the cluttered life

W E L C O M E T O T H E J A C K S O N S T R E E T C H U R C H O F C H R I S T

W E ’ R E G L A D Y O U ’ R E H E R E

(Eccl 2:1-11) I said in my heart, “Come

now, I will test you with mirth;

therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely,

this also was vanity. {2} I said of

laughter; “Madness!”; and of mirth,

“What does it accomplish?” {3} I

searched in my heart how to gratify my

flesh with wine, while guiding my heart

with wisdom, and how to lay hold on

folly, till I might see what was good for

the sons of men to do under heaven all

the days of their lives. {4} I made my

works great, I built myself houses, and

planted myself vineyards. >>>

{5} I made myself gardens and orchards,

and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in

them. {6} I made myself water pools

from which to water the growing trees

of the grove. {7} I acquired male and

female servants, and had servants born

in my house. Yes, I had greater

possessions of herds and flocks than all

who were in Jerusalem before me. {8} I

also gathered for myself silver and gold

and the special treasures of kings and

of the provinces. I acquired male and

female singers, the delights of the sons

of men, and musical instruments of all

kinds. >>>

{9} So I became great and excelled

more than all who were before me in

Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained

with me. {10} Whatever my eyes desired

I did not keep from them. I did not

withhold my heart from any pleasure,

For my heart rejoiced in all my labor;

And this was my reward from all my

labor. {11} Then I looked on all the

works that my hands had done And on

the labor in which I had toiled; And

indeed all was vanity and grasping for

the wind. There was no profit under the

sun.

THE

CLUTTERED

LIFE

"Peanuts" comic strip

• Lucy: “Life is like a lounge chair

on your deck. Some place it so

they can see where they are

going; some place it so they can

see where they have been; and

some place it so they can see

where they are at present.”

• Charlie Brown: "I can't even get

mine unfolded."

LIFE CAN BE COMPLICATED

AND CLUTTERED.

• Rushing here and there,

• this appointment, that meeting,

• activities centered around kids,

friends, and self that never cease,

• work, and family,

• it all begins to resemble that junk

drawer, closet or room that we so

haphazardly throw things in.

• If our lives seem cluttered let’s learn

from the life of Solomon, whose life

had come to a point of clutter.

I. THE

CHARACTERISTICS OF

THE

CLUTTERED LIFE

BUSYNESS . . . 2:4,5,6

I made my works great, I built

myself houses, and planted myself

vineyards. {5} I made myself

gardens and orchards, and I

planted all kinds of fruit trees in

them. {6} I made myself water

pools from which to water the

growing trees of the grove.

BUSYNESS . . . 2:4,5,6

• Activity is not wrong in itself.

• But when our activity results in

neglected relationships with…

•our spouse,

•our family,

•our friends,

•and our God,

• it is wrong.

BUSYNESS . . . 2:4,5,6

• Unfortunately, people who are

constantly busy think they have not

done enough.

• Solomon was busy!

- He made

- He built

- He planted

• And in the midst of it all, life was

becoming cluttered.

• Living with the idea that "the busier

the better," is simply not true!

CONSTANT PURSUIT OF GAIN ... 2:7,8,9

I acquired male and female servants,

and had servants born in my house. Yes,

I had greater possessions of herds and

flocks than all who were in Jerusalem

before me. {8} I also gathered for myself

silver and gold and the special treasures

of kings and of the provinces. I acquired

male and female singers, the delights of

the sons of men, and musical

instruments of all kinds. {9} So I became

great and excelled more than all who

were before me in Jerusalem. Also my

wisdom remained with me.

CONSTANT PURSUIT OF GAIN... 2:7,8,9

• The cluttered life is often

consumed with the pursuit of

gaining more and more.

• Solomon acquired ....

– Servants

– herds & flocks

– silver, gold & special treasures

– singers & musical instruments

• He gained so much that he was

"greater" than all before him (vs.9).

CONSTANT PURSUIT OF GAIN... 2:7,8,9

• J.D. Rockefeller was asked how

much it would take to really satisfy

him. He answered, "Just a little bit

more."

• "Just a little bit more," is a sure

sign of a cluttered life.

