Judgment is Coming

Turn with me in your Bible to Ecclesiastes chapter 3, Ecclesiastes chapter 3. As you're turning, I want to begin with what is in Philip Rikens' commentary on Ecclesiastes, when he begins one of his chapters with these words. Julian Barnes is frightened. He knows that he shouldn't be, but he is. He can't help himself, you see. Julian Barnes is afraid to die. The famous English writer, the author of Flaubert's Parrot and other prize-winning novels, formerly called himself an atheist. Then he claimed to be an agnostic, because in his opinion, there is no good reason to think there is a God.

This would further imply that there is no such thing as life after death. And therefore, he wrote a book called Nothing to be Frightened of, and yet he is still frightened. The sober truth is that Julian Barnes is desperately afraid to die. The New York Times book review correctly diagnoses his condition as thanatophobia, the fear of death. Barnes thinks about death every day, and admits that sometimes in the night he is roared awake, and pitched from sleep into darkness. Panic and vicious awareness that this is a rented world.

Awake and utterly alone, he finds himself beating his pillow with a fist, and wailing, oh no, oh no, oh no. Julian's dreams are even darker. Sometimes he is buried alive. Other times he is chased, surrounded, outnumbered. He finds himself, quote, held hostage, wrongly condemned to the firing squad, informed that there is even less time than he thought. He calls that the usual stuff. And perhaps this is the usual stuff, because death is the sum of all our fears. Our fears of being alone, abandoned, and condemned.

Why would Julian Barnes, or anybody else, be afraid to die? What is it about death that causes us to fear? We know that the writer of Hebrews tells us in Hebrews chapter 2, verse number 14, therefore since the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death he might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. Our Lord has freed us from the fear of death, and yet there are so many people that are afraid to die.

Why is that? Yes, there is the fear of the unknown, but what they're afraid of is not what they don't know, but what they do know. And what is it they do know? What Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes chapter 3, that eternity has been set in the heart of a man. In other words, that every man knows that there is a future after death. He knows that he lives forever. He knows there is an eternity. If there is an eternity, then there is an eternal God who created an eternity. And he doesn't want to face God.

Well, how do we know that? Well, that's easy because Romans 1 tells us that man suppresses truth in unrighteousness. Because that which is known about God is evident within man. That which is known about God is evident to man. For God made it evident to them. God made sure that man would know that he exists. Well, how did he do that? By setting eternity in their hearts. According to Romans chapter 2 verse number 15, he wrote the law of God on their hearts. So man knows about an eternal God. He says, For since the creation of the world, God's invisible attributes, His eternal power, and divine nature, have been clearly seen.

So man, who has eternity set in his heart, clearly sees there is an eternal power and a divine nature that exists. Being understood that through what has been made, so that man is without excuse. So, verse 28 of Romans 1 says, That man no longer sees fit to acknowledge God any longer. How can you acknowledge that which you do not know about? But man does know. So Julian Barnes is afraid to die. Not because he will cease to exist, because death has nothing to do with the cessation of existence. Death has everything to do with separation from this life to the next.

His fear is founded on the one he will see when he dies. Like every man's is. That's why when Christ came, he took that fear away. Why? Because we know that when we die, we will see the one true God. And therefore we will live with him forever. So therefore we have no fear of death. And that's what makes Ecclesiastes such a great book. Because Solomon in his journey, this preacher, is one who unveils to us things about eternal existence. He unveils to us the things pertaining to life. Causes us to come face to face with death.

And what happens when you die. Solomon was a man of great wisdom. But interesting to know, that you'll never read in the book of Ecclesiastes, that Solomon is on his knees. In prayer. His father was a man of prayer. David was a man who prayed regularly. Who sought the face of his God. But you never read in Ecclesiastes, where Solomon is on his knees. So mark this down. When you live below the sun, and not beyond the sun, you rarely bow before the sun. The S-O-N. Did you get that? Solomon lived under the sun.

He lived below the sun. And when you live below the sun, instead of beyond the sun, in the heavenlies, you rarely bow before the son of God. And that's Solomon. He's given us a journey through his life. That's what Ecclesiastes is all about. And every once in a while, we get a glimpse of the divine. Every once in a while, Solomon unveils for us things that are of eternal value. And that's why Ecclesiastes 3 is so important. Because he talks about that there's a time for everything that happens under the sun.

