YOUR HEART FOR GOD IS SHOWN IN ALL THINGS For from it flow the springs of life. Derek Westmoreland Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 HBC 8-13-17 Every time we gather for worship; we should be people that have first met with God personally and asked him to search our I invite you to turn with me to the book of Ecclesiastes. If you hearts, much like David did when he said, are visiting with us I want to make you aware that we, as a (Psalm 139:23-24) Search me, O God, and know my heart; church, have been reading through the Bible in chronological Try me and know my anxious thoughts; order. In addition, the Bible Fellowship groups have been taught 24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me, each week from the section of scripture that will be read the And lead me in the everlasting way. following week. I have also been preaching from a text that will That should take place before we gather. That is what it means be read the following week. This week, beginning on Tuesday, to “guard your steps.” the book of Ecclesiastes will be read, therefore we will be in Ecclesiastes this morning. II. INSTRUCTION REGARDING PRAYER 1. Draw near to listen to Him The word Ecclesiastes means Preacher or Teacher. Verse 1- Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and Ecclesiastes 1:1 says, The words of the Preacher, the son of draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for David, king in Jerusalem. they do not know they are doing evil. Ecclesiastes 1:12 says, I, the Preacher, have been king over Solomon, reminds us that in his day, there were many that Israel in Jerusalem. approached God incorrectly. They would come, without a heart Solomon is the only son of David that had served as king of repentance, to offer a sacrifice in order to be in God’s good therefore Solomon is the writer of Ecclesiastes graces. They would come to offer a gift in an attempt to make

The book of Ecclesiastes argues that trying to find happiness things right with God. The temptation to do the same today, is apart from God, is futile. present.

Turn to: A man spends his paycheck on alcohol. Spends his week drunk Ecclesiastes 5 provides instruction regarding worship, regarding and broke, comes to partake of communion at the Lord’s prayer, regarding government behavior, and regarding money. church, and leaves thinking he is right with God. We will address the instruction regarding the first two; worship A married man moves in with a girlfriend and then gives and prayer. $100,000 to his church, and believes he has made things right Title: Read: Pray: with God. A mother brings her children to church week after week; yet she I. INSTRUCTION REGARDING WORSHIP provokes her children to anger day after day after day and she Verse 1a- Guard your steps as you go to the house of God thinks she is right with God. We, like those in Solomon’s day, need to “guard our steps.” A husband spends his time watching pornography, yet he We need to approach God with reverence. attends church faithfully, gives to the Lord’s work, and never Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes 5 to warn us to not approach God misses an activity that one of his children participate in. He flippantly but to listen to God in reverence. thinks he is doing enough good to make up for the bad. He is Proverbs 4:23- Watch over your heart with all diligence, wrong and needs to repent.

The teenager never misses church. Is active in the youth group; Hopewell from any and all that would join, that first have not yet is consistently found playing a violent and addictive game. addressed the sins of their past. The youth neglects time with God, and fails to reach fellow I also am uncomfortable when people serve at the church to the students, and fails to help around the house. The youth thinks degree that they never gather with God’s people to worship. that being at all the church functions makes all things They offer the sacrifice of their time and talent without first acceptable. The youth is deceived. drawing near with God’s people to listen to God through the These are the types of people that offering the sacrifice of preached Word, they have not drawn near to listen to others fools. They do not know they are doing evil. teach them and instruct them as God’s people. The pastors here at Hopewell, long for servants to first be worshippers; those Draw near to listen to God. When we talk of prayer we think of seeking God. I believe every adult needs the fellowship of other us talking to God; but prayer is a typically a dialogue. At other adults. I believe every adult servant needs the congregational times, it is a monologue but God does all the talking. worship that God has designed for His church. Spend time in prayer and may that time be a time of listening. I want our service and works to be an overflow of drawing Draw near to God and listen to Him speak to you through His near to listen to Him. This is done individually; but the Word, through prayer, through God’s messengers, and through emphasis in Ecclesiastes 5 is that drawing near to listen to Him God’s people. is to be done collectively.

Draw near to listen to Him! Listening to God takes precedence over being busy for God.

2. Listening takes precedence over doing Yes, we who believe will have works, but they are to be the Our tendency is to get busy doing stuff for God; rather than overflow of guarding our steps and drawing near to listen to God at the house of God. being still and listening to God.

