Pursue What Really Matters

Pursue What Really Matters
Ecclesiastes 2:1-26
January 11-12, 2025

Now, Ecclesiastes, many people believe is one of the most difficult books to understand and to apply, but I submit that it's one of the most important books that we could ever study. What I mean by that is that it speaks to touches on the deepest questions of life. It speaks about those things which people pursue trying to find meaning and purpose and deep-seated joy in their lives. This is what the book is all about, the deepest issues of life.

Everyone needs meaning, everybody looks for purpose, for joy, but they don't know where to find it. They're frustrated in the pursuit. They don't know where purpose or meaning or deep joy comes from, and so they pursue it, strive for it. What so many of the people of the world do in the pursuit of it, pursuing money or sexual pleasure or power or accomplishment or material things, or all that the world has to offer. They are repeating the mistakes that so many people make in life and weigh so much of their lives in empty pursuits. They are, as Solomon would say, "They're chasing after the wind. They're on a fool's errand."

To quote the famous American philosopher, Waylon Jennings, he writes in this song, "I spent a lifetime looking-- Single bars, good time lovers, never true. Playing a fool's game, hoping to win, telling those sweet lies but losing again. I was looking for love in all the wrong places, looking for love in too many faces." People can relate to the song. I've been spending all my life looking, striving, never finding.

Other people are caught in what you might call the struggle of life, the battle of life renting endlessly like on the hamster wheel, trying to pay the bills, but frustrated. They long to pursue something greater, but they've given up the dream. They've given up the dream that life can have meaning, that there can be greater purpose, or that they can find their soul's deepest desires.

To quote from another famous American philosopher, Jackson Browne-- Many of you know that he was very popular in the '70s. Now, I read all about the '70s, so I'm an expert on the '70s.

He wrote a song called The Pretender. Now, you may not know that song, but I want to quote some from it because it's really a deep thought that touches where many people are, The Pretender. "I'm going to rent myself a house in the shade of the freeway, gonna to pack my lunch in the morning and go to work each day. And when the evening rolls around, I'll go on home and lay my body down. And when the morning light comes streaming in, I'll get up and do it again. Amen.

"I want to know what became of the changes we waited for love to bring. Were they only the fitful dreams of some greater awakening? I've been aware of the time going by, and they say in the end, it's the wink of an eye. And when the morning light comes streaming in, you'll get up and do it again. Out into the cool of the evening, strolls the pretender who knows that all his hopes and dreams begin and end there. Ah, the laughter of the lovers as they run through the night, who tear at the world with all their might while the ships bearing their dreams, sail outta sight. Are you there? Say a prayer for the pretender who started out so young and strong only to surrender."

Makes you think makes you ponder. Where does life come from? Many people can relate to that song because they've surrendered their dreams. Now, they move through life in an endless cycle without hope, without purpose, still longing for meaning, still longing for purpose and joy deep in the soul. They've lost their way and they don't know where to find it. Oh, they started out so young and strong only to surrender.

The book of Ecclesiastes is for those searching for the deepest issues of life, meaning, purpose, deep joy, way to find it. Now, there's a backstory to Solomon or to Ecclesiastes written by Solomon as the words of the book began, the words of the preacher, the son of David, the king of Jerusalem. The words he uses to describe his life and achievements many believed could only have been accomplished by Solomon. He writes this book at the end of his life, he's an old man. He's looking back now over the course of his life. He's writing a book to describe perhaps the greatest lesson that he has learned in his entire life.

Now, he's going to bring the book to a grand conclusion. We must not jump to the wrong assumptions when he begins the book in chapter one by saying, "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "Vanity of vanities, is all vanity." Must not make the wrong conclusions. There is a grand conclusion coming. That's not his grand conclusion. It's the frustration of the journey.