He talks to us about God's timing. He lists the whole realm of things. A time to be born, a time to die, a time to laugh, a time to cry. To let you know that everything is under the timing of Almighty God. That God himself is in charge. And that this God makes everything beautiful in his time. He wants you to understand that God is sovereignly in control of everything. So much so that he wants you to understand that the beauty of God is seen in his timing. What a great, great chapter. And then he talks about the fact that within that time, there's a great gift.

It's the gift of life that God has given to you. And in that gift, he wants you to live in the fear of him. So that you will be able to give an account to God when you die. And that leads us to verse number 16, where we are tonight, as we conclude chapter 3, verses 16 down to verse number 22. So let me read it to you, and then we'll make some comments about it.

Verse 16, Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness. I said to myself, God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man. For a time for every matter and for every deed is there. I said to myself, concerning the sons of men, God has surely tested them in order for them to see that they are but beasts. For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies, so dies the other.

Indeed, they all have the same breath, and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity. All go to the same place. All came from the dust, and all return to the dust. Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward, and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth? I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot. For who will bring him to see what will occur after him? You read that, and you probably have several questions.

The evolutionists love Ecclesiastes chapter 3, where it talks about man and beast because they're both alike. Now that's what it says, but that's not what it means. And so we'll explain that to you this evening, but notice that Solomon says in verse 16, I have seen.

In verse 17, I said to myself, or I said in my heart. Same thing in verse number 18, I said to myself, or I have said in my heart. And then in verse 22, I have seen again. That gives us the outline for tonight. It tells us about Solomon's observation, Solomon's recognition, and then Solomon's conclusion, which will lead to our summation. Those are our four points. Tonight, if you have an outline, you can follow along with us. If you don't have an outline, you can get one in the back. And if you don't want one at all, that's okay too.

But that's where we're going, okay? So look, first of all, it's Solomon's observation. His observation centers around man's iniquity and man's injustice. Notice what he says.

He says, Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice, there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, there is wickedness. He says, I will let you know that what I see under the sun, what I see happening on a regular basis is nothing but iniquity and injustice. He says, in the place where there is to be justice, in the courtroom, there is wickedness. We understand that. We get that in the day that we live in. We tend to think that in our day when we see all this iniquity in our cities and in our states and in our country and all the injustice that happens around our country that it's the worst it's ever been and it's just horrible.

And it is. But it's always been that way. It's not that it's just that way in the 21st century here in America. Iniquity and injustice has happened all the time. And Solomon takes note of that. In fact, Isaiah said it this way. Isaiah chapter 5. He said in verse number 20, Woe to those who call evil good and good evil. That's like right out of today's newspaper. Right out of today's headlines. That which is evil, people call good. And that which is good, people call evil. Well, that's what God condemns Israel for before they go off into Babylonian captivity.

Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness. Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. Cursed be those people. Woe to those who are cursed are those who are heroes in drinking wine, in valiant men and mixing strong drink. Who justify the wicked for a bribe and take away the rights of the ones who are in the right. You think that just happens today? It's always been happening. It's just not here and there.

It always happens. Verse 24. Therefore as a tongue of fire consumes stubble and dry grass collapses into flame so their root will become like rot and their blossom blow away as dust. For they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. On this account the anger of the Lord has burned against His people. He has stretched out His hand against them and struck them down and the mountains quaked and their corpses lay like refuse in the middle of the streets.

For all this His anger is not spent but His hand is still stretched out. Even in God's judgment upon Israel His anger has not all been spent. He still stretches out His hand to receive those who truly want to repent from their wickedness, from their injustice and from the ways that are rebellious against God. Solomon's father David experienced injustice all the time. Why is it the wicked always prosper and the righteous suffer? Psalm 37 is a classic example of what David says about this. In fact he says Do not fret, verse 1, because of evildoers be not envious toward wrongdoers for they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb.

Don't fret. Don't get anxious simply because the wicked seem to prosper. Trust in the Lord. Do good. Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord. Trust also in Him and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord. Wait patiently for Him, David says. Do not fret because of Him who prospers in His way. Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.

Cease from anger. Forsake wrath. Do not fret. It leads only to evil doing. David would say Solomon's father would explain the fact that there is so much injustice and so much wickedness but yet don't be anxious. Don't fret about those things. Instead rest in the Lord. Trust also in Him. Commit your way to the Lord. Don't take your eyes off the Lord. Keep your eyes above the sun. Take them out from under the sun. That you might see what God is doing. Verse 12 The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes at Him with his teeth.

