together tonight at Ecclesiastes
chapter 7. The book of Ecclesiastes chapter
7. It's a good group here tonight.
It's wonderful to see all of you here and have this opportunity
to gather together again as a church family to worship our Lord. It's
such a blessing to have brothers and sisters in Christ that we
can fellowship with and have peace and the same hope. One faith, one hope, one Lord.
Ecclesiastes chapter seven, verse number two. Scripture says, it is better
to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting. For that is the end of all men
and the living will take it to his heart. I remember our pastor preached
a message from this verse. It's been several years ago now,
and so as I prepared my notes, it wouldn't surprise me if it's
all the same points. There's nothing new under the
sun, right? And that would be great. It would
be great if it were. But the wise preacher states
here by inspiration of the spirit of God that between the house
of mourning and the house of feasting that it's better That
is, it's more profitable to go to the house of mourning. Now,
I think we would all admit that it's more desirable for us to
go to the house of feasting than to the house of mourning. We
would rather go to the house of feasting. I know I would.
What is that? Speaking of feasting, it's really
the same word as would be used for a banquet. You know, you
go to a banquet and there's great food, good desserts, a good selection
of drinks, you know, a banquet. And, you know, we all love to
go to a banquet. And Solomon doesn't state that
there's no value or no good in going to the house of feasting.
That's not what he says here. In fact, throughout this book,
he encourages men and women to enjoy life as much as possible,
accepting sin. Look at this with me, Ecclesiastes. Turn back to chapter 2. Let's
look at a couple of verses here. Chapter 2 and verse 24. The point I'm making here is
that he doesn't state that there's no value, no good in going to
the house of feasting. Verse 24 of chapter two, he says,
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 look at chapter
nine with me, verse number seven. Chapter nine, verse number seven.
He said, go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy
wine with a merry heart, for God now accepteth thy works. Let thy garments be always white,
and let thy head lack no ointment. Live joyfully with the wife whom
thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity. But she hath
given thee under the sun all the days of thy vanity. For that
is that portion in this life and in thy labor, which thou
takest under the sun. But having said that, he doesn't
say that there's no value in the house of feasting. He does
say that the house of mourning is more profitable for us. It's
more profitable. It's definitely more profitable
than the house of sinful feasting. There is a house of sinful feasting
and all that we could learn that there's no good for us there.
Not for the believer, there's nothing good for us there. For
the grace of God that bring us salvation hath appeared to all
men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts,
we should live righteously, soberly, righteously, and godly in this
present world. So he's, the house of feasting,
there's no good for us in that sinful house of feasting. But
it's also better than the house of innocent feasting. Not just
sinful, there is an innocent feasting and it's better than
that house. You know, Christianity was never
meant to make people, to make believers, Christians miserable.
It's actually the opposite of that. True Christianity has more
of a tendency to give us joy and contentment. We're the only
ones who should have any joy or contentment. Our Lord, he performed his first
miracle at a wedding feast, didn't he? What's a wedding? It's a
house of feasting. It's a banquet. He was accused
of being a winebibber and a gluttonous man. Why is that? Because he
attended the house of innocent feasting. And so he was accused
of being a wine beaver and a gluttonous man. And that first miracle where
he turned the water into wine, into the best wine that was served
at that wedding. And Solomon doesn't say that
the house of mourning is morally better than the house of feasting. He doesn't make that statement.
And he doesn't say that there's more virtue in weeping and in
sorrowing than in joy and in rejoicing. You know, as a matter
of fact, we have several verses that tell us to rejoice in the
Lord, to rejoice in Him always. I don't know of any verses that
tell us to weep in the Lord always, but several that tell us to rejoice
in the Lord always. So it seems very strange to say
it, But according to this scripture, we are told that it's better
for us to go to the house of mourning than to the house of
feasting. Seems strange, doesn't it? It
does to me as you just read that. It seems strange. What's the
house of mourning? Talked a little bit about the
house of feasting. What's the house of mourning? It's what
in our day we would call a funeral. That's the house of mourning,
the funeral. And no human lives, any time at all, gets to escape that house of
mourning. If we live any time at all in
this world, we are not able to escape the house of mourning.
Doesn't matter if we're rich or poor. Doesn't matter what
station we have in life, if we're a king or a beggar. It makes
no difference. None of us get to escape the
house of mourning. Sometimes we go there as visitors
to try to console others who are mourning the loss of one
of their loved ones. Isn't that a helpless feeling? to try to console someone who's
lost someone that they love so much. It's such a helpless feeling,
isn't it? It is for me, such a helpless
feeling. But sometimes we go there to
do our best to try to console as much as we can. And sometimes
it's us that needs consoling. But none of us escape it. But not all who go there profit
from it. Many will go to a funeral, those
lost, and leave with a harder heart than when they got there,
more defiant and less cognizant of the fact that God gives every
breath that we have, and he takes it away. We're told about Ahaz that in
the time of his distress, he did trespass yet more and more
against the Lord. So it's just not automatic that
if someone goes to the house of mourning that it's going to
profit them. It's not automatic that it's going to profit us.
