Let us open the Word of our God together. The scripture reading this morning is taken from Ecclesiastes 1, beginning at verse 12 to the end of the chapter, and thereafter Ecclesiastes 11, which is also our text for the sermon this morning. We turn then to the Word of our God as you find it in Ecclesiastes chapter 1, Beginning in verse 12, I, the teacher, was king over Israel and Jerusalem. I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men. I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. What is twisted cannot be straightened, what is lacking cannot be counted. I thought to myself, look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me. I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge, and then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom and also of madness and folly. But I learned that this too is a chasing after the wind. For with much wisdom comes much sorrow. The more knowledge, the more grief. And we turn to chapter 11. Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again. Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land. If clouds are full of water, they pour rain upon the earth. Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there will it lie. Whoever watches the wind will not plant. Whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. As you do not know the path of the wind or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle. For you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well. Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun. However many years a man may live, let him enjoy them all. But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything to come is meaningless. Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment. So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless. Let's file the reading of God's holy word. May he bless it to our hearts and to our lives. After the proclamation of the gospel, we'll respond with the singing of Psalter Hymnal number 368, Rejoice, the Lord is King. Beloved congregation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ here in Escondido, have you ever met a pessimist? Are you a pessimist? Do you associate with other pessimists? And if you're wondering perhaps what a pessimist is, then I would refer you to almost any dictionary which will tell you things like a pessimist is a person who has a gloomy view on life or a person who is always expecting the worst possible outcome or a person who believes that the world is as bad and rotten as it can be pessimism or pessimists are people who always tend to see the dark side the downside of life they tend to dwell on the negatives of daily living they see the clouds never it seems the sunshine they remark on the setbacks never the achievements they always count the problems but never the blessings and of course there are consequences If you have that kind of a mindset, pessimists are notoriously difficult, for example, to motivate. They just cannot be bothered. They have no zeal for anything and are tired of almost everything, it would appear. Part of the problem is that pessimism is a cousin to cynicism, fatalism, depression, and all kinds of other disabling diseases. Of course, at this point you may be wondering why is this pastor from Canada going on and on about pessimism and pessimists? Well, it has to do with the fact that that is how most people view the writer of the Bible book that you have before you this morning. Ecclesiastes is commonly viewed as the ultimate book on pessimism anywhere. And the writer called the teacher or the preacher is regarded by many as just about the gloomiest character who ever walked on the face of the earth. Many read his book and they jump to the conclusion that here we are really and truly in the school of Mr. Vanity of Vanities or Mr. Meaninglessness. So then, if this book and the writings of this particular man are in the Bible, is the Bible also that kind of book? I would say to you this morning, the Bible is not that kind of book. And I would go on to say that even the book of Ecclesiastes is not that kind of book. that the preacher or the teacher is the target and has been the target of a lot of false advertising. As well, this book is the victim of a tremendous amount of superficial reading and wrong conclusions. This man, you might say, has been on the receiving end of a lot of bad and slanderous press. Yes, and you can see that, especially when you turn to the last chapters of the book of Ecclesiastes. and also to our text of this morning. Let us listen to its message. I present it to you under the theme, How Then Shall We Live? And we shall see three things. The preacher or the teacher urges us, first of all, to be bold. Secondly, to be happy. And finally, to be ready. Now, beloved, our text opens with the words, The well-known words, cast your bread upon the waters for after many days you will find it again. As I said, popular words, but to some extent also puzzling words. What do they mean? How are we to understand them? A few people take these words literally and see this as a divine command to take a loaf of bread or crumbs of bread and spread them across and upon the nearest river or lake. of course that interpretation immediately runs into problems for after many days you won't find anything again bread dissolves is eaten or sinks to the bottom and is soon gone other people in here some biblical commentators come into play say that with these opening words what we have