The beginning of finding that emptiness and vanity show the futility in pursuing wrong things, but in the end, he will bring us back to find our way home. He says in the book, "Everything just goes on and on in an endless cycle. What does it mean? What advantage does man have in all this work? A generation goes, the generation comes, but the earth remains. The sun rises, the sun sets, and then returns to its place to rise again, blowing toward the south. Then toward the North, the wind continues swirling along on a circular course, so the wind returns."

In other words, is all of life just an endless cycle without purpose and without meaning? He's going to bring us to a grand conclusion that, God has made all things beautiful in His time, that God has set eternity in your hearts, and that it is before God that you'll live and move and have your being. Who can find enjoyment in life without God? Without God, it has no meaning.

Now he's going to bring us on the journey. Before he's done, there's a grand conclusion, but the journey is long. No one has had the opportunities of life afforded to Solomon. No one was given greater wealth or capacity to pursue whatever he desired. Therefore, no one understood the emptiness of pursuing wrong things, all things he says under the sun like Solomon.

Therefore, he writes this book as a great warning. It's a great warning that if one would pursue these things, it will be to your great undoing. "Take hold of the warnings," he says, "It will be your great demise, for if you do not find your way, you will find yourself at the end of your life looking back, saying "Vanity and vanities. It was all vanity. What was the point of it all?" He says, "Oh, take hold of the lesson. I know that there is a great answer." Don't waste your life chasing the wind on a fool's errand. This book will help you find your way.

If you heed the warnings, you'll find that there is great purpose and meaning and that there is a joy that resides deeply in the soul for those who know where to find it. It will help you find your way home to find your deepest desires. Now, we know the story of Solomon, that Solomon started out so very well. He became king of Israel at a very young age. He was the son of David, inherited the kingdom of Israel when he was at his zenith, one of the great kingdoms of the earth at that time. It says that "Shortly after Solomon became king," it says of him, "Solomon loved the Lord." He began so very well, he walked in the statutes of his father, David. Shortly after he became King, God met him there at Gibeon and appeared to him in a dream and said to Solomon, "Ask whatever you wish for me to give you." What a great question. What would you answer if God said such a thing to you? "Whatever you wish, ask and I'll give it to you." Well, in great humility, Solomon acknowledged that he was just a child and did not know how to lead this great nation and these great people whom God had chosen.

Solomon answered God in the dream, "Give your servant an understanding heart to judge your people to discern good and evil, for who is able to judge these great people of yours?" Well, God was pleased that Solomon had asked for this thing, and that he did not ask for a long life or for riches for himself or for the life of his enemies, but that he had asked for discernment and to understand justice.

God responded by giving Solomon what he requested, a wise and discerning heart to be able to lead and judge the great people of Israel, and God gave Solomon what he did not request, riches and honor such that there would be none amongst the kings like Solomon. He started out so young and strong only to surrender. For though he had great understanding, he did not walk according to it. Having knowledge, having understanding, and walking according to it are not always the same thing.

For example, Solomon formed a marriage alliance with the King of Egypt. He married the Pharaoh's daughter and brought her to live in Jerusalem in the city of David. Now, this was considered politically savvy at the time, but not wise by God's standards, and it led him down a very troubled road. It says, of Solomon in 1 Kings 11:1-2, "King Solomon loved many foreign women." As I said, Solomon had a thing for foreign women. Like how some people collect foreign cars, he collected foreign women.

Along with the daughter of Pharaoh, there was Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women. From those nations concerning, which the Lord has said to the sons of Israel, "You shall not associate with them, nor shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their Gods." Solomon held fast through these and love. Now, this was only one of Solomon's pursuits in life in which he found no meaning, no purpose.

