How to Ruin Your World, Your Life & Everything Else

Sounds the warning will to you. This goes for any person any home any community any church you're in trouble when life begins to revolve around you need to take care of you need to permit me to do what I want to do spiritual growth to section of this me first attitude you got a pair for me. You gotta serve give me my way times moving in the right direction means understanding the wrong in the book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon helped us with this gave us a description of how to aim your life in the wrong direction. I know that seems odd, but a wise way to move in the right direction is to repent of moving in the wrong direction. The word repent literally means to turn around so when we find ourselves moving toward foolishness. We turn around and pursue what is wise today on wisdom for the hard Stephen Devi will explore all of this in a message she is calling how to ruin your world, your life and everything else.

When the Great Wall as I read the Great Wall of China was the built along its northern borders is your more than likely. Where was built to protect the Empire from the invading tribes that would come down from the north nomadic tribes was actually built over the course of generations, hundreds of years. One archaeological survey survey the entire wall said that it eventually covered some 13,000 mile some of it so they stand and tourists are are are welcome to walk portions of it. It towers 30 feet in the air is 18 feet thick different places I have read, but it's interesting that the China would be invaded even after his finished at several different occasions by enemy armies, not because the enemy armies figured out how to scale it because invading armies bribed the gatekeepers negates our our walls are only as good as the character of the gatekeepers right the idea of national safety. The ideas of leadership.

The ideas of rulers with character have been the focus of Solomon at different points in his journal and now to go back to chapter 10. He sees going to sharpen the lands that look at leadership all over again and define good and bad leaders. Not in terms of military power, or defense system strategies are military. My wealth but on the basis of character and integrity, and purity. If you turn with me to Ecclesiastes chapter 10 will pick up where we left off. And if you're like me, and I think probably you are and you begin reading verse 11. Your first thought is this is given you a great time to just turn the radio on government, just sort of picked on political leaders is to be a great text to talk about good or bad leadership. High taxes what's happening in our culture nicely geared my mind to deal with the cultural phenomenon that's facing our our world today. Just notice number 16 starts out well. You will land what you will land, when your king is a child and your princes feast in the morning and I was all it is I around and eat and drink and you might look at that verse and immediately think I wish I had that job sleep in the lounge around the one a lot know why you're saving up for retirement.

Sounds like the kind of retirement you want to experience whatever my that this is this is the perfect text to give you don't think to give the rulers anywhere fall, but the more I read this passage and the more I studied it and meditated on.

You know, it occurred to me that there is a direct application here, not just for rulers but for their subjects from my mom, whom rulers come is not just a good time to talk about leaders, but believers just time that you know let's talk about the White House. Let's talk about your house and mine. So the deeper I got into this text as we wrap up chapter 10 the more it occurred to me this. Solomon is is basically giving us Satan's strategy that effectively opens the gates tempts us to open the gates so that the enemy essentially marches in not opposed to our own hearts, our own lives, our own home. Our own churches, our own communities and certainly her own nation so to me let me unpack these five.

These verses with five statements.

This is all sort of working in a way to save it in a negative way. This is the way to ruin your own life. This is a way to ruin your this is a way to ruin your own and everything else first become pampered and permissive. The first, what the national motto that is got an individual or attitude or perspective is me first may first go back to verse 16. Again, what are you overland when your king is a child in your princes feast in the morning.

He's describing individuals are getting use their authority to take full advantage essentially gonna lie around all morning and do nothing. And if I have to do anything they're going to do the least amount possible because they just want to lounge around and thereafter the job thereafter. That position thereafter that platform so that they can ultimately serve themselves, because it's really all about them. This is been edited to be gawking at this is sort of the me first guidelines for lounge around I would do anything. Solomon is describing that kind of lifestyle that kind of hamper idleness indulgence that the context years feasting the lease access to gluttony and drunkenness will get there. An individual notice. Here he sounds. The warning was so to you. That's like saying what will your in trouble. It's coming. This goes for any person, any home any community any church in any position of authority, any nation, you're in trouble when life begins to revolve around you just need to pamper me, you need to take care of me UNIDO you need a permit me to do what I want to do what already you Solomon uses order for child notice that what you only when you rulers of child is not referring to a little baby or even a little child, though the Hebrew word not hire always refer to to a little child like Joseph was called this the higher in the book of Genesis when he was 16. Solomon will use this word for himself when he says he got a child when he assumes the throne and when he assumes the throne use 32. Solomon is referring her to chronologies referring her to maturity character were in trouble or led by individuals at the job in the home in our community and our country with people who have grown old, but they have not grown up. That's the idea. Again, it's easy to point fingers i.e. it is easy to look at somebody else.

