Thinking Vain Thinking

Thinking

Vain Thinking

 

I can’t count the times I have done something

And in the end was no better off than when I started

Spent a lot of energy, a lot of thought and got nowhere

That is called “vain”

It was all in vain nothing was gained

"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher;

"Vanity of vanities, all is vanity."

What profit has a man from all his labor

In which he toils under the sun? Ecclesiastes 1:2

As we use our God given brains to think

Remember to think on things above the sun

Think about God’s commands, His Word make it a regular meditation

You don’t want to say in the end your life was lived in vain

You don’t want to believe in vain, or run in vain

Don’t let God’s grace be in vain

The New Testament preacher Paul says it this way

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58

Vain Thinking

I can’t count the times I have done something and

in the end was no better off than when I started.

Spent a lot of energy, a lot

of thought and got nowhere.

That is called “vain”.

It was all in vain, nothing was gained.

The apostle Paul warns us that

our believing might be in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:2

He also says our labor can be in vain.

 1 Corinthians 15:58

We can receive grace in vain.

 2 Corinthians 6:1

And in Galatians 2:2 we can

run the race of life in vain. 

The preacher in Ecclesiastes first words are…

"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher;

"Vanity of vanities, all is vanity."

 Ecclesiastes 1:2

How do you like that for positive thinking?

The words of the Preacher,

the son of David, king in Jerusalem.  

Ecclesiastes 1:1

Solomon, the richest, wisest man in his time

spent his money and time thinking about…

What profit has a man from all his labor?

Ecclesiastes 1:2

In the second verse we see that

Solomon’s thoughts were limited to…

In which he toils under the sun?

Solomon in Chapter 2 reveals

his search for meaning in pleasure…

I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards.  I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.  I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove.  I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me.  I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds.

Ecclesiastes 2:4-8

What was the conclusion?

Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them.

I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure,…

And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind.

There was no profit under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 2:10-11

Twenty nine times the preacher

uses the term “under the sun”.

At the end of the book

we find some answers…

“Seek God early in life”

Ecclesiastes 12:1

Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed,

Or the golden bowl is broken,

Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain,

Or the wheel broken at the well.

Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,

And the spirit will return to God who gave it.

"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher,

"All is vanity."

Ecclesiastes 12:6-8

Then at the very end verses the preacher says…

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

Fear God and keep His commandments,

For this is man's all.

For God will bring every work into judgment,

Including every secret thing,

Whether good or evil.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

There will come an end

to living under the sun.

There will be a day of reckoning

with God who lives above the sun.

 The preacher tried it all, nothing limited him

from his pursuits to find meaning in life.

Yes, all of us would like to have the unlimited

bank account and unlimited earthly authority.

 The preacher even said he

enjoyed the things it gave him…

But in the end it was all vanity.

As we use our God given brains to think,

remember to think on things above the sun.

Think about God’s commands,

His Word, make it a regular meditation.

You don’t want to say in the

end your life was lived in vain.

You don’t want to believe

in vain, or run in vain.

Don’t let God’s grace be in vain.

The New Testament preacher, Paul, says it this way…

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm.

Let nothing move you.

Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord,

because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:58

Scripture Reading

1 Corinthians 15:2 NIV

2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV

58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain .

2 Corinthians 6:1 NIV

6:1 As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain .

Galatians 2:2 NIV

2 I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain .

Ecclesiastes 1:1-5 NKJV

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2 "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher;

"Vanity of vanities, all is vanity."

3 What profit has a man from all his labor

In which he toils under the sun?

4 One generation passes away, and another generation comes;

But the earth abides forever.

5 The sun also rises, and the sun goes down,

And hastens to the place where it arose.

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 NKJV

I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure"; but surely, this also was vanity. 2 I said of laughter — "Madness!"; and of mirth, "What does it accomplish?" 3 I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives.

4 I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. 5 I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove. 7 I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. 8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds.

9 So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.

10 Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them.

I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure,

For my heart rejoiced in all my labor;

And this was my reward from all my labor.

11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done

And on the labor in which I had toiled;

And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 NKJV

13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

Fear God and keep His commandments,

For this is man's all.

14 For God will bring every work into judgment,

Including every secret thing,

Whether good or evil.