Eccl. 11:9-12:2

Intro.

A. Solomon gave three “R’s” to young people - rejoice, remove and remember (not progressive, but develop all together).

1. Righteousness does not necessarily come with age - in fact sowing wild oats and praying for crop failure is poor thinking.

2. Many who planned to get ready at the eleventh hour died at 10:30.

B. Not guaranteed long life:

1. Look at obituaries

2. My family - sister died at 21; daughter died at 19. If had not prepared to meet God in youth would never have had opportunity.

C. God intends for young people to enjoy youth - not dissipate it, then give God burned out remains. (80 year old man in Scheme class, crying because so many years gone before he learned those truths. Jill crying - didn’t want to be like that old man!)

D. If someone offered you a million dollars - and gave you certain conditions that you must meet, but no time set in which you had to meet them; what would you do? “Get around to that later”?

Body:

A. Waste now - Prepare later.

1. Materialism hinders early preparation. (Teacher asked class which would rather be - rich man, or Lazarus; Lk. 16 - little boy said “rich man now and Lazarus later.” You will die the way you lived!

2. Make choice in youth (Moses, c. 40; Heb. 11:24-26; Mt. 16:26).

3. Parents train children to put material things first - from first job!

a. Get a job - no consideration of church services - don’t even ask times off; afraid will not get the job. Train in responsibility - but spiritual responsibility trained for second place.

b. Randy - worked at Hardee’s - told them had to be off Sunday (hours) and Wed (hours);

then scheduled for training on Wed. night - manager gave few hours. Any boss who punishes a young person for putting God first is a Godless reprobate. He was stealing meat from the restaurant; next manager worked Randy because knew he was responsible. If he had lost the job - would our family have suffered? He supporting us?

4. Fairy offered young man anything he requested; asked for newspaper ten years from today; looked at financial section - “I’m a millionaire” - then obituaries - “I died yesterday”!

a. The rich man - thought had much goods and many years (Lk. 12:13-21; cf. Eccl. 2:18,19).

b. The soul is worth more than all material possessions (Mt. 16:26).

5. Could be other material things - sports, hunting, etc. (Tim. Hanlon kicked off socker team because would not play on Sunday morning.)

a. Girl in Union Springs - good basketball player, told coach would not be available on Wed. nights; tournament ended with her team scheduled for Wed. P.M.; said “I won’t be there,” - but you made a commitment to this team; “I made an earlier commitment to my Lord.” Coaches changed time of game; agreed not to have more on that night!

b. Lindy McDaniel - had agreement that he could come late on Sunday afternoons; Donald

refused to play with Globetrotters because of schedule.

B. Form good morals now.

1. Young people taught “values clarification” - most of time is situation ethics - “no rule except love” - that is a motivation, not a rule!

2. Dr. Laura told about her son, fourth grade; teacher asked if it would be right to steal food if your children were starving. Said “bringing more sin into the world can never be good. If they are starving, why not ask for the food?”

3. Consider Joseph (Gen. 39:7-12):

a. Seventeen when sold (maybe 18-20) when tempted. Could have reasoned: “My family mistreated me,” “no one will ever know,” “she threw herself at me,” “you’re young only once,” “I’ll get into trouble if I don’t” - All may have been true, but not right!

b. The body is not for fornication (1 Cor. 6:15-21).

4. Homosexuality and oral sex are openly defended in our society.

a. Rom. 1:24-28 (Their defense: against nature means a heterosexual committing homosexual actions. That’s not what the passage says - “leaving the natural use...”

b. Young people involved in repulsive perversion - oral sex - and defending it by saying “one of our presidents said it was not sex.” It IS, or it wouldn’t be called that!

c. Paul listed 23 sins - then another one that is just as bad - “those who approve those who practice them,” verse 32! (That includes legalizing the sin!)

5. Young man in Romania - “would you buy a car before you tried it?” Would you marry a girl before you tried her? (His girlfriend was sitting there!)

a. First, it is sin!

b. Second, it does not work. “Forty percent who cohabit will break up before marriage; among those who do marry, divorce rate is 50% higher than those who don’t” (Keynoter; Little Rock, Ark. 3/27/97).  Dr. Joy Brown (liberal radio counselor: “The longer you shack up before marriage the higher the divorce rate”!

c. Not surprising - a lasting commitment is based upon - (1) trust, (2) respect. (There are lifelong consequences of not making wise decisions in youth.)

C. Give the best to God.

1. Who wants to give something used, or burned out, to one he loves? (Would you buy something for your sweetheart - then try it out for several months/years - then give it to her?)

2. Should we not give the best to God? (The best you can give is what you now have!)

a. God expected the firstfruits - not the left-overs, from his people (Ex. 22:29; 23:16).

b. Daniel - determined to give God his best, not a dissipated body (Dan. 1:8)

c. Do not destroy your body by what you take into it (1 Cor. 6:12 - Drugs - alcohol, nicotine, illegal drugs).

Concl.

We all expect to live long lives - but it is an assumption. The only life worth living is a life for God (1 Tim. 4:8).

Poem - The Kite (It is holding it down that keeps it up!)

THE KITE 

Once on a time a paper kite

Was mounted to a wond’rous height,

Where, giddy with its elevation,

It thus express’d self-admiration.

“See how yon crowds of gazing people

Admire my flight above the steeple?

How would they wonder if they knew

All that a kite like me can do!

Were I but free, I’d take a flight,

And pierce the clouds beyond their sight!

But, ah! Like a poor pris’ner bound,

My string confines me near the ground.

I’d brave the eagle’s towering wing,

Might I but fly without a string.”

It tugg’d and pull’d while thus it spoke

To break the string; at last it broke.

Depriv’d at once of all its stay,

In vain it tried to soar away;

Unable its own course to guide,

The wind soon plung’d it in the tide.

Ah! Foolish kite, thou had’st no wing,

How couldst thou fly without a string?

My heart replied, “O Lord, I see

How much this kite resembles me!

Forgetful that by Thee I stand,

Impatient of thy ruling hand. 

How oft I’ve wish’d to break the lines

Thy wisdom for my lot assigns.

How oft indulg’d a vain desire,

For something more or something higher. 

And, but for grace and love divine,

A fall thus dreadful had been mine.”

-Author Unknown.