But by God's grace, there are many who are profited by visiting
the house of mourning. David said, before I was afflicted,
I went astray. But now I have kept thy word.
See, the house of mourning. Solomon here in Ecclesiastes,
I believe, is speaking of a funeral, but there's many ways to visit
the house of mourning. It's not just at a funeral. And
David said, before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I have
kept your word. And we read of Manasseh. What
a horrible case, Manasseh. When he, the scripture says,
when he was in afflictions, he sought the Lord his God and humbled
himself greatly before the God of his fathers. Talking about
the God of all grace, you read the story of King Manasseh. Not only did he sin so greatly,
but caused the whole nation to sin. And yet when he was taken
captive into that other country and he sought the Lord, the scripture
tells us that the Lord heard his cry and restored him. He's
the God of all grace, isn't he? So he profited from his affliction.
So I've talked a little bit about the house of feasting and the
house of mourning. Here's the question now. Why
is it better to go to the house of mourning? I know it is because
the scripture tells us. Why is it better to go to the
house of mourning? Well, thankfully, Solomon doesn't
leave us to ourselves to figure it out. He actually tells us
here. Notice back here in our chapter,
Ecclesiastes 7, verse number 2. He said, it's better to go to
the house of mourning than to the house of feasting, for that
is the end of all men. and the living will lay it to
his heart. You see, that's the end of all
men. Some die young, and some die in middle age, and some die
in old age. But unless the Lord Jesus Christ
comes before it's our time to die, all of us, that's, like
the scripture says, that's the end of all of us, the end of
all men. This is something we all have
in common unless the Lord Jesus Christ comes back soon. We will
all be there, not as visitors, not to console others or to be
consoled, but because it's time for our burial, our funeral. Look at chapter 12 with me, Ecclesiastes
chapter 12. Chapter 12, verse 1. Remember. Every letter in my Bible there
is capitalized. I think it probably is in yours. That probably means something.
We need to pay attention to this. Remember now thy creator in the
days of thy youth. What I could say tonight to all
of us, it doesn't matter if we're young or old, remember now our
creator in whatever day that we're in, whether it's a youth,
middle age, old age. But notice he says, while the
evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say,
I have no pleasure in them. while the sun, or the light,
or the moon, or the stars be not darkened, nor the clouds
return after the rain. In the day when the keepers of
the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves,
and the grinders cease because they're few, and those that look
out of the windows be darkened, and the doors shall be shut in
the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall
rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music
shall be brought low. Also, when they shall be afraid
of that which is high, and fear shall be in the way, and the
almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden,
and desire shall fail, because man goeth to his long home, and
the mourners go about the streets, wherever the silver cord be loosed,
or the golden bow be broken. or the pitcher be broken at the
fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then shall the
dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return
unto God who gave it. You know, even in the fallen
state, this body is such an amazing creation that as soon Just the
very instant that our spirit returns to God who gave it to
us, this body begins to turn back to the dust. And not till
that time. Isn't that amazing? God's creation,
so, so amazing. Remember now your creator in
the days of your youth. You say, man, is there some good
news? You give me some bad news here
this day of morning. What about some good news? Well,
we have to hear the bad news to hear the good news. Look with
me, if you would, at Isaiah chapter 40. Isaiah chapter 40. It's the last passage I'll have
you turn to. Isaiah chapter 40. This is a wonderful passage of
scripture. Isaiah 40 verse one, Comfort
ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak you comfortably
to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished,
that her iniquity is pardoned, for she hath received of the
Lord's hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth
in the wilderness. Here's a prophecy of John the
Baptist. The voice of him that crieth
in the wilderness. Prepare ye the way of the Lord.
Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall
be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and
the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain, and
the glory of the Lord shall be revealed. Who is the glory of
the Lord? That's the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Lamb
of God. And all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. You see, this chapter
starts with some wonderful news, doesn't it? this prophecy concerning
the forerunner of the Lord Jesus Christ and how every mountain
would be knocked down and every valley would be raised and the
Lord who had been promised since the very beginning would come.
But then notice verse number six. The voice said, cry. He said, what shall I cry? All
flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the
field. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the spirit
of the Lord bloweth upon it. Surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower
fadeth." You see, good news, bad news, and good news. The word of our God shall stand
forever. Oh, Zion, that bringest good
tidings, get thee up into the high mountain. Oh, Jerusalem,
that bringest good tidings, good news, lift up thy voice with
strength, lift it up and be not afraid. Say unto the cities of
Judah, behold your God, behold the Lamb of God. Behold, the
Lord God will come with strong hand and his arm shall rule for
him. Behold, his reward is with him
and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like
a shepherd. He shall gather the lambs with
his arm and carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead those
that are with young. Now look down, if you would,
to verse number 25. The Lord says, to whom then will
you liken me, or shall I be equal, saith the Holy One. Lift up your
eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that
bringeth out their hosts by number. He calleth them all by names,
by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power,
not one fails. Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and
speakest, O Israel, my way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment
is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? Hast thou
not heard? that the everlasting God, the
Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth, he faints not,
neither is weary. There's no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint,
and to them that have no might, he increases strength. Even the
youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly
fall. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.
