Is This Really It? - A Sermon On Ecclesiastes 2 - Joey McLaughlin

Ecclesiastes 2 gives language to what many of us feel but rarely say out loud: You can have everything you wanted and still feel unsatisfied. In this message from A Wild, Messy, Beautiful Life, we look at Solomon’s honest search for meaning—and discover why joy was never meant to be found in achievement alone. In Ecclesiastes 2, Solomon runs the experiment we’re all living—pleasure, achievement, and nonstop effort—and calls it what it is: a chasing after the wind. Ecclesiastes 2 1 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. 2 I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” 3 I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. 4 I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. 5 I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man. 9 So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. 11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun... 24 There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, Ix saw, is from the hand of God, 25 for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? 26 For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. We'd love for you to subscribe to our channel and turn on notifications to get updates on our latest content and resources that will help more people know Jesus and people know Jesus more. GIVE : We believe that generosity is golden. Freely we have received and so freely we give back to God. If you would like to give to support the work Jesus is doing here please visit: https://www.elevatecc.church/give. Elevate City Church is a Jesus Over Everything Church that launched in the Atlanta Perimeter area on October 4th, 2020. Jesus Over Everything. Give us a follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevatecity.church/ Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elevatecc.church Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3H8BBrEFWxGKsTF8wPSvrn?si=epcQMMrmQIiTpeXEnyxMOQ Podcast on itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/elevate-city-church/id1536637567 Visit our website for more information about who we are as a church and how you can get involved. https://www.elevatecc.church/home