The Lord laughs at him for He sees His day is coming. There's coming a day of judgment. A day in which God would judge the wicked. The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow to cast down the afflicted and the needy to slay those who are upright in conduct. Their sword will enter their own heart and their bows will be broken. Better is little of the righteous than the abundance of many wicked for the arms of the wicked will be broken. But the Lord sustains the righteous. The Lord knows the days of the blameless and their inheritance will be forever.

They will not be ashamed in the time of evil and in the days of famine they will have abundance. But the wicked will perish and the enemies of the Lord will be like the glory of the pastures. They vanish like smoke. They vanish away. Verse 32 The wicked spies upon the righteous and seeks to kill him. The Lord will not leave him in his hand or let him be condemned when he is judged. In other words, God's going to condemn those and judge those who come against you. The wicked person. The one who does injustice and iniquity in the land.

You can go on and you can read Psalm 73 where it says, Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure at heart. Verse 1 But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling. My steps had almost slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant as I saw the prosperity of the wicked. Again, the psalmist says, wait a minute. Why is it the wicked seem to prosper? Why is it I, who am righteous, have nothing? For there are no pains in their death and their body is fat. They are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like mankind.

Therefore, pride is their necklace. The garment of violence covers them. Their eyes bulge with fatness. The imaginations of their heart run riot. They mock and wickedly speak of oppression. They speak from on high. They have set their mouth against the heavens and their tongue parades through the earth. And you can read all throughout the Psalms. The psalmist would wonder, and why is it the wicked seem to prosper more so than the righteous? And that's a legitimate question. Why is it they don't pay?

Well, they will pay. They will. And Solomon lets you know that a day of judgment is coming. And that day of judgment is not just for the wicked, but it's for all men, not just for some men. So Solomon moves from his observation to his recognition. I said in my heart, I said in my mind, what? God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man for a time for every matter and for every deed is there. He talks about time. He talks about God's timing in verses 1 to 15 to let you know that God's in charge of everything.

But he also wants to let you know that there's going to be a time when God will judge everything. There is a time for judgment. But not just for the wicked, but for the righteous as well. Why? Because every man has held the cannibal. See, that's why Julian Barnes is afraid to die. Because he's held the cannibal for how he lives his life. He's a cannibal to his creator. He's a cannibal to his maker. He's a cannibal to the God that he wants to suppress. The truth that he wants to ignore. He will be held the cannibal to God for that.

Because there's coming judgment day which every man will be judged. There are times when God judges man even today. You can look at the flood.

The flood was the judgment of God. We wiped off everyone from the face of the earth except for Noah and his family. That was God's righteous judgment. Solomon Gomorrah, Genesis chapter 18. Same thing. God's righteous judgment. He wiped out an entire city and everybody who lived in it. Or cities, excuse me. And everyone who lived in them. Because Genesis 18.25 says, Shall not the judge of all the earth deal justly or righteously? Because our God is a holy God. He's a just God. He's a righteous God.

Whatever he decides to judge and however he decides to judge will always be in righteousness. Because he's a holy God. That's how he functions. That's how he lives. That's who he is. So Solomon says that there's coming a day where man's going to be held accountable. So even though you might see the wicked prosper and although you might see how injustice rules the land and how iniquity runs rampant throughout the land, there's coming a day. Rest in the Lord. Wait patiently for him. Commit yourself to him.

Because there's coming a day where God will judge them. Be not deceived. God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man sows, that would he also reap. God's still in charge. Even though iniquity runs rampant. Even though injustice is everywhere. God is still in charge. God's allowing man to do the things that he does because he's holding them accountable for everything they say and everything they do. And God will deal with them. Don't seek revenge. Don't seek to get back or get better. Just wait on the Lord and God will deal with them.

So Solomon recognizes that one day everything is going to be judged because every man is going to be accountable. The righteous and the wicked. Which is very important. Because judgment day is coming for everybody in the world. Everybody in the room. Why? Because God is a just and holy God. He judges everyone. And Solomon, it reminds us of this several times. In fact it says over in chapter 11 of Ecclesiastes. These words. Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things. Chapter 11 verse number 9.

