June 23, 2024 | Ecclesiastes: Death Comes to All

Series Overview:

Life is difficult to understand, and our experiences don’t add up. It’s hebel. We try to
live a meaningful life and hope for the future, but the Teacher explains that the same fate will
happen to all of us, whether wise or foolish (Ecc. 2:15), human or animal (Ecc. 3:20); we will all
die. Is there any hope? In today’s culture we go through great lengths to numb ourselves to the
reality of death, chiefly through pleasure. The Teacher grabbed at everything he desired (Ec.
2:10). He indulged in sex, drink, great works (gardens, parks, vineyards, pools), etc. Has anything
really changed today? Our culture sends messages to appeal to our longing to experience
pleasure; to numb the pain of the reality of life, that we live in a broken world that will result in
death. Our culture obsesses with pleasure but has us reaching for it in all the wrong directions,
which leads to emptiness. We were made for pleasure; to enjoy pleasure and peace with the
God who created us. Sex, drink, achievements, are all gifts from God that need to be
appropriately enjoyed but will not satisfy the longings of your heart or help us avoid death. We
must die to ourselves first (Luke 9:23) and then reach for what we long for, more of God. And
although physical death will come, we don’t have to fear because we have eternity with Christ.

Today’s Text | Ecclesiastes 3:16-22