February 9, 2025

I Will Test You with Pleasure
Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 / David VanAcker
1 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. 2 I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” 3 I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. 4 I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. 5 I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man. 9 So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. 11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
In his second attempt at finding lasting satisfaction, the Preacher tried a different approach. If fulfillment isn’t found in understanding, perhaps it’s found in mere hedonism; in the simple pursuit of pleasure. To that end, the Preacher shares in some detail the process he went through as well as the results. In all of that, I hope to help you see that we’re given a remarkable gift from the Lord.

The big idea of this passage is that true and lasting satisfaction is never found in the pleasures of this world when they are sought for their own sake. And the main takeaway is to seek fullness of joy in the one place that it is found, in the presence of God, through faith in Jesus Christ.

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Service Order

Welcome
Exhortation
Assurance of Pardon
    Come People Of The Risen King
Reading – Psalm 97
    It Is Well With My Soul
    My Worth Is Not In What I Own
Offering
Sermon
    Christ Our Glory
    In Christ Alone
Benediction

Memory Verse

Psalm 121:5-6 - The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. ⁶The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.

Service Times

Prayer
8:30-8:45am
Sunday School
9:00am-10:00am
Worship Service
10:30am-Noon

Berea

This week we will be studying Proverbs in Berea. The kids will be continuing their Sunday School classes; 2-4yrs (nursery), 5-8yrs (Grace for Kids room), 9-12yrs (conference room).