2 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” 3 What profit has a man from all his labor In which he toils under the sun?
Ecclesiastes 1:2-3
After identifying Himself as the author, Solomon relates the main theme of this writing. That theme is this; life apart from God is meaningless. Life lived on our own has no ultimate meaning or purpose.
Life under the sun can provide temporary pleasures. Life on earth does give us some temporal happiness. But, the happiness and contentment are only short-lived. Eventually, our souls long for something deeper. We come to a point where we desire something more than this life can give.
As we walk through this life, let us remember that many folks we encounter are searching for something more. They’ve tried everything the world has to offer and they are as empty as they have ever been. Our goal is to point them to the one who can provide peace and purpose. People need the Lord. For only Jesus can forgive us, cleanse us, and reconcile us to our Creator.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
Ephesians 6:17
Let us take up the Word of God which is the sword of the Spirit. The Bible, God’s Holy Word, is our help and strength as we study it and apply it to our lives. Without it, we are left to wander and follow our own devices.
4 Facts About the Bible
**The Bible is God’s Truthful Word
**The Bible is God’s Total Word
**The Bible is God’s Timely Word
**The Bible is God’s Transforming Word
As Christians and as churches, let us not seek mere tradition, the past, or “that’s what we used to do” as our guiding light. Let us look to the light of God’s Word as He leads us into the future. Wield the Sword of the Spirit, Child of God. Take it up and fight against the schemes of the evil one.
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” 3 What profit has a man from all his labor In which he toils under the sun?
Ecclesiastes 1:1-3
The book of Ecclesiastes was written by Solomon. It is written from an earthly perspective. The focus of the book is life “under the sun” or life as it is here on earth. Therefore, it is important to place this book in a proper perspective and to read it in light of the entirety of the Bible.
Taken by itself, this book is depressing. However, the point of this writing is to point us to God. Solomon simply tells us that life has no point and no meaning apart from God.
Without God, life under the sun is cruel, monotonous and meaningless. But, through Jesus Christ, life has meaning, purpose and is abundant. This thought must be kept in mind as one studies Ecclesiastes. Without Christ, life is means nothing. (John 15:5)
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:17
The helmet of salvation is necessary because……………………….
**Every human being is a sinner in need of rescue. (Romans 3:23)
**Every human being who refuses to repent and truth in Christ will be separated from God’s goodness and mercy forever. (Romans 6:23 & Revelation 20:15)
**Every human being who repents and trust’s Christ is saved eternally from their sin, their shame, and from their old self. (Romans 10:9-10, Ephesians 2:8-9)
**Every Believer is given the gift of the indwelling Spirit of God.
19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back,20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
James 5:19-20
The Book of James ends with a simple and timely reminder for the church. Christians should be willing to help other Christians who are falling into sin. This task is not easy and simple, but, it is an important part of fellowship within the Body of Christ.
Every Believer has a tendency to stray from the truth. When that takes place, other Believers ought to stand in the gap and help turn that brother or sister from the error and back to the Word of God. Doing this will save the Christian from a multitude of bad choices, sleepless nights, and awful consequences.
Let us realize that when we confront others a great deal of humility is needed. We are all just and at the same time we are all sinners. Every Child of God is vulnerable to the attacks of the evil one. Every attempt to help a wayward Believer ought to be done out of love and kindness. This task is can be complex and arduous. But, it is worth the cost.
“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
This portion of Scripture was called the Shema by the Jewish rabbis. It was often quoted by Jewish worshipers in the synagogue meetings. The lessons it teaches are universal and important for Christian believers in our day. What are those lessons?
**There is only one God.
The great truth of this passage tells us that there is only one true, authentic God. In a society that trumpeted a multitude of gods and goddesses, Moses declares that the only true God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
We would do well to remember this truth in our time. Many idols still vie for our attention. Yet, for the Christian, there is only one God revealed in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
**We must pass the Christian faith on to the young.
The Hebrew people were commanded to continually teach the precepts and principles of the Law. They were to pass on their faith to the next generation. Failure to transfer these principles from God’s Word resulted in much pain and heartache for the nation of Israel. The people of God were to continue to faithfully teach the Word of God so that future generations would not forget the miracles, blessings, and provisions that God had provided for His people.
This principle still has great import for today’s Christian. If we don’t teach the truths of Scripture through word and deed to our children and young people, who will? The world system is contrary to the truths of the Scriptures. Therefore, we must teach the truth, preach it, and live it so that our children may grow in the faith.
**We must teach the truths of the Bible by utilizing every opportunity.
The Jewish people were commanded to teach the truths of the Law in the morning, throughout the day, and in the evening. The point was this; use every teachable moment to pass along the ways of God, the truth of God, and the greatness of God to the young.
As Christians today, our command and call is exactly the same. We should be taking advantage of every occasion we are given to teach the plain truths of Scripture. Let us point out God’s blessing and goodness. May we remind our children that God is with us at all times. Let us teach them of Christ’s died and rose again for the salvation of souls. Let us not hold onto our faith, let’s pass it on.
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-13
Pastors have a multifaceted calling. We are called upon to perform many tasks during the course of a week. Today, I would like to concentrate on one aspect of the pastoral task from Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church.
Mind you, what we will discuss in this article is not the only requirement of the pastorate. Many other duties are performed by those who lead in the church. But, what we will peruse in this post is the most central task of the pastor. What is that activity? The task of which we will speak is preparing the membership to minister to one another.
Paul speaks of this responsibility as a primary aspect of the pastoral calling. The “equipping of the saints”, as communicated in verse twelve, is central to work week of the minister. Pastors should teach and preach to prepare the Christian for ministry and to serve the body of Christ.
While the pastor should be involved in ministry and service to the membership, he should not be expected to do all of the ministry within the church. He is to raise up others and equip them through preaching, teaching, personal example, and training to do the work of the ministry as well.
Too often the pastor is expected to “do it all” as the church’s hired hand. This should not be! Ministers should train the membership and then release them to serve one another. The result of this service is spiritual growth, an increased knowledge of God, and Christian maturity.
As a believer, you have a calling to serve in the Church, the Body of Christ. Do not neglect that calling. Attend church, learn, and be equipped and encouraged to serve within the membership. From myself and pastors everywhere, let me make this closing statement. “We need you and we can’t do it without you. Help us!”
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Ephesians 6:16
Christians should be equipped to fight Satan in every way. Paul teaches us about faith Ephesians 6:16. Faith is one of the spiritual armaments the Believer is given to live a holy life. Christians should take up the shield of faith for the following reasons:
17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
James 5:17-18
The prayer of the righteous avails much. The example of Elijah is given to prove this point.
This great prophet was a human being who faltered and failed. And yet, God heard and answered his prayers. Elijah prayed one prayer to stop the rain and another to restart the showers. Even though He was like us, in both instances, God still heard and responded to the prophet.
Pray, child of God. Believe, pray, and trust the Lord. The prayers of God’s people are effectual and powerful. Pray!
mrtonyfrench 