September 10, 2017

Ecclesiastes 10

Sunday Sermons

In another bricolage of pithy proverbs Ecclesiastes 10 shows the sharp contrast between those who are given to wisdom and those who are given to folly. Many years after the time of Qoheleth, Jesus drew the same kind of contrast in the closing part of the most famous sermon ever preached, the Sermon on the Mount. Join Pastor Jim as he draws our attention toward the characteristics of godly and practical wisdom that can be found in both Ecclesiastes 10 and Matthew 7.

Speaker

Jim Thomas

Series

Ecclesiastes

Go to Series

Scripture

Ecclesiastes 10

Topics
Big Questions

Sermon Notes

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”
Warren Buffet

“It takes far less to ruin something than it does to create it.”
Derek Kidner

Ecclesiastes 10

  • V 1-3 Wise thinkers

  • V 4-7 Wise citizens

  • V 8-11 Wise workers

  • V 12-15 Wise talkers

  • V 16-20 Wise leaders

“The wise man cares very much about the way his country is governed, and about the way to rule himself and his affairs, in a world which is at once demanding (18), delightful (19), and dangerous (20).”
Derek Kidner

“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
“And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.
“Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
“The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell — and great was its fall.”
When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching.
Matthew 7:24-28

“The greatest enemy of Christianity may be people who say they believe in Jesus but who are no longer astonished and amazed. Jesus Christ came to rescue us from listlessness as well as lostness; He came to save us from flat souls as well as corrupted souls.”
Mike Yaconelli, Dangerous Wonder

“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’
C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce

Discussion Questions

  1. Read the passage together: Before today’s sermon, what did you already know or believe about this passage? Did anything in your understanding shift after hearing the message?
  2. Challenge and Reflection: Was there a part of today’s message that was particularly challenging or surprising for you? Why?
  3. Unpacking the Message: Pick a quote from today’s sermon notes. Discuss what it means to you.
  4. Personal Impact: What’s one specific way you feel called to change or grow after hearing this message?
  5. Practical Application: What’s one step you can take this week to put today’s message into practice?
  6. Connecting Scripture: Are there other Bible passages or stories this message reminds you of? How do they expand or confirm this teaching?
  7. Gratitude: What aspect of God’s character stood out to you in today’s message? How does it inspire praise or gratitude?
  8. Pray the Scripture: After hearing the message, is there a specific area where you feel led to pray? How can we pray for one another in light of today’s teaching?