On 10-16-11 Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:7, 13 will be our Adult Sunday School/Uniform Series/International Sunday School Lesson Wisdom for Aging aka Remember your Creator, herein is my commentary. You will find the 10-9-11 lesson directly beneath this message and on the right side.
Jed
The Adult Sunday School
for
October 16, 2011
Commentary
By
Jed Greenough
Regrets, I’ve had a few
But then again, too few to mention
I did what I had to do and saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course, each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this, I did it my way
My apologies to Frank Sinatra, Shawn Carter, Paul Anka, Claude Francois, Giles Thibault and anyone else with rights to that great song so associated with Ol’ Blue Eyes, but this attitude is what the author of our scripture for today was trying to get his readers to avoid.
Regrets, I’ve got them and maybe you do too. Yes, regrets that I didn’t do more to remember my creator in the days of my youth as it says in 12:1. I spent too much time doing as the lyrics said and did it my way. But I am grateful that I am doing more to remember Him before the silver cord is severed as it says in 12:6.
I think we should all have that sense that we need to do as Solomon did under inspiration in this writing and impress those we can that time is indeed precious regardless of whether we are young, old or somewhere in between. Any day could be the day that “the pitcher is shattered at the spring.”
I pray also that you agree with me then what the whole point of today’s scripture and in fact the whole book of Ecclesiastes was about. You should come away with the idea that our lives are to be about glorifying God. 12:13 says, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter; Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Isaiah 43 corroborates this in you and me by saying that in fact that is why we were made, for His glory.
But as we know we haven’t always glorified Him and most of us don’t do a very good job of it even now. This doesn’t help us to witness to the world who to paraphrase Romans 1:18-22 know God because what may be known is plain to see. They however do not glorify Him and just as the Israelites who ignored His glory and failed to glorify Him did not enter the Promised Land so will most not one day be in His presence for eternity.
It is time for a throwing off of our worship and living styles where everything we do is about ourselves. Everything should be looked at under the microscope that checks to see if what is being done glorifies God.
Are our prayers for this healing and that success or growth and outcomes that we desire? Are our small groups about making friends? Are our mission groups about helping a down trodden group?
These things are all fine but we need to pray that God is glorified first and foremost in our prayers, in our church groups and in our good deeds. Even Christ when he was most troubled said in John 12:27-28, “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour?’ No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”
Psalm 34:3
Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt His name together.
For Discussion:
1. Discuss how we can do a better job of getting youth to remember their Creator.
2. It might seem obvious, but discuss the advantages of the above.
3. Discuss the effect that verse 13 has in the end on some of the seemingly negative verses that appear in Ecclesiastes.
4. Listen to the prayers, sermons and discussions where you worship. Objectively measure how your church is doing in putting God’s glory first in everything.
5. Discuss how things such as hardship, illness, suffering and death can bring God glory.
6. Discuss how a change in mindset is required so that all facets of life can bring glory to Him. 1 Corinthians 10:31
10-23-11: Tradition and Love (How Sweet is Love), Song of Songs (Song of Solomon) 4:8-5:1a
10-30-11: Living as God’s People (Blessed by God), Matthew 5:1-12
11-6-11: Forgiving as God’s People (First be Reconciled), Matthew 5:17-26
11-13-11: Loving as God’s People (Loving Your Enemies), Matthew 5:43-48 or 5:38-48
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved
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