Well, I have a question tonight.
We'll answer this question. Is it wrong to enjoy this life? Is it wrong to enjoy this life? And we'll look at Ecclesiastes
chapter 2 and verse 18. Ecclesiastes 2. And verse 18, Yea, I hated all my labor which
I had taken unto the Son, because I should leave it unto the man
that shall be after me. And who knoweth whether he shall
be a wise man or a fool? Yet shall he have rule over all
my labor wherein I have labored, and wherein I have showed myself
wise under the sun. This is also vanity. Therefore I would about to cause
my heart to despair of all the labor which I took under the
sun. For there is a man whose labor
is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity. Yet to a man that
hath not labored therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great
evil. For what hath man of all his
labor, and of the vexation of his wherein he hath laboured
unto the sun, for all his days are sorrows, and his travail
grief. Yea, his heart taketh not rest
in the night. This is also vanity. There is
nothing better for a man than that he should eat a drink, and
that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor, this
also I saw that it was from the hand of God. For who can eat,
or who else can hasten hereunto? more than I. For God giveth to
a man that is good in his sight wisdom and knowledge and joy,
but to the sinner he giveth travail to gather and to heap up that
he may give to him that is good before God, And this also is
vanity and vexation of spirit. Now, is it wrong to enjoy this
life? You have certain things in this
life. Is it wrong for you to enjoy
those things? There's a difference of opinion
on this. A person is born into this world
and grows into adulthood. And during that time, when we're
born and we're growing, we go to school. We learn a profession. We learn a trade. We learn a
vocation and certain skills we learn in order to support ourselves
throughout life. And then we join a company, or
maybe we start one, and we become good at what we do, because we're
trying really as hard as we can to learn and to know all we can
about our chosen vocation. And God prospers, and a good
living, and we do well, and financially we're blessed, and then we meet
the love of our life, and we marry, and we establish a home. And then we build, or we buy
a house. And children are born, and of
course those children are precious to us, and we send them to school. And we protect them with everything
that we have to protect them with, and we care for them, and
we clothe them, and we instruct them in things that we know. We have friends, and we're happy. We enjoy children and grandchildren,
and we're blessed. And I think I'm blessed way too much. But that's up to
God. He's the one that decides that. And so we're blessed and we hear
the blessed gospel. Now, that's a blessing to hear
the gospel. Most of the people in the world
never hear the gospel of Christ. And so God blesses us with hearing
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And when we come to where
we believe it, we can't wait to get together to hear it again.
We want to hear it again and hear it again. And if they're
like you folks who won't hardly go home after it's meetings over,
you want to stay and talk and fellowship. And I think that's
good because that shows a love one for another. I've been in
churches where as soon as the final amen was said, people were
already out the door. They're gone. They don't want
to talk to anybody. And they've talked all they want
to, and they've heard all they want to hear, so they're gone
home. Let's go home. Now, old Solomon,
the writer of this book, got depressed when he got to thinking
that the good times would not last. We'll read verse 14 and
15. In our chapter, chapter two,
fourteen, the wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fool
walketh in darkness. Yet I myself perceived also that
one event happeneth to them all. Then said I in my heart, as it
happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me. And why
was I then more wise if the same things that happened to the fool
happened to me? Why is it that I'm accounted
more wise? And then I said in my heart that
this also is vanity. And he said one day the fool
It's going to come to the end of life, and then he said, I'm
going the same way. I'm going to go just like he
did. And he said, that's vanity. Why
do I have to go the same way the fool goes? That's vanity. The fool and I
go the same way. Now he's not right about that,
but that's what Solomon said about that situation anyway. And verse 17, Therefore I hated
life, because the work that is wrought
unto the Son is grievous unto me, for all is vanity and vexation
of spirit. I've got to be just like the
fool, so that's vanity and vexation. of spirit. That's not right. So if that's not right and I'm
