow your heads with me as we pray together. 00:46 Father in heaven, we thank you today 00:48 for the privilege and opportunity 00:52 we have to study your word and we ask 00:54 that your Holy Spirit which inspires, 00:56 would also be the spirit 00:58 that instructs in Jesus name, amen. 01:02 A numbers years ago I had the privilege 01:05 and opportunity to visit New York City. 01:07 We were on a quiet trip and several of my friends 01:11 and myself decided that we would go 01:13 and visit the Statue of Liberty. 01:15 We rode out on the ferry to Ellis Island 01:18 all the while basking in this picture 01:22 of religious liberty and just pictured ourselves 01:25 as those immigrants coming across the ocean 01:28 and many times that was a first thing 01:30 that they would see when coming to America. 01:33 We got off the ferry and decided that we would 01:36 spend the time to climb the Statue of Liberty. 01:39 Now the Statue of Liberty is hollow in structure 01:43 and they have this stairs inside specifically for 01:47 repairs and tourists and they wined around 01:49 the inside of the statue and they go 01:51 all the way up to the torch and to the crown 01:53 and on this particular day, the torch was not opened 01:58 for construction reasons and so forth, 02:00 but that was opened for the crown 02:02 and so we decided that it will be worth it, 02:04 and there was a crowd that wrapped all the way 02:06 from the crown of the Statue of Liberty 02:08 down to the base and wrapped around the base 02:10 and you can imagine that there were several 02:12 hundred people that were waiting with anticipation 02:15 and baited breath to climb this Statue of Liberty. 02:20 But we thought it would be worth it 02:21 because we were anticipating the view 02:24 that would be from the top of this statue 02:27 of a beautiful New York City, and so we waited 02:32 for an eternal two hours inside the statue, 02:37 most of it on, sometimes 15 to 20 minutes 02:40 on one staircase, our legs were cramped 02:43 and air isn't too much in there as we got to the top 02:46 of the, the neck of the statue 02:48 particularly there was a spiral staircase 02:50 that went around and only one person at a time 02:54 was allowed to go to the staircase 02:55 and many of us were on our hands, and knees 02:57 because we didn't want to stand up. 02:58 The air was stifling; you could hear 03:00 women screaming and so forth. 03:02 But we were just waiting for that moment 03:04 when we got to the top, and after two hours 03:06 we stepped out on the platform to look out 03:08 from the top of the Statue of Liberty. 03:10 And I'm just going to be honest here 03:12 all of us were disappointed, 03:14 not because necessarily the view 03:16 but because our expectations 03:18 did not match the actual event, 03:21 and I will never forget the words 03:24 of the young lady behind me. 03:26 She said, this is it, this is it, we've waited 03:29 two hours just for this and out of courtesy 03:32 for the people that were behind us, 03:33 we took just the few moments it wasn't even 03:36 30 seconds to look out at a smoke filled New York City 03:40 through this stained plexiglass windows, 03:42 and had to work our way down. 03:45 And what took two hours of waiting, 03:49 it took 15 minutes to descend. 03:52 And I thought about that 03:54 it's kind of like life sometimes. 03:56 We believe that if we can just reach a certain point, 04:00 if we can just get that job or that promotion 04:02 or have this experience that we will find 04:05 ultimate fulfillments, so we press, we grovel, 04:08 we put in all our expenditures in our lifetime 04:11 into getting that goal or that attainment 04:14 or that achievement, and many times 04:16 we find out when we've reached the top 04:17 that there is absolutely nothing there. 04:21 Jack Higgins who is a renowned author of the book 04:26 "The Eagle Has Landed" makes this statement 04:29 when he was asked if you could tell yourself a child 04:32 something or when you are growing up 04:34 what do you wish you knew that you know now. 04:36 And he says, I wish that someone had told me 04:38 when I was a boy that when you get to the top 04:40 there is absolutely nothing there. 04:44 Here is a renowned author, he has achieved fame 04:47 and honor and riches and he says, 04:49 I wish someone had told me 04:50 that when you get to the top, 04:51 there is absolutely nothing there. 