is a call by the preacher for the people of God to be charitable we are supposed to dispense bread to the poor and when we do, our generosity will come back to us in the form of many and various rewards. And that's an interesting line of interpretation. But you need to ask yourself, does it really fit in the context? And this is really what the preacher is saying. So what are we to do? Well, my suggestion to you this morning would be not to see this opening verse of Ecclesiastes 11 as a literal command nor as a plea for charity but rather I would say it's a call to action. It's a command to use your means and your money your talents and abilities your energy and ambitions in a bold and fearless manner. Bread here as elsewhere in the scriptures represents the basic necessities of life. And what the preacher is saying is you need to take this bread and you need to throw it on the waters. Originally, as far as we know, this was kind of a saying that went out to sailors. These people who made their living on the waters. And as you may know, the waters can be very dangerous. Not all the sailors come back. But yet these people had to make their living. And so this expression, cast your bread, cast your livelihood upon the waters, really is a way of saying, launch force in your life with confidence, step out courageously, meet life and all of its hazards head on. Or you might say, quite simply, this is a plea on behalf of Ecclesiastes not to play it safe in life. And a lot of people do that. I'm sure you've met them as well, people who will not make a move unless all the T's are crossed and all the I's are dotted. They refuse to commit to anything that has even an odor of risk attached to it. They want everything in life to be predictable, secure, determined, before they will commit at all. They have no spirit of adventure in them, and they have no stomach for adventure either. Are you like that? Does that perhaps describe you? Are you the kind of person who will not do anything unless you know all of the details ahead of time. Is that word bold or boldness missing from your personality profile? Well, it shouldn't be. Not if you're a child of God. For I remind you, are we not the people who plunge ahead, sight unseen? Are we not the ones who are always living and acting on the basis of hope? What's the definition of faith? Being sure of what you hope for, certain of the things you do not yet see. And are we not the ones who love even without seeing? Without having seen Him, yet you love Him? You see, being a child of God, in a sense, is stepping out into the unknown, no matter what. Think of Abraham. No map, no airplane tickets, no cancellation insurance. All he has is the command and the presence of the Lord. And off he goes. And that's boldness. That's embracing the risk of faith. And that's what the preacher is urging his hearers and his readers to do. Do not hunker down in your bunkers. Get up, go out, take risks, embrace challenges. True faith is never ever boring. Only men and women of little faith make it such. Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it. But while we have here a command to be bold, this is not a command to be dumb or to act foolish. Verse 2, it says, Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land. What does that mean? You might say, these words urge us to be just as generous as we are bold. You should give food to seven people, seven being the number of completeness, but even go beyond that and give food to eight. Be super generous. Why? Because disaster may one day make you dependent on the generosity of others. You could say that here we have somewhat the same advice that the Lord Jesus will give His disciples about making friends by means of unrighteous mammon. And so you see, the man or the woman of faith has boldness, but they also have foresight. And not only that, but also you can add realism to the list. Look at the verses 3 to 6, which speak about clouds that are full of water, a tree that suddenly and unpredictably falls, wind that can strike out of nowhere and uproot whatever you plant. You see, here is a man or a woman who knows that everything we do in life has dangers attached to it. There is no absolutely safe way to live and to work. No one can guarantee you that you will be exempt from each and every peril of this life. Why, if safety and security are what dominate your personal agendas, you'll never do anything. The preacher says in verse 4, whoever watches the wind, and that means watches the wind all day, will not plant, and whoever looks at the clouds, always looking at what's coming on the horizon, will never reap. Being preoccupied with wind and cloud will accomplish nothing. It'll lead to starvation. And so what you need to do is to recognize the preacher is saying that the dangers are out there, but then still get out there. Do your work regardless. Make your plans no matter what. Launch out fearlessly. And you can. Thankfully you can. The key is to be found in verse 5. As you do not know the path of the wind or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the maker of all things. The preacher reminds us that God is at the center of all of life's elements and all of its endeavors. That the waters, the trees, the winds, They're all His work. They're all His handiwork. And that's the preacher's way of saying, we do not live, people, in a godless world. It's not just us and luck or chance. It's not just us and the physical universe. It's not just