Wisdom from Under the Sun

Life just wasn't what Solomon expected...

Vanity


In this Under the Sun series, we have preached:
1)  Cheer Up!  It is Only Going to Get Worse - all about sorrow being NOT for today, but for Tribulation! (one sorrow ok'd is 'for others!')
2)  Solomon's wisdom versus Paul's!
3)  The Under the Sun pattern of life for a 'lost person!'
4)  Things that vex man's spirit!
5)  Solomon's wrong approach for wisdom - how he sought after wisdom, not God!  If you seek after God, you will get wisdom - HIS!

Today - let's  look at Vanity!

Vanity:
1.  Emptiness; want of substance to satisfy desire; uncertainty; inanity.
2.  Fruitless desire or endeavor.
3.  Trifling labor that produces no good.
4.  Emptiness; untruth
5.  Empty pleasure; vain pursuit; idle show; unsubstantial enjoyment.
6.  Ostentation; arrogance.
7.  Inflation of mind upon slight grounds; empty pride, inspired by an overweening conceit of one's personal attainments or decorations.

God continues to show us more and more here how much we really need Him, AND how much the Lord is still present and active in our lives, even though He may not 'appear' to be!

We continue to see deeper and deeper into the reality & truth of Laodiceanism!
It is Life Under the Sun!  Laodicean life is nothing but vanity!

Vanity is NOT to be the life testimony of a Christian!
However, in all reality, we must still live under the sun...
yet daily life for us Bible Believing Christians should be Life IN the Son!

We have died, but yet, we have been born again...
Romans 7:9; John 3; Ephesians 1:13, etc
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Ephesians 2:1

Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Ephesians 2:5

And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Colossians 2:13

We are still IN the world but not OF the world!

I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.   John 17:14,15

I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.  But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.   I Corinthians 5:9-11

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.    Galatians 2:20

We are to preach the word - we are to do the work of an evangelist!
Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
II Timothy 4:2

We have our calling in this the Greater Commission:
But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.
And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves;
if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
II Timothy 2:23-26

As a Christian, we are to walk the risen walk, not the crucified walk - not to stay on the cross!
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father,
even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:4

We are not to lift the pillar with the Book, we are to lift the Book with the pillar!
WE are the pillar!  We are the church - we are the house of God!
But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God,
which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
I Timothy 3:15

We are up lift the Book with our TALK!
We are to lift the Book with our WALK!


All Else Is Vanity!
Vanity is something "useless" and "without profit!"

Today, vanity is connected with self-love...
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves...
II Timothy 3:1,2a

It's not about ourselves, it's about Him
Revelation 3:20

For Bible Believers - Christians -  vanity is nothing but works being done for a corpse - Colossians 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God... so they burn up at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
I Corinthians 3-23-25  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;  Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.   If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Colossians 3:23-25   And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;  Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.  But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.


1:14 - our works that are done under the sun - I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

2:1 - the enjoyment of pleasure - I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.

2:15 - wisdom - Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise?  Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.

2:21 - the leaving of your goods to someone else - For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion.  This also is vanity and a great evil.

2:22,23  - the life of a workaholick - the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, pleasures of this life, and the lusts of other things entering in,-  For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun? For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night.  This is also vanity.

2:26 - the labor of "wicked" people whose 'things' will have to be passed on to those who are "good" - For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God.  This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

3:19 - a man's physical life - For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.  or I Timothy 4:8  For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

4:4 - a man being envied - Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour.  This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

4:7 - a man who lives for himself - Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.    see verseThe fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh..

4:16 - the failure of a leader to be appreciated 13-16- There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him.  Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

5:10,11 - the love of money - He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.  When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?

NOT CONTENT!  These last three references all deal with being content...  Philippians 4:11  Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.  I Timothy 6:8  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

6:2 - the inability to enjoy wealth - A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

6:9 - coveting, by letting your desires wander all over the place to lust after various things - Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

6:7 - the unsatisfied appetite - All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

Next Week...

7:6 - the laughter of the fool - For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.  Loud foolish women and those with not a quiet spirit - study to be quiet, etc.


Return to church main page