S69E4 | When MEANINGLESS is MEANINGFUL | Certainty of FAITH | Rev. Nick Korir

I'd like to now turn our attention to God's word those that are visiting with us. I'm concluding The book of Ecclesiastes. It's a series that we've been on that was we've titled when meaningless is Meaningful and it's been a true honor Sharing with us God's word from the book of Ecclesiastes. I conclude that today But as Reverend Bella had mentioned from next Sunday, we begin an eight week journey through the book of Isaiah And Reverend Bella is actually starting the series for us. So let's pray for her as she begins a series Four of our pastors will guide us through this eight week series Reverend Bella, Reverend Chogo, Reverend Liz and Reverend Kadu will be walking with us through this series Come on, let's appreciate our pastors and encourage them as they prepare to lead us through But we are at the tail end of our study in the book of Ecclesiastes Now for those that are new we started the book of Ecclesiastes by looking at the monotony of life Then we moved on after that and we looked at the poverty of wealth Then after that last Sunday we looked at the reality of death and today I would look at I'd like us to look at the certainty of faith the certainty of Faith that's where we are chapter 11 and chapter 12 of the book of Ecclesiastes Now just before we dive in if if I said this statement, how would you answer it? We're looking at faith today in Kenya You need faith to Dash dash dash How would you fill in this blank in Kenya? You need faith to dash Dash that let me give you some ideas as you Prepare to share with us the one you have in Kenya You need faith to lend someone money and it tells you to Kuru Disha on Friday On Friday, how many believe that you need faith in? in Kenya You need faith to believe any politician regardless what they and Apologies for all the amazing politicians that we have here at Nairobi But the odds are against you one as if we're so now in Kenya you need faith To buy land and someone tells you He titled me clean Khabisa In Kenya you need faith To believe a waiter when he says your order is almost ready in Kenya You need faith to believe a fundi who says mother Let me not even finish that one. See no You you just need faith. Let's just say you just need faith Or in Kenya you need faith when you enter M3 and the conductor tells you bad okuna space And even your eyes are seeing otherwise This one is not true I don't know why people say this that in Kenya you need faith you need faith to believe a preacher when he says in conclusion I don't think that's true. Is that true? I don't think that's true So I'll try today not to say in conclusion Anyway, we're talking about faith and in Kenya you need a lot of faith. Yeah, you do need quite a bit of faith The book of Ecclesiastes Begins remember we started in chapter 1 verse 2 at the very onset Solomon says meaningless meaningless utterly meaningless But the book of Ecclesiastes now we are at the end in chapter 12 verse 3 13 Sorry ends by saying now this is the conclusion of the matter fear God and keep his commands as we conclude the book of Ecclesiastes I would like us to recognize the journey that Solomon has brought us through Solomon has brought us from meaningless, but he does not end in meaningless. He ends in meaning Solomon has brought us from uncertainty But where he concludes the book is probably the most certain thing a man can be able to tell you He concludes the book with certainty Solomon Samarizes the book of Ecclesiastes probably with this statement when you when you cannot be certain about life you can definitely be certain about God and That's where he concludes the book and that's where we are today at the end of the book I'd like to suggest to us that Solomon's concluding challenge to us as a congregation from the book of Ecclesiastes is twofold because Solomon concludes the book with the certainty of faith But in describing faith he reveals to us two characteristics of faith He brings out very clearly two Elements of faith that makes faith complete two elements of faith that are Equally important even as we express our faith I suggest to us the first one that he brings out very clearly in chapter 11 is the element of risk And number two I've called it the element of rely So faith is defined by these two elements as Solomon brings it out the element of risk and he says because life is Uncertain and the element of rely because God is Certain and these are the two things I'd like us to bring out today Our faith is expressed in how you risk and our faith is expressed in how you rely But I'd like you to notice the two are intertwined risk without reliance is recklessness and Reliance without risk is Passivity the two go together to reflect our faith The two go together as key elements of our faith Let me just unpack the first one the element of risk risk Solomon says because life is Uncertain There's a phrase that Solomon keeps repeating beyond chapter 11 of Ecclesiastes and then we'll go to chapter 12 There's a phrase at the very onset of chapter 11 that we see Solomon kept repeating And it's not By accident Solomon is trying to communicate something and this phrase this phrase is repeated in verse 2 It's repeated in verse 5 and verse 6 in 7 verses. He repeats one phrase four times To lay the foundation of his discussion on faith with us and this phrase is this you do not know You do not know look at verse 2 invest in seven ventures. Yes in 8 you do not know what disaster may come upon you He continues in verse 5 as you do not know the path of the wind Thus at the end of verse 5 you cannot understand It's either you do not know or you do not understand both are versions of you Do not you do not know verse 6 so you're sitting in the morning because at the end he says you do not know Which will succeed four times he says this Seemingly to communicate the fact that even Solomon himself Admits that there are many things in life Even though he was the wisest man There are many things in life that he does not know there are many things in life. He does not understand The same is for us. There are many things. We will never know there are many things We will never figure out. That's why the most important measure as we live is to live by faith In fact, he tries to give us an example using business in verse 2 He talks about a ship in verse 1 Shipping grain but at the end of us to he says invest in seven ventures Yes in 8 because you do not know what disaster may be for you Solomon gives an example That in business you may succeed or you may not succeed So he gives advice to those that are in business and many