In a World of Smoke and Mirrors - Ecclesiastes 1:8-11

Life under the sun. Since creation is redundant. It's the same day over and over and over again single wind that are sky seasons and psycho don't change creation is read for those who believe the opening staggering lines of this book in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth for you. Creation is not done. Creation is resplendent only to find that once you it wasn't satisfying.

Perhaps you felt you. Some people go their whole lives just living for the things of this world. King Solomon referred to those things as things under the sun. We don't have to live that way when we pursue God in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Life has real significance and meaning.

This is wisdom for the heart and hear Stephen Davey what the lesson called in a world of smoke and mirrors in the early 1600s of Dutch scientists invented the prototype of what we would call today a slide projector originally light projected through images painted on glass testing and image up on the wall or screen to make a larger-than-life. It was called in the early years of magic lantern. It wasn't long before the Globe theater in London became first to use the magic lantern to create special facts they reflected the project of the image often mirror which reflected back into the smoky air that they had allowed on stage the image appear to be alive moved and shifted in the smoke it created quite a sensation use for all sorts of dramatic events in the facts fact about 100 years later, in 1770 charlatan by the name of Johan Stroh for became famous using the magic lantern he portrayed images, smoky settings, claiming that he was conjuring up the spirits of the dead. He successfully deceived audiences. He made a fortune back did this for heads of state and royalty. They were convinced that they were in the presence of the deceased in the 19th century to become popular and was used by fortunetellers that use amusement parks around the world today. It created an expression for tricking deceiving people, we simply call today smoke and your interesting Cambridge dictionary treats that phrase day is one now it's defined as an allusion which makes you believe what you are experiencing is true or real when it is neither true nor real 3000 years ago came by the name of Solomon come to the conclusion that he and everyone else live in a world smoke and mirrors what seemed satisfying was what appeared to be meaningful is like tricks you with delusions of significant satisfaction now is an old man. Solomon is owning up to the fact that he been duped. He been willingly deceived. He'd spent his life chasing after what turned out to be nothing more than an illusion.

He publishes it all in his private journal where the spirit of God through Solomon gives us the reality of life. We call this journal, the book of Ecclesiastes we just begun exploring in turn there if you haven't already. Solomon begins by describing the futility and brevity and meaninglessness of life bound up in that word vanity is life under the sun.

Keep that in mind if you're here for the first time in this series is one of Solomon's favorite expressions. This is an expression for life on earth without any perspective of godly wisdom which Solomon has abandoned for decades apart from God, apart from the gospel is going to describe the truth about life under the sun, and for starters chapter why Solomon is going to prove that life under the sun.

If that's all were ever going to get leads to despair and discouragement dissolution and to prove his point, he takes us on a field trip and we began bad in our last session bio by way of a really fast review. Solomon has referred to the world of nature by showing us that we can sidestep the funeral procession in verse four generation goes in a generation comes with the earth remains forever, and I largely come and go stick around right we can't get out of the funeral procession a person dies every second we can slow down.

The sun verse five sun rises, the sun goes down in patients to the place where rises no matter what you do, how you live what you accomplish, you you don't affect the rising and setting of the sun. You can slow down the rotation of her you impacted not one, not only that, thirdly, you can steer the wind, the wind blows to the south and goes around the north around and around goes the wind on its circuits. The wind would turn you can turn on the weather Channel utilize weather on the ones you you can find out they can measure the size of that hurricane wind tunnel they they can they can determine its speed. They can tell you when it's going to hit landfall can't do anything about. You can't alter it. You can steer Solomon is saying about you have the perspective of life down here under the sun. That's all you're going to get you very quickly come to the conclusion that humanity is at the mercy on me, you can't stop the earth revolving doors for you and you can't stop the sun from shining verse five. You can stop the wind from blowing verse that you can't stop the oceans from blowing verse seven. I mean you you thought you were something you thought you had power and prestige and that you are making an impact on that's just slow mirrors, Solomon shifts gears from the world of nature and shows us human nature that's our study for today delivers four more observations about life and so the first ones. This we get tired of the repetitions of life. Notice per se is the first phrase all things are full of weariness.