going the same way and that's not good, why then do I want
to improve myself and be wise? The fool and I go the same way. So why do I want to improve myself? Verse 16, let's pick up verse
16 here. For there is no remembrance of
the wise more than of the fool, for ever seeing that which now
is, and the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how doth
the wise man? Just like the fool does. You
see how he's thinking? That's the way we think sometimes. Why do I, if I come into this
world, and die just like the fool does. All these things I
built, all these houses and these vineyards, and he might go on
and say the universities and the nations and all that we have
built, somebody will misuse it. You see how defeated he is. Verse 19, Who knoweth whether
he shall be as a wise man or a fool? Yet shall he have rule
over all my labor, wherein I have labored, and wherein I have showed
myself wise under the sun? This is also vanity. Who knoweth whether the man that
follows me shall be a wise man or a fool? But he's going to
have rule over all my labor. He's going to take everything
that I left. And what's he going to do with
it? And old Solomon is really defeated
here in this. And then he begins to think a
little bit right. Verse 24. There's nothing better
for a man than that he should eat and drink and that he should
make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw that it
was from the hand of God." So, after all he's saying there,
this life is good because it comes from the hand of God. Now, you and I know, don't we, that
the fashion of this world passes away. That's what the book says. The fashion of this world passes
away. And it will all be burned up. Then is it wrong to work and
build and improve our situation and educate our children and
build nice houses and have friends and fellowship and work hard
and rejoice in what we leave here? Is that wrong? Is that sinful to enjoy this
earth? Is that sinful? We don't know
what will happen to what we have made and built and so forth.
It may be used for evil purposes. So is that wrong to enjoy it
and leave all of this for somebody else to make evil of? Is that right? And he said all of that. Then
he said, but I'm going to enjoy it while I'm here. I'm going
to enjoy it while I'm here. And God intends for us to enjoy
it while we're here. We read verse 24. Look at it. There's nothing better for a
man than that he should eat and drink and make his soul enjoy
good in his labor. This also I saw that it was from
the hand of God. So it's good to enjoy what you
have in this life. Now, we know this world is temporary. It'll all perish, and I can't
protect it after I'm gone. You can't either. I can't guarantee the continuation
of anything, even our church. I can't guarantee the continuation of
anything in this life. But while we are here, by God's
grace, we will enjoy the fruit of our labor because it is from
the hand of God. It is from the hand of God. John the Baptist said that we
don't have to turn to John 3.27. Most of you know John 3.27. He
said a man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven. So if you receive everything
you receive from heaven, So what we enjoy God has given us, and
every gift comes from Him. Who maketh thee to differ from
another? And what hast thou that thou
didst not get from God? Everything you have is from God. The Lord maketh rich, and the
Lord maketh poor, the Lord maketh alive, and the Lord maketh dead,
and the Lord bringeth up, and the Lord putteth down, and the
Lord raiseth the poor from the dunghill, and He puts them on
the throne. It's all of God. Everything that happens is of
God in this life. So it's not sinful to enjoy the
gifts and the blessings that God has bestowed upon us. No, some people say it is, but
it's not. I've had a nice place to live
for the last 28 years. You folks have provided that
for Shirley and I, but we've had a wonderful, nice place to
live. And God gave it through you. I have nice clothing to wear. I have a wonderful family. And I have enough health left
to function a little bit. And I have a fair mind. There's some that would argue
with that. I think I have a fair mind, you
know, to get a hold of things and know things. I have friends,
I have a good church, and God gave all these things, and one
day this life will end and it'll all be over. But while it's going
on, there's nothing better than to give Him glory and praise
and partake of His goodness. Nothing better. Verse 25, Who
can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto more than I? That's what Solomon said. I say the same thing. Who? Who
has more than I have in this life, and who enjoys it more
than I? Verse 26, For God giveth to a
man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy. And I know that what I have is
from God. I don't doubt that in the slightest. And none of it is because I did
it or deserve it. I know that the proper attitude
