Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20031022.htm

ECCLESIASTES: PROVIDING A CORRECT WORLD VIEW FOR A LIFE OF MEANING
Part VII: Advice On Living This Life In View Of Man's Limitations To Find Meaning In It
E. Living With The Uncertainty Of What Will Occur In Our Futures
1. Adjusting To The Fact That The Righteous And Unrighteous Alike Face Uncertain Futures
(Ecclesiastes 9:1-10 with 12:13-14)
  1. Introduction
    1. No one knows all about his future, so no one can plan well enough to avoid all future adversity in his life.
    2. Lest we think being righteous will insure God's rewarding us with missing future adversity, Solomon discovered the righteous often experience what the wicked do in terms of adversity in life, Eccles. 9:1-2.
    3. We might become bitter for facing adversity as a righteous person, so Solomon offers us edifying advice:
  2. Adjusting To The Fact That The Righteous And Unrighteous Alike Face Uncertain Futures.
    1. Solomon claimed even the righteous and the wise in this life have absolutely no control over whether they will experience prosperity or adversity in their respective earthly futures: only God knows this, and He has ordained to allow for what adversity or prosperity await us all, Ecclesiastes 9:1.
    2. Realizing this fact can lead one who lives only for this life to turn insane or act wickedly in bitterness:
      1. All people face the same uncertainty regarding the degrees of prosperity and adversity they will face in their futures: whether righteous or wicked, good or evil, whether ceremonially clean or unclean, whether they sacrifice to God and or they do not, whether they are good or sinful, whether they take an oath in God's name or refrain from taking an oath out of fear of taking God's name in vain -- all men are ignorant of how much adverse or prosperous things await them, Ecclesiastes 9:2.
      2. Then, Solomon noted a man's awareness of this fact can tempt him with his sin nature to react with evil and insanity in bitterness before ending up in the grave, Ecclesiastes 9:3!
    3. Yet, Solomon cautioned against choosing to be bitter about the future, for it is better to focus on enjoying what happiness the future will offer as in death no one empirically can experience such happiness, 9:4-6!
    4. In view of the uncertain mix of adversity and prosperity that thus indiscriminately awaits us all, Solomon advised we approach the future with the following two suggestions, Ecclesiastes 9:7-9, 10:
      1. First of all, we should seek to enjoy what God allows to come in our future lives on earth that is enjoyable rather than seeking to be gloomy at what adversities will come to us, Ecclesiastes 9:7-9.
      2. Second, whatever we do, we should do to the best of our abilities, for in death (empirically considered), there is no more opportunity to work, plan, know or be wise, Ecclesiastes 9:10 NIV!
    5. Finally, Solomon's conclusion to the whole book of Ecclesiastes directs us to wise insight in these matters in view of the uncertainties of what adversities or prosperity await us in our futures, Eccles. 12:13-14:
      1. Solomon related the key purpose of man is to come to respect so as to heed God, for man will give an account to God in eternity for whether he respected and thus obeyed God, Ecclesiastes 12:13-14.
      2. Thus, the UNCERTAINTY of what MIXTURE of adversity AND prosperity awaits us in the FUTURE of THIS life is a DIVINE ASSIGNMENT to keep us from living as though THIS life is an END or a HEAVEN in ITSELF; rather, we are to INVEST our attention, energy and abilities for our ETERNAL ACCOUNTING before the Lord ONCE this life is FINISHED!
      3. As such, we KEEP our FOCUS on ETERNITY, and take WHATEVER PROSPERITY comes our way in GRATEFULNESS to GOD rather than living FOR FULFILLMENT in THIS life that can only TEMPT us toward FOOLISH depression and evil as we face future adversity!
Lesson: Since adversity AND prosperity ALIKE await ALL men in their FUTURES, we are to VIEW THIS life NOT as an END in ITSELF, but as a MEANS to FOCUS on our ETERNAL accounting to GOD. That way, (1) we CURRENTLY RESPECT and OBEY God, and (2) we can APPROACH the future with a POSITIVE attitude, ready to ENJOY what PROSPERITY comes as GOD'S GIFT to us!

Application: (1) GOD has planned for us ALL to have BOTH prosperity AND adversity in THIS life SO that we NOT view THIS life as an END in ITSELF, but focus on our ETERNAL accounting to HIM! (2) ACCEPTING this fact, we should face the future with OPTIMISM for what prosperity God WILL give WHILE ALSO treating ADVERSITY as God's signal to FOCUS on LIVING FOR eternity!