He closes with these words. Chapter 12 verse number 14. For God will bring every act to judgment. Everything which is hidden. Whether it is good or evil. That's how he concludes his book. He wants you to know that everything is judged by God. Because every man is accountable to God. And that's why Romans 1 talks about how man suppresses the truth. What are they suppressing? They are suppressing the fact that there is a divine God who has an eternal nature. Whose eternal power is clearly seen. And therefore they will be accountable to him.

Because eternity has been set in their hearts. And they will be held accountable to him one day. And that's what they don't want to face. So they suppress the truth. So men like Julian Barnes or other individuals are afraid to die. Not because they believe they are going to cease to exist. Oh no. Because that's not what death is. They know that when they die they will come face to face with the eternal God who has set eternity in their hearts. And that's what they don't want to do. So they suppress that truth in the unrighteous living.

In injustice living. In iniquity that fills their hearts. To numb the pain of the reality that they will come face to face with their creator. So Solomon brings us back to help us understand. Listen.

There is a time for everything under heaven. And everything is beautiful in his time. And the beauty of God is that he will judge all men. Both the righteous and the unrighteous. Both the wicked and those who are not. Because God is sovereign. So. Proverbs chapter 24. Solomon had already written this. Remember he wrote the song of Solomon early on. In his younger years. When he was married to only one woman. And then of course he wrote the book of Proverbs for his son. So he would know how to live a righteous and holy life.

That's why the book of Proverbs is written to young people. And then he wrote Ecclesiastes toward the end of his life. Because he had lived a life of wanton pleasure. And now he's telling you how vain and how empty it is. But yet he wrote to his son these words in Proverbs 24 verse number 12. If you say see we did not know this. Does he God not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does he God not know who keeps your soul? And will he God not render to man according to his work? Answer yes he will.

He will. Over in John's gospel the fifth chapter. Listen to what the Lord says in verse number 25. Truly truly I say to you an hour is coming and now is when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. In other words those who are dead are going to hear a voice. And they're going to be raised from the dead. For just as the Father has life in himself even so he gave the Son to also have life in himself. And he gave him authority to execute judgment because he is the Son of Man.

Do not marvel at this. For an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice. Every dead man who ever lived will hear the voice of the Son of Man. It will come forth. Those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life. And those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. But both will be raised. Everybody will be raised from the dead. Those who believe in Christ will be raised into a resurrected life to live with Christ forever. Those who never gave their life to Christ will still be raised from the dead.

Because they have to suffer in hell not just a soul suffering but a body and soul suffering in hell. You will have a body like our Lord's a resurrected body, a glorified body in glory. But those who do not know the Lord will be resurrected so that they will suffer in eternal hell both body and soul. So the Lord makes it very clear that all men will hear his voice and be resurrected and will be judged. So in Romans chapter 14 Paul says this, I'm sorry Acts 17 Paul says this, verse number 30 Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent.

Why? Because he has fixed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness. There is a time for judgment. There is a day for judgment. He's fixed that day. He knows when that day is. He will judge the world in righteousness through a man, that is Christ whom he has appointed having furnished proof to all men by raising him from the dead. The command is that all men everywhere should repent. Why? Because there's coming a day of judgment. It's certain. You will face the living God. So repent of your sins because God has appointed his son whom he raised from the dead to be that judge over man.

Paul would later say in Romans 14 But you, why do you judge your brother? Verse 10 Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, as I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall give praise to God so that each one of us will give an account of himself to God. He's speaking to Christians. And we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. And we will all be judged. Interesting.

What does that mean? Well, go to 1 Corinthians chapter 5. 2 Corinthians chapter 5, excuse me. Verse number 9 Therefore we have as our ambition, whether at home or outside, to be pleasing to him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Same thing that Paul said in Romans chapter 14. So that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body according to what he has done, whether it be good or bad. In other words, again, he's writing to the church of Corinth. He's writing to Christians.

