S69E3 | When MEANINGLESS is MEANINGFUL | The Reality of Death | Rev. Nick Korir

Now for those that are visiting we are continuing with a series that we titled when meaningless is Meaningful it's based out of the book of Ecclesiastes and this is our third Portion of this series. We began by looking at the monotony of life. We looked at chapter 1 to chapter 3 We went to the poverty of wealth last Sunday and today we are looking at the reality of death We're looking at the reality of death from chapter 7 to chapter 10 So if you're seated next to a visitor tell them oh yeah, yeah, this is the service you chose to come for you know But we'll try and make it encouraging amen All right, so as we prepare ourselves to dive into the message for the day I'd like to do a quick activity Stand up if this is true about you. Okay, as soon as I say the statement just stand up I'm trying to test how honest our congregation is Buenos Fuesana. So tell your neighbor no shame. It's okay Just be yourself. Just be real. Okay, so please Stand up if you've ever opened your Bible up to be able to refer to the scriptures and by you know By mistake you ended up on WhatsApp and stayed there for quite a while During the service stand up if you're honest, please stand up Yeah, Taffa Dali. Let's see how many here are honest. Okay Those who are seated will continue to pray for you amen All right, you can take your seats stand up if you have ever now Relax, I'm not going to catch feelings on this one Stand up if you have ever fallen asleep during a salmon Dude if you have ever fallen asleep during a salmon and if you have ever fallen asleep during a salmon Now if you're seated, please tell the people standing may God forgive you All right now Stand up if you have ever told someone I'm only five minutes away Five minutes and even you you and Google Maps knows that you are not five minutes away Stand up if that applies to you. Okay, please stand up May the Lord forgive you. Okay Stand up if you have any clothes either in your wardrobe in your suitcase at home Wherever it is any clothes that you have you still have but you have not worn for the past one year Okay, so to go in now remain standing remain standing Remain standing Please turn to your neighbor and tell them can you go and pack those clothes and bring them to church next Sunday? For our clothes bank Please tell them bring them to our clothes bank Amen, okay, you can have your seat you can have your seats Stand up if there is someone in your life that you love but Recently you've not gotten the time To actually communicate to them that you love them or that you appreciate them For one reason or the other just in the recent past you sense today you you you haven't Yeah, you haven't been able to tell them in the recent past or in the distant past You've not told someone that you care about that you appreciate that you really appreciate them or you care about them Thank you. Thank you. You may have your seats Now the final one Stand up if if you keep saying this statement One day I'll do this or one day. I'll do that If if if you if you've ever said that say one day I'll do this or One day I'll do that if you've ever told yourself that one day. I'll do this one day I'll do this now before you sit turn to your neighbor and tell them this is your salmon And if someone is seated tell them tell them this is your salmon also Okay, you're welcome to take your seats. All right, please take your seats my brothers and sisters There's a road That every single one of us are on Unfortunately this road cannot be found on Google Maps But each and every one of us is on this road and is moving at exactly the same pace one day at a time one heartbeat at a time and Every single one of us are moving Towards the same destination the same destination and That's the destination that we'd like to talk about this morning. The destination is death You know, there's some there's some appointments in life that you can postpone You can you know postpone a meeting or move a meeting you can reschedule a flight You can even ask for the extension of a project that you're involved in You can even postpone a wedding My wife and I postpone our wedding by two years. Let's just say that's a story for another day But the book of ecclesiasties Introduces to us an appointment that no human being can move That no human being can reschedule that no human being can extend or postpone or cancel and that is the appointment with death Because when I was born God already had my birth certificate and My death certificate ready Because the Bible reminds me in the book of Psalm 139 each and every one of my days were already numbered Before even one of them came to be What happens nowadays in life is we do everything that we can to put death out of sight We even spend money and as much money as we can to try and look younger and to try and feel younger We try everything we can to delay the signs or any sign of aging that is appearing You know, we celebrate births. We celebrate weddings publicly But unfortunately we grieve very privately the word the word death Feels so final That nowadays we don't even use it We don't say my loved one has died. We say they have passed away. It even feels better Because death is so final We began a series in the book of ecclesiasties and on the first Sunday Solomon exposed to us the vanity of chasing after meaning and happiness and Significance under the Sun and the challenge that he gave us is we need to not just chase it under the Sun We need to chase it under the Sun with an O under the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ under our God We need to recognize the place of God as we chase for happiness and meaning last Sunday we were confronted on the truth of how poverty hides inside wealth and We looked at that together, but we looked at more importantly how God gives us an even greater Gift than the wealth and the riches that many times we pursue the greater gift is the ability to enjoy That which God has given us that is God's greatest gift to us But today allow me my brothers and sisters to hold your hand and walk you and I into the house of morning because In ecclesiasties Solomon says this house of morning has deep wisdom This is where true wisdom lies You know the chapters that we're trying to look at today chapter 7 to chapter 10 of ecclesiasties are the least quoted portions of the book of Ecclesiasties and it is the least Preached portion of the book of Ecclesiasties maybe because it has a dense stretch of Proverbs for four chapters we see Solomon bringing out Proverbs and warnings and hard sayings and Through this section of the book at the core