A man cannot. You could translate Solomon to be saying life is so wearisome and so toilsome hard word. One man paraphrases that life is more tedious and boring than words could ever say anything to talk like that is leisure some Hebrew scholars I research believe that this first phrase is really an introduction to the observations that follow other words, we grow restless and we grow bored so easily with life. Let me show you why there's a second observation we are not satisfied with the experiences rose the eye is not satisfied with seeing, or the ear filled with hearing isn't fulfilled rendered with hearing Solomon is alluded here to the senses of sight and sound.

In other words, we've experienced things in life, but there are things we still want to experience we've seen some things that we want to see we we want to hear more.

We want to taste more willing to do more with more restless run set ever driven the Blue Ridge Pkwy., but had never taken a cruise the Caribbean.

The Appalachian trail you can climb Mount is the giver taken a helicopter and and and written over the Grand Canyon given a four wheeled on the sand dunes yeah some things that are probably things you like. I like to skydive ones successful as a redesign I Google means I research places to visit in North Carolina to see how much I'd see came up with the site 17 most beautiful places to visit in North Carolina there was 1/4 so late Charlotte and I remember I've seen the sign that count past the sign of the light so much more to see and experience, and we forget the thrill of what we've already seen your first car, you may repress the memory of mine hand me down the run with the college. I got the car baby blue Volkswagen.

I wasn't cool.

Then it isn't cool now I had shaggy carpet. I cut out format get up to 65 miles an hour in the big gust of wind. If I had to I forgot that I can remember little bit you know that was exciting. The second way to get the next first paycheck first job your first home first kiss. Human experience grows more having experienced and is never said breathtaking son said you might've seen the other evening I was so beautiful you got over a you you might walk down the street this evening and not that even though this yeah you heard that river cascading over rocks you are that music playing, you stop barely read isn't that magnificent Solomon is making an observation here about the truth of our fallen nature's human being that what once was breathtaking very quickly becomes background you thought that if you got to do that or see that you hear that, or that work or experience that you would find lasting satisfaction you discovered it's just smoke and mirrors lesion not satisfied after we grow tired of the repetitions of life. We aren't satisfied with the experiences of life. Solomon makes 1/3 observation we don't create anything new in life first 10. Is there a thing in which it is said, see, this is new. It has been already in the ages before us. Solomon is asking a rhetorical question here. Can anybody say this is many answers it out for ages packaging might change. We are driving cars and not chariots. We got technologies that Solomon could never conceive but were just working with stuff that already existed just repackaging were harnessing utilize even Thomas Edison, the famous inventor (one of the greatest venting everything. The carving microphone to to the lightbulb to the nickel iron batteries about phonograph record player plays round plastic things in my generation. This Edison said my inventions are only bringing out the secrets that already. I'm just packaging to keep in mind, Solomon. Here is his observing human nature in this immediate context is not thinking of inventor technology you could understand him to be saying there is nothing new about human beings, that hasn't already been observed for ages. Does this sound familiar to you. What author writes young people today have no reverence for parents are only they are impatient of all restraints. They talk as if they know everything of the church leader writing a thousand years ago. Another all the children have bad manners, contempt for authority, they disrespect their elders.

Socrates wrote that 2400 years ago.

So what does this mean it means it's about time for young people to straighten that know what it means is that young people are still critical of all people and all people are still complaining about young people, even the generational issues, not things new nothing about fallen human nature live out here the side we still get tired of the repetitions in life we still aren't satisfied. We quickly get over rocks of the experiences of life.

We still really don't create anything new life. One more observation number four in our lives for the day. We will be remembered after the end of life. Verse 11 there is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those come out the word things in that text could just as easily be translated, people both are true. In this context I remember former things, former experiences, former people who lived earlier than you talking about deceased family members which leave a lifelong memory. Solomon is speaking in general terms about former generations being forgot by later generations, and here's what he's doing is cutting to the heart of the human desire to make some kind of different. If our lives are all thrown out human existence. How will those ripples sound is not all. Not very far, cutting right to the heart of our desire to not be forgotten. Can we build a monument statue listed somewhere somebody might brag a note is to forget me John Lennon. He made his back in 1966 when he was the leader of the beetle remember them make this prediction and I quote Christianity will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue with that I'm right and I'll be proved right.