of us know how to do this to spread out your risk Not to put all your eggs in the same basket He talks about spreading your risk and he uses an example that was familiar with him Solomon probably had a fleet of so many ships that he would use to ship Export and import merchandise and he says when he's exporting he puts his merchandise in different ships Because he doesn't want his cargo in case one ship faces disaster all his cargo does not get you know destroyed And he gives us this example the point that he's saying is this even if There is no guaranteed return Even if you have to spread your risk He says the point he's making is not in spreading your risk. The point he's making is Send the ship anyway Send the ship anyway. Do not let the dangers that are lurking Prevent you from attempting the venture Send the ship anyway. It's impossible to eliminate every single risk that you face in life But nothing ventured is nothing gained at the end of the day you risk by acting You risk by acting there are many of us who want a guarantee Before we obey there are many of us who want a guarantee before we venture into something and Solomon continues to build this argument look at verse four He says whoever watches the wind he uses the image of a farmer whoever watches the wind Will not plant whoever looks at the clouds will not reap And he gives us the picture of a farmer that keeps looking at the clouds and he's waiting for the conditions to be ideal And he says the farmer goes out again tomorrow looks at the clouds. It's not yet the perfect condition So he does not plant at the end of the day. What happens the Season passes and the farmer does not get the opportunity to plant because he's waiting for the perfect Time Solomon is saying there is no perfect time take a step of faith because avoiding the risk of planting also Eliminates the possibility of a harvest and that's what he's saying Take a step of faith Faith does not pretend that Uncertainty does not exist Instead faith does not allow the uncertainty or the unexpected events to Paralyze someone with fear so that they do not act How many know that sometimes the greatest risk? That you will ever take in life is actually refusing to take a risk in The first place that's the greatest risk and this is what Solomon is bringing out There will never be perfect conditions Your marriage will never be perfect your finances will never be perfect the economy will never be perfect Your confidence will never be perfect the information that you have gathered about your business Will never be complete to the place that you can actually take a risk from a point of full and complete information If you wait until there is no possibility of failure you will wait forever That's why he goes to verse 6 and Again this time he makes the appeal solid and he gives us the challenge Straightforward again using the image of a farmer in verse 6 He says so your seed in the morning and in the evening let your hands not be idle He says attempt. He says take a step. He says take a step of faith But continue the hard work because it takes Consistency and hard work in the venture that you set out to venture into that will result in the product at the end of the day faith says I Cannot control the harvest But I will sow the seed Even if I cannot control the harvest that is out of my control, but I will do my part I will sow the seed So the challenge that Solomon is giving us as we begin this conclusion in the book of Ecclesiastes is this keep sowing You do not know which one will succeed either this or that or both Keep sowing even though doors close even though some of your ideas don't work even if some of your Investment decisions disappoint you even if some relationships may not develop the way you hoped they would develop keep sowing Faith keeps sowing whether you like it or not love Exposes you to loss whether you like it or not dreaming Exposes you to failure Whether you like it or not Friendship exposes you to disappointment whether you like it or not generosity Exposes you to sacrifice whether you like it or not and we talked about it last Sunday life exposes you to death and Solomon is saying The only thing I am responsible for the only thing you are responsible for is sowing So continue doing what God has instructed and called you to do responsibly It is God that is responsible for the outcome you do your part and be consistent to do your part. I Can pray I can give I can serve I can forgive I can apply I can start I can make a call Because I only have so many mornings that are left for me. I only have so many Christmases left for me I only have so many conversations with my parents that are left I only have so many meals with my wife and my children that are left. Sorry, Josh It's the truth. I only have so many opportunities To tell someone that I love them that I appreciate them. I only have so many Sundays to worship here I only have so many. I only have so many opportunities to serve. I only have so many Opportunities to enjoy the sunshine to enjoy my family to enjoy my friends to enjoy my work to enjoy my journey Solomon is saying get going Take the risks that God has called you to take stop postponing the steps of faith that God wants you to take Faith takes a risk the risk of living fully Because I know that today is a gift and I appreciate it and I do what God wants me to do today The question I'm asking us is what seed have you been carrying and Have not been able to plant that seed Because you're trapped in the uncertainty of Today and the uncertainty of the moment that you're in What seed are you carrying that you've been afraid to plant and God is asking you to so that Seed and guys. I'm not talking about finances. What is it that God has placed in your hands? The second thing so there is risk That is an element of our faith and There is rely Rely because God is certain we now go to chapter 12 In chapter 11 Solomon repeatedly says you do not know But in chapter 12 Solomon shifts the tone and says you do not know what But you know Who Solomon concludes by placing us at a place of certainty Where who we know matters faith is not Certainty about what because that's where we live faith is certainty about Who and he anchors this entire chapter on who he's talking about The person he wants us to anchor our lives on because rely you rely by trusting you risk By trying you risk by attempting you rely by trusting Solomon begins this chapter in chapter 12 and he doesn't just say remember God Do you notice what it what he says he doesn't say remember God. He says what is it open? Ecclesiast is chapter 12 it says what Remember your Creator