The Book of Ecclesiastes takes us along with Solomon on this journey until he comes to the grand conclusion of life that will bring us back to revival, but the journey is long, and what a waste of pursuing empty things. He tries and he tries and he tries all these different things. It reminds me of one of the most famous rock songs of all time, came out in the '60s, 1965, read all about it in the history books. It was a song by Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones. It was iconic song. It's become one of the greatest songs of all time. The song was, "I can't get no satisfaction, satisfaction, but I try and I try and I try. I tried it all but I can't find it." I can't find satisfaction, but I try and I try and I try. "Vanity of vanities," he would write. Maybe the problem was that they didn't understand the difference between a rolling stone and a solid rock. I love that expression there.

David wrote it this way, David says-- Psalm 63:1. "Oh God, you are my God. I seek you earnestly. My soul thirsts for you. I found it. I know where the soul can find its deepest desires. My soul thirsts for you. My flesh yearns for you in a dry and weary land where there is no water. There's no water here, but I know where it is. I know the longing of the soul can be satisfied in you. Oh my God, my rock, my fortress, my God into whom I have come.

That's why he wrote in Psalm 63:3-5. He says, "Because your loving kindness is better than life, better than anything under the sun," as Solomon would write it. "Therefore, my lips will praise you. I will bless you as long as I live. I have found it. I have found the answer. I will lift up my hands and your name. My soul has been satisfied as with moral and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips." It's a grand conclusion and he, Solomon, will bring us to that conclusion before the story's over.

Meanwhile, he brings us on the journey that we will learn the greatest lessons of life. Let's read it. We're in Ecclesiastes 2. We'll begin reading in verse one. As I said, we'll cover the other verses around this at our Wednesday verse-by-verse study. "I said to myself, I said, come now, I will test you with pleasure," so enjoy yourself, let's go down this road, enjoy yourself. "Behold," he says, "This too was futility. It brought nothing, no meaning, no purpose."

Verse 2, of laughter, "I said this is madness and then of pleasure, what does it accomplish at the end of it all? What did it do? How did it benefit? Verse 3, "I went on another journey. I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely on how to take hold a folly until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives.

Then I enlarged my work. I built houses for myself. I planted vineyards for myself. I made gardens and parks for myself. I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. Then I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees. I bought male, female servants. I had home-born slaves. I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. I collected for myself silver and gold, the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself, male and female singers, and the pleasures of men, many concubines.

Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom stood by me and all that my eyes desired, I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure for my heart was pleased because of all my labor, and this was my reward for my labor. Thus, I considered then all my activities," when he stepped back and looked at it all, "Which my hands had done, and the labor which I had exerted, behold, it was all vanity. It was all striving after the wind, and there was no profit under the sun."

I. You Can’t get no Satisfaction in Pleasure

Now he's going to take us on the journey. Before he is done, he's going to bring us to a grand conclusion to show us where meaning and life is found, but he brings us in the journey of the pursuit so that we would understand. Take hold of the great lessons starting with this. You can't get no satisfaction in pleasure. Now, let's ignore the bad grammar there. Grammar wasn't a thing in the '60s.

I read that in chapter three of the history book. It wasn't a thing, but notice verse 1, "I said to myself, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure." So enjoy yourself, enjoy, find things of joy, enjoyment, but he said at the end, "I can't get no satisfaction from it." It was futility. Then he says, "Laughter. I said, of laughter." He went after laughter. Many people you know, they love to laugh. Sure, but he went after it like nobody could go after it. Hired, no doubt, jesters and comedians, entertainers and storytellers.

A. Laughter is meant to be good medicine

That was a thing. For many, many years throughout history, it's a thing that kings and princes and those with great means would hire entertainers, jesters, jokesters, comedians to tell stories. Maybe their laughter could be a cure for the unsatisfied life. No, it was never meant to be that. Laughter was meant to be good medicine, not to contain the meaning and purpose of life. It's never meant to be that way. It's not a cure for the unsatisfied life although Solomon pursued it.

In the end, he says of the pursuit of laughter that it does not cure the one looking to be satisfied in life. This is madness, to pursue laughter in the hopes of finding meaning and purpose. Now, of course, I think laughter is a great thing. I think a sense of humor is a gift. I think God has a sense of humor. All you got to do is look at us here in the room, and you can see God has a sense of humor. I think God gives us a sense of humor for a reason.