toward these things is God's gift. If we have any humility, it wasn't
worked up by us, that's for sure. Here's the key, verse 26, you
see the word good? God giveth to a man that is good. Now we know there's none good,
no not one, we all know that, but there are good men made good by the grace of God,
and that's who he's talking about here. The good man, God giveth
to a man that is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge,
and joy. And he's sanctified and made
holy by the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, And he's justified
and redeemed and righteous by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And having a new heart and a
new nature by the Spirit of God. And God gives to that man or
woman many earthly blessings, but he gives something else also. He gives wisdom. You notice what
that says? Wisdom. and knowledge and joy
so that they can enjoy these gifts. Wisdom. You have wisdom? Look at 1 Corinthians chapter
1, if you will, please. 1 Corinthians chapter 1, talking about wisdom here that
God gives. Wisdom, 1 Corinthians 1, verse
21, 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom
knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching
to save them, that believe, for the Jews require sign, and the
Greeks seek after wisdom. But we preach Christ crucified
under the Jews the stumbling block, and under the Greeks foolishness,
but under them which are called both Jews and Greeks Christ,
the power of God." And look at this. The wisdom of God. So this wisdom is a who? The wisdom we have is a who,
a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. This wisdom that enables you
to enjoy the mercies and blessings of God is a person, our Lord
Jesus Christ. And that's all the way you can
enjoy the things of God is through the Lord Jesus Christ. And wisdom
that He gives enables us to understand that true riches are not material
but spiritual, our relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. And we understand that because
we have wisdom. I'm a wise man. You're a wise
person. I'm a wise man. Not because I
worked it up, but because he gave it through Christ. And Moses
saw that material things were not the real blessings. Hebrews
chapter 11. Hebrews chapter 11. And you and I know this because
we're wise, that material things are not the real blessing. Hebrews
11 and verse 24, 11-24, By faith Moses, when he was come
to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to
enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach
of Christ's greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he
had respect under the recompense of the reward. And God gave him
wisdom And He has given you and me wisdom
to know that it all came from Him by His grace in Christ and
that the true riches are the Lord Jesus Christ. What would
you rather have? Christ or ten million dollars? Well, what a silly question that
is for you who know the Lord Jesus. You're not interested
in money. To give you a little bean money
in your pocket, you're happy. And I am too. But everything in the material
world will perish, but He never will. That's wisdom, and we know
that. There are a lot of people who
have material blessings, houses bigger than yours, and cars and
clothes finer than yours, but they don't enjoy it. They don't
like it, because they do not have wisdom. Wisdom. All these ball players
get millions of dollars and they go out and get hooked on drugs
and gambling and now they have nothing. They don't even have
the millions of dollars left because they didn't have wisdom
and they've given all that away. They don't enjoy life because
they have no wisdom. But God gives to His people wisdom. Wisdom. A nickel's enough, isn't
it? If beans are a nickel a dozen,
we'll get a dozen and be happy. And they may be a nickel a dozen
now. I don't know how much they cost. It's all in Christ. Remember,
true riches are not in possessions, but in the Redeemer. And we see
things that are not seen. Our inheritance, I will inherit. We're moving off down to Galveston,
but that's not an inheritance. That's something we're going
to rent out so we can stay out of the rain. But one of these
glad days before long, we will have our true inheritance, and
also we'll have joy and satisfaction when we awake with His likeness. Isn't that going to be wonderful?
What are you going to look like? You awake with his likeness.
Well, you still look like you do now to a certain degree, I'm
sure, but there's going to be a lot of improvements. Paul had the true riches. He
said, I know how to suffer, want, and I know how to abound. Do you know how to suffer want
and you know how to abound? Do you know how to have plenty
of money and you know how to have none? We've been through those cases. I don't know how many things
we paid out by the month $5 a month. We used to do that back yonder.