But we can open the gates in our own hearts and lives by coming to the thought or the point that will grow up spiritually alive. Just go to church or light on the Sunday school glorify you know if I if I look at the Bible every so often and I pray before meals. According to God's word growing up spiritually isn't something you even do it's what God does in you as you walk in obedience to Christ.

When we walk in obedience to Christ. Paul writes to the Colossians, we grow with a growth that is from God. Colossians 219. When we as newborn babies desire the milk of the word. That is the truth of the word of God so that by the may grow first Peter two spiritual growth to man's a rejection of this me first attitude. He got up to hamper me got served me give me my way. At this point, Solomon provides the only positive description of leadership.

Notice what you say. This way we become effective leaders and influencers when we become dignified and discipline when the national motto for this individual is derived do the right thing. We were 17.

Happy are you always number was all well watch out way that's happy are you overland when your king is the son of nobility is not referring so much as to a class of individualism is to the character of an individual.

The stability of this further in your princes feast at the proper times. Nothing wrong with eating the wrong with coffee.

I hope what you're doing at the right time. Why first three so that you can do your job so that you can be prepared and not for drunkenness yourself. Discipline yourself restrain Solomon is describing the kind of leader that brings happiness, wholeness like this is an Old Testament beatitude. Blessed are you when what he's giving one here.

Blessed are you overland when you have a restrained discipline leader who is more interested in caring about you than himself.

Now that Solomon reverts back to description of the wrong kind of is the third description becoming inattentive and indifferent peers at all either ugly as I ruin everything become inattentive and indifferent verse 18 through sloth the roof sinks in, and through indolence the house leaks.

The motto for this individual would be. Maybe tomorrow I'll get around.

The roof is leaking all get all get to it tomorrow on Solomon's world. This was a significant as ours as well uses this is an illustration. Roofs of homes in his day were flat, held up by wooden beams and covered with a lie that would eventually crack and peel flat roofs have their own sets of problems we have flat roofs on our buildings here and on those flat rooms are all of our HVAC air conditioning units that are the size of freight cars, which is why you want to drive around them to get in here there on the roof and they leak and cause problems member preaching on one particular Sunday and begin the leak on the guy. The front row just drip drip drip interested what this is the problem here. Nothing quite as alarming. Maybe you've experienced the same alarming sign is a little brown spots in the sheet rock on your ceiling and then he gets a little larger what our boys as young boys in our first dome shared an upstairs loft bedroom one day see this little brown spot with been announced for the new year to an is my first experience with and about. That's interesting, and the next day got more interesting as I called the roofers and they came in and found out that the homeowners somehow got away with having them shingle visiting, shingle, shingle, overriding but it was too late. Still responsible. So there. There are a number of ways you can look at this. The roof is leaking you to get up. You know, to sort of ignore it is you want to bother with it.

Or maybe you'll cover it over with the least amount of work so that you get away with it. Maybe get at a time before it happened. Either way, this is the wrong way to lead problem in a relationship where all you know what is going to go problem in our spiritual life.

Well you know cycles and the inattentive and indifferent spirit is a great way to ruin everything in your job, your family, your world and everywhere else fourth Solomon effectively says if you want to ruin your world and everything else becomes selfish and shallow national motto for this person simply lets get rich notice verse 19. Bread is made for laughter, and wine gladdens life and money answers everything. He's not giving this as advice, effect, Old Testament scholars believe that this was actually a drinking song. This is a silly song you'd sing the puppet if you rate your mug with the others around your brand is for laughter and laughter are less get more money. The idea Solomon is doing is repeating the shallow, selfish attitude of the world around us.

And this is the song of our world. Maybe you might recognize it if I said a little differently. Let's eat bread and drink wine at the Marriott means money only happy if I get more money.

3000 years after Solomon writes this money is still viewed as the answer for everything. I just have more money and solve everything cover every problem they would cover over the issue might even solve the heartache or the loneliness just need more just why the average person who buys a lottery ticket in our community for what the statistics are that I have read are the people that cannot afford to buy the ticket, hoping and believing that if they win, it'll solve everything.

The Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint adds a verb here. That's interesting, makes the phrase read everything humbly obeys money and I would certainly be correct. Everything bowels before money everything bowels before people with money. If people have money while they listen to idolized him follow them. If they're talking about marriage, relationships, or educational problems. They probably know what's true and right.

