Grace Bible Church
Pastor Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
073120
Is it better to give than to receive? We like to receive Grace & Mercy, but we don't like giving it.
Some people react to this sought of thing and so they just try to drop out of society as best as they can and avoid the system.
Solomon has a problem with decision making and natural marriage because of humility.
The fool decides to do nothing because he thinks that he's got a raw deal from the system and really no one has so little enjoyment of life as he who is doing nothing in life.
One is resting, one is fighting.
One hand attacks and it opposes the other with fear whereas the other with has two fists.....clawing, and fighting, and punching, and striving, and pushing, and pounding their way to the top!
In this scent, there's one......a certain man.
- As you climb higher and higher on this ladder of so-called success you get increasingly more lonely, less friends, less personal contact, you become a loner...and eventually a lonely man!
Prin: And this is like gold to you once you understand the “rat race.”
More and more lonely as you climb higher and higher on this so-called ladder of success as you get increasingly more lonely, less friends, less personal contact, you become a loner......and eventually a lonely man! --- A lonely executive!
ECC 4:8 There was a certain man without a dependent [here's a man who was all alone], having neither a son nor a brother,
You would think that this man would say, "I don't have a lot of people to worry about!"
"I'm going to enjoy the final position that I have been granted."
"I'm going to lay back and take that handful of quietness along with that fistful of work and I'm going to balance the two!"
"I'm going to say enough is enough!"
Grace and mercy and not condemnation, are what most people like to receive but not like giving.
"Why am I knocking myself out and enjoying so few pleasures!"
Solomon says in ECC 4:8.....This too is vanity and it is a grievous task; to discern
Fight, fight, fight.
Learn, learn, learn,
sell, sell, sell,
labor, labor, labor.
"Because there's something about being at the top and that has all of those satisfying benefits that we think makes us greater than others.
Yes, I Thank you Lord for helping us while we get ready to meet your Royal Family and all of your family who calls herself the Bride so that we would all understand the PPOG and our PSD.
Hang on to that step on that ladder for a moment and ask yourself "what do I gain by fighting up to the next step?"
"If I'm not satisfied here, will I be satisfied there?"
“What about your responsibility to your family?
What about your responsibility to your local assembly?
What about your responsibility to function in your spiritual gift?
Remember the things of this world leaves no benefit to the soul!
The soul belongs to God!
God says, all souls are mine!
EZE 18:4 "Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father [as well as the soul of the son is Mine."
He alone can satisfy!
The soul is shaped like God,......Pascal was the first one who was the to say it.....and until he invades and fills it...nothing satisfies!
If God fills your soul.....
If God fills your mind, God satisfies your spirit....then there is no problem with that time of your prosperity.
You've got it all put together and your priorities are right and God knows how you can be used to impact this entire world, if He so prospers you!
You see, this isn't a slam against prosperity or success!
This isn't saying everyone take a vow of poverty.
This is saying that if you think climbing up the ladder of success in the business world without God is going to make you happy, you will be the most miserable person in the world, especially if you arrive!
ECC 4:8 There was a certain man without a dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor.
Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches {and he never asked,} "And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?" This too is vanity and it is a grievous task.
The emphasis of this section does not lie only on the fact that the individual under consideration labors to attain riches but also on the fact that he stands alone.
Since he wants these riches for himself, the selfishness he withdraws himself from others so that he may not in any way be obliged to share with others what he acquires.
His loneliness is considered only in so far as it is brought upon himself by his inordinate desire of wealth.
Solomon is saying wealth is a pretty sorry thing to acquire if it isolates a man and robs him of good friends and relationships in life.
Having isolated himself, this man gives himself unremittingly to that which has become the obsession of his life - the acquisition of wealth.
Perhaps more lonely than any other culture around the world even though we are the most advanced technologically.
PRIN: This privacy is a relatively modern thing.
I'm talking about wanting to be alone.
