FINDING MEANING IN LIFE

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FINDING MEANING IN LIFE

• Ecclesiastes 12-3 Vanity of vanities, saith the
  Preacher, vanity of vanities all is vanity. (3)
  What profit hath a man of all his labour which
  he taketh under the sun?

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ABEL

• ??? ???
• hebel ha?bel
• heh'-bel, hab-ale'
• Emptiness or vanity figuratively something
  transitory and unsatisfactory vain, vanity.

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FOUR PATHS FOR LIVING

• 1. The Way of Wisdom

2. The Way of Materialism
3. The Way of the Skeptic
4. The Way of Submission
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The Way of Wisdom

• Ecclesiastes 116I communed with mine own heart,
  saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have
  gotten more wisdom than all they that have been
  before me in Jerusalem yea, my heart had great
  experience of wisdom and knowledge. 17And I gave
  my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and
  folly I perceived that this also is vexation of
  spirit. 18For in much wisdom is much grief and
  he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

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A Futile Search

• Ecclesiastes 116-18 I communed with mine own
  heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and
  have gotten more wisdom than all they that have
  been before me in Jerusalem yea, my heart had
  great experience of wisdom and knowledge. (17)
  And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know
  madness and folly I perceived that this also is
  vexation of spirit. (18) For in much wisdom is
  much grief and he that increaseth knowledge
  increaseth sorrow.

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FOUR PATHS FOR LIVING

• 1. The Way of Wisdom

2. The Way of Materialism
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The Way of Materialism

• Ecclesiastes 21-11

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Lifes Purpose is . . .
HAVING FUN

• 21I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove
  thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure and,
  behold, this also is vanity. 2I said of laughter,
  It is mad and of mirth, What doeth it? 3I sought
  in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet
  acquainting mine heart with wisdom and to lay
  hold on folly, till I might see what was that
  good for the sons of men, which they should do
  under the heaven all the days of their life. . .
  . 11Then I looked on all the works that my hands
  had wrought, and on the labour that I had
  laboured to do and, behold, all was vanity and
  vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under
  the sun.

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Lifes Purpose is The Accumulation of THINGS

• Ecclesiastes 24-11
• A Life of Enlightened Accomplishment

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• 24I made me great works I builded me houses I
  planted me vineyards 5I made me gardens and
  orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind
  of fruits 6I made me pools of water, to water
  therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees 7I
  got me servants and maidens, and had servants
  born in my house also I had great possessions of
  great and small cattle above all that were in
  Jerusalem before me 8I gathered me also silver
  and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and
  of the provinces I gat me men singers and women
  singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as
  musical instruments, and that of all sorts. 9So I
  was great, and increased more than all that were
  before me in Jerusalem also my wisdom remained
  with me. . . . 11Then I looked on all the
  works that my hands had wrought, and on the
  labour that I had laboured to do and, behold,
  all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there
  was no profit under the sun.

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FOUR PATHS FOR LIVING

• 1. The Way of Wisdom

2. The Way of Materialism
3. The Way of the Skeptic
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Existential Cynicism

• 31To every thing there is a season, and a time
  to every purpose under the heaven 2A time to be
  born, and a time to die a time to plant, and a
  time to pluck up that which is planted 3A time
  to kill, and a time to heal a time to break
  down, and a time to build up 4A time to weep,
  and a time to laugh a time to mourn, and a time
  to dance 5A time to cast away stones, and a time
  to gather stones together a time to embrace, and
  a time to refrain from embracing 6A time to get,
  and a time to lose a time to keep, and a time to
  cast away 7A time to rend, and a time to sew a
  time to keep silence, and a time to speak 8A
  time to love, and a time to hate a time of war,
  and a time of peace. 9What profit hath he that
  worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

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Life Without Purpose Is Futile

• Ecclesiastes 41-3 So I returned, and considered
  all the oppressions that are done under the sun
  and behold the tears of such as were oppressed,
  and they had no comforter and on the side of
  their oppressors there was power but they had no
  comforter. (2) Wherefore I praised the dead
  which are already dead more than the living which
  are yet alive. (3) Yea, better is he than both
  they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen
  the evil work that is done under the sun.

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FOUR PATHS FOR LIVING

• 1. The Way of Wisdom

2. The Way of Materialism
3. The Way of the Skeptic
4. The Way of Submission
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Finding Meaning in God

• Ecclesiastes 51-2 Keep thy foot when thou goest
  to the house of God, and be more ready to hear,
  than to give the sacrifice of fools for they
  consider not that they do evil. (2) Be not rash
  with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty
  to utter any thing before God for God is in
  heaven, and thou upon earth therefore let thy
  words be few.

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Facing UncertaintyLiving with Tragedy

• 58If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and
  violent perverting of judgment and justice in a
  province, marvel not at the matter for he that
  is higher than the highest regardeth and there
  be higher than they.

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Living Life FullyWringing the Best Out of the
Gift of God

• 224There is nothing better for a man, than that
  he should eat and drink, and that he should make
  his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I
  saw, that it was from the hand of God. 25For who
  can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more
  than I?
• 518Behold that which I have seen it is good and
  comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy
  the good of all his labour that he taketh under
  the sun all the days of his life, which God
  giveth him for it is his portion. 19Every man
  also to whom God hath given riches and wealth,
  and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to
  take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour
  this is the gift of God.

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Yearning for Deeper Meaning

• 311He hath made every thing beautiful in his
  time also he hath set the world in their heart,
  so that no man can find out the work that God
  maketh from the beginning to the end. 12I know
  that there is no good in them, but for a man to
  rejoice, and to do good in his life. 13And also
  that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy
  the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.

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Living Life with Eternal Meaning

• 1213Let us hear the conclusion of the whole
  matter Fear God, and keep his commandments for
  this is the whole duty of man. 14For God shall
  bring every work into judgment, with every secret
  thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.