Proverbs 17:22. "A joyful heart is good medicine." We read that. It is, it's good medicine because a joy or a broken spirit dries up the bones. Oh, a shriveled spirit, a broken spirit it dries up the bones but a joyful heart is good medicine. It's given by God for the right reason. It can actually strengthen your immune system. Laughter therapy is a real thing. We know actually it is good medicine, but it was never meant to contain purpose or meaning of life. It will only mask it.

B. Pleasure was never meant to be the master

Then he brings up in Verse two, pleasure. "I said of pleasure, what does it accomplish?" He went after it like nobody could go after it. He had the means to go after pleasure on this journey but here is the great lesson. Take hold of the lesson. Pleasure was never meant to be the master. If you pursue it like that, it will become the master and you will be the slave. Notice in verse 8 he says, "I provided for myself the pleasures of men, many concubines--" In fact, it says at one point that Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. Are you kidding me? It just goes to show that having wisdom and living by it are not the same thing.

Now, I suppose that there are many young men who would dream "That sounds great to me," because there are many young men who think that such would satisfy the deepest longing of their soul but they're quite wrong. Solomon says, "O learn the lesson of this great book. It's empty. It will not satisfy-- In the end, it won't even satisfy the flesh. Those who pursue it will learn the hard way that sexual pleasure cannot satisfy the deepest longing for life. It only brings emptiness and vanity. What does it accomplish? He wrote, "Nothing only emptiness and vanity."

After all, how many wives does one guy need? Most men would acknowledge that it's difficult to meet the emotional needs of one woman, let alone 700. Again, many single men might be tempted to think, "Oh, Solomon is onto something here." Those men that are married know this was a stupid thing to do.

How many times did Solomon hear, "You don't spend any quality time with me."

Quality time is my love language and "We don't spend any quality-- I see you, what? Every three years."

"I think you like her better than you like me. I saw you looking at her. Then you build her a better house than you build for me. I want a nicer house, too."

That's why married men would say, "No, that was a stupid thing to do."

How many people get caught up in the trap of believing that pursuit will bring something that satisfies? He says, "I did it. I went down that road." Many people pursue it, and they go from one relationship to another to another, always empty, never fulfilled.

Look at this Samaritan woman that Jesus met at the well in John 4. At one point they had this discussion, and at one point Jesus says to her, "Go call your husband." She says, "I have no husband." Jesus replied, "You have well said that you have no husband, for in fact, you have had five husbands and the one you now have is not your husband, so you have said this truly." What was it with this woman? She kept trying to find fulfillment in one relationship after another after another. How many times did she go out under the stars at night and cry, "What's wrong with me? It doesn't work. What's wrong with me? I fail at everything I ever do. What's wrong with me?"

I know she would say, "If I could only find the Messiah, He can answer all things." She will come to the understanding that the one who is speaking to her that day, would give her a drink of living water. "Sir, give me this living water. My soul craves for living water." Only Jesus can satisfy the deepest longing of your heart and of your soul. Only Jesus can do that. Amen. Can we give God praise? Only Jesus can do that.

C. Wine cannot cheer the soul

Then he speaks in the next verses about wine. The great lesson learned, wine cannot cheer the soul. It was never meant for that. He says, "I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine, how to take hold of folly." [chuckles] When people make a toast, oftentimes they'll say "Cheers" and they mean it'll bring cheer to you. It'll cheer your soul. Now, he's not speaking here of the merits or demerits of wine. What he is saying is that the pursuit of life through it won't work. "I did it, I tried it." Learned this great lesson. It doesn't work. Alcohol doesn't fix anything. If you take wine as medicine or mask pain or unhappiness of life, you will find it doesn't work.