04:53 Another author says that the loneliness moment in life 04:56 is when you have reached that which you thought 05:00 would deliver the ultimate, and has let you down. 05:03 The loneliness moment in life is when 05:05 you've achieved that which you thought 05:07 would deliver the ultimate and has let you down. 05:10 Our topic today is entitled 05:13 "What is worthwhile under the sun". 05:15 And we would like to go to scripture in our study 05:18 today to study the life of one particular individual, 05:21 his name is Solomon. 05:22 The beauty of the Bible friends is that when we 05:25 study the Bible not only do we have 05:27 endorsement of characteristics 05:29 that we have to possess, but also characteristics 05:32 that we have to avoid and we have these lessons 05:34 from the lives of individuals that have gone down 05:37 before us to give afore warning 05:40 about how we ought to live our lives. 05:43 I would like to take us to the book of Ecclesiastes, 05:47 this book it gives an illustration of how 05:50 we ought to live our lives. 05:52 Ecclesiastes chapter 1 and verse 1, as Solomon 05:56 begins his discourse and his disposition. 06:00 He says "The words of the Preacher, 06:02 the son of David, king in Jerusalem". 06:06 Here Solomon is giving an account of his life. 06:10 He is giving what from a philosophical standpoint; 06:13 it's almost an existential philosophy 06:15 that he is portraying. He was the son of David. 06:18 He was the wealthiest man arguably that ever 06:21 lived in history and he gives his own history of how 06:26 we ought to live our lives from experience, 06:28 from his own life. 06:30 In Ecclesiastes chapter 1 verse 2, 06:32 he starts with this vane of words almost. 06:35 He says, Vanity of vanities, he says the Preacher; 06:38 Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. 06:43 Notice this word is repeated over and over again 06:46 and the word "Vanity" 06:48 simply means vapor or breath. 06:51 Now the Hebrews when they wanted to emphasize 06:54 something in particular would repeat it 06:56 repeat it and repeat it and you will see that 06:58 five times this word 'Vanity' is repeated, 07:02 and it means meaninglessness or emptiness of life. 07:06 Now how is it that this preacher 07:09 would say in these words? 07:11 I had a friend of mine who was going through seminary. 07:14 He was studying the book of Ecclesiastes and he said, 07:17 David I found something interesting 07:19 about the book of Ecclesiastes. 07:21 It has a myriad of illusions to the book of Genesis. 07:25 Case in point in Ecclesiastes chapter 12, 07:28 he refers to the sun, moon and the stars, 07:31 also makes a reference to remembering the creator 07:34 but the most powerful illusion I found 07:37 is this word "Vanity" Vanity in the Hebrew is Abel, 07:41 and when it's transliterated in the book of Genesis 07:44 it's the same word for Abel and I can't help 07:48 but think that when the Hebrew mind was reading, 07:51 this book Ecclesiastes and he saw the word "Vanity" 07:55 there was an illusion to the life of Abel. 07:58 You remember he was the second son of Adam 08:01 and he lived, he got in skirmish 08:03 with his brother Kane and he died. 08:05 There was virtually hardly any reference 08:08 to Abel in the Old Testament. 08:10 His life was like a breath, it was like a vapor, 08:13 it was there and suddenly it was gone. 08:17 And friend's happiness cannot exist without 08:21 Jesus Christ. Life is short lived and here Solomon is 08:26 illustrating by the word "Vanity" that without 08:29 Jesus Christ, our lives are like a breath, 08:32 they are like a vapor. 08:33 I came across this interesting illustration 08:37 of how short life really is. 08:40 The average life even if you live beyond this 08:42 lifespan of 78 years is approximately only 08:46 650,000 hours, that's not very much 08:52 when you think about it, and if we live approximately 08:54 70, 80 years this is how we can break down our lives. 08:58 The average American who leaves college at 22 09:01 and lives to be 70, so you can break down 09:04 this 48 years of existence between the age 09:07 of 22 and 70, 48 years and they can be broken 09:12 down to these different activities as we see. 09:15 16 years, if you were to compress it all into one 09:19 will be consumed in work, 09:21 that's not taking time to sleep, eat, 09:24 16 years compressed of working. 