Transcript ECCL. 3: 14-22

THE HUMANIST CYNIC CONTINUES..
(With Occasional Godly Insight)
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WOW – WHAT A BLESSING
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CLICK-CLACK
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PASTOR HEGG AND WIFE
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NO LOUSY EXCUSSES FOR ABSENCES WILL
BE PROCESSED. PERIOD.
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REVIEW: TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A
SEASON, A TIME FOR EVERY PURPOSE
THIS IS THE WAY GOD MADE THE
UNIVERSE, I.E. YOU CANNOT PLANT SEEDS IN THE
WINTER SNOW…
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GOD IS IN CONTROL OF ALL THINGS… YOU
EITHER CAN FIGHT HIM (E.G. “I DID IT MY WAY”)
OR ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AS SOVERIGN
AND BE IN AWE
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NO ONE IS GOING TO ESCAPE THE
SORROWS AND HURTS OF LIFE… BECAUSE
GOD HAS DETERMINED WE NEED THEM
(THINK OF GOD’S SON).. THEY HAVE A
PURPOSE .. SO THANK HIM.
GOD ALSO PROVIDES TIMES OF
LAUGHTER… (E.G. OUR GRACE GROUP VALENTINE
PARTY). THIS ALSO IS A GIFT FROM GOD.
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HE SAYS “EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL IN ITS TIME” (OUR
LABORS .. RAISING CHILDREN..
SERVING OUR LORD, ET AL)
SO ENJOY AND SEEK OPPORTUNITIES TO PRAISE HIM ..
EATING.. DRINKING .. CHILDREN ..GRANDCHILDREN..
ANTICIPATING MEETING HIM IN THE CLOUDS
E.G. “HE HAS PUT ETERNITY IN OUR HEARTS”
UNTIL WE RECOGNIZE AND TRUST THE
SUPERIOR WISDON OF GOD, WE HAVE
NOT BEGUN TO “FEAR” HIM.
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SOLOMON NOW INSERTS A VERY
INTERESTING INTERLUDE:
 WHAT GOD DOES--
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“I KNOW THAT WHATEVER GOD DOES, IT SHALL BE
FOREVER. NOTHING CAN BE ADDED TO IT, AND
NOTHING TAKEN FROM IT. GOD DOES IT SO MEN
WILL REVERE HIM.”
 IF YOU TRY TO LIVE YOUR LIFE WITHOUT RECOGNIZING
HIM.. UTLIMATELY, YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF EMPTY,
LIFE MEANLESS, MISERABLE, AN A CYNIC
 MOST OF LIFES STRUGGLES ARE WHEN WE TRY TO
PLAY GOD/BE IN CONTROL/BE IN CHARGE (E.G. TED
TURNER/CORRIE TEN BOOM)
 THE SECRET OF LIFE IS THE PRESENCE OF GOD
HIMSELF LIVING IN THANKFUL SUBMISSION TO HIS
SOVEREIGNITY
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HAVE YOU NOTICED THE COMPLETENESS OF
GOD’S WORK? (ESPECIALLY THE CROSS)
 EARTH, HEAVENS, SCRIPTURE (HIS WORD)…
INCLUDING EVENTS OCCURING JUST AS HE SAID
▪ EZEK 37: DRY BONES RETURN
▪ DID YOU NOTICE THAT NETANYAHU WILL BE PRIME
MINSTER AND NOT LIVNI? (ONE STATE –GOD’S PLAN VS
TWO STATES – THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD PLAN)
▪ WILL IRAN NUC ISRAEL? NO (READ EZEK 38/39)
 GOD PERFORMS THINGS THAT CULTIVATE RESPECT
FOR HIM…
GOD PATIENTLY REPEATS THINGS UNTIL THEY ARE
LEARNED…
 WE GET WEARY OF LEARNING A LESSON AND WE RUN
FROM IT. We turn it off… YET HE REPEATS IT AND
REPEATS IT AND REPEATS IT UNTIL THE LIGHT
FINALLLLLY COMES ON AND WE LEARN IT (AND
RECTIFY THINGS). UNLESS WE LEARN THE COMPLETE
LESSON FROM A CRUSHING EXPERIENCE.. WE WILL
PASS THRU IT AGAIN UNDER DIFFERENT
CIRCUMSTANCES. … MARRIAGE, PASTORS, JOBS, OR
HARBORING A SECRET SIN? Jonah?
 HAVE YOU AVAILED YOURSELF OF HIS INDWELLING
PRESENCE AND POWER (IT’S A GIFT)?
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NOT BOWING IN SUBMISSION, NOT
LOOKING UP IN PRAISE
SOLOMON IS NOW GOING TO CONSIDER
SOME CIRCUMSTANCES THAT
“CHALLENGE THAT GOD IS SOVEREIGN”
 EACH TAKE A SEED….
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HOPE GARDENS… Co. SUPER. ANTONOVICH
INJUSTICE CREATES ANGER AND
FRUSTRATION
 Suffering makes us sad, but injustice makes us mad
 We can handle affliction and mistreatment so long as
it passes… BUT if the pain persists and the hurt is not
relieved, we often become cynics… if we don’t look
“up”.
 SIMON WIESENTHAL – HOLOCAUST (>1000 NAZI’S)
▪ (“GOD IS ON LEAVE”)
 Notice: “I” have seen, “I” said to “myself”, “I” ….
▪ You will NOT find Solomon on his knees….