They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and
not be weary. and they shall walk and not faint. You see, the word of our God
shall stand forever. Yes, the end of all of us is
the house of mourning. Unless the Lord comes back before
then, he could. But if he doesn't, that's the
end. But the word of the Lord still abides forever. Even though
this body is going to go back to the dust from which it came
from, God's word still abides and his people will continue
to draw their strength from him. And then notice back in the last
statement here in our text in Ecclesiastes chapter 7 verse
2. Scripture says that the living
will lay it to his heart. It's better to go to the house
of mourning than to the house of feasting, for that is the
end of all men, and the living will lay it to his heart. First
of all, we will lay it to heart that we will soon be the reason
the living will come together to mourn. That's something that
we should take away from every house of mourning that we go
to. Soon, people will come together to mourn for us. For it's appointed
unto men once to die, and after this, to judgment. But we should
also lay at the heart and be reminded that God is true to
his word. God is true to his word. to every
word that he's given us. He warned Adam, didn't he? He
said, of the tree, but of the tree of knowledge of good and
evil, thou shalt not eat of it. For in the day that thou eatest
thereof, thou shalt surely die. And in your marginal reading
in that verse, it says, in dying, thou shalt die. God's true to
his word, isn't he? He told our father, Adam, who
represented us, don't eat of that fruit, for if you do, die
and you shall surely die. Sin, scripture says the wages
of sin is death. Sin must be awful to have that
for its payment. And none escape. None escape. We won't escape. Humanly speaking,
I've been to funerals of some really, really good people. But
God's true to his word. And in Adam, we all sin. And
in ourselves, we've sinned. But see, there's also good news. He didn't stop speaking. When he said that to Adam, that
wasn't the last thing that he said. That's way back at the
very beginning of the word of God. And not long after that,
the good news starts. That the seed of the woman's
going to crush the head of the serpent. God's going to execute
all the good things that he promised also. Not just the things in
accordance with this justice, but also all the promises, all
the promises in Christ Jesus that are yay and amen. He will
execute all of those. You remember on the Mount of
Transfiguration when the Lord was transfigured before Peter,
James, and John? And Peter, not knowing what to
say, I'm sure I'd have said something a lot worse. Can you imagine
being there and seeing your Lord transfigured before you to begin
to shine as the sun in the noonday? No wonder, Peter. If he said anything,
it was going to be the wrong thing. But he said, Lord, it's
good for us to be here. Let us make three tabernacles.
We'll make one for Moses and one for Elijah and one for you. And you remember, God spoke and
said, this is my beloved son. Hear you him. Hearken to him. What did he say? He said this. He said, no man
can come unto me. Except my father, which has sent
me, draw him. Are we coming to the Lord Jesus
Christ tonight? Are we? Are you believing in
the Lord Jesus Christ tonight? Then, you know, it's only because,
as our Lord said, God the Father has drawn us with cords of love. He's drawn us unto his son. And what else? That's not the
end of that verse. He said, and I will raise him up at the last
day. Yes, our bodies will be taken
and they'll be laid in the ground, but they're not going to stay
there. One day, the Lord Jesus Christ
is going to come again with a sound of the trumpet and the The shout
of the archangel and all of those who have died in the Lord Jesus
Christ and have been buried are going to be raised in an instant
in an incorruptible body. One that can never die again.
One that can never sin again. One that can never suffer again.
One that can never know another tear or sorrow. We should lay
it to heart. Lay it to heart, God is true
to his word. The wages of sin is death, but,
once again, the gospel doesn't stop with the bad news, but the
gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. That's
what we should take from the house of mourning. In closing,
I say again, of course, we would all rather go to the house of
feasting. And thank God if we can go to the house of feasting
and get some spiritual good out of it. We should be able to,
shouldn't we? That God would allow a rebel
like me, a sinner like me to enjoy any good of his hand in
this world. Any good. And yet he's allowed
me to visit a banquet. Where at the end, I think of
going to my parents' house, my mom, she always prepares a banquet.
I've never seen where at the end there wasn't some left. And
I've seen some people come that could eat a lot, including me. God's bounty, his goodness, his
mercy to us. We don't deserve any of that,
do we? We should be able to profit spiritually from the house of
feasting. But Solomon, like us, he was no different than we are. And he said that it's more profitable,
it's better for us to attend the house of mourning. Why? Because
it's there that we should become more cognizant, more aware of
the thrice holy God, and of the fact that that's not the end,
that we're going to meet this God when we leave this world.
After this, the scripture says, the judgment. And that we better
make our calling and election sure that we be found in the
Lord Jesus Christ. I had another passage, but I'm
not going to go there. But when you get the opportunity,
go read Luke 16, 19 through 31, the story of the rich man and
Lazarus. They both went to the house of
mourning, but they woke up in different places. And apart from
the Lord Jesus Christ, the house of mourning is not the end of
mourning, but for the believer, but for the believer. It's the
beginning of our entrance into our heavenly father's kingdom
that the Lord Jesus has prepared for us. May the Lord bless his
word. Brother Bill, if you would lead
us in a hymn and we'll be dismissed with this song. All right, let's all stand and
turn to number 512. 512. Saved by grace.