09:27 15 years of sleeping that just 09:30 under the shade of 8 hours a day. 09:32 After 16 years of working, 15 years of sleeping, 09:36 the next thing is quite a shock 09:38 it's 8 years of watching television. 09:41 The average American would spent 8 years 09:44 compressed watching television, 09:46 2 years commuting and after your take up 09:47 all of life's activities it's quite shocking 09:50 when you think about how much life you have to 09:53 actually spend with the things that are essential, 09:55 and it's only 4 years, 4 years to spend 09:58 with the family, family, intimate moments, 10:01 recreation and the things that you actually want 10:03 to do and most of that time is spend during those 10:06 "Golden years of retirement". 10:09 So when you think about life, life is short 10:12 and when you compress your moments 16 years working, 10:16 15 years sleeping and 8 years watching television 10:20 heaven forbid and after that 4 years you only have 10:22 a few moments of life to do 10:24 what you actually want to do. 10:25 And Solomon is pointing out, the brevity, the 10:28 meaninglessness of life are part from Jesus Christ. 10:32 But how is it that Solomon can make the statement. 10:36 He was a king, he was a powerful ruler, 10:38 he was wealthy and we get a little bit of window 10:41 into the life of Solomon from this account. 10:45 I like to read to you from Ecclesiastes chapter 2 10:49 verses 4-10 from the New King James Version, 10:53 and he said. I made my works great, 10:57 I built myself houses, I planted myself vineyards. 11:01 I made myself gardens and orchards, 11:04 and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 11:07 I made myself water pools from which to water 11:11 the growing trees of the grove. 11:13 I acquired male and female servants, 11:16 and had servants born in my house. 11:19 Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks 11:23 than all who were in Jerusalem before me. 11:26 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the 11:30 special treasures of kings and of the provinces. 11:33 I acquired male and female singers, 11:36 the delights of the sons of men, 11:38 and musical instruments of all kinds. 11:41 So I became great and excelled more than 11:44 all who were before me in Jerusalem. 11:47 Also my wisdom remained with me. 11:50 Whatever mine eyes desired I did not keep from them. 11:55 I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, 11:58 For all my heart, from my heart 12:00 rejoiced in all my labor; 12:03 And this was reward from all my labor. 12:08 Solomon essentially gives us a list of all the things 12:13 that he had. He had riches, he had honor, 12:16 he had fame and Solomon arguably 12:19 is the richest man in the history of mankind. 12:23 And I just like for us to bridge the gap a little bit 12:26 and modernize this so that we can relate 12:28 to how wealthy Solomon actually was. 12:31 He was a modern Bill Gates, I would like to think. 12:33 And the last time I checked Bill Gates was worth 12:36 approximately $33.15 billion dollars. 12:40 Now that varies depending on the stock market 12:42 and it goes up and down but for the sake 12:44 of our illustration he is rich, $33.15 billion 12:47 and so if you were too cash in $33.15 billion 12:52 and take it all back in once, 12:55 this is how astronomically big this amount would be. 12:59 Let's say that you lay them 13:01 billion $1 bills. 13:04 You would make a round trip to the moon and back 13:07 6.7 times, that means round trip that's one you do 13:12 it 6.7 times for $33.15 billion $1 bills. 13:17 Let's say in the old days, remember how grandma 13:20 used to keep the money under the mattress. 13:22 If you were to keep all of this money 13:24 under the mattress and let's assume that they sleep 13:27 Bill and his wife Melinda sleep on king size mattress, 13:30 you would have to go 5.64 miles to get from the top 13:35 of the bed to the floor every morning and that's 13:38 not counting the thickness of the mattress itself. 13:40 This was interesting a sack of $33.15 billion $1 bills 13:44 would weigh the equivalent of 84 times 13:47 more than a Boeing 747. 13:51 Its astronomical to think how rich this individual is 13:54 and this was I found one. 13:56 Let say and assume that you want it to spend 13:59 every dime of Bill's money and you had set 14:01 a limit of 36 years to do it. 14:04 Assuming that you work 24 hours a day, 14:06 365 days a year, you will have to spend it 14:09 at the following rate, wouldn't it be fun 14:11 to spend all of his money. 