LIVING JOYFULLY WHILE DOING GOOD
The Book of Ecclesiastes #6
Pastor Dennis Clanton
Woodland Church
Sunday, February 23, 2025
(Ecclesiastes 5:10–11, NLT) “Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!”
(Ecclesiastes 5:18–20, NLT) “Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past.”
(1 Timothy 6:17–19, NLT) “Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.”
“We all put our hope in something, whether we realize it or not. Many people put their hope in earthly things like jobs, success, money or relationships, but all of that will eventually end.”
–Tyler Holton, Detroit Tigers Pitcher
“What good is wealth…” Ecclesiastes 5:11
Prosperity will never satisfy us.
(Ecclesiastes 5:10, GN) “If you love money, you will never be satisfied…”
(Luke 12:15, LB) “Real life and real living are not related to how rich we are.”
- Wealth is not evil; for instance, Abraham, Job, Joseph, Barnabas
- God enables me to be productive.
(Proverbs 13:4, NIV) “The desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.”
(See also Proverbs 10:4, 12:24; 21:5; 27:23)
(Ecclesiastes 3:11, NLT) “God … has planted eternity in the human heart,…”
Prosperity lost depresses us.
(Proverbs 23:5, NLT) “In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle.”
(Lamentations 3:17-20, NLT) “Peace has been stripped away, and I have forgotten what prosperity is. … I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss.”
Priorities will preserve us.
1. Prioritize commitment
(Psalm 23:1, NLT) “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.”
2. Prioritize joy
(Ecclesiastes 5:18–20, NLT) “It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work … And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work …God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past.”
3. Prioritize contentment
(Hebrews 13:5, NLT) “Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”
Growthwork
1. Be grateful
(Ecclesiastes 5:19, GN) “Be grateful and enjoy what he has worked for. It is a gift from God.”
2. Be generous
(Ecclesiastes 11:1, CEV) “Be generous, and someday you will be rewarded.”
3. Be a passionate follower of Christ
(Matthew 6:21, CEV) “Your heart will always be where your treasure is.”
Contentment comes from knowing that Christ is mine and I am His