Jacob Burckhardt, a Swiss historian agrees that "Western man was barely aware of himself before the Renaissance (14th century). He hardly viewed himself as an individual.
Marshall McLuhan was a Canadian cultural critic and communications theorist maintained that the method of communicating information has more influence on the public than the information itself.
He states that "It took the invention of print to tear us from our tribes and to plant the dream of isolation in our brains.
There is a kind of love relationship with the intangible's, those things that don't talk back!
It's amazing and we're going to note, it's almost sick!
Recently a news broadcast reported that the divorce rate was on the rise.....that didn't surprise me!
But what did surprise me was the reason given!
He said a surprisingly large number of them stated that they're too busy with their computer to cultivate a home.
In fact, some of them said that they were now relieved to be divorced because they could now spend the time they had wanted to spend with their computer!
No wonder why one man calls us, A nation of strangers!
It's not important that we know each other and relate to each other and love each other, it's more important, now a days, that we master video games.....like Mortal Combat, Killer Instinct, Donkey-Con, etc.
If you want to go to a community to find out where the action is, don't stop off at the YMCA, go to the mall and check out the video arcade......that's where the noise is and that's where the people are!
Strange places.....little boxes made for one!
They give you all the instructions and all of the answers, and all of the challenge, and then even rewards you with a new game once you learn how to answer back to those beeps and noises from the box!
Isn't it something how a teenager can sit still and concentrate on a little box for hours and hours in row and yet can's sit still for 10 minutes in Bible class!
Perhaps this is why John warned us in 1JO 2:15 Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1JO 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
And let's not just pick on the teenagers!
Think of the filth that born again believers subject themselves to on a daily basis as their minds are glued to those ungodly things called soap operas!
I've always loved PSA 101:1 (A Psalm of David.) I will sing of lovingkindness and justice, To Thee, O Lord, I will sing praises.
PSA 101:2 I will give heed to the blameless way. When wilt Thou come to me? I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart.
Look at verse 3, PSA 101:3 I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not fasten its grip on me.
I wonder if God is interested in the knowledge that many of His people possess concerning soap operas!
They can't defend the deity of Christ but they can tell you what's going on with the soaps!
When they stand before God they'll be able to say;
You know I wanted to thank you for All My Children and for The Days of Our Lives because I've realized that As the World Turns there's Another World and really Only One Life To Live!!
One of the reasons why soaps operas are so popular among the ladies is because women have a very difficult time loving the man whom they have been familiar with for such a long time!
The reason is because ladies are great fantasizes.
They think that the grass is always greener on the other side until they find out that grass has worms and weeds wherever you go!
However, it's just a dream and in the end a nightmare!
Because no one can ever fit into your dreams or your soap opera fantasies!
Why do you think soap-operas in the middle of the day are so popular with the ladies?
They have switched their romantic thoughts from their marriage to soap operas and all ladies have romantic thoughts that is if they're not destroyed by marriage!
And I say popular with the ladies because I don't even want to comment on a male watching soap opera's!
So I like what David says in PSA 101:2 I will give heed to the blameless way. When wilt Thou come to me? I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart.
PSA 101:3 I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not fasten its grip on me.
PSA 101:4 A perverted heart shall depart from me; I will know no evil.
PSA 101:5 Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; No one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure [you want to see a haughty look and an arrogant heart, just watch those day time talk shows].
PSA 101:6 My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land [those who have PVTD], that they may dwell with me; He who walks in a blameless way is the one who will minister to me.
1CO 15:33 "Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals."
Look at verse 7, PSA 101:7 He who practices deceit shall not dwell within my house [do you realize how Satanic viewpoint dwells in the house of born believers through much of technology?]; He who speaks falsehood shall not maintain his position before me.
In ECC 4:8, Solomon writes There was a certain man without a dependent [here's a man who was all alone], having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches {and he never asked,} "And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure? This too is vanity and it is a grievous task.