14:12 Per second you would have to spend 14:14 approximately $29 dollars every second, 14:16 so right now we've just spend $29 dollars, 14:18 thousand, 14:22 per hour a $105,000, per day $2.52 million. 14:28 It means today you have to go out 14:29 and spend $2.5 million, per weeks $17.65 million, 14:33 per months $76 million and every year you will have 14:36 to spend approximately $920.73 million. 14:42 That's rich and the Bible tells us that 14:46 Solomon was the wisest man that ever lived. 14:50 Not only did he have intelligence but the Bible 14:53 tells us that he had political power as well. 14:56 He was a king of one of the most powerful countries 14:59 in the unknown world at time. 15:02 I've had friends who have this theory 15:05 that for every thing that you have, 15:06 you are lacking in other areas. 15:09 And I didn't really believe him 15:11 but as I looked around in high school, 15:13 I notice that it tended to be true that the people 15:15 that were intelligent were lacking in other areas. 15:19 And the guys that were athletic had other issues. 15:23 I notice that they were asking me 15:25 for my homework sometimes, or there were people 15:27 that were really beautiful or pretty had other issues, 15:30 but every now and then I would meet 15:32 an individual that had at all. 15:33 They were intelligent, they were sophisticated, 15:36 they had the personality, they had the money 15:37 and they were just what we can say 15:39 was the all American person. 15:42 And so here is Solomon 15:44 he has the intelligence of Einstein. 15:47 He has the wealth of Bill Gates. 15:49 He has the political power of George Bush and I'm 15:52 assuming that he was also good looking as well. 15:55 Remember his parents were David and Bathsheba, 15:57 and so he had the personality, the looks, 16:01 the wealth and everything that from a human 16:04 perspective that life had to offer. 16:08 And you would think that after this Solomon 16:10 wouldn't say essentially that he was the happiest 16:13 person in the world, but he wasn't. 16:17 I just like to add one more thing, 16:18 the Bible says that not only did he have 16:20 all these things but according to Kings it says 16:23 that he had 700 concubines and 300 wives. 16:28 That's a thousand women and remember concubines 16:30 is just a second degree wife back in the Bible 16:33 and so he could essentially see a different 16:36 woman or wife a day for approximately 2.8 years 16:40 I don't know what it is 16:41 and not see the same wife twice, 16:43 I can't imagine that kind of display. 16:46 But anyways after all this you would imagine 16:48 that Solomon wouldn't say I'm the happiest person 16:50 in the world, but it's interesting what the Bible 16:53 says in our next verse in Ecclesiastes 16:57 Chapter 2 and verse 11. 16:59 After he makes this statements Solomon 17:02 essentially says this words in 17:05 Ecclesiastes Chapter 2 and verse 11: 17:07 Then I looked on all the works that my hands 17:10 had wrought, had done and all the labor 17:13 in which I had toiled; 17:15 And indeed all was vanity 17:18 and grasping after the wind. 17:21 There was no profit under the sun. 17:25 Essentially Solomon is saying this 17:28 then after looking at all the things that his hand 17:30 has wrought and all the things that he toiled to do, 17:32 his riches, his honors, his fame, 17:33 his political powers, his intelligence 17:35 and everything under the sun. 17:37 He says everything was in vanity, 17:40 meaningless and vexation. 17:43 Now, what would cause Solomon to say 17:46 something like that and it illustrates a simple point 17:49 that we cannot find happiness 17:51 from the things of this world. 17:54 Happiness is internal; it's not external. 17:58 And if you will notice from the previous verses 18:00 that we just read there are certain 18:02 things that keep reoccurring. 18:04 He says I built me great houses; 18:07 I built me these things, I and me 18:10 are the center of his quest for happiness. 18:14 Selfishness and happiness cannot coexist. 18:18 The secret of living is giving and the secret 18:22 of self preservation is self sacrifice. 