To quote another famous American philosopher, Billy Joel, in his famous song Piano Man captures the very thought of it. He writes it in this way. "It's nine o'clock on a Saturday, the regular crowd shuffles in. There's an old man sitting next to me, making love to his tonic and gin. He says, "Son, can you play me a memory? I'm not really sure how it goes, but it's sad and it's sweet that I knew it complete when I wore a younger man's clothes. Now, Paul is a real estate novelist who never had time for a wife. He's talkin' with Davy, who's still in the Navy and probably will be for life. And the waitress is practicing politics while the businessman slowly gets stoned. Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness but it's better than drinkin' alone."

It makes you think, it makes you ponder.

Solomon would say, "Take hold of this great lesson. It doesn't work. It will not make you forget, will not make you drown your sorrows or dull your pain. Without God, all those things are still there." The grand conclusion, you have to have God. God is the answer to the pain, to the sorrows, to the deepest longings. Learn this great lesson.

II. You Can’t get no Satisfaction from Success

He writes the book so that you will not have to learn by wrongful pursuits chasing after the wind. He says life is found in the one who made your soul. Life is found in the one who loves your soul even more than you love yourself. Life is found here with that. There is nothing under the sun that will satisfy. That's why he then brings us to the next point in the story. You can't get no satisfaction from success. He says, "I set my mind then on accomplishing great projects," notice for myself. It's the theme right there is the problem. He did it all for himself. He held nothing back from himself. When a person does everything for themselves, they will find life is meaningless, empty. Vanity of vanities. You never were meant to live for yourself. It's empty.

A. Success is a measure of oneself

Notice what he says starting in verse 4. Would you notice how many times he uses the phrase "For myself?" You can count them. "I did it for me, for me, for myself." Notice verse 4, "I enlarged my works. I built houses for myself. I planted vineyards for myself. I made gardens and parks for myself. I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees. I did it all for myself."

Success, but then he would write, "But learn the great lesson. You can't get no satisfaction from that either."

See, success is only a measure of one's self. It's a measure, it's a way to measure oneself. "I did it all for myself." He then compared himself, "I was greater than all who came before me in Jerusalem." It's right, it's a good person, it's a way to measure oneself. It's a way to keep score. "I won. I had greater means, I did more, I had more money. I accomplished more things." It's a way of measuring oneself. It's all about self, about winning. Winning, being better, having more. "I won."

In the end, he says "It's all empty." It cannot satisfy the longing of the soul for something greater, something of deeper meaning. I need more than that. He comes to the conclusion "I need more than that. I need deeper meaning." See, we were never meant to live for oneself. We need something greater. Our souls were meant to live for something greater. To find the deepest longing of the soul, it's only found in a relationship with the great Almighty, with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We were never meant to live for oneself. We were meant to live for the great Almighty. Only there can the soul be satisfied. Only there can the soul find its deepest desires.

We were never meant to live for self. Let's say if a person had great wealth and they spent all that wealth pampering and spoiling themselves with all the things that the world has for this spoiling and pampering-- And there's a lot of things in the world that are given and meant for the spoiling and pampering of oneself. If a person spent all their life and all their fortune pampering and spoiling themselves, they would come to the end, look back on their life, and say, "What was the point of it?" Vanity of vanities, empty and void.

There must be more than this, and the answer is, yes. There is so much more than this. The one who lives for self will at the end find no meaning. The one who lives for God, the one who comes to understand that we are called for something far greater than ourselves. I've come to discover that the greatest meaning and purpose of life comes from finding God's purpose and fulfilling God's desire. Understanding that which God would do in the soul is a far greater value than anything this world has to offer.

"There is nothing," he says "Under the sun that can satisfy the longing of my soul." Right, because we were born to live and called to live under the Son of the great Almighty, under the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, the great King of all kings and Lord of all lords. Amen. Can you give God praise for that great truth, right?