of these dense Proverbs and hard sayings that he says is a truth That he brings out and today I'd like us to encounter this truth and the truth he brings out is the significance of death and What he brings out is the meaningful nature of one of the most Confusing and one of the most heartbreaking Seasons that any of us can ever go through and for those of you that have gone through grief You know how confusing how meaningless and how many times heartbreaking it is and you ask yourself Is there any significance in this and Solomon brings out one of the most significant things about death Let's turn together to Ecclesiasties chapter 7 Ecclesiasties chapter 7 Ecclesiasties chapter 7 and he introduces this discussion about death with a statement a good name Verse one is better than fine perfume the day of death is better Than the day of birth So please help me just a little neighbor at a what how can the day of death Be better than the day of birth And I think it's because you know a child when a child is born They are born to a blank slate when a child is born their story is not yet written and there's so much unknown about that child But in contrast when someone dies or at death death Represents a completed sentence death represents a story that is now finished death Represents a story that is now complete it has been written the character has been revealed the influence has been felt the legacy has been formed Then he continues in verse 2 it is better to go to a house of mourning Then to go to a house of feasting I think what Solomon is saying is that a party Can distract us from reality a party can temporarily withdraw us from reality But a funeral is different because the nature of a funeral is a funeral Confronc not distracts it confronts you with reality and Solomon says there's something that you can learn in the house of mourning that you will never be able to learn in the house of feasting Unfortunately for us too many times we structure our calendars in a way To avoid Anything that reminds us of death in fact we feel our weekends with as much noise as possible so that we can many times escape the very uncomfortable silence That we find That raises some very difficult questions about what we're going through Today I actually don't expect too many amends even Peters Yeah, I don't expect too many amends for this message Because I expect us to experience today a very uncomfortable silence because of the questions that Solomon raises Solomon is not asking this question. He's not asking. Are you ready? To die that is not the question that Solomon is asking here in Ecclesiastes In contrast the question that Solomon is asking you and I today is since you are Definitely going to die Are you ready to live? That's the question that he brings out. Are you ready to live? Since you will die. Are you ready to live the salmon today is titled death gives life death gives life and very briefly From the portion of scripture that we're looking at from chapter 7 to chapter 10. I would like to bring out two things that Solomon says death exposes death exposes two things about our lives now the first one I've titled it death exposes our cologne Okay, nowadays do we still call it cologne? Or we call it what we call fragrance perfume nini is of it is okay, but that's the context I've called it and you'll see why I've called it our cologne death exposes our cologne and number two death exposes our control Let's look at the first one death Exposes our cologne in verse one of chapter 7 is where he gives this image of perfume Image of cologne. He says a good name is better than fine perfume The day of death is better than the day of birth Solomon begins this discourse about death by contrasting What fades and what remains? He's trying to make a very clear distinction about what fades and what remains and he uses the image of perfume Because perfume is a powerful picture of the temporary nature of our lives You spray perfume in the morning and When you walk into your office or you walk into the matri or wherever it is Everybody is and the impact of that perfume is instantly felt but gradually During the day what happens to that fragrance it does what it fades and by evening What was once difficult to ignore? What was once? attention grabbing by evening what happens it's barely noticeable now perfume is about impression a Good name is about character perfume changes how people Experience you for a moment Character changes how people remember you for a lifetime perfume is external Character is internal perfume can be purchased Character must be built perfume can be applied Instantly character develops over lifetime perfume can cover unpleasant smell character Continues to reveal who you really are perfume affects people when they are present Character continues to affect people even when you're absent ultimately perfume fades But character remains and builds a legacy perfume announces your arrival but perfume cannot secure your survival you know when people gather at your funeral I Bet you they will not talk about your square footage They'll not talk about your title They'll not talk about your bank balance. They'll not talk about the plots of land that you owned They will not talk about the model of your car They will not talk about how many followers you accumulated during your lifetime Because all this is your cologne All this is your perfume Success can make me feel permanent Business or being busy can make me feel indispensable wealth can make me feel secure But all this is my cologne All this is my perfume The house of morning is what reminds me That I am Mortal that I am Temporary that I am fading away the contrast That Solomon gives us is death is a very interesting thing death has the ability to make some things Look bigger and death has the ability to make some things look smaller death Makes your ego look smaller your titles are small your Possessions are small your power your strong opinions the applause that you are so hungry for During your lifetime somehow is diminished in light of death But death has the ability to make some things look bigger your character now shines forth your Relationships your faith your obedience your generosity your legacy The guarantee I'm giving you is when you are on your deathbed You'll not be thinking of your titles When you are on your deathbed you'll be thinking about these things that death makes bigger You'll be thinking about the relationships you have your own character who people think you really are your faith Will be pronounced when you're on your deathbed and many times it takes being on that deathbed to realize what is Actually what carries