us and our wits in order to survive. No, God is there. Our God is there. Our covenant God. Our God and Father in Jesus Christ. He's the maker of all things and the keeper of His people. Yes, and now that maker, that keeper urges us to work and to work boldly without demanding guarantees. Verse 6. Sow your seed in the morning and at evening let not your hands be idle for you do not know which will succeed whether this or that or whether both will do equally well. The main point is here, get to work. So, use your hands, mobilize your minds, be active. And remember that although you do not know which will succeed, God does. And that's enough. So what does all of this tell us as a congregation of Jesus Christ? Surely it's a warning to us not to sit on our hands and do nothing but count possible, maybe, disasters. And it's also a summons for us positively to do our work and to do it boldly trusting and looking to the Lord. It's a reminder that this boldness should be found not just in our personal lives but also in our church or congregational life. It strikes me some churches never lay hold of new opportunities because they spend all of their time and their energy discussing the what-ifs. Some churches won't let their members do this because they're fearful of them. Some churches are so into routine that they miss life's possibilities and potential. Well, brothers and sisters, we need to make the most of every opportunity. We need to strive to be and to become more and more a congregation of Jesus Christ that is not afraid to cast its bread upon the waters. And you'll be surprised what God in due time allows you to find. And so, beloved, this is a biblical plea as a congregation to be bold. But it's also, you might add, a biblical plea to enjoy life and to be happy. Is that not, for example, what the verses 7 to 10 teach us? Interestingly, many consider the following words to be both in character and out of character. And they ask which are which. Well, they say, for example, that the second part of verse 8 is in character when the preacher says, But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything to come is meaningless. And they say, here we have the old pessimist again. But then they turn back to verse 7 and the first part of verse 8 and they kind of scratch their heads in amazement. How can the same preacher then say, Life is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun. However many years a man may live, let him enjoy them all. Aren't those words of optimism and hope? So how come and how can both of these messages come forth from the mouth of the same man? Well, beloved, they can. Because this man, while being utterly realistic about the dangers that are present in this life, is also utterly certain about the joys of God in this life. He doesn't want the dangers to be ignored. but neither does he want the joys to be dismissed or overwhelmed or forgotten he wants us to live not in foolish abandon but in realistic joy if you will yes and then notice in this connection he points to the young be happy young man when you're young let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see. How many of you fathers here this morning have told your sons to take this particular approach to life? I suspect if you're like me, probably not too many. You might say to your sons, be happy, but then almost immediately you also add, Follow the ways of your heart. However, guard your heart too. Beware those eyes of yours. Look. But don't lust. Don't covet. So we take this kind of statement here when we clothe it in all kinds of conditions. But you know, the preacher doesn't say that, does he? He calls on God's people, especially the young people, to enjoy life, to be happy, follow your heart. Now, what is that? Is that a recipe for loose living? Is that an invitation to turn life into a non-stop party? Is that a fatalistic summons to eat, drink, and be married for tomorrow we die? No, beloved, that's a call to enjoy life to the fullest. But then, to enjoy it as God intends it to be enjoyed. For I ask you, who is doing the calling and the urging here? Is it not the preacher? And who is the preacher but the mouthpiece and the spokesman of the Lord? You see, his invitation is not an invitation to a life of drunkenness, drugs, immorality, and abandon. Such a life knows no real happiness and no true joy. It only knows about hangover, overdose, AIDS, and a lost future. But do we always realize that? One of the great challenges that the church faces when it comes to its young people is that their definition of fun and happiness is so often the definition of the world. You know, happiness is dressing like the world dresses. Happiness is seeing the world's latest movie released. Happiness is acting out like the world acts. Happiness is having the mindset of the world. But, you know, through all of that, the preacher says vanity of vanities. Meaninglessness, emptiness, silliness, real happiness and true joy are never to be found outside of the will of God or the gifts of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. And so young people, enjoy. Enjoy what the Creator has given you in His creation, in His Son, in His Spirit, in His salvation. Enjoy what He has given you in the fellowship that you may have with one another. Enjoy the gifts of creativity, imagination, music, and laughter. Enjoy life. But then enjoy it as children of the Heavenly Father. Yes, and that means one more thing. Enjoy it as children who