An Exhortation to Graduates from Ecclesiastes

Do you know what life is all about and why you're in this world, in this particular place and at this particular time? After all your years of schooling can you finally say that you understand the meaning of life and why you're here and how you got here? May I be so bold as to say, that unless all your studies had the Bible as their very foundation, then you have no idea how to answer these questions. You see, these are questions that ONLY the Bible can answer because the Bible Alone is God's Word to man. Mathematics, Science, Geography, History & Social Studies are all meaningless apart from a foundation on God's Word. And language courses are at a loss to explain why there are so many diverse tongues in this world unless they begin with Genesis, the first book of the Bible. And that's why we read in Ecclesiastes 12:1: "Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth."

The Book of Ecclesiastes was written by King Solomon, and it's a book in the Bible that gives us the only true world and life view, and it answers all the questions which are in the heart of every person! The Bible Alone tells us why we are here, how we got here, what life is all about and what our purpose is in this life!

Your Pursuits and Purpose

And in Ecclesiastes, Solomon demonstrates that all the pursuits of man are vain and empty and add up to nothing, and bring only sorrow and suffering in a life that's lived apart from faith in God. If you read Ecclesiastes you'll see that Solomon gave himself for a time in the pursuit of materialism, which is thinking that life only consists in the things you possess. Solomon possessed houses, vineyards, gardens, fruit trees, water pools, servants, silver and gold, male and female singers and livestock-he had it all, but he soon discovered that this is only vanity. Jesus said in Luke 12:15: "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."

Solomon also pursued pleasure: sex, alcohol, laughter and partying, but he also discovered that apart from living for God, these things are only emptiness and vanity. Solomon then pursued academic studies and what we might call humanism: trying to do good. But again he came to the same conclusion;-that apart from living one's life in the service of God, all these things are empty, unfulfilling and only produce a life of misery that ends in despair and destruction. And so Solomon comes to a conclusion of the whole matter at the end of the book of Ecclesiastes-there's only one proper view of life. Because God is the Creator and we are His creatures, who are created as His image, there can only be one purpose for man and only one thing under heaven that is fulfilling in the life of every person-Solomon says: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man!"

The Bible teaches us that the whole purpose of life is simply to fear God, which is a holy reverence and childlike trust in God! And you demonstrate that you fear God by loving and serving Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, which means you bow to His Word! You see, love for God is demonstrated by obedience to His Commandments. Jesus said in John 14:21: "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me." And Scripture teaches that we only obey when we are reconciled to God by grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. When you have true faith you confess your sin and unworthiness, and true faith motivates you to praise, honor and worship God in all you do!

2007 Graduates: Are you trusting Christ? Have you been reconciled to the Creator through faith in Jesus Christ? You see, to remember your Creator means to trust Him in everything and for everything!

God's Judgement

Solomon also teaches in Ecclesiastes 11:9 that youth is a blessing and something to be enjoyed. But he also says the joy of youth must be balanced with the reminder that "God will bring you into judgment." In other words, your adult life is going to reveal the quality of your youth, so don't let your youth be days of vanity and emptiness. Don't think you'll become serious about worshipping and serving God when you get older and that today you can do whatever you want. If that's your outlook, your life is empty and vain. You must now begin serious thought as to your relationship to God and your place of service to Him in this world. Youth is not a time for following the idols of this present evil world or drifting along without a purpose. Solomon says "Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth!" The most important thing for you to be focused on in the days of your youth is God.

Remember Your Creator

Solomon says: "Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth." What he means by remembering God your Creator is that all your life long, but especially in the days of your youth, you must remember that you have your existence from God. You did not develop by some evolutionary process, nor do you exist as a result of some "big bang." You are not a product of blind chance, nor a genetic code that somehow came into being through a process of millions of years. The Bible declares that God made you! We read in Acts 17:28: "for in Him you live and move and have your being." He determined your purpose and God alone can satisfy you! Remember this teaching as you go out into the world to secure a job or go off to college to gain more education. Whatever avenue you pursue-"Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth!"

And you exist for one purpose: to worship and serve God. Therefore, you are accountable to Him in all that you think, say and do! Remember that! You have one purpose in life: to worship and serve the God of the Bible. If you miss this purpose, your life is empty and vain, no matter what you might accomplish in this life. Only in knowing God your Creator, through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, will your life have great significance and purpose!

Now is the Day of Salvation!

And did you notice the word now? "Remember now your Creator." It means that trusting in God for salvation is now-never later. You cannot say to God, "Later." Later may not come. "Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." (James 4:13-14) That's why we read in 2 Corinthians 6:2: "For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

Remember God now in your entertainment and in the friends you choose. Remember God now in deciding whom you should marry and what vocation you will pursue. Remember God now when you're tempted to sin, and in the clothes you wear, and in places you frequent. Remember God now in all that you think, say and do. Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, "I have no pleasure in them."

Graduates, you must remember now your Creator in the days of your youth if you will have the strength to live in the days of old age, which are often days of trial and testing. Once again, the foundation for your life is laid in the days of your youth. Therefore, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil." May God give each of you the grace to "Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth" as you prepare to make your way out into the world!

God wants all people everywhere to hear the Gospel. Evangelism is necessary. The Gospel is the message of the Bible-revealing the Savior from the beginning to end. It speaks of His coming, His death, His resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and His coming again.