We will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. So when Solomon says in Ecclesiastes chapter 3 that there's coming a day of judgment in which God will judge the righteous and the wicked. Solomon knew what he was talking about. Why? Because both the righteous and the wicked will face God in his judgment. You say, well, wait a minute. Why does a Christian face God's judgment? I thought all my sins were judged at Calvary. That's true. There's been a judgment where God judged his son and the one who knew no sin became sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

So you and I and our sins to our believers were judged at Calvary's cross. So if that's the case, then why am I before the judgment seat of Christ? Well, that's called the bema seat, right? Romans 14, 2 Corinthians chapter 5. It's called the bema seat. It's a raised platform. A lot like this would be a raised platform in which when in the Olympic Games you would stand on and you would receive a crown. And so the believer would stand on that raised platform, that bema seat. He would stand there before Christ.

He will stand there before Christ. And he will be rewarded. All of his works and deeds will be judged whether they be good or bad. And the word for bad is not kakos or paneros, which is evil, but it's phallos, which is useless or worthless. So in other words, he says, you'll be judged based on whether your deeds were good or whether they were useless or worthless. What are worthless or useless deeds? Those are deeds done in the flesh, done for the glory of self and not for the glory of God. Those things, according to 1 Corinthians 3, are burned up.

They don't last. But the things you do for the glory of God, for the honor of God, for the praise of God, that God will be put on display, those things are the good things, and those things you'll be rewarded for. And that reward gives you responsibility. It gives you all kinds of opportunities and glory. And none of us really knows how far that goes in glory, but we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ because there's coming a day of judgment. Solomon tells us that. Paul tells us that.

Christ tells us that. The place you don't want to be is at the great white throne judgment because the great white throne judgment is not what is said in 2 Corinthians 5 or Romans 14. The great white throne judgment is reserved for those who do not know the Lord. That's in Revelation chapter 20. That happens at the end. That happens when the world is destroyed and nothing is left except the great white throne of God and all those who've been resurrected from the dead. Revelation 20 verse number 11, Then I saw a great white throne, and he who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.

In other words, no more heaven, no more earth, just nothing as it was before Genesis chapter 1, verse number 1. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged from the things which are written in the books according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them, and they were judged, every one of them, according to their deeds.

Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. That's the final judgment. That's the great white throne judgment where all the unsaved dead will be judged by the living God. See, a day of judgment is coming. And while injustice and iniquity runs rampant throughout our society, and the wicked seem to prosper, the wicked seem to pay no consequences for their actions, payday's someday.

Because there is a God who rules over all, who holds every man accountable for all that he says and does. And therefore, Solomon says, I recognize that all the wicked will be judged, but so will the righteous. The righteous will not be condemned because there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, Romans chapter 8, verse number 1. We will be judged according to our deeds, whether they be good or bad. The bad is burned away, the good is rewarded and praised by God. In fact, 1 Corinthians 4 or 5 says, God will praise you.

That's quite a statement. But the wicked, they will be cast into the lake of fire, both body and soul forever. And of course, Matthew 25 says that the lake of fire was created for the devil and his angels. The lake of fire was not created for human beings, it was created for the devil and his angels. But human beings will go there because they followed their father, the devil, father of lies. And therefore, that's where they will end up. So Solomon recognizes man's accountability, but he also recognizes man's advantage.

Go back to Ecclesiastes chapter 3. Time is fleeting. Time is flying by. So let me try to explain this to you so you understand it.

He says, I said to myself, again, he's talking to himself, he says in his heart, his mind, Solomon loves to talk to himself. When you're the wisest man in the world, who do you talk to? There's nobody as wise as you are, so you just talk to yourself because it's wise talking to wise. Wisdom to wisdom. I said to myself, I said in my heart, concerning the sons of men, God has surely tested them in order for them to see they are but beasts. Are men really beasts? Are men really animals? Then he says, for the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the beasts is the same.

Oh, what does that mean? As one dies, so dies the other. Indeed, they all had the same breath and there was no advantage for man over beast for all is vanity. He says that man is being tested, refined, purified, cleansed to understand something. That the fate of a beast and the fate of man is exactly the same. We're going to die. To put it in a man, a man wants to die. After that, what? The judgment. Man is like beasts in one area. We're both going to die. That's what Solomon's saying. And so man is tested to realize that he is mortal.

He's not going to live forever on this earth. And so beasts and humans have one thing in common. They're going to die. He says all go to the same place. Where's that? The ground. Dust. All came from the dust. All returned to the dust. That's true. Solomon says over in Psalm 104 verse number 29, Job said it in Job 10 verse number 9, to dust I came forth and to dust I returned. That's true. You were created from dust and you will return to the dust just like the beast does. But who knows that the breath of a man ascends upward and the breath of a beast ascends downward to the earth.

