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The Search for Meaning in Life

  •   12/29/2024
  •   Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:26
  • Preacher: Jake Evans
The author of Ecclesiastes, in his reflection on life in a fallen world, asks, “What is ultimately meaningful in life?” Attempting to find meaning in wisdom, pleasure, or our labors for their own sake is ultimately vanity. It is only when we find our meaning in God that we find true fulfillment in these things.

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Joy, To This World, Today?!

In a world-age like ours, with so many troubles, how can we find joy?! Chapters 1-3 of the epistle to the Philippians gave us many reasons to know that God is for us, then comes this clear command TO rejoice. We must. The joy of the Lord will come out of us too, as part of our public witness, a stark contrast to common despair.

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Harmony and the Gospel Cause

Euodia & Syntyche were in disharmony over some matter which could have destroyed a local church and more. Paul makes clear that all in that church were to help them restore peace. This is beautiful.

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Understanding Our Standing

What Paul writes to the saints in Phillipi could be truly taken as Jesus’ words to us: “Therefore, My brothers & sisters, whom I love and long for, My joy & crown, stand firm in Me, My beloved ones.”

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Exemplars, Enemies, Eternals, Elohim’s Exertion

The norm in this “age” of the church is that the Lord will provide worthy examples for us to follow even as we will be tested by enemies of the cross. We need a faith that includes power to discern AND to walk out the faith-filled life.

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Onward and Upward

Onward & upward is often used as a throwaway line, for ‘keep going.’ For Paul, this attitude of full-speed cooperation in the Spirit pertained to the reason Christ laid hold of him in the first place.

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It Really Is Who You Know!

Christ is enough! Paul leads us in renouncing everything else, especially those aspect of false righteousness which actually compete against our intake of the real gospel. There is great joy in such a trade-off, so there is no need to go back.

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Look Out, Look Out, Look Out!

A drastic change of tone, halfway through this letter suggests Paul has received word about heretics troubling the church. Peaceable Paul has very harsh labels for these ‘dogs’ and their ‘careless cutting.’ Then he hauls out his old resume, when he was living in/for the flesh. But now, he puts no confidence in it.

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Mercy, Risk, Sorrow, and Joy

Epaphroditus is given a glowing five-fold commendation by Paul, all of them elaborations on being a faithful servant. This is the God-chosen conclusion to a chapter about putting the interests of others ahead of our own (a.k.a., a beautiful life).

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Christ-Interest

The apostle of joy gave himself leave to lament, for a verse, that most people in his experience (even Christians) were more self-interested than Christ-interested. Timothy, Paul’s son in the Lord, was different. We should examine & emulate lives & hearts like his.

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