18:26 You know it's interesting there is a body of water 18:28 out in the Middle East, that has an inlet, 18:31 but it doesn't have an outlet, 18:33 it's called the Dead Sea. 18:34 And the reason why it's called the Dead Sea is that 18:37 there is virtually no life in the Dead Sea. 18:41 It's always receiving water from the Jordan River, 18:44 but it has no outlet and it illustrates 18:47 a simple principle of life. 18:49 That if you want to be alive in every aspect, 18:52 in every dimension of your being that 18:55 you've got to not only receive but give. 18:57 Selfishness and happiness cannot coexist. 19:02 Happiness is not external, it's internal and I came 19:06 across these interesting quotes from these 19:09 individuals you will recognize many of them. 19:11 This people from a humanistic standpoint 19:14 had achieved fame and fortune, 19:16 and they make some interesting statements 19:18 about the nature of their fulfillment in life, 19:22 and here is one. I thought I had reached a point 19:24 in my life where everything would be smooth, 19:26 but is not. It just gets more jagged and pitted 19:30 and filled with turns that take you 19:33 into the dark recesses of your mind. 19:35 It never seems to get easy. 19:38 Sylvester Stallone, the guy who played in a myriad 19:42 of Hollywood movies you think he would be the happiest 19:43 person in the world, but he isn't. 19:46 The next one is given by a gentleman, 19:49 If I were given a change of life, I'd like to see 19:52 how it would be to live as a mere six-footer, 19:55 you know who said that? Wilt Chamberlain, 19:58 seven feet tall center he said, 19:59 if I were given a change of life, 20:01 I just like to be a mere six-footer. 20:03 This is interesting I don't like my voice, 20:06 I don't like the way I look, 20:08 I don't like the way I move, 20:09 I don't like the way I act, I mean period 20:12 so you know I don't like myself, Elizabeth Taylor. 20:18 I can count the number of dates 20:20 I've had on one hand. I wish that guys 20:22 would ask me out, but they don't, 20:23 La Toya Jackson, Michael Jackson's sister. 20:27 And this is astounding in tennis Wimbledon is 20:30 considered the greatest tournament of the ages, 20:33 greater than the US Open, 20:35 greater than Australian Open and Boris Becker 20:37 number years ago after winning Wimbledon, 20:39 was asked this essential question 20:41 what is it that you struggle within life? 20:43 And he says I struggle with suicide, 20:46 he shock the world with that statement, 20:49 and so here are individuals that have achieved 20:52 everything that life has to offer they've achieved 20:54 the fame the fortune and every ability under the sun 20:58 and they come to the end of this statements 21:01 and virtually say that life is meaningless 21:03 or something is essentially missing in life. 21:07 G.K. Chesterton makes this statement 21:09 that meaninglessness does not come 21:12 from being weary of pain. 21:13 Meaninglessness comes from being weary of pleasure. 21:19 You know it's interesting when you come 21:21 to the final moments of your life 21:23 how these individuals make their last statements. 21:27 There is his book out called 21:28 "The Last Words of Sinners and Saints". 21:32 And essentially it goes something like this 21:35 Davis Livingston makes his statement 21:38 and he says these words: 21:40 Build me a hut to die in, and I am going home, 21:43 what a way to die. John Wesley says, best of all, 21:46 God is with us farewell. 21:49 F.U. Mark said read me something from the Bible, 21:53 something brave and triumphant. 21:56 D. L. Moody said, I see earth receding; 21:59 heaven is opening, God is calling me. 22:02 And so, you these guys that were Christians 22:05 they lived their prayer times in accordance 22:07 with Judea Christian values, 22:09 they come the end of life and they say 22:10 I see Heaven open and God is calling me, 22:13 death is not something to be scared out. 22:15 Now it's interesting when you read on the flip side 22:18 people that don't believe in God, these are atheist 22:20 and this is what they said this was interesting 22:22 from Ramon Narvaez he says: I have no enemies, 22:26 I have shot them all, what a way to die. 22:28 Here is another one: You must not let me die, 22:31 I dare not die, oh, doctor, 22:33 save me if you can antithesis. 22:36 Here is one from Voltaire, the renowned atheist, 22:39 he says: I am abandoned by God and man. 22:42 I will give you half of what I am worth 22:44 if you will give me six months of life. 22:46 Then I shall go to hell; and you will go with me. 22:50 O Christ! O Jesus Christ! 