Though we live in a world tainted by sin, God has given us wisdom to know how to live. We must obey what we know to obey, enjoy what we can enjoy, and trust in the God who holds tomorrow, even when we don’t know what tomorrow holds.
When we see good people die young and wicked people grow old, we can be tempted to try harder to be more good, or abandon the Christian life altogether. The Preacher of Ecclesiastes, however, encourages us to trust in the goodness of God and to put on the true righteousness of Christ.
When the day of adversity comes, it can be easy to try and distract ourselves from the reality of life's agonies. But the Preacher of Ecclesiastes is encouraging us to embrace our limitations and trust in the sovereign God in control.
While not essential for salvation, baptism brings unity and purity to the church by pointing to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
God has given us a few days on this earth. Will we use up our days pursuing wealth and riches that will not ultimately satisfy, or will we wake up every morning with the goal of enjoying God in everything and enjoying everything in God?
We can be thankful that we have a God whom we can approach in reverence. We can be thankful that, though God is in heaven, He is not so distant. And we can be thankful that we have a Saviour in Jesus Christ, who has made a way for us to be saved from the penalty of our irreverence to God.
Since all of our individual accomplishments will soon be forgotten, we must work with others for the kingdom of God that will last forever.
We cannot afford to distract ourselves from the atrocities and oppressions and wickedness of a sin-riddled world. We have the hope that one day Christ will return to make all things right, and we have the responsibility to bring this good news to the world.
We don't know what seasons of life are in store for us, but we know that God is in control, and we can trust Him whatever time it is.
This is a stand-alone sermon by Village Missions District Representative Gord Rowland.