There is a difference. There is an advantage that man has that man is not like beasts in this area. That man is created in the image of God and beasts are not. Man has personhood. Beasts do not. Man has volition and intellect. Man has emotion. Beast do not. Because man is created in the image of God. Beasts are not. So when man dies, his soul ascends upward. But when beasts die, they don't. Why? Well let me sum it up to you this way.

Years ago we were reading a book to our children. In that book came across a poem. I'd never read it before but I thought it was quite interesting. It goes like this. Our dog is big and shaggy. His fur is soft and warm. He lies beside us while we play and watches out for harm. We call him good old blackie because he's black as coal. And though I know God cares for him, our blackie has no soul. For he cannot love Jesus. He cannot know God's way. And when he dies, he has an end and he will turn to clay.

That's hilarious. Now I know those of you who are animal lovers, you don't have to write me an email or give me a text. I got dogs. I love my dogs. They're great dogs, Tucker and Willow. They're fabulous dogs. In fact, my dogs do something that my wife and children never do. When I come home, they wag their tails. They lick my leg, right? They fawn all over me and they jump all over me. My wife and children have never done that. But my dogs do. Now either they really miss me while I'm gone or they really love me when I'm around.

I don't know what the difference is. I like to think that my dogs really do love me. But my dogs are great. I love my dogs. But my dogs have no soul. They just don't. I know some of you think that your animals are going to be in heaven with you when you die. If you want to think that, go right ahead. I'm not going to disappoint you by saying they're not going to be there. But you'll find out when you get there that your pastor was right. And that's all that matters. And you look at me and I'll look at you and we'll just wink at one another and you'll realize, yeah, my pastor was right.

But the bottom line is that men are like beasts in the fact that we all die. And so he compares men to beasts in the fact that you need to be aware that you're going to die. Why? Because you're going to be held accountable when you die. Your beast is not held accountable because your beast has no soul. But you have a soul. And when you die, you're going to go to the dust. You're going to go to the grave. And your body's going to rot. It's going to turn to dust. Right? It will one day be resurrected.

You'll get a brand new body if you're a believer. If you're an unbeliever, your body's still going to be resurrected. Why? Because there's a resurrection that God says in John 5 happens to all men who hear the voice of God.

And every man who's dead will hear the voice of God. There will be a resurrection for everybody. But those who believe in Christ are resurrected unto life. And those who do not believe in Christ are resurrected unto death. The point is, the advantage man has is that he's going to face God. You can look at it as a disadvantage if you don't know the Lord.

And it is a supreme disadvantage if you don't know the Lord. You're going to wish you were a beast that had no soul. But it's too late. Because you stand before the living God. And so, the Bible says in Ecclesiastes 12, verse number 7, Solomon revisits this.

Solomon says, The dust will return to the earth as it was. And the spirit will return to God who gave it. So true. Remember Stephen when he was being stoned? In Acts chapter 7, verse number 59. He lifted up to the heavens and said, Lord, receive my spirit. Because he knew that when he died, his physical body would be dead. But there would be a separation of body and soul. So he asked the Lord to receive his spirit. When our Lord was on the cross, what did he say? Into your hands, I commit my spirit.

Right? He would die physically, yes. But his spirit would ascend into glory. The Bible makes it very clear that absent from the body and present with the Lord, 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse number 8, when you die, your spirit glows to glory. Your body remains here. 1 Thessalonians 4 tells you about the resurrection of your body at the rapture of the church. Christ comes again. You'll be caught up together in the air. And so shall you ever be with the Lord. Those who are dead in Christ will rise first.

Those of us who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. But Solomon wants you to recognize that man is a cannibal. And that man's advantage is that he will stand before the living God. Beasts will not. So this is his conclusion, verse number 22. I have seen that nothing is better than the man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot. Notice what it says in chapter 2, verse number 24.

Same phrase. There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that is from the hand of God. It says the same thing in chapter 3, verse number 12. I know that there is, same phrase, nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one's lifetime, moreover that every man who eats and drinks is good in all his labor. It is the gift of God. The generous gift of God. So now he concludes by saying these words. I have seen, I have perceived, I know that there is nothing better than that man should be happy or rejoice in his activities for that is his lot.