22:53 The nurse who attended Voltaire said, 22:56 "For all the wealth in Europe 22:57 I would not see another infidel die. 23:01 Here is another one Thomas Paine he says: 23:04 I would give the worlds, if I had them. 23:06 'The Age of Reason' had never been published. 23:09 O Lord, help me! O Christ, help me! 23:12 If there had ever been a devil had an agent, 23:16 if ever the Devil had an agent, 23:17 I would had been that one. And he says 23:19 hell, hell, hell, in the final moments of his life. 23:27 Another atheist by the name of Friedrich Nietzsche 23:30 who in many ways epitomized a life apart from 23:35 Jesus Christ made this statements and he says: 23:39 The main obstruction is the Christian, 23:42 the religious man the warm theologian for religion 23:45 is the forest engendered 23:47 by the fear of the world beyond. 23:50 He says push the Christian aside bury him, 23:53 tell him of his illusion and ignorance, 23:55 tell them he doesn't belong in this new world 23:57 and when you see his arms and legs twitching as he 24:00 falls and dies give him the greatest news of all, 24:05 proclaim to him that there is no Heaven to be gained, 24:07 no hell to be feared and as he breathes his last 24:10 he will reach out his hands to classed you 24:12 in ground to altitude, go and bury him 24:14 so that you see his face no more once 24:17 and for all removing this burden of God 24:20 that the misguided saints have set upon us. 24:24 Essentially Fredrick Neitzsche believed 24:26 that with the demolition of God 24:28 he can live essentially a guilt free life. 24:33 Its interesting the way Fredrick Neitzsche life ended 24:36 he collapse in Basel, Switzerland and was taken 24:40 off to an asylum and died in, in for me. 24:43 You know the secret of living is giving the secret 24:47 of self preservation is self sacrifice and the secret 24:50 my friend of happiness is living with Jesus Christ. 24:55 I like to turn to our first, our last text here today 24:58 Ecclesiastes 12 and verse 13 as Solomon concludes 25:04 his discourse he says: 25:07 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: 25:10 Fear God and keep His commandments, 25:14 for this is man's all. Essentially the wisest man 25:20 that ever lived comes to the end of this 25:22 book of Ecclesiastes after talking about all his 25:25 wealth, fame, honor, intelligence, good looks 25:28 and all the things that life has to offer. 25:30 He says fear God and keep his commandments 25:33 for this is the whole duty of man. 25:37 Happiness cannot exist from Jesus Christ 25:40 and as Pascal said: There is a God shaped 25:44 hole in every heart that only he can fill. 25:48 Jesus is the secret of happiness. External things 25:53 cannot bring true fulfillment in life. 25:56 From one of my favorite books 25:58 Steps to Christ makes this statement. 26:01 It's a mistake to entertain the thought of God 26:04 being pleased to see His children suffer. 26:07 All heaven is interested in the happiness of man. 26:11 Our heavenly Father does not close the avenues 26:15 of joy to any of His creatures. 26:17 The divine requirements call upon us to shun those 26:20 indulgences which would bring suffering 26:23 and disappointment, that would close to us 26:27 the happiness of heaven. 26:29 The world's redeemer accepts men as they are, 26:32 with all their wants, 26:33 imperfections, and weaknesses. 26:36 He does not only cleanse from sin 26:38 and grant redemption through His blood, 26:40 but will satisfy the heart longing of all who consent 26:45 to wear His yoke, to bear His burden. 26:47 It is His purpose to impart peace and rest to all 26:51 who come to Him for the bread of life. 26:54 Who requires us to perform only those duties 26:57 that will lead our steps to the height of bliss 26:59 to which the disobedient can never attain? 27:03 The true, joyous life of the souls 27:05 is to have Christ formed within the hope of glory. 27:12 Jesus is essentially saying to us 27:15 through the words of Solomon come unto me, 27:17 all you that labour and are heavy-laden 27:21 and I will give you rest. Solomon by his discourse, 27:27 by his disposition is urging us when we live 27:30 this life as were steaming to climb these ladders 27:33 to make Christ the center of your life. 27:36 It is my prayer for you that you make Jesus first, 27:40 last and best in your life for that is only way that 27:45 we can truly find happiness and joy and fulfillment. 27:50 May God bless you and keep you to that end? |
Revised 2014-12-17