Why will that money even an image of the worst advice. The most God dishonoring advice on the planet money was as much a God in his world as it is in our world this day of people now. Before they humbly acquiesce, Solomon has gone down this path as we've already learned. This is the way his personal testimony.

Every dinner plate. He ate off was solid gold just couldn't get more money he makes silver as common as gravel. The Bible says and what happens he ruin everything that Solomon is finished here 1 More Way to pursue the wrong things in life become obstinate and opinionated. The motto for this attitude is to summarize I think by the word. So what.

Or maybe you could write it. Who cares I was given say what I think Solomon is warning the person to reach is that what were learning to speak your mind and matter what we verse 20 even in your thoughts. Do not curse the king, nor in your bedroom did mean curse the rich for a bird of the air will carry your voice, or some winged creature tell the matter. Solomon says her with some hyperbole. Don't even let yourself think the thought. There are generations there are nations that have lived under the secret police and any statement of disloyalty would be dangerous.

Certainly Solomon is writing a day when that would be dangerous as well, but I think the advice still stands. Even in the privacy of your bedroom. He writes here. Don't demean all run down your boss or that the leader or that that rich relative who has more than you may think they deserve. Don't talk about things like that don't even say them out loud when you feel yourself thinking it turn it off. He writes here is the problem. A bird of the air might carry it away is probably the textual basis for the common, especially this day a little birdie told me.

Will Rogers the humorous philosopher put it this way said we ought to live so that we would not be ashamed to sell our parents to the town gossip. Think of the live been changed by that little bird repeating the message.

Maybe you're thinking a little bird can't do that much harm. A little bird told me is probably more appropriate and are generations in Solomon, the government now we have a platform you can share your thoughts is like that you can speak and give that were just like that you have to think about to say. Just give your opinion foolish, twittering, tweeting, first, you can now give your reaction might be untimed might be rude, vulgar and appropriate hurtful think the reputations of the been ruined by tweet little bird. Think of the relationships hurt jobs lost Solomon's advice is simple. Don't say anything you really don't want out there inspected repeated he puts it all in perspective here. I read recently about Matt Edmonds at the gold-medal insight into thousand for the Olympics. He was one shot away from victory in the 50 m rifle affect.

He was a skillful marksman. This was what they call a three position challenge he would fire this target from three different positions after his second shot. He was so far ahead.

He didn't need a bull's-eye to win with 1/3 shot he just needed something close. So we took that final shot is a clean shot. The target showed nearly a perfect aim was described later as an extremely rare mistake in this kind of elite competition Edmonds for some reason had actually fired with his third shot at the wrong target. He was standing in the lane to any fired at the target in the lane three.

It was a great shot, but he was aiming at the wrong target. What it description, beloved of our world today and in their perspective they would tell you how great shot you get the position of power and money. Everything you want, you can say what you want to say you live the way you want to say it. Yeah, people serving you. Wow man you're hitting the target who do not realize it is the wrong target and they hit it, but ruined everything. The wisest thing you could ever do is to begin walking with Christ and at that point of your salvation where you come to faith in Christ you believe the gospel. You apply the cross of Christ to your life and you were tens of your sin at the cross. You know the word repent literally means to change direction to turn around you're walking this way and that because of Christ you're walking this way he changed directions is that distinctive element of the Christian life that is remarkable to our world. Because the target changes they may not be able to see that in you right away. You work with them but if that one conversation where you realize that they realize you're aiming at different target I remember in my own life coming to faith in Christ is a 17-year-old was a missionary kid. I wasn't on drugs and in a rock band at another testimony wanted to have what you Christian school, but that target change so that within about a month of coming back to school for my senior year, people began asking me what happened to you imperceptible at first, remarkably distinctive later that you as a leader as an influencer as a priest representing God. You have to wear it on your bumper over your face. You don't have to make this the first conversation, your life is distinctively different leader and ambassador given a post Embassy assignment for the kingdom of heaven by following him we lead and influence guy serve the world around us in the best way possible of showing our world the glory of God. What it means to leave the kingdom of darkness and walk in this marvelous light. So glad you were able to join us today.

This is wisdom for the hard, the Bible teaching ministry of Stephen Davey. Today's message from the book of Ecclesiastes is called how to ruin your world, your life and everything else you can learn more about our ministry online@wisdomonline.org wisdom for the heart also publishes a monthly magazine called heart-to-heart. Each issue features articles and a daily devotional guide to keep you rooted in God's word, we send this resource as a gift to all of our wisdom partners and would be happy to send you the next three issues absolutely sign up online or call us today at 86 648 by that's 866-482-4253. Thanks for joining us today. Be with us next time here on wisdom for the heart