are always ready. ready for what you ask, ready for the coming of the Lord. There's a line in verse 9 that needs our attention for a moment, and it's the line, God will bring you to judgment. Nothing more certain than that. Ordinarily, when we come across that word judgment, we tend to shiver, we speak it softly, and we handle it reluctantly. But, you know, I don't think that's the way that we're supposed to handle it here. For you'll notice here, the use of the word judgment comes after a very upbeat passage about sweetness, enjoyment, happiness, and joy. So I do not think that it is meant to function as a damper on our joy. Rather, it's meant to function here as a word of reminder. For you see, one day, the King of Kings, Jesus Christ, is coming back. This past week, we remembered, we celebrated His ascension to the throne. One day, He's going to get off the throne, and He's going to come back to this earth. And what will He do? I think more than anything else, He's going to ask you and I, what did we do with all of those gifts that He gave us? And then you and I are going to receive a great opportunity. We'll be able to tell Him what we did with that glorious gift of youthful strength and vigor, how we skied and skated, ran and swam, competed and contested. And we'll be able to tell him what we did with the wonderful gift of reading and music. How we soaked up so many good books and played and sang our hearts out. And we'll be able to tell him what we did with the exquisite gift of communion. How we built one another up in the faith, bore one another's burdens, and loved one another deeply from the heart. And we'll be able to tell him what a privilege. What a privilege it was to receive all of those baptismal promises at the beginning of our life and to have the Spirit work them out powerfully, wonderfully and graciously ever since. Beloved, there will be so much to tell him. So much to look forward to. not exactly your usual way of looking at His coming again, is it? But am I wrong? Why is it that we so often approach it with fear and trembling? Has Christ not washed away our sins, paid for all of our faults and transgressions, paid our ransom? And will it not be for us a most wonderful day, a day of vindication, a day of reunion, a day of glory? And does the preacher not say, after he's uttered the word judgment, so then banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body? Do you hear what he's saying? He's saying, judgment is coming, so get rid of all your anxieties and your troubles. What a way to meet the future. What a way in line with that beautiful line from the book of Revelation, Come Lord Jesus, Maranatha. Of course you may be thinking at this point that I'm giving all of this too much of a positive spin. After all, does this chapter not end on what appears to be a rather pessimistic note for youth and vigor are meaningless. Are those words really pessimistic or realistic? Realize those words can also be translated, and some translations have it, that youth and vigor are fleeting. They soon fly away. Also, they're sometimes translated as, for youth and vigor face the threat, the constant threat of meaninglessness. In other words, if you treat your youth and your vigor in a purely worldly, godless, self-centered manner, then indeed it will be under the threat of meaninglessness. And let's face it, some people do, even in the church of Jesus Christ. They dread the return of the Lord because in their heart of hearts they know that their deeds are evil and that God's gifts have been squandered and that at bottom His blessings have been rejected. But you know, beloved, the preacher is saying to us that it need not be that way. There is another, better, much more satisfying way and that's the way that the preacher holds out before us and it's the way of serving our God boldly. of using His gifts joyfully and of looking forward to His coming expectantly. After all, we have a story to tell, don't we? We have a King to thank. We have a great new kingdom to explore and to enjoy. So then how in the world can you be a child of God and at the same time a pessimist. Let us pray. Almighty God and Heavenly Father we thank you for the book of Ecclesiastes a book that raises many questions a book that is often read rather superficially and not properly understood. But yet, Father, at bottom, the message of this book, as we have seen this morning, is not that difficult. It's saying that when we relate life to you and to your will, everything has meaning and everything has purpose. But when we divorce life from you and your will, then everything falls into the pit of vanity and meaninglessness. And so, Father, may we understand that. And may we apply it to our lives. Personally, corporately. May we understand, Father, that we are to live our lives before You who is our Maker, our Creator, our Provider. the God and Father of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Oh Lord, grant that each and every one of us may live our lives in fellowship with you and live daily out of your grace and out of the power of your Spirit alone. When we live that life, we may live it boldly and joyfully and expectantly. Father, when we look toward the future, what are you not still preparing for the children of God? A life beyond imagination. A life of glory everlasting. With you, with your Son, with the Holy Spirit, and with the saints of all the ages in new heaven. and a new earth. Come, Lord Jesus. Maranatha. Amen.