OUT OF CONTROL … 2:10

Whatever my eyes desired I did not

keep from them. I did not withhold

my heart from any pleasure, For my

heart rejoiced in all my labor; And

this was my reward from all my

labor.

OUT OF CONTROL … 2:10

• When busyness leads to being

more busy, and gaining leads to

just a little bit more, we are out

of control.

• The person who is out of control

with busyness and the pursuit to

gain, doesn't know it or refuses

to admit it.

• There is no discipline in this

cluttered life.

II. THE

CONSEQUENCES

OF THE

CLUTTERED LIFE

ECCL 2:11

Then I looked on all the

works that my hands had

done And on the labor in

which I had toiled; And

indeed all was vanity and

grasping for the wind.

There was no profit under

the sun.

MANY CONSEQUENCES

• Physical Loss,

• Spiritual Loss,

• Emotional Loss

• Destruction will come. It may take

years and it may go undetected,

but it will come.

• Burning the candle at both ends

results in no wax & no wick.

Solomon speaks of a

great consequence.

The consequence of

life becoming

meaningless.

The cluttered life does

not focus on the

meaning of life.

For life in all of its

busyness and pursuit of

gain has become

meaningless.

CONSEQUENCE OF A

MEANINGLESS LIFE

• The work God has given us to allow

us to achieve becomes

meaningless. It will not satisfy us.

• All our possessions, God has given

to us to enjoy become empty with

no meaning in them.

• Our relationships fail us. Nothing is

the same.

For those who choose to

remain in the cluttered life a

great price will be paid.

A price tag of meaningless.

It's all so futile, like grasping

at the wind.

III. THE CAUSE

OF THE

CLUTTERED LIFE

THE CAUSE IS IN THE HEART

• A heart that has pushed God aside

and has placed self on the throne.

• The heart is filled with selfishness.

• Solomon, here, uses the pronouns

"I" 26 times, and "me, mine &

myself" 24 times.

• Self control through the Spirit is no

longer existent.

• “Self" has taken control.

THERE’S NO ROOM FOR GOD

• God is pushed out of His rightful

place. The cluttered life leaves no

room for God!

• There are many religious people

who go to church Sunday after

Sunday but make no room for God.

• The cluttered life has smothered

out God.

GOD IS SMOTHERED OUT

BY OUR BUSYNESS?

• With gaining the world, but loosing

our soul?

• Is God and His Son just another

aspect of your cluttered world?

• Be careful, God looks at the heart.

• He knows when He has been

pushed aside with all the clutter.

IV. CURE FOR THE

CLUTTERED LIFE

• The cluttered life does not have to

be.

• Like that drawer or closet, we need

simply to begin to clean and

straighten our life up.

• There is a three fold cure for our

cluttered life.

1. SOLITUDE

• We must begin to guard our hearts

with times of solitude.

• We have to get away from the

noise, distractions, and

interruptions to hear the voice of

God.

• God says, "be still and know that I

am God." (Psalms 46:10)

2. STEWARDSHIP

• We must understand stewardship.

It’s not just money.

• The world wants us to believe we

own everything or we can try to

own everything.

• But the truth is, God owns it all. We

are managers.

• (Psa 24:1) The earth is the Lord's,

and everything in it, the world, and

all who live in it;

3. SERVICE

• We must learn to give of ourselves

to serve others and God with our

lives, with our possessions.

• Our major purpose in life is not to

accumulate, but to focus ourselves

and the world's attention on Jesus.

3. SERVICE

• (Mat 22:37-40) Jesus replied: "'Love

the Lord your God with all your

heart and with all your soul and with

all your mind.' {38} This is the first

and greatest commandment. {39}

And the second is like it: 'Love your

neighbor as yourself.' {40} All the

Law and the Prophets hang on these

two commandments."

CONCLUSION

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Let us

hear the conclusion of the

whole matter: Fear God and

keep His commandments, for

this is man's all. {14} For God

will bring every work into

judgment, including every

secret thing, whether good or

evil.

IS YOUR LIFE

SO CLUTTERED

THAT YOU ARE

CROWDING GOD

OUT?