Anthem Church

Part 2: Solomon transitions his intensity into true wisdom literature as he gives us some important life advice.

Solomon transitions his intensity into true wisdom literature as he gives us some important life advice.

Chapter six is an exhortation for those of us who are control freaks. Solomon reminds us that we cannot control the future, and even if we could...it would take 1.21 Jigawatts.

What's vanity? Why is Joe at work constantly trying to make you look bad? Why is it so hard to get off of our dependance of foreign oil? Why do small forwards from Cleveland leave their home state for a sweet deal in Miami with no regard for loyalty or roots? How is it that after our tax dollars provide the biggest bailouts in U.S. history, that the recipients of those bailouts still receive bonuses that are 8-digits long? Why do you and I try and make the gospel say something it doesn't so we can hold on to wealth and assets we've worked so hard for? The answer is money.

One of the great causes of loneliness in our world is the busy schedule. We are working so much, moving so fast that we do not have time for people and relationships. And we wonder why there is the ache of emptiness inside. You were not created to be alone. You were created to share life, to be part of relationships. Your life was created to be integrated with others.

Our DNA is fractured, the gospel call goes out, God awakens the heart to regeneration, to hear, to care, to move, that leads to repentance and faith and salvation , and then the process of sanctification begins until we die.

When you've got money, when you've got food, when you've got health, when your kids are listening and being obedient, when there's laughter, when it's a time to build up, we should be able to drink deeply and enjoy life. Likewise, this passage exhorts us to enjoy life when there's no food and there's no money and health is waning and death is present and children are not being obedient and everything feels so heavy and so exhausting. Jesus is so intimately involved in your design and where He put you and when He placed you, it enables us to let go and trust that He's in control regardless of our circumstances.

There is nothing intrinsic within a man's soul that will allow him lasting enjoyment anywhere on earth. There is nothing intrinsic within the soul of man that will let him,for a long period of time, enjoy any of his work, any of his food, any of his toil. Everybody ascribes to the philosophy that what's going to satisfy us is more of what we already posses.

Even the wisest man couldn't defy the nature of humanity. There was one man after Solomon who was wiser than he. He was offered a crown, power, honor and adoration. But he stayed close to the heart of God. So his life looked remarkably different from Solomon's. He did not spend his life on earthly achievements and personal glory. He resisted temptation and did the unthinkable. With all the privilege that Solomon was afforded, Jesus could have had far more but he chose the Cross. So how are we supposed to spend our lives?

Jesus is the one who is the difference maker. Jesus is the one who can make sense of that which seems pointless. Jesus is the one who brings clarity. Jesus is the one that is certainty. Jesus is solely, only, totally, thoroughly the beginning and end of wisdom.

Solomon tells us that progress is an illusion. That nothing changes, nothing is new. And if we listen to the spin-zone of progress that culture is trying to sell, we will become intimidated to tell a very old story. A world without Jesus is pointless. You striving after vapor, after wind. No one apart from God can do something NEW or CHANGE the world. But with Jesus, the world has color when for every one else it's black and white. Without Jesus, nothing is change, nothing is new, all is vanity. But with him...their is a different reality.

Vanity is an expository preaching series through the book of Ecclesiastes. In this series of proverbial sayings, we discover that so much in our world doesn't really matter. The vanity of our pursuits leads us to temporary fulfillment in vaporous things. In light of this, the somber Solomon exhorts us to the chief end of life: to obey and glorify God.

We will close out the series on Ephesians as Pastor Allen returns to the pulpit. We'll see Paul's teaching on spiritual warfare which couldn't be better timed with the intense events of the last month.

Jesus is not only Lord of the heavens and the earth; He is also Lord of your cubicle. For many people, faith in Jesus has nothing to do with work. This week, we will see that Jesus has a will about our workplace, and about how we interact with our bosses and co-workers. Whether you're boss is more like Jack Donaghy or Michael Scott, don't miss hearing what the Bible has to say about the workplace.

God's picture for our families is perfect. However, it is made imperfect by those unwilling to embrace (and understand) submission in a biblical context. Submission is a dirty Christian word in desperate need of redeeming, especially in the family. Starting with the day we say "I do", we've stepped into God's metaphor for the Church and its complementary design. On Sunday we will shine some light on why this picture tends to be so controversial and why, instead, it should be celebrated.

What if you were told that by asking one question your entire life could radically change? What if by applying this question to all of life's circumstances you would avoid many of the hardships, pitfalls and frustrations you regularly find yourself in? What if such a question actually existed? Well, it does. So get ready for the greatest question...ever.

Ever wonder if Christianity is only saying a prayer, knowing the right language and voting the right way? Can someone who truly loves Jesus reject the life they were meant to live? This Sunday we will learn that you can say "Christ is Lord" and still be one of the Sons of Disobedience.

Is it possible to grieve the Holy Spirit? Listen in as Paul unfolds this issue in Ephesians 4:26-32.