"What comfort is it to thee that Christ shall come to judge the living and the dead? That in all my sorrows and persecutions, with uplifted head, I look for the selfsame One, who before offered Himself for me to the tribunal of God, and removed all curse from me, to come as Judge from heaven, who shall cast all His and my enemies into everlasting condemnation, but shall take me with all His chosen ones to Himself into heavenly joy and glory." (HC 52)

The only way to become acceptable to the Father is through faith in Jesus. Since people cannot believe in Him unless they know about Him, someone must tell them. "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? (Rom. 10:14)

Pray for Pastors

Are we upholding our pastor before God's throne of grace? Do we honor him as the under-shepherd whom God has called to lead the flock here in Christ's Church? Let us remember the words from our Directory of Worship, "Now listen to what the Word of God says to you, how you are to receive him, and what your attitude toward him should be. ‘We urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves.' ‘Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the Word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.' ‘Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those that must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.' . . . from these divine instructions you see that you are to love, honor, and obey in the Lord this servant of Christ. You are to submit to his doctrine, admonitions, corrections, and for his service in spiritual things you own him his material necessities, so that he may devote himself entirely to the ministry of the Word without any cares about his support."

Every believers responsibility for Evangelism

Preachers and Christian leaders (elders, deacons, etc.) are not the exclusive agents of evangelism. It is the duty of every Christian as opportunity presents itself in the flow of our daily lives to be a witness for Christ. We must confess Him both in our words and actions. In the book of Acts, we read of ordinary believers actively proclaiming the Word as a result of their conversions (Acts 8:1-4; 11:20). It is also necessary to live the Christian life, so that others can see the difference it makes. But, this is not enough; we must evangelize. General revelation does not itself reveal Christ to unbelievers. God's special revelation in the Bible is required to explain who He is and why He came. So our behavior must be backed up by an explanation of the Gospel. "We must, as much as lies within us, endeavor to draw all men on earth to God" (John Calvin). Also, nothing could be more inconsistent with our faith than to withhold the truth of God from others.

In our witnessing, we must be humble, prayerful, and patient as we wait upon God. We may not see the results of our witness immediately, maybe even never in our lifetime. God does things in his own time, but we need to be diligent and faithful in carrying out His commands. In the words of Romans 1:16, we should "not be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes." When someone is converted and confesses Christ, we must like Paul rejoice in the Lord and give Him the glory (cf. I Cor. 1:31, 2:5).

Here are some questions to ponder: 1. How is my church attendance? 2. How do I start the Lord's Day? 3. Will I be on time, or does it make a difference? 4. How do I explain to my friends and neighbors the importance of church if my attendance is poor? 5. How do I glorify God without church attendance? And, 6. When the church is called to worship, where am I?

Our Role in the Church

What is our role in the local church? One of the greatest needs for our time is for living, biblical churches. Nothing else, no other institutions, can replace the church.

Every Christian ought to give much thought and prayer to this subject, and then order his life in such a way as to further the work of God's true churches. The needs are great for the local church, the pressures are heavy, and those who speak against or demean God's church are many.

This is no time to be apathetic or indifferent toward the living, biblical church. We need to go forth with boldness to declare that we are the servants of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The biblical, local church provides a ministry which we as Christians need. God's Word commands it. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is; be exhorting one another: and so much more as ye see the day approaching."

Duties to Christ's Church

Let us consider some of our responsibilities to Christ's church. Public worship is a command from God, not an option, which we may choose at random where we want to. It has not been organized for our convenience, but that His people might gather in public worship to call upon God, to honor, glorify, and sing praises to His Holy Name.

We should take advantage of this opportunity for corporate worship and our participation in the sacraments of Baptism and Lord's Supper. Christians can and do worship privately, but this may not exclude public, corporate worship. Its practice is spoken of throughout the Bible. Psalm 22:22, 25 says, "I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him." Psalm 107:32, "Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders." Psalm 149:1, "Praise ye the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints." Read also Leviticus 23 where it speaks of the gathering together on feast days, festivals, and on the Sabbaths. In the New Testament, Luke 4:16 says, "And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read." God loves to see His people gathered in public worship. The sacraments also, were not given for private use, but they are always corporate. They are ordinances observed with assemblies of God's people.

Benefits and Blessings of the Church in our lives

The true, local church provides biblical teaching by qualified men sent from God (Eph. 4:8-11) who are in touch with the needs of the people whom they serve. Such teaching is necessary for every Christian's spiritual maturity (Eph. 4:12-16). It is important that qualified and duly called men be devoted to such work (1 Tim. 4:13-16; 5:17), and that we, as members, attend to and support them (Heb. 13:7-17; Col. 4:1-3).

A biblical, local church provides for close Christian fellowship. The Lord Jesus calls us to a fellowship of dependence on each other when He teaches that each part of His body needs the others (cf. 1 Cor. 12:13-27). Verse 27 concludes, "Now ye are the body of Christ and members in particular." We need also to remember that we are part of the covenant relationship with our God, for he has declared, "And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." (Gen. 17:7, 8) Because of our covenant relationship with our God, we are in covenant with each other. Christ calls us to a fellowship of interdependence in which each part of the body needs the other parts. We need to give more attention to the biblical call to Christian fellowship.

There are other functions of the true church which have not been mentioned, but let us remember the marks of the true church: the pure preaching of the Word, the proper administration of the sacraments, and the faithful exercise of Christian discipline.

It is God who has established His Church and its true manifestations. Can we ever be justified in treating lightly what He has founded? It is also a sin against God and our own souls to deprive ourselves of the blessings and means of grace which God has provided for our own good. Yet, when we neglect the functions of the local church, that is exactly what we are doing. Be willing to serve when called upon by the local church, and be prepared to be in attendance when the elders call the church to worship.