From our Pastor

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No Pointless Life in Christ!

  Col. 3:1-17, Eccl.1:2, 12-14, 2:18-26, Luke 12:13-21                             August 4/5, 2007

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           There’s a fun little children’s book entitled, “Alexander’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.”  When six-year-old Alexander wakes up with gum in his hair, then trips on a skateboard, and then accidentally dries his wet face on his sweater rather than his towel, he can tell: it’s going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day! In the following scene, the day gets progressively worse as his teacher doesn’t like his drawing of an invisible castle, his lunch box doesn’t have any dessert, and his best friend Paul declares that Alexander is only his third best friend. It’s enough to make Alexander wish be could move to Australia! After school, the dentist finds a cavity in Alexander’s tooth, the shoe store is out of the shoes he wants, and he makes a big mess at his father’s office. It really has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, but Alexander learns that some days are like that. Even in Australia.  Have you had one of those days where nothing went right, and you felt like throwing up your hands in despair?  If a person has many days like that, you sort of wonder, what’s the use of it all?  Why should I bother?  What difference do I make in the world, anyway? 

          That’s basically the kind of question the writer of Ecclesiastes had.  “Meaningless, meaningless!  Utterly meaningless.  Everything is meaningless.  Another translation says, pointless, pointless.  Why go on?  It’s meaningless, pointless, hopeless.  When things are going so badly, why go on?  Most people think it was King Solomon who wrote Ecclesiastes.  That’s interesting, because things went very well for Solomon.  God gave him great wisdom, more wisdom than anyone had ever had.  In addition, God gave Solomon great wealth.  Solomon had it all.  Yet he said it’s all pointless.  ‘You work hard all your life.  Then, eventually, you have to leave everything you worked for to someone else.  Who knows how they’ll handle what you worked so hard for.  What’s the point to it all?’  This is the question from a man who was given great wisdom.  However, even with such great wisdom, Solomon was led astray by his many foreign wives and he was worshipping false gods and all the rest that goes with false worship.  With such great wisdom he should have easily known what the point was.  But, being deceived about what was important, it all just seemed pointless to him. 

          Another rich man had a very different perspective on things.  He thought that life was grand:  one big party.  He was overjoyed to be able to take life easy.  He had had such bumper crops, that he didn’t even have enough place to store all his riches.  He figured he wouldn’t have to work very hard for the rest of his life.  He could eat, drink and be merry.  What a ball he was going to have!  No worries!  No problems.  Life is grand.  Kind of the opposite of what Solomon was thinking.  But he ends up seeing things the way Solomon did.  For God says to the rich farmer, “you fool.  Tonight your soul is required of you.  Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” (Lk 12:20)  The outcome is the same thing that Solomon foresaw.  Everything you’ve worked for will be left to someone else.  It’s all pointless. 

          Jesus concludes, “this is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” (21)  Things may have seemed pointless to Solomon, and to the rich fool.  But things certainly are not pointless from Jesus’ perspective.  Without Jesus, yes things would be pointless.  Because without Jesus there would be no point in going on.  Without Jesus, at best, we’d just have this life, and then great misery in hell.  Without Jesus we would look forward to nothing.  Without Jesus, it would all be pointless. 

          But because of Jesus it’s not all pointless.  Because of Jesus, we have forgiveness for our sins.  Because of Jesus, we have a future to look forward to in heaven.  Because of Jesus, what happens on this earth is not all there is to life.  Because of Jesus, we look forward to a wonderful forever with God in heaven.  That’s why it is not all hopeless here.

          Whenever things seem pointless, whenever it seems like there’s no purpose to your life, be careful.  That’s dangerous thinking.  Here’s the solution to such thinking.  Think about what you have.  “You have been raised with Christ!  Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” (Col. 3:1)  Does life here seem pointless?  This life is not our goal.  We’ve got something so much better to anticipate.  Here’s what you do when you’re feeling down.  “Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.” (3:2)  Look forward and look up!  “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (3:4) This is no dead end life!  When Christ shows up, you’ll be with him in glory! 

          Keep looking up.  Keep thinking about that glory, about that wonderful life with God that you will have.  And by all means, put to death whatever is worldly in you. (5)  Put it to death.  “You died, and your life is now hidden with Christ.” (3)  And what a life!  Don’t fall for the cheap imitations that sin, that the devil will try to foist on you.  Put to death what is worldly in you.  Keep looking up, watching for Christ’s return. 

          But don’t just stand there looking.  Be active.  God has made you a new person.  Live in compassion for one another, be kind, humble, gentle and patient.  Put up with each other and forgive whatever you have against one another.  Forgive as God has forgiven you.  Above all love.  Love people by telling them the good news of forgiveness and life through Jesus.  Love people to Jesus.  Let God’s word live in you richly.  Teach one another, with a song about Jesus on your lips, and gratitude in your heart about what God has done for you.  Do it all in the name, for the sake of, Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 

          Keep an eye on heaven, be joyful, for your life is not pointless.  Make your life worthwhile by impacting other lives... for eternity, loving people to Jesus, so that they, too, can look up, look forward to a wonderful life with Jesus. 

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