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4 WAY STOP
CUTTING INTO “Your” LANE
TAIWAN AIRPORT
 JUSTICE SAYS EVERYONE TAKE THEIR TURN..
•
•
•
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BUT THEY DON’T …. WHY … HUMANS ARE
WICKED.
POOR DON’T STAND A CHANCE
GRANDSON’S BASEBALL
LIFE IS UNFAIR/KURT WARNER
IS THERE A WAY TO COPE WITH INJUSTICE?
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RELIEF IS COMING
WRONG WONT LAST FOREVER. IT IS GOING
TO BE JUDGED UNDER THE SOVEREIGN HAND
OF A JUST GOD.
INJUSTICE WILL HAVE ONLY A TEMPORARY
REIGN…. REST EASY (IN THIS LIFE OR NEXT)
▪ BOB VERNON/MARK KROEKER/SHERIFF BLOCK
 BELIEVERS: EVALUATION/REWARDS (BEMA SEAT)
 UNBELIEVERS: GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGEMENT
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GOD HAS RIGGED LIFE SO THAT WE HAVE
TO TRUST HIM EVEN WHEN IT DOESN’T
MAKE SENSE…
THE QUESTION IS NOT, WHY DOESN’T
GOD JUDGE EVIL?
▪ BUT RATHER
▪WHY DOES HE NOT JUDGE EVIL NOW?
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READ 3: 18-21 (MAN AND BEASTS ARE THE
SAME)
HUMANISTS OPINOIN .. SAVE THE >>>>>
 Green Oaks Ranch (Vista, CA)… Union Rescue
Mission
▪$8 million versus $2.7 million
▪
INJUSTICE REVEALS OUR “BEAST-LIKE”
BEHAVIOR
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ALL SCRIPTURE IS ACCURATE AND INERRANT
.. BUT ALL DOES NOT REFLECT THE EXAMPLE
TO FOLLOW… I.E. WE BELIEVE THAT
SOLOMON SAID PRECISELY THESE WORDS…
BUT MOST OF ECCL. IS MUSINGS OF A
MISERABLE MAN.
Another example… it is recorded that David
committed adultery and murder… does that
mean it is right?
So Solomon’s observation “that we are similar to
beasts”.. Is a humanists observation.
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3:22 “And I have seen that nothing is better
than that man should be happy in his
activities, for that is his lot. For who will
bring him to see what will occur after him?”
After spouting heresy, Solomon returns to a
very Godly philosophy…`re disadvantages,
unfair treatment, injustice.
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Try to understand your circumstances? NO
Compare your lot with another person’s and
see how much better yours is than his/hers?
NO
Retaliate, Resent, Become Bitter, you didn’t
get a fair shake? NO
Move to some isolated spot and grind out
your twilight years in resentful silence? NO
Get into fantasy… live there.. Build a dream…
NO
REJECT SELF-PITY, REJECT REVENGE, REJECT
RESENTMENT, REJECT RETALIATION… “FIND WAYS
TO DISCOVER ADVANTAGES TO YOUR
DISADVANTAGES”
 WE NORMALLY CAN DO VERY LITTLE TO CHANGE
OUR LOT.
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 STROKE, CANCER, TERMINAL DISEASE, DISABILITY,
LOSS OF RESOURCES, STUTTER, LOSS OF SPOUSE,
LOSS OF CHILDREN, LOSS OF OTHER LOVED ONE
WHAT CAN WE CHANGE… OUR
OUR “LOT”
RESPONSE TO
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REPEATEDLY ON “GOOD MORNING
AMERICA”
IN FILM “Airport 77”
WORLD CLASS ATHLETE .. TWO NATIONAL
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS IN WRESTLING
ON 58 OLYMPIC WRESTING TEAM
DEGREE FROM HARVARD IN PSYCHOLOGY
A MUSCIAN, AUTHOR, EXCELLENT
SWIMMER, SKYDIVER.. (37 JUMPS)
GREATLY SOUGHT CORPORATE SPEAKER
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BITTERNESS/DEPRESSION ….
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SHE CHOSE TO TAKE HER
“DISADVANTAGE” AND FEATURE IT TO THE
GLORY OF GOD.
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IMPACTING THE WORLD… RADIO…
WHEELCHAIR DISTRIBUTION… CAMPING
FOR DISABLED… ETC
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USC SWIMMER
SPOKE AT (HIGH SCHOOL) TAHQUITZ PINES IN
SUMMER OF ’50 (Christian Endeavor Camp)
 WENT SWIMMING… GOT POLIO
 WAS CRIPPLED… WALKED BY FLIPPING ONE LEG
OUT… ONE ARM WAS ALSO AFFECTED
 HIS WIFE COULD NOT TAKE IT… SHE LEFT.
▪ Life is not fair….
 BUT subsequently NO ONE WAS A BETTER
TESTIMONY THAT CHRIST IS REAL… HE IS REAL …
THAN Bruce Kurlee…
 Two of the MANY young people that he ETERNALLY
impacted was Fran and I
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QUESTION 1:
What is your “unjust”
disadvantage?
QUESTION 2: WHEN DO YOU PLAN TO
REPLACE PASSIVE SELF-PITY WITH ACTIVE
COURAGE?
QUESTION 3: HAVE YOU CONSIDERED THE
IMPACT YOUR DISTINCTIVE MESSAGE
WOULD HAVE ON “your” WORLD (i.e. those
AROUND YOU?)
 TELEMACHUS (Italian priest)
What is
your
Worldly
footprint?