“Meaning of Life for Christians” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 2:10-11, 9:1-2, 3:11-13)

In the book of Ecclesiastes, the author uses the word meaningless, but the original word(hevel) would be closer to smoke or a vapor that disappears when you try to catch it.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

Ecclesiastes 3:1 ESV

The author understand that nothing happens in our timing but rather God's timing.  God's timing is for everything and we do not know God's timing. This is why our lives are full of smoke we cannot grasp.

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. 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.

Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 ESV

The author realizes that even after accomplishing great things, it did not amount to much. Successful people don't always have as much happiness as other people. Many famous celebrities are miserable. Getting a better job does not mean you will be happier. The happiness is fleeting. 

The author tells us life is hard. There is no guarantee that our lives will be successful or richer than others who sin or do not acknowledge God.

But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him. It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who swears is as he who shuns an oath.

Ecclesiastes 9:1-2 ESV

The author does give us hope.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.

Ecclesiastes 3:11-13 ESV

God will fulfill everything He has set out. If our lives are aligned with God's plans, we will do well. Our lives are full of meaninglessness. We cannot understand all of God's ways, and we do not have to. Worrying about things that we cannot control is not smart and will only rob us of joy. Letting God be God and enjoying God's greatness is enough. We can do good and enjoy our lives.

By doing good things, we live in a target rich environment. We can reconcile what needs to be fixed. We can help those who are in need and serve others.

By enjoying life, we can work hard and enjoy the fruits of our labour. We can enjoy the little things in our life. Family, friendship, food, good weather, health are those little things we can enjoy. All we need to do is to open our eyes of heart to experience God's miracle and God's love every single day. 

also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.

Ecclesiastes 3:13 ESV

 

• Rock Of Ages 만세 반석 열리니
• I Will Run To You 주 말씀 향하여 (하늘의 나는 새도)
• Through It All 영원한 생명의 주님

Hymn 494 Rock Of Ages

Rock Of Ages

 CCLI Song # 7197461

Augustus Montague Toplady | Nathan Drake | Thomas Hastings

© Words: Public Domain

Rock Of Ages Chords & Worship Resources (reawakenhymns.com)

Verse 1 

Rock of ages, cleft for me, 
Let me hide myself in Thee; 

Let the water and the blood, 
From Thy wounded side which flowed, 

Be of sin the double cure, 
Save from wrath and make me pure. 

 
Verse 2 
Not the labors of my hands 
Can fulfill Thy law's demands; 

Could my zeal no respite know, 
Could my tears forever flow, 

All for sin could not atone, 
Thou must save, and Thou alone. 

 
Verse 3
Nothing in my hand I bring, 
Simply to the cross I cling; 

Without clothes, I come for dress, 
Without hope, I come for rest; 

For that fountain now I cry; 
Wash me, Savior, or I die. 

 
Verse 4
While I draw this fleeting breath, 
When my eyes shall close in death, 

When I soar to worlds unknown, 
See thee on Thy judgment throne, 

Rock of Ages, cleft for me, 
Let me hide myself in Thee. 

Verse 1 

VERSE 1
Rock of ages cleft for me
Let me hide myself in Thee
Let the water and the blood
From Thy wounded side which flowed
Be of sin the double cure
Save from wrath and make me pure
만세 반석 열리니 내가 들어갑니다
창에 허리 상하여 물과 피를 흘린 것
내게 효험되어서 정결하게 하소서

VERSE 2
Not the labors of my hands
Can fulfill thy law's demands
Could my zeal no respite know
Could my tears forever flow
All for sin could not atone
Thou must save and thou alone
내가 공을 세우나 은혜 갚지 못하네
쉼이 없이 힘쓰고 눈물 근심 많으나
구속 못할 죄인을 예수 홀로 속하네

VERSE 3
Nothing in my hand I bring
Simply to the cross I cling
Without clothes I come for dress
Without hope I come for rest
For that fountain now I cry
Wash me Savior or I die
빈손 들고 앞에 가 십자가를 붙드네
의가 없는 자라도 도와 주심 바라고
생명샘에 나가니 나를 씻어 주소서

VERSE 4
While I draw this fleeting breath
When my eyes shall close in death
When I soar to worlds unknown
See thee on thy judgment throne
Rock of Ages cleft for me
Let me hide myself in thee
살아 생전 숨쉬고 죽어 세상 떠나서
거룩하신 주 앞에 끝날 심판 당할 때
만세반석 열리니 내가 들어갑니다.

Rock Of Ages

CCLI Song # 4896054

Augustus Montague Toplady | Chris Rice | Thomas Hastings

• © Words: Public Domain

Verse 1

Rock of Ages, cleft for me

let me hide myself in Thee.