more meaning in life? Death has a way of bringing to the surface what needs to be on the surface That's why every funeral is a salmon every grave is a teacher and death asks us a very important question What am I building now that will still matter when I'm gone What am I establishing now that will still? Percolate to the surface when I am gone The psalmist tells us in Psalm 90 verse 12 teach us to number our days so that we may gain a heart of wisdom Numbering our days does not generate fear numbering your days generates wisdom Wisdom Because Ecclesiastes reminds us that life is like a fragrance life is like a perfume life is like a cologne We are here we make our presence felt and then we fade away No matter how impressive no matter how successful no matter how wealthy no matter how powerful no matter how celebrated we become death Eventually exposes that Temporary nature of all of this Can I please hear an amen? Thank you because now that silence is even too much now Karibuni happy The reality is guys perfume can be expensive perfume can be beautiful perfume can be attractive it can be noticeable, but it is temporary That is the message That Solomon begins in the discourse around death Basically, let me try and put it differently Basically, I think Solomon is saying you smell good and Then you die and what happens that smell changes quickly I don't need to put it any other way So number one is it it exposes our cologne and Number two it exposes our control Let's go to the next chapter chapter 8 So he talks about death and then in chapter 8 we see he uses word pictures He uses first perfume in chapter 7 then in chapter 8 he uses another image He uses the wind in chapter 8 verse 7. He says since no one knows the future Who can tell someone else what is to come as no one has power over the wind to contain it? So no one has power over the time of their death You know Solomon is giving us a picture of the wind because you you can't see the wind coming Yeah, you may see where you know what it does like you know leaves You know falling and you can see trees swing etc. You can feel its effects Yes, you can you can hear it moving through the trees and through wherever you are it could be the valley But you can't quite see the wind itself the wind can change direction without consulting you without consulting me It can be gentle at one moment and then immediately after the wind becomes so violent You can't command the wind you can't negotiate with the wind You can't hold it back. You can't capture the wind in your hands You can't even bribe the wind to go out of the path that it desires to go Death what Solomon is saying has the same quality. It is very unpredictable and it is very Uncontrollable you cannot know Where the wind will blow where it will come from how strong it's going to be how long it's going to last Death is like that how it will come How you know the different forms that it comes death is like the wind all you can do with the wind is Adjust your sails. You can't control the wind. Yes, you can prepare for the wind. Yes, you can study the wind Yes, you can respond to the wind. Yes, you can try and protect yourself from the wind but the reality here in this text that Solomon is bringing out is you cannot control the wind You know, we like to imagine that we have control of Our lives so we do many things we eat well we exercise we try and find the best medical care We ensure our lives. We write our will we plan for retirement we live by calendars and strategic plans and schedules and budgets and Projections we procure insurance policies. We regularly go for medical checks We make investments strategic investments and we have succession plans to make sure that there's continuity We have diets and retirement plans And I could go on and on and I'm saying this is wise and this is necessary but the point that Solomon is making is that these things are not bad the point that Solomon is making in this passage is there is a difference between planning and control and Do not confuse the two There is a stark difference between planning and control and do not confuse the two What Solomon is saying is we can plan our lives, but we cannot guarantee them We can manage risk But we cannot manage Mortality that's what Solomon is saying we can improve our health, but we can never negotiate our death Solomon is saying there is a place where we need to draw the line and recognize that this is our limit We cannot go beyond this and beyond this is the domain of another it is not us It is another and sometimes many of us believe that if I earn enough I'll be secure if I know enough I will be safe if I plan enough Nothing will surprise me and Then only one phone call Only one diagnosis only one accident only one economic disruption only one unexpected loss Reminds us that life is more fragile than our spreadsheets communicate tomorrow is a gift That's what Solomon is saying. It is not a guarantee Thank you for that one amen Tomorrow is a gift it is not a guarantee The wind teaches us that I am not in control So after Solomon exposes our cologne and after Solomon exposes our control now Solomon finally releases the lesson That I hope and pray is the lesson we keep today And this is where I want to conclude in chapter 9 the next chapter he concludes this discussion by wrapping these thoughts together in a statement that Again, he uses another illustration this time uses an illustration not of perfume not of wind But he uses an illustration of two animals in verse 9 Sorry chapter 9 verse 4. He says anyone who is among the living has hope Even a live dog is better off than a dead Lion, you know, I don't think we appreciate the gravity of this imagery In the ancient world the lion represented strength and majesty the lion was revered and Solomon uses this most revered animal and he contrasts it with one animal that was regarded with so much contempt an Animal that was looked down upon more than any other animal and he says better a live dog This animal that was treated with contempt then a dead lion What he's saying is a living dog Has something a dead lion does not have and This is exactly what is challenging us about this morning. It has opportunity if You are alive today You have what this living dog has and that is Opportunity if you're alive today, there is still something that you can do There is still somebody that you can love. There is still an apology that you can make they still Obedience that you can offer. They still generosity that you can practice They still are calling that you can pursue you may not have everything that you ever Wanted to have but God has given you today You still Ha