What is the Point of Life?

Sermon Text

Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher;
“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

3 What profit has a man from all his labor
In which he toils under the sun?
4 One generation passes away, and another generation comes;
But the earth abides forever.
5 The sun also rises, and the sun goes down,
And hastens to the place where it arose.
6 The wind goes toward the south,
And turns around to the north;
The wind whirls about continually,
And comes again on its circuit.
7 All the rivers run into the sea,
Yet the sea is not full;
To the place from which the rivers come,
There they return again.
8 All things are full of labor;
Man cannot express it.
The eye is not satisfied with seeing,
Nor the ear filled with hearing.

9 That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which it may be said,
“See, this is new”?
It has already been in ancient times before us.
11 There is no remembrance of former things,
Nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come
By those who will come after.

New King James Version (NKJV) Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

• Ecclesiastes describes life under the sun as fleeting and repetitive: generations pass, creation's cycles continue, and human labor never reaches final completion.
• Our eyes and ears remain unsatisfied, so consumer goods, entertainment, novelty, and cultural progress cannot fill the soul.
• Even monuments and celebrated names eventually fade, exposing the weakness of trying to find purpose in an earthly legacy.
• Creation's futility is real, but it is not hopeless; those who belong to Christ await resurrection and the liberation of creation from corruption.
• The lasting purpose of life is to glorify and enjoy God, serve Christ's kingdom, and abound in work that is not in vain in the Lord.

• Where do the repetitive cycles of work and responsibility most tempt me to despair?
• What possession, entertainment, or experience am I expecting to satisfy a hunger that only God can fill?
• Am I building my life around a remembered name, or around service to Christ's everlasting kingdom?
• How does the promised resurrection change the way I understand present futility and grief?
• What does it mean for my present labor to be 'in the Lord' and therefore not in vain?
• Is rejoicing in God truly the purpose of my life, or merely an answer I know from the catechism?
• Who needs to hear from me about the hope and satisfaction found in Jesus Christ?

Vanity

The vapor-like and elusive character of life under the sun, described by the Hebrew term the sermon pronounces as hevel.

Futility

Creation's present bondage to frustration and corruption as a consequence of humanity's fall into sin.

Consumerism

The repeated attempt to satisfy the soul through more possessions, upgrades, experiences, or entertainment.

Resurrection hope

The believer's confidence that because Christ rose, God's people will also be raised and creation will be delivered from corruption.

Kingdom of Christ

The permanent reign of Jesus that outlasts every nation, monument, and human achievement.

Chief end

The highest purpose for which human beings were made: to glorify God and enjoy him forever.