Let the water and the blood

from Thy wounded side which flowed

Be of sin the double cure,

(Save from wrath and make me pure.)

(Cleanse me from its guilt and pow'r)

Verse 2

Not the labor of my hands

can fulfill Thy law's demands.

Could my zeal no respite know

Could my tears forever flow

(All could never sin atone)

(This for sin could not atone)

Thou must save and Thou alone.

Verse 3

Nothing in my hand, I bring

Simply to Thy cross I cling.

Naked, come to Thee for dress

Helpless, look to Thee for grace

Foul, I to the fountain fly.

Wash me, Savior, or I die

Verse 4

While I draw this fleeting breath,

When mine eyes shall close in death,

(When my eye-strings break in death)

When I soar(rise) to worlds unknown,

See Thee on Thy judgment throne

(and behold Thee on Thy throne)

Rock of Ages, cleft for me

Let me hide myself in Thee

“Enjoying the Presence of God” (Exodus 33:1-23)

• Exodus 33 English Standard Version
• The Command to Leave Sinai
• 33 The Lord said to Moses, “Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give it.’ 
• 2 I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 
• 3 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.”
• 
  
• 4 When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. 
• 5 For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.’” 
• 6 Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.
• 
  
• The Tent of Meeting
• 7 Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. 
• 8 Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. 
• 9 When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord[a] would speak with Moses. 
• 10 And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. 
• 11 Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.
• 
  
• Moses' Intercession
• 12 Moses said to the Lord, “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ 
• 13 Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” 
• 14 And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 
• 15 And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 
• 16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”
• 
  
• 17 And the Lord said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” 
• 18 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” 
• 19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 
• 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” 
• 21 And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, 
• 22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 
• 23 Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”
• 
  
• We read in Exodus 33 how God is ready to leave the Israelites, but Moses stands in the gap and pleads with God not to leave. 
• Being in God's presence is in doing anything, but you cannot be in God's presence if you are in sin. 
• Our relationship can never be broken, but your fellowship can be interrupted. 
• To illustrate, a child who does something wrong, his father remains his father, but communication is disturbed. The child may hide from his father or be too scared to speak to his father. The fellowship is not reaching its full potential. 
• Sin breaks Fellowship with God and makes you keep distance from God.
• The sin the people committed was idolatry. They picked up something to replace God. They were so stiff-necked people and God was ready to destroy them.
• Do not engage in sin as a habit. 
• At times we don't even feel the need to repent because the blessings are still there. 
• Never confuse the blessing of God with the presence of God. 
• The plan was still intact. 
• The promise was still intact. 
• The power was still intact. 
• But the presence was gone. 
• 
  
• Sometimes we feel that if we have the blessings of God everything is okay, but God will leave and keep His promises. 
• Moses insisted that God go with them. It was not enough to conquer the land and benefit from the promises and blessings of God. Moses knew that more importantly God go with them. 
• 
  
• Moses said to the Lord, “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ 
• Exodus 33:12 ESV 
• 
  
• Like Moses, Jesus stood for us. Moses demanded that God stay with them.
•  
• Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” 
• Exodus 33:13 ESV 
• 
  
• God showed His ways to Moses. Moses wanted to know the heart of God and wanted to know what he was to do. The people saw the acts of God but wanted the blessings. Knowing the heart of God is more important than knowing the power of God. 
• When you seek the acts of God without knowing the ways of God limits your understanding of God. 
• 
  
• He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the people of Israel. 
• Psalm 103:7 ESV 
• 
  
• And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 
• Exodus 33:14 ESV 
• 
  
• Moses wanted more than anything to know the presence of God. God gave him rest because Moses’ heart and intentions were true. 
• 
  
• And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 
• Exodus 33:19 ESV 
• 
  
• God made all His goodness, everything that is good about God, pass before Moses. God also wanted to give Moses something different.  
• 
  
• And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 
• Exodus 33:21‭-‬22 ESV ‬
• 
  
• The Rock of Ages is Jesus Christ. No one could see God and live. But you could see Jesus. Moses was shown Christ. 
• God's presence brings rest and favor. 
• 
  
• The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. 
• Genesis 39:2‭-‬3 ESV ‬
• 
  
• But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 
• Genesis 39:21 ESV 
• 
  
• Joseph understood and practiced of staying in presence of God. We need to know that God is always watching us and sees everything we do. It is fear of God and not of man that needs to be practiced. 
•   
• wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people, he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account, saying, “Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!” 
• Psalm 105:13‭-‬15 ESV ‬
• 
  