Warren Wiersbe wrote, Sacrifices are not substitutes for 3. Be short on words obedience. … Offerings in the hands without obedient faith in Verse 2- Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to the heart become “the sacrifice of fools,” because only a fool bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few. thinks he can deceive God. The fool thinks he is doing good, but he or she is only doing evil. And God knows it. Once a young man came to that great philosopher Socrates to Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Satisfied (p. 64). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books. be instructed in oratory. The moment the young man was In Solomon’s day people would offer animals as sacrifices for introduced he began to talk, and there was an incessant stream their sin; which was appropriate, but they would do so without for some time. When Socrates could get in a word, he said, having a heart of repentance. Young man, I will have to charge you a double fee. Double fee, why is that? The old sage replied, I will have to teach you two I want to be transparent with you. I am terrified of people lessons. First, how to hold your tongue, and then how to use it. joining here from other churches where they were found in sin What an art for all of us to learn, especially for Christians. and they never repented. They just decided to start again (from Illustrations of Bible Truths # 821) somewhere else. For those people, they are still in sin and they How to hold your tongue, and then how to use it. bring their sin to the church they go to. I pray that God protect

We have already seen that we are not pleasing to God by simply Verse 7- For in many dreams and in many words there is offering our works and service to Him to cover our sin. Now we emptiness. Rather, fear God. see that our speech should be minimal to Him. Verse 2 can be The word “dreams” is used metaphorically, as in the English, to applied to all speech but in the context Solomon is specifically say, “He has big dreams.” Solomon makes clear that aspirations addressing our prayer habits. are meaningless. Good intentions accomplish nothing.

Prayer should not be flippant. Prayer is conversing with the Solomon is addressing those who pray and tell God all they are Almighty. Slow down and mean what you say. Think before going to do for Him. They make vows based on their you speak. aspirations; their dreams. God is not looking for your vow. He is not looking for you to 4522 How Praying Hyde Prayed offer sacrifices. He is looking for your obedience! Dr. Wilbur Chapman wrote to a friend: I have learned some Draw near to Him. Listen to Him. Fear Him. great lessons concerning prayer. At one of our missions in England the audience was exceedingly small; but I received a Be short on words! note saying that an American missionary was going to pray for God’s blessing down on our work. He was known as Praying 4. Don’t make vows Hyde. Almost instantly the tide turned. The hall became packed, A vow is …a solemn promise or pledge that binds a person to perform a specified act or to behave in a certain manner. and at my first invitation fifty men accepted Christ as their Youngblood, R. F., Bruce, F. F., & Harrison, R. K., Thomas Nelson Publishers Saviour. As we were leaving I said, “Mr. Hyde, I want you to (Eds.). (1995). In Nelson’s new illustrated Bible dictionary. Nashville, TN: Thomas pray for me.” Nelson, Inc. He came to my room, turned the key in the door, and Verse 4- When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying dropped on his knees, and waited five minutes without a single it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! syllable coming from his lips. I could hear my own heart The Lord did not require vows of anyone but He did require that thumping, and his beating. I felt hot tears running down my one who makes a vow; keep his vow. The same is taught in face. I knew I was with God. Then, with upturned face, down Psalm 66:13-14- I shall come into Your house with burnt while the tears were streaming, he said, “O God.” Then for five offerings; I shall pay You my vows, 14 Which my lips uttered minutes at least he was still again; and then, when he knew that And my mouth spoke when I was in distress. he was talking with God there came from the depths of his heart When you vow to give a certain amount; you better give it. such petitions for me as I had never heard before. I rose from my knees to know what real prayer was. —Gospel Herald Verses 5-6- It is better that you should not vow than that you Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (pp. 1035– should vow and not pay. 6 Do not let your speech cause you to 1036). Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc. Verse 2- Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few. voice and destroy the work of your hands?

Verse 3- For the dream comes through much effort and the Many times, foolish vows are made to God. voice of a fool through many words.

Take the terminally ill person. “God, if you heal me I will sell my home and give the proceeds to the poor.” Then God heals Your heart is shown in regard to your preparation for worship the man and he finds reason to not sell his home and give to the and your diligence to listen through prayer. poor. May we now repent of offering the sacrifices of fools. Another will tell God how many people he will lead to May we now guard our steps. salvation. That is impossible since we don’t do the saving. Even May we draw near to God. telling God how many we will evangelize assumes our health May we listen and obey Him. and ability remains the same. Don’t make foolish vows and the May we respect Him. way to avoid making foolish vows is to make no vows at all.

It is way too common for Christians to make empty vows to God.

The Old Testament speaks of the importance of keeping one’s vow. The New Testament reveals the importance of not making vows to begin with.

Jesus, about 1,000 after Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes, addressed making vows in His well-known Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:33-37 Jesus says, “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil. There is no need to make a vow to God, or anyone. Say yes or no and then keep your word.

What is the Holy Spirit communicating to us through this text? 1) Come to house of God to hear from God. 2) Be slow to speak in prayer and quick to listen. 3) Have a proper respect for God. Don’t approach Him under your terms. Approach Him under His terms. 4) Don’t ever think that doing something, can make up for sin. Obedience is God’s will for you!