Jesus said this in Luke 12:15, Jesus says to them, "Beware, so says the one who is greater than Solomon. There is one greater than Solomon Jesus says," speaking of himself. "The one who is greater than Solomon says, "Beware. Be on your guard against every form of greed." Now, what is greed? Greed is self, it's the measure of oneself. "I won. I have more. I accomplish more. I got more in my scorecard than you. I won."

He says, "Beware of this, for even when one has an abundance, his life does not consist of his possessions." Life is not found there. There is no boat, no house, no car, nothing. There is nothing under the sun. Life isn't found there. It's not found under the sun. It's found under the banner of the Son of the living God.

I have discovered that that which God desires to do is a beautiful work on the soul. If we can only understand God's desire is to do something far beyond anything this world could ever do. God can transform the soul, God by His glory. The glory of God is far greater than anything under the sun. When you come under the banner of the Almighty, you come to see the beauty of what God would do on your soul.

David discovered it. David wrote in one of my favorite verses in the Bible, in Psalm 27, David says, "One thing I have asked of the Lord, that one thing I shall seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all that days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate there in his temple, in the presence of the Almighty" David, understood what many people do not understand. How beautiful is the presence of God? That when the soul delights in the Almighty, that your soul is filled and overflowing with glory. There is nothing greater than God's glory on the soul. Amen. Yes, sure, let's give the Lord praise. Exactly right. Amen.

B. Treasure is a measure that will not last

Then lastly, he brings up treasure silver, and gold. Here's the point, treasure is a measure that will not last. In fact, later in the chapter, he says, "What is the point of accumulating all of this silver in gold? Only to give it to those who didn't earn it." Verse 8, "I collected for myself silver and gold, the treasure of kings and provinces." [chuckles] I became great, increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. I withheld nothing and at the end, it was all vanity."

In fact, it says Solomon collected so [chuckles] much silver that it was considered commonplace. No one even cared much about silver anymore because there was so much of it. He went after gold. He was the wealthiest man who ever lived. He had all the money and all the things that money could buy. In the end, he says, "Oh, learn this great lesson. Don't waste your life pursuing, chasing the wind on a fool's errand. It cannot bring contentment of soul."

That's why he writes later in Ecclesiastes 5, he writes, "He who loves money will never be satisfied with money," so says the richest name in the world. Someone said to Rockefeller, "How much is enough?" He was one of the wealthiest people in the world. "How much is enough?" Essentially he said, "It's never enough. Always need more. Always need more." Why? Because it's the measure of oneself. "Got to win. You got to win the score. I got to have more. I got to win the score. It's never enough." Right, Solomon, "He who loves money will never be satisfied with money. He who loves abundance will never be satisfied with his income."

He said this, too. "It's vanity. There is a grievous evil, which I have seen under the sun." He says, "Riches being hoarded by their owner to their own hurt." Why would one hoard riches? It's the measure of oneself. "I won. I will hoard and I will hoard for the score of it. I won." He says, "But I have come to see that it is to your own hurt." He says "Naked he came, this man, naked he came from his mother's womb and so he will return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand. Exactly as a man is born thus he will die. What is the advantage them who toil for the wind? He says, "Ah, take hold of this great lesson for many people pursue it--" Oh, you will not believe how many people pursue it, "Thinking, oh, if my score can just be higher, if I could just win the scorecard, I then would be happy." Solomon says, "I had more money than anyone who ever lived and it didn't work. Don't pursue a fool's errand, chasing after the wind."

Now, we can't leave Solomon there. We must teach some of what he discovered that brought him back to a right understanding of life, what brought him back to revival. Some of the verses, we'll taste some of it. Ecclesiastes 2, "For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without God?" [chuckles] You cannot. You must have God in your life. You must have that relationship with the Almighty. "For to a person who is good in God's side, he is given wisdom and knowledge and joy."