• The presence of God will protect us. No matter where we go
• 
  
• Desert Song 기도하네 광야에서
• The Heart Of Worship 마음의 예배
• Shout to the Lord 내 구주 예수님

 

Desert Song

 Desert Song

CCLI Song # 5060793 Brooke Ligertwood

Desert Song - Hillsong - Brooke Fraser & Jill McCloghry

Verse 1

This is my prayer in the desert
When all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides
 
Verse 2
This is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flame
 
Chorus
I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
 
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here
 
Verse 3
This is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on its way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand
 
Chorus
I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
 
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here
 
Bridge
All of my life in ev’ry season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship
(REPEAT 4X)
 
Chorus
I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
 
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here
 
Verse 4
This is my prayer in the harvest
When favour and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I've received I will sow

DESERT SONG CHORDS by Hillsong Worship @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com

기도하네 광야에서
 
Verse 1
기도하네 광야에서
나의 영혼 메마를 때
기도하네 나 가난할 때도
공급하시는 하나님
 
Verse 2
기도하네 불 가운데
나 시험과 고통 중에
금보다 더 귀한 믿음 있네
주 나를 정케하시네
 
Chorus
찬양하리 찬양하리
그 무엇도 날 해치지 못해
기뻐하리 선포하리
승리되신 주 여기 계시네
 
Verse 3
기도하네 전쟁 중에
승리의 함성 들릴 때
주님과 함께 나 정복하네
약속 위에 굳게 서리

Chorus
찬양하리 찬양하리
그 무엇도 날 해치지 못해
기뻐하리 선포하리
승리되신 주 여기 계시네

(2X)
 
Bridge
내 삶 속에 여전히 주님 

살아계셔
노래할 이유 있네 

나 경배할 이유 있네
(4X)

Chorus
찬양하리 찬양하리
그 무엇도 날 해치지 못해
기뻐하리 선포하리

승리되신 주 여기 계시네

(2X)

 
Verse 4
기도하네 추수 때에
은혜와 섭리 넘칠 때
다시 나누도록 채우셨네
나 받은 씨를 뿌리네

"Reconciling the Broken Relationship" (2 Corinthians 5:17-19,Matthew 5:43-48)

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.[a] The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 

18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 

19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling[b] the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:17-19 ESV

Love Your Enemies

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 

44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 

45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 

46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 

47 And if you greet only your brothers,[a] what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 

48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:43-48 ESV

As Christians, we need to continue to work on reconciliation.

 Jesus wants to use us to reconcile this world and make the kingdom happen here

In order to know the brokenness that we have to reconcile, we have to go back to the very beginning when the sin started.

There were three relationships have broken.

 The first one was the broken relationship between God and human being. When Adam sinned, he hid himself from God

The second broken relationship was the relationship between human and human.

The third broken relationship was the relationship between human and Earth.

 

The relationship between people is one element of reconciliation that we need to be actively involved.

 

This reconciliation requires us to dive into this work. We cannot passively wait for opportunities to come to us.

 

The reality for happiness and sadness is that we might receive 30% happiness and 70% sadness. By avoiding sadness and pursuing happiness, the sadness will follow.

 

In order to be happy, face the sadness. Then you can change the sadness to happiness. 

 

In order to reconcile broken human relationship, face the brokenness and then change it

 

Today's passage (Matthew 5:43-48) is telling us is not just simply that we have to love our neighbor but you have to include your enemy into your neighbor to reconcile the brokenness.

 

Often we like to gather and be friend those who are like us. Yet, we need to love those who are not like us and separated from us. This means we need to love our enemies. Who are our enemies?

 

But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Matthew 5:44 ESV

 

This is not just those who are out to hurt you intentionally.  

 

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

Matthew 5:46 ESV

 

We need to love those who are different from us or think differently than us. 

We find that in church this will happen. Certain members who are different from us are excluded or we treat as our enemies. We do not agree with them so we make different friends or find another group or church. 

 

The solution is to pray for our enemies . On the cross, Jesus prayed for enemies. Jesus thought of them as lost sheep

 

so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Matthew 5:45 ESV

 

God decided to reconcile us first through his son Jesus Christ and let us to live the new life for reconciliation of all people and all things.

Jesus wants to fix us to use us for reconciliation. This is our purpose after we are saved. 

 

God will punish evil, but he is currently looking for lost sheep.

When we pray for our enemy, God reconciles the relationship.

 

We are Sons of God and God is our father.

He loves us not because we do something that deserves His love. 

Likewise, we need to follow His heart.

• Hosanna 호산나
• In Christ alone 예수안에 소망있네
• Holy Is The Lord 일어나 두 손 들고/거룩하신 주