For who will bring him to see what will occur after him? Answer, no one. He won't know what's going to happen tomorrow. That's why the Bible says take no thought for tomorrow.

Matthew chapter 6. For each day has enough trouble of its own. So because on this day there is enough trouble of its own, don't even think about tomorrow. Deal with today. You're not guaranteed you have tomorrow. You're not guaranteed you have the rest of this night. Only thing you're guaranteed is right now.

And now that I've said that, that right now is now past. So understand that you're only guaranteed what is happening in the moment. You have no guarantee. So Solomon says, I know this, I know this, nothing is better than that man should be happy in the activities which is his lot in life. This is his time. And the most joy you will have is right now.

Because what happens right now, one day you will be accountable for in the day of judgment. So redeem that time in this moment so that you can have joy in your life. You have no guarantee about tomorrow. You have no guarantee about next week. You have no guarantee about next year. You have no guarantee you're gonna make it to Christmas or Thanksgiving. You have no guarantee of any of those things. What you have guaranteed is of right now.

Therefore, man should enjoy this time for the glory of his God because one day he will be held accountable for the moment he's living in. So what's the summation? The summation is this. The day of judgment is coming for every man, for every woman. Are you ready to face the true and living God? I hope you understand that every man, every woman is going to face the living God. Are you ready to do that? If you were to die tonight, would you be able to stand before the living God because of what he did for you on Calvary's cross?

Or would you stand there like those in Matthew chapter 7 and say, Lord, I prophesied in your name. I cast out demons in your name. I did many marvelous deeds in your name. I did it all for you and only for the Lord to reply, I'm sorry, I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. Are you one of those who are self-deceived in the thinking that you're going to heaven? Or do you really even understand that you're ready to face the true and living God? Have you repented of your sins like those in Thessalonica?

You turned to God from Midas to serve the living and true God. God's demanding that men everywhere should repent because he's fixed today. There's coming a day in which men will be judged. Have you turned from your sin? Have you confessed your sin? Have you said, Lord, I am a sinner? Forgive me of my sins, Lord. I want to turn from the wickedness of my ways. Have you repented of your sins? Are you ready to meet the true and living God? Have you embraced Christ as Lord and Savior? That's what it means to be ready.

If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Have you embraced Christ as your Lord and Savior? Peter echoed that in Matthew 16. Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Do you understand that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh? You've repented of your sins. You've embraced Christ as Lord and Savior. Have you acknowledged that Scripture is the divine authority in which you are held accountable, that God's word is true?

Psalm 138, verse number 2, says that God holds his word in such high esteem that's equated with his own name, that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord because of his name, who he is. Have you acknowledged that the Scripture is the divine authority for all of life? Have you denounced the world system and turned your back away from serving your father the devil, that you might serve the true and living God because there's been a true repentance? The Bible says in John chapter 8, verse number 24, unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins.

Unless you believe that I am the God who spoke to Moses from the burning bush. Unless you believe that I am the God who delivered Israel from bondage. Unless you believe that I am the Redeemer, the Savior, the Deliverer, Christ says.

Unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins. Where do you stand tonight with Jesus Christ? Solomon says, a day of judgment is coming. A day in which God will judge both the wicked and the righteous. It's inevitable. And so he says, just to let you know, you're just like the beasts. You're the same end. You're gonna die. But the difference is, your spirit ascends into glory. Your spirit ascends to face the true and living God. Are you ready to face him? Until that time, know this, that this day is all you have.

Make the wisest choice today because you have no guarantee of tomorrow. Let's pray. Father, we thank you, Lord, for this day and this night and this opportunity you give us to spend time in your Word. We are grateful, Lord, for Solomon and the book of Ecclesiastes. It helps us come to grips with the reality of our future. Our prayer, Father, is that everyone in this room would know Christ as Lord and Savior, that truly they would have been given the opportunity to repent of their sins and to follow you and serve you.

May we be reminded, Lord, that we have no guarantee of tomorrow. And if we did, what would we do with today? We'd just put off today, what we should be doing today, till tomorrow. But yet we should always be ready to come face to face with the true and living God. I pray that all in this room would be ready to face you. Their heart would be right. Their souls would be saved. Their hearts would be cleansed. They would live for the glory of their King. Thank you, Lord, once again, that you gave us one more opportunity to share your Word.

You are a great God. In Jesus' name, amen.