…sermon excerpt…

The Preacher (the wise, world-weary narrator of Ecclesiastes) in Ecclesiastes is successful at what he does. His work provides him with exactly what he wants—inside of work and outside of work. His voice is heard. He is seen as wise. He has the house, the garden, the relationships. Everything you and I desire, he had and had it to the full.

And yet, his soul is still unsatisfied.

Don’t miss this—he isn’t describing unsuccessful work. He is skilled. He is good at what he does. He is doing what he is passionate about. He accomplishes all of his goals.

But he hates it. It is vanity. It is despair. His days are full of sorrow. His heart does not rest.

Why? He has what we want.

The Preacher is consuming the cultural narratives of his time, trying to evaluate them, trying to test them. And though they are contradictory, there is a unifying theme—which our world echoes today: Your work is for you. Your work is for your fulfillment. Your work is for your kingdom building. Your work is for your glory.

That is the best that the world can offer. Your work is for you.

You’ll notice all of the Preacher’s work is done “under the sun.” He uses this phrase repeatedly—at least 29 times throughout Ecclesiastes. Theologian Tremper Longman III says this: “The use of the phrase ‘under the sun’ highlights the restricted scope of his inquiry. His worldview does not allow him to take a transcendent yet immanent God into consideration in his quest for meaning.”

He is considering all of the advice and wisdom the world has to offer—and it is void of God.

When our work—whether it is good work or sloppy work, whether it is successful or not—when our work terminates on us, when our work is done purely under the sun and misses the transcendent yet immanent God, it is vanity. It leads to despair. It will never satisfy.

It can never satisfy you.

This excerpt is from a sermon titled Wisdom & Work on Ecclesiastes 2 preached at The Paradox Church on March 10, 2024.

Watch the full sermon here.