They'd let you pay $5 a month. And if we moved off somewhere,
we'd go in the store and say, now we'll send you that five
dollars every month. And they'd say, that's fine,
just send her on in. That didn't take us three or
four years finally to pay something off. Isn't that wonderful, pay
something off? Back there, that was big money,
you know. Five dollars was big money then. If I have plenty, God gave it
to me, and I will enjoy what He gave. And this wisdom enables
us to hold strongly to the Lord and to hold lightly to possessions,
ready always to thank God. for the true riches, and to thank
God for all those other things, but ready always to give them
up without Him having to break our arm to get them away from
us. We'll give them to Him gladly, gladly. Then one has to have
wisdom to acquire knowledge. Wisdom enables knowledge to hold
on to that which is valuable and to use and improve the good
things of life. Knowledge gives the strength
and power to do things, but wisdom directs knowledge in the right
path. And that's the reason we have
here in verse 6, God giveth to a man that's good in his sight
wisdom and knowledge and joy. We'll get to that joy in just
a minute. We have knowledge, but what do
we know? What do you know, this knowledge? Well, Paul said, I know whom
I have believed. I know that. I know the source of every blessing
is my Lord. He giveth and taketh away. I
know the Son of God has come and given us an understanding. I know that all things work together
for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according
to his purpose. I know that. I know the earth is the Lord's
and the fullness thereof. I know how to be content. I know
it's more blessed to give than to receive. Now, that's wisdom. Wisdom applies knowledge. Do you understand what I'm saying? Wisdom applies knowledge. And we cannot apply knowledge
rightly without wisdom, and just knowing facts can be dangerous
and misused. And I know that when He shall
appear, we shall see Him as He is and be just like Him. And the Lord has given us knowledge
of Him and wisdom in the use of that knowledge. So we have
wisdom, we have knowledge, and now the third thing is joy. Joy. Then He gives joy. You have wisdom, you have knowledge,
and then you have joy. And He gives that to the good
man. And I told you who the good man
was. He's the man that knows the Lord
Jesus in the forgiveness of sin. And he's a good man. He's the
one who has Christ's righteousness. And Christ is that joy, whether
we be young or old. He's our joy. I'm looking forward to getting
down yonder and see about the joy of the Lord. We know that sorrow endureth
for the night, but joy cometh in the morning. We know that,
don't we? God giveth to a man joy, and
our joy is not in things, our joy is in him who gives things. That man can enjoy all the mercies
God has heaped upon him in this life, and they are better as
the years go by not getting old and mean and depressed. Sometime I'm that way. Are you
ever that way? Well, you're not old. Yeah, Miss
Goff is getting old now. You're getting that way, but
you're not mean and depressed. You're just getting old. I'm getting old. Oh, well, so
what? Did what? Well, I'm glad you
don't. I'm so glad. You don't look old. You look younger than I do. I
believe you are in reality. You're just telling people you're
that old. We love you, honey. I tell you
what, you're loved by all these people in this church. I love you. Good, I'm glad. Solomon got mean and old and
depressed for a little while, but he came out of it. I'm glad
he did. Verse 26, the last part, let's
see here, it says this. to heap up, that he may give
to him that is good before God. For God giveth to a man that
is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy, and then
but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that
he may give to him that is good. You see what that does? The one
who is a sinner, God gives him to veil, to gather and to heap
up. Why? That he may give to him
that's good before God. In other words, he's going to
give everything he has to somebody that knows the Lord. You see
that? Isn't that wonderful? That's
what that means. We're all sinners, but he's talking
here about the materialistic unbeliever. These are the ones
who control most of the wealth of this world, and to that person
God gives travail. And because they're in travail,
they gather and heap up, but they don't have the knowledge
of Him who gave it, nor the wisdom to use it properly, nor the grace
to enjoy it. What can they do? Well, they
work harder, they accumulate more, they reach for more honors
and glory. And that's all I know. Let's
get more and more. Someone asked J.C. Penney how
much it would take to satisfy someone, and he said, more. More. More. Always more. More. Always working to keep what they
have. and add to it never any comfort
or real peace and joy, and they always fight for more. And then when they've gone, they
leave this world, and they will. The relatives fight over the
money. I've seen the fights on television
that they're having, that that whatever her name was, she died. The Lord just killed her, killed
her son, killed her. fighting over that old man's
money. I believe she really loved him.