We are more popular now Jesus 50 years later. Can you imagine somebody say forget me. That Jesus died talk about the ultimate illusion being deceived by smoke and mirrors. One man wrote perceptively. Today's celebrities are tomorrow's obituaries Solomon would heartily agree with that and that's the point. Here's the other point that if that's true love celebrities that that's true.

People you you know they are in another name are household names you buy everything they say and they say and you know that everybody knows if celebrities that leads famous people, whatever politicians if they become tomorrow's obituaries, what will become of you and me to remember us. Are we depressed yet, not even in chapter 1. Remember, this journal needs to be understood backwards. You have to go back to the journal where he ties it all out with billing that forward now where he says remember your creator in the days of your years. Don't forget your creator if you all you get is life on some better yet develop a relationship of trust and faith in the son SO in what a difference estimated he thought the pages of your own personal journal. Let me show you a little bit of the different tiers life under the sun. Compared to life. Alongside this life under the sun.

Since creation is redundant. It's the same thing over and over and over. Yes, I'm aware that our sky and seasons and cycles they don't change. We can do anything to change that creation is read for those who believe the opening staggering lines of this book in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth for you. Creation is not done. Creation is resplendent, smart, homeless that declare the glory of God.

The firmament is simply the result of his handiwork. Clouds that sunset design by the creator, summarizes, and just the boring repetition happens to be a testimony of of the predictable faithfulness of God.

You can set your clock by how do we know that because were told. His mercies are new every morning to remind her of his faithful wife under the sign says life is pointless point, Bertrand Russell, the atheistic philosopher express this despair when he wrote me stand on the shore of an ocean crying into the night and the emptiness sometimes avoids answers out of the darkness, but it is the voice of one drowning and in a moment of silence return.

There is no creator beyond our awareness.

No significance to our existence, then there is simply no point in life. Solomon writes that perspective, why, why sweat it out under the sun was the point to anything for the believer, walks alongside the son asks oh in life is life has divine purpose. Life is an expression of trust and assurance and obedience and anticipation were not gerbils running around on a wheel. Never thought about the fact that God creates history as linear on into the future.

We happen to be somewhere were not stuck in the societal level why the lion King is not good knowledge gang make sure you tell your kids that they get mesmerized by your stock in a site called your slimming if you remember the creator your stuff down here with wife under the sun.

Solomon says here's another brutal truth. Nothing is new life is repackaging and redesigning and reselling them faster and shinier newer and more complicated things that become hand-me-down none of us for the wind was calm by faith to God the son.

Here's the difference.

Everything is we have a new name. Isaiah 62 we have a new heart.

Ezekiel 36 were new creations in Christ all things are passing away the all things are becoming. Paul writes to the Corinthian church Lord is going to create friends redeemed on new have, and I knew her Revelation 21. The meantime, God has given us a new song, saying the new perspective and a new joy. Psalm 33 that God makes this really incredible promise to the believer. In Revelation 21 verse five. All I will lay all sayings pulses all, here's what we like your eyes never seen your ears never heard your heart is never imagined glory of God is prepared for those who love prescriptions tonight.

One day, were going to be perfect one day our fallen nature's going to be done away, perfected in holiness. We get this perfected in perspective will never grow bored ever again will never grow tired.

It will always be new and fresh. In fact, are sentences deemed one will be sexually by the glorious created hand of God life under the sun set. You will not be remember that's true hundred years after you die. Chances are no one will be alive on the planet who even remembers you give me the name of the most famous football player in 19 1900 years was famous planet in 1990.

You will never be remembered if all you have is life under the sun God's word tells us you will never be forgotten.

Your name is written in the Lamb's book of life. Revelation 2127.

Your life is engraved upon the palm of his hand, is a 49 others are part of his body, even the smallest action an attitude of obedience and worship and trust and service. The writer of Hebrews tells us that God will never forget your work and the love shown to those who belong to him. He he's not going to forget anything life under the sun, says whatever you're chasing after I got to tell you here's the reality of smoke and mirrors. But life walking alongside the son of God as Lord and Savior creation is redundant it's resplendent so go enjoy life is pointless. It has divine purpose only give it everything you've got no matter how Monday