Do you see the element of relationship? He concludes by establishing the fact that there is a relationship. I am the created He is the creator. I am limited. He is unlimited. I see today He sees eternity. I understand partially. He Understands completely. I don't control tomorrow, but he is already in Tomorrow he fully understands tomorrow Faith begins and this is what Solomon is telling us when I stop trying to occupy God's position as human beings We have the tendency to forget as Human beings were quick to remember things that are not important Not really important we're quick to remember. Our rent is due. Tell your neighbor your rent is due We are quick to remember our mortgage is due we are quick to remember deadlines We are quick to remember our power bill our water bill. We are quick to remember school fees We are quick to remember targets. We are quick to remember meetings things. But Solomon tells us how come we are not as quick to remember that we have a God who is the one that is the author of our lives. We have a God that is in charge of us. We have a God that created us. We have a God that loves us. And in this text, the word remembering is not a mental note. The word remembering carries this connotation, the connotation of orienting your entire life around that person. It has the connotation of orienting your entire life around God and letting God determine your decisions, letting your Creator determine your identity, letting your Creator determine every aspect of your life. And what Solomon is saying, you know what? I don't need to know everything. I don't need to control everything. I don't need to fix everything. I don't need to carry everything when I have a God that is able. When I have a Creator, my Creator that loves me. Solomon doesn't say remember the Creator when you're dying. He is very particular when he says remember your Creator in the days of your youth. Remember your Creator earlier in life so that you can spend your best years for him, so that you can spend your best energy for him, so that you can invest your greatest resource in him. Don't give God the leftovers of your life because by investing everything in him is the only time it lasts beyond you, is the only time it continues forever. Remember God in the decisions that you have today, in your relationships today, in your finances today, in your success today, in your youth today, because faith doesn't make God part of life. Faith makes God the center of my life and the very focus of my life. God is not just another thing in my life. Everything in my life revolves around my God and he determines every element of my life. That's when he said life now gains meaning. In fact, just to put everything in context, the larger part of chapter 12 is a poetic, so Solomon breaks into poetry from verse 3 all the way to verse 7 of chapter 12 and I don't know if we actually get the imagery that he's presenting here. Solomon poetically reminds us that our body has an expiry date. He poetically reminds us that my body is a depreciating asset and sometimes we don't we don't catch it. Look at verse 3 he says the sun and the light are darkened. He's simply saying my vision will start dimming as I get older and he said the keepers of the house tremble. He's simply saying when I am really old that's when my hands begin to tremble. He's saying the grinders he's using the word grinders to mean teeth. The grinders sees because they are few because they have fallen, they have fallen off and he's describing how many times as I get older even I begin to lose my teeth and then it's amazing. Think of a 6 or a 7 where he says the almond tree blossoms. What he's saying is you start getting white hair when you get older. Some of us know there's nothing here so there's nothing to show. You know your hair turns white. Basically what he's saying is your eyes will grow dim, your hearing will weaken, your movement will slow. He's saying don't invest your ultimate hope in a depreciating asset. Don't invest your entire life in something that is going to wane. He now concludes what life is all about in verse 13. He says here is the conclusion of the matter. Fear God. Fear God and keep his commands. My brothers and sisters after 12 chapters after everything that Solomon has investigated. He's investigated pleasure, he's investigated money, he's investigated work, wisdom, success, time. We could go on and on and on. He finally comes to this conclusion and this is what Solomon says. The most reliable thing, the thing I know is most certain. Yes I've discovered so many things are uncertain but he says throughout my experiments, throughout everything I have investigated in this life, the one thing I know is reliable, the one thing I know is certain is God. And that's why he says so fear him, so trust him, so obey him, so build your entire life around him because guess what? Eventually, and he described it a few verses before, my beauty will fade. Eventually your possessions will change hands. Eventually your titles will disappear. Eventually your career will end. Eventually and he describes it graphically in this passage, your body will return to the dust from verse 8 onwards. Eventually all these things that we anchor and we build our lives around will fade away but he said God remains. God remains. Can I hear you say that? God remains. I may not understand everything that God is doing because that's not faith. He says faith instead is trusting even when I do not understand what God is doing or what is happening around me. I trust in God. So he concludes this entire book by telling us this phrase, I encourage you to risk because you rely on God. Risk because you rely on God. Take a step today because you rely on God. Plant a seed today because you rely on God. Love because you rely on God. Forgive because you rely on God. Start the initiative because you rely on God. Try again because you rely on God. Wake up and face tomorrow because you rely on God. Faith is not about knowing what tomorrow holds. Instead, faith is about knowing the person that holds tomorrow and making a decision to rely on him. But the last verse that Solomon pens down for us in the book of Ecclesiastes is Ecclesiastes chapter 12 verse 14 and it says, for God will bring every deed into judgment including every hidden thing whether it's good or it's evil. That's verse 14. Where I want to conclude our sermon this morning is if there was no judgment at the end of the day then nothing would matter. But because there's judgment everything matters. Everything matters and the Bible is very clear both good and evil. And there are many of us here that have done many