That's the only reason she married him. She loved him. Don't you
believe that? My goodness, y'all are doubters. I know that that old man loved
her and she loved him. And if he didn't have a nickel
in this world, she'd have still married him. Because he was her
love. Y'all don't know much about love,
do you? Oh man, what they leave is God's gift. They have only travail
and sorrow with it. Now this is the truth of it here. This says here that he may give to him that is good before
God. I told you what that meant. These
great tycoons are never happy. They always travail. They never
have a peaceful day. And why? That he may give. You sit at your table tomorrow
and you eat good things. Where did you get it? You got it from Him who's making
millions and is always into avail. He's your servant. He's your servant. He builds
a service station for you to buy gas at. And they build hospitals to take
care of God's people. and all their travail and work
to heap up and gather up, God used it to bless His people. You've got to work somewhere. You've got to eat something. And surely He didn't make the
food we ate yesterday. But who made it? Well, old Sam
Walton did. He made it and packaged it and
made millions doing it. Then he died. But he's feeding
God's people. And God put all of them in business
just for the sake of his children, that you might have food. Oh boy, this also is vanity and vexation
of spirit. You see that? Not to us, but
if that old boy knew he was just serving God's church, he'd be
very unhappy. He might shut everything down.
God said to Pharaoh, for this same purpose have I raised you
up, that I might get glory in you. That's all they're raised
up for, Sam Walton and all the rest of the jillionaires. God raised them up, and God raised
up Pharaoh, why? To set Israel free. And God raised
up all the rich moguls for the happiness, joy, and well-being
of His Church. Is it wrong to enjoy this life? No, it's very right. Very right. Now it's time to eat. We're going
to get out of here, and what are we going to do? We're going
to go and enjoy some food that these billionaires put together
for us. We'll go right over there and
eat some things that they made for us. Verse 24, there's nothing
better for a man than that he should eat and drink and that
he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also
I saw. that it was from the hand of
God. And the more good things you
have means that God Almighty has blessed
you more and more and more. And He just keeps giving you
things from the rich people. He takes from them and gives
it to you. And they make more money, of
course. They make money and they make
more money. Then comes the day that they
turn their toes up. And then what? They're gone. Somebody else take over all that
money making deal. And then they'll die. But we
have to have them in order to have something to eat. So don't
get mad at the rich people. Just take their food and eat
it and enjoy it. And pay them for
it. Get them more richer than they
are. And is it wrong to enjoy things in
this life? It's the rightest thing in the
world because God gave those things to you. Now, as far as
I know, this is the last time I'll ever preach from this pulpit. Now, I may, I'll come back, and
if there's an opening here and you want me to speak to you,
I'll probably do that. But, as far as I know, this is
the last official time that I'll preach from this pulpit. I have thoroughly enjoyed it. 28 years. I'm glad I've been here 28 years. And the movers will come Friday
and pack everything up. And then Saturday, we'll all take
off down for the Big Island. And Saturday night we'll be moved
in there. And after that, who knows? Only God knows. Let's stand for
prayer. Lord, our gratefulness is is
so huge that we can't even begin to tell you how much we've enjoyed
these 28 years. You know, we thank Thee for every hour of it that we
spent here. We give Thee praise and honor
and glory And we thank thee in the name of the Lord Jesus,
our blessed Savior. Bless these dear people. Bless
this good church. The Lord raise up a pastor. You
already have one, but people don't know where he is. So I
pray you'll lead and guide them to the right pastor. And may he come and do a good
job of preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus. Supply every need they have. I pray in Christ's holy name. Amen. God bless you.