Need To Not Know Basis
Life tells us everything we don’t know
Light gives us what we long for
Better Ain’t Best
Wisdom is limited and can’t give you real meaning
Wisdom is vulnerable and can be ruined by a little folly
Wisdom is risky and doesn’t guarantee everything goes well
Wisdom is restricted and won’t stop fools from being fools
Living in the Light of Death
We avoid the one certainty of life
We cling to the uncertainties around us
There’s a good life waiting in between
Reconciling the Wisdom Gap
The gap with civil obedience
The gap with justice and retribution
The gap with experiencing God
Piecing Together the Paradox
Righteousness and wickedness don’t make the pieces fit
Human nature and reasoning won’t make the pieces fit
Jesus alone can pick up the paradox pieces
Leaning in to Life’s Limitations
Limitations of life give us depth
Limitations of escapes gives us wisdom
Limitations of wisdom gives us mystery
It’s Never Enough
• Wealth slips away (5:8-17)
• Life is a gift for the living (5:18-20)
• Wealth won’t fulfill your life (6:1-12)
• The giver of life gave his life to make you rich (2 Corinthians 8:9)
The Conclusion:
• Life is a gift, not gain. Jesus is the gift and the gain.
Silence is Golden
Worship life that pleases God is…
Less talking and more listening
Less promising and more obeying.
Alone in the Crowd
Times of trouble become unbearable
Accomplishments become rivalry
Sacrifice becomes waste
Friendship becomes vacant
Influence becomes vapor
O Say What You See
We see obvious injustice
We say what we believe about it
Limited seeing results in limited believing
Seeing further recalibrates our belief
What Time Is It?
We must reckon with this foundational reality
Our own efforts lead to frustration and frivolity
Freedom comes when we’re found by Jesus
Bubbles! Bubbles! My Bubbles!
Bubble #1: Getting all the smarts (1:12-18)
Bubble #2: Indulging in all the pleasures (2:1-11)
Bubble #3: A future with all the legacies (2:12-19)
Bubble #4: Having all the feels (but really just one) (2:20-23)
Bottom Line: Pleasing God is the way to wisdom and joy (2:24-26)