Ecclesiastes 3, "He has made everything beautiful in His time. He has set eternity in your hearts without which man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning to the end." That's a great insight. God is the one who will place eternity in your heart so that you can find all that God has done from the beginning to the end, and give him great glory. I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one's lifetime. For without God, something is missing.

Many are like Solomon, trying to fill that emptiness with every empty pursuit under the sun. Chasing after the wind on the fool's errand. They're trying to fill that empty-- There's that thing, that emptiness. How do you fill that emptiness? If you are in a place where you tried to fill that emptiness, that lack of meaning, that lack of purpose, then you must know the grand conclusion that Solomon brings us through. Oh, the ultimate joy of life is when your soul is right with God, when you draw near to the glory, when you know that which God does is beautiful on the soul. You see, that relationship is only made possible because of what God did for you through His Son Jesus Christ.

See, our sin has separated us, and a great chasm exists between man and God. God sent His son Jesus to pay that price for that sin and to pay the penalty for it, that your sins would be forgiven and forgiven in full. "As far as the east is from the west, so has He removed our transgressions from us." God has made a way for sinners to be reconciled to the living God. "Your sins are forgiven." Those who come, those who ask is freely given.

God made a way for sinners to be reconciled. God has opened the door. Once a sinner is forgiven of their sins and that they've been reconciled to the great Almighty, then they must come fully near to the glory. They must draw to that place of nearness to God. Where the beauty of the Lord dwells upon the soul, He will transform the soul of the sinner to life. He can fill the emptiness. He can give purpose and meaning. Only there can the emptiness be filled. God made the soul and God made the soul to be filled with glory. There's nothing else. There's nothing else that can fill your soul like the glory of the Almighty. There's nothing else.

If that's you, there's been an emptiness and you've been searching and longing and wanting to find a way to fill it, then there's a great answer right before your eyes. Solomon would say, "Don't pursue and chasing after the wind." I give you a great answer. It's found in the great Almighty. Come there and your soul's desires will be filled and overflowing.

Let's pray. God, we are so thankful for the wonderful truths of life found here. You are the one that satisfies the emptiness, fills the longing. In church as we're praying, as we're continuing to pray, if you're here today and there is this emptiness, and now you see God can fill that. God can give meaning and purpose. If you would have God fill your soul with his glory today, I invite you to receive the Lord Jesus Christ. It begins there.

God has made a way for sinners to have their sins forgiven. That which one separated you has been settled before God, paid in full for anyone who would ask, He'll forgive your sin. Open the door and enter into a relationship with you that your soul can find that it is satisfied to the full, and the beauty and the glory of that which God made possible through His Son Jesus Christ. If you would receive Him as Lord and Savior today, I want to pray for you. I want you to just say, yes, and amen to what God is doing in your life. If you want your soul right with God, you want your sins forgiven and that the emptiness would be filled, I want to pray for you. Would you just raise your hand that I can just pray for you?

God bless you and you and God bless you. God bless you over here on this side, and you. God bless you. Thank you. God bless you all in the front here. God bless you, all of you. Anyone else? Amen.

There in the back. I see you there all the way in the back. God bless you, too. God bless you. Anyone else? I want to pray for you. God bless you here in the front. God bless you right there also. God bless you. Anyone else? Oh Lord, thank you for everyone I see over there on the side. God bless you, too. Anyone else? I want to pray for you.

Lord, I want to pray for everyone who raised their hand today saying, "Please forgive my sin." Then we say, yes, and amen. "Please," they say, "Forgive sin because you made a way for sinners to be forgiven through your Son Jesus Christ. Lord, let every one of them take hold of that forgiveness and that promise of eternal life. That you would fill their soul with your presence and your glory. That the emptiness would be filled so that they don't have to spend their life in empty pursuits, but they can dwell in the glory of the great Almighty.

We pray for them. We ask that you would fill them with the overflowing presence of the Holy Spirit. We give you praise and glory and honor in Jesus' name, and everyone said. Can we give God praise? Can we give Him honor and glory?