Battling Forgetfulness

0:06Amen and amen. Good morning. I'm I yeah, I apologize in advance. I'm I'm probably gonna cough at least two more times. Welcome back uh to our continued walk through the book of Ecclesiastes this week. We have this week and we have next week, and then we're done. That's all that we have left. Uh so thanks be to God that He has brought us through another book and taught us many things through Ecclesiastes, I hope, and I trust and I pray. I'll wait until next week uh to give you the finer details on where we're going uh next. So make sure you're here next week, uh, not only to finish the book of Ecclesiastes and not only because we have a lunch next week, which we'll talk later, uh, but I'll give you a little trailer uh on where we're going next. So uh I've already mentioned that a few times though, um, but we may be, maybe going back to where it all started in the beginning. We'll see. Uh this week, though, we'll be thoroughly addressing the young ones among us. So all of the youngins, uh set up straight. Pay attention. And when I say young ones, I'm not talking about you, Brother Dave. Sorry. We'll be specifically addressing this idea of uh remembrance. Remembrance. Why is it important to remember? Why do we need to be continually reminded of things? Why is remembering the things of God, especially in our youth, so important? And in answering these questions, the teacher returns again to vanity. He reminds us of the vanity of time, the vanity of age. Every spry youth, with visions of grandeur and a heart full of dreams, turning cartwheels and running like the wind, will one day find themselves bent over, aching in places that they didn't know they had, wondering where all the time has gone. I say that not as a warning, excuse me, that if you want to avoid all of those things, or that you can avoid all of those things, and that you'll be able to navigate your way around this vanity, it can't really be done. I've never met a person, and I don't think a person has ever lived, who hasn't felt that time moves too quickly, that minds are too forgetful, and whose past isn't full of things that they wish more than anything that they could change. If the expectation is that I can give you secrets to living a life that hangs on every moment and has no regrets, I would disappoint you rather quickly. I cannot give you that. If I could, I probably would have sold it already, probably to life way, and I'd have much whiter teeth than I do now. I cannot give you a shield to protect you against vanity or point you down a road that avoids it altogether. I'll explain that a little bit later why. But I can give you, or what I can do, is give you something to cling to within the vanity, a song to sing while you're on the road. And principally among those is remembrance. Remembrance. So, Lord willing, that's where we're going this morning. Let's open to Ecclesiastes chapter 11, starting in verse 7, and I'm going to read down through verse 8 of chapter 12. So stand with me, please, if you would, as I start in verse 7 of chapter 11. Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all, but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many, and that comes, all that comes is vanity. Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity. Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, I have no pleasure in them. Before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain, and the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed, and the doors on the street are shut, and the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of the bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low. They are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way. The almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails because man is going to his eternal home, and the mortars go about the street. Before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, and the dust returns to earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. Vanity of vanity, says the preacher, all is vanity. This is the word of the Lord. Let's pray. We thank you again, Lord, for this word. I pray now that you would speak for Christ's sake, and it is in his name that I pray. Amen. Thank you. If you have your sermon notes, don't cheat. What is the most frequent excuse, frequent excuse people give for not doing something that they should have done or failing to do something that they want to do? I forgot. I forgot. It's true in your personal life, it's true in the business world. I promise I've seen it. Every day, I see it. Certainly true in your spiritual life. Most of us, at least in this room, find ourselves not praying enough. Or when we find ourselves not praying enough, or when we find ourselves not reading God's word as we should. It's because it's not because we're wicked people necessarily, or because we you know we just don't want to, it's because we forget to. We forget to. To-do lists, reminder apps, calendars, planners. This is a multi-billion dollar industry. Why? Because we all have far too many things to do. And we forget most of them. Take heart, though. There's nothing new under the sun. Numbers 15, 37 to 41. The Lord also spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the sons of Israel and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue, and it shall be a tassel for you to look at and to remember all the commandments of the Lord, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot, in order that you may remember to do all my commandments and be holy to your God. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord your God. Numbers 15, 37 to 41. Also, Deuteronomy 6, 4 to 13 says this Here, O Israel, the Lord your God is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, and with all of your might. And all these words I have commanded you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise, you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham and to Isaac and to Jacob to give you, with great and good cities that you did not build, and houses full of good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant. And when you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and out of the house of slavery. It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve, and by his name you shall swear. And of course, we read it every week in Corinthians, 1 Corinthians, for I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same way he also took the cup after supper, saying, This is the cup of the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. I give countless examples, biblical examples, of God instructing things for the express purpose of memorial and remembrance. Countless instances in our own lives where forgetting things has put us in a tough spot. And when remembering things has paid dividends for us. I bring all that up to say that battling forgetfulness by any means, up to and including tying blue cords on your clothes, is a biblical and worthy pursuit. Especially when you are young, which is who the text specifically addresses, and especially during times of prosperity, which our text also specifically addresses. I'll give you one more, Deuteronomy 8, 11 through 20. Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I commanded you today, lest when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, then let your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its fiery serpents, its scorpions, and thirsty ground where there was no water, and brought you out, sorry, and brought you water out of the flinty rock, who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you to do good in the end. Beware lest you say in your heart, My power and might and my hand have gotten me this wealth. You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to his fathers as it is this day. And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you will surely perish. Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, you shall perish because you did not obey the voice of the Lord your God. Deuteronomy 8, 11 through 20. So this idea of remembering is a constant reminder all throughout Scripture. And something that is taught over and over again. Not because we are so good at remembering, but because we are so prone to forget. We cry out to God for deliverance in times of great need, and we plead with him that if only he would spare us this present pain, we will surely serve him. But just as soon as he does, deliver us, we forget both our promise and the deliverer whom we serve. We ask him for blessing and prosperity, and when he gifts us these things and blesses us, do we thank him? Or do we consider ourselves responsible for the blessings? Or that we are owed for what we receive. This is true for all of us, certainly. But it is especially true for the young among us. We're going to talk a little bit more about habits in just a second, but I want you, I guess, starting out to say, not that I'm just starting out, we've been in this for a little bit, but you must find a routine of remembering your God who gives you all things. Young ones, especially. You must find a routine of remembering your God who gives you all things. And this will be an attempt, my attempt, I guess, to equip you in that effort. Our text says at the beginning here of verse uh seven of chapter 11. Excuse me, light is sweet. And it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. Enjoy the gift. Enjoy the gift. It is really meant to be enjoyed. What parent gives his child a gift without the expectation that his child will cherish and be delighted by this gift. Truly enjoying the blessings of life itself. Truly enjoying the blessings of life and I guess life itself, but only as a gift from the giver. Only as a gift from the giver. So the first step in our battle against forgetfulness is to enjoy and delight in the gifts and blessings that we have, namely everything in life. And perhaps the best way to remember your creator is to richly enjoy the good things that he gives you. But this only works properly when you also give thanks continually to the giver of these blessings. The one who lavishes his riches upon us. So we enjoy his blessings daily and we thank him for them. Young people, are you listening? So we enjoy his blessings daily and we thank him for them. And these are important first steps because our text continues with this in verse 8. So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all, but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity. Something that stuck out to me there is the command to rejoice in them all. If you're so blessed to live a hundred years on this earth, that's 36,000 plus days. Rejoice in them all. Rejoice in them all. Do not take for granted a single day. Because the reality that we all face is that there will be many dark days for us. Such a vain life is the one who cries out to God in the dark days but forgets to honor Him by cherishing the good ones. One who so continually dwells on the dark days that they forget to rejoice in them all. And we can truly rejoice. We can truly rejoice because how sweet the light is. Amen. How pleasant it is for us, for our eyes, to behold the sun. Spell it with a U or an O. It works the same. What eternal riches and blessings await those who are called children of God? Can you even imagine the eternal joy that has been prepared for us? That has been promised to us? Can you even fathom a day when pain and sorrow will be no more? When there will be no more toil and no more sadness? When we shall awake every day in the sweet light of the sun, our Lord and our Savior. Try to. Like really try to remember or to think about that. Because what joy will there be on that day? What joy will there be on that day? Philippians 4, 8. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things. And the God of peace will be with you. Remember who you are in Christ. Remember where you are going. Remember what he has done for you. And where he has brought you. Remember the wretch that you once were. But now by his grace he has carried you to where you are. At all cost, remember this. Think about that. If it means that you have to paint the word of God on your walls, ask your parents first. But do that. Put sticky notes on your mirrors. Set reminders on your phones, tie tassels on your clothes, or tie strings on your fingers. I don't care what you do. But battle your forgetfulness. Remember your God and your savior. The next portion of the text brings us to our second point, and that is to enjoy being young. This is where I'm talking now specifically to all of the youngsters. Youngsters, too, over here to my left. And though I'm speaking specifically now to the younger crowd, the principles, excuse me, are the same. And we can all benefit, I guess, from being a little younger at heart, even. So don't tune me out if you're not young. Verse 9. Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes, but know that all of these things God will bring you into judgment. I'll read verse 10, too. Remove vexation from your heart and put away pain from your body. For youth and the dawn of life are vanity. The teacher reminds us again not to take our youth for granted while we have it. Not to take our youth for granted while we have it. Walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes. Did you hear that? Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. This is not a way of telling you to throw caution to the wind and just follow your heart. And we know that because the next verse says, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. You don't get a free pass to do whatever you want to do just because you're a kid, right? I'll say that again. You don't get a free pass to do whatever you want to do just because you're a kid, but a kid, a youth, you are. And you should be free to enjoy being a kid. Being young. I think that's what he's really saying. When you're young, have fun. Enjoy. Enjoy life. Enjoy life because you're not a kid forever. Amen to that. There will come a day and it sneaks up on you, trust me. When you will say, as our text says or alludes to, life's not fun anymore. There will be a day when it feels like summer is finally over and the darkness of winter is approaching. The cares of the world will increase. The trouble and toil will really begin. Responsibilities will mount such that you will inevitably find yourself saying, Can't I just go back and be a kid again? If only. But you can't. You can't. And maybe you think I'm being a downer here, but really just telling you what the word tells you. And it's not all bad. It's not all bad. Not even close, but the warning here is to wake you up, kids. Are you listening to me? To wake you up. You're not going to be a kid forever. So enjoy it. Be a kid. Be happy to be a kid. Don't rush growing up. Don't wish your days away. The text says, remove vexation from your heart. That is to say, oh, you're frustrated, annoyed, or worried about your youth. Enjoy it. And honor God in it. I promise you're going to grow up. It'll happen sooner than you think. The final point that we can take from really the remainder of this text is that we are called to build good habits now, especially when we are young. Everyone older than 20, I would assume, in this room can attest to this, but there are days when it is next to impossible to remember your creator. Isn't that true? There are days when it is next to impossible to remember our Creator. Whether it be the highest mountaintop of success or the lowest valley of despair, we have all found days where remembering God is really, really hard. A teacher lays out many such days for us throughout the rest of that passage as we read. He is in a poetic form, I suppose, laying out all the troubles that humans face as we make our way through life. Light being darkened, clouds coming back after the rain, too much work and not enough people. Doors are shut, windows are dimmed, terrors are in the way, mourners are in the streets, the silver cord is snapped, the golden bowl is broken, ultimately, dust returns to earth as it is. These are all metaphors of the decay of life. Sounds bleak, doesn't it? Certainly can be without hope. And there is but one hope to navigate this life. And it is this. Are you listening? Young people? There is but one hope to navigate this life, and it is this. Build habits that create a heart. That no matter what happens in life, can say, My God is with me. Build habits that create a heart that no matter what happens in life can say, My God is with me. If I, from this pulpit, really all of us in this church can impart anything to you, the young ones, but really to each other, all of us, it is to build habits to help you remember your God. To help you remember your God. And that is why we come here. That's why we sit here week after week. That's why we do the same things over and over again. We sing the same songs, we hear the same sermons, not because it's particularly exciting, although maybe it is, but because one day, ten years from now, when it feels like the world is crashing down on you, you will remember. And your heart will cry, My God is with me. A single brick isn't particularly exciting, is it? A single brick isn't particularly exciting or even useful. But if you stack enough of them up with some well-mixed mortar, you can build a fortress. Those words are not just for the young, for all of us. To start now if you have failed to build holy habits, right? All of us need better habits to train us to remember. Because as I opened and said, we are such forgetful people. You remember that passage that, not that passage, the passage that Brother David talked about last week and read Matthew 28, the Great Commission. You remember how Matthew ends that, the words of Christ. Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. This word, behold, that Christ says. Pay attention, he says. Look. Are you listening? He says. Remember, I am with you always. I am with you always, not just today, not just tomorrow, but to the end of the age. That is to say, our Lord says, remember, I am always and will always be with you. I don't deserve that. I don't deserve that. And what terrible company I must be. The God of the universe is always with me. But he says he is. Do you remember that? Do you know that? Do you remember that? What a blessing it is when you do remember that, isn't it? And dear Christians, may we battle our forgetfulness of this blessed promise. May we battle our forgetfulness of that blessed promise. May we rejoice, excuse me, may we rejoice in every second of this wonderful life that He has given us. And may we start now developing habits that cause us to remember. One brick at a time. May we build fortresses to our God. Are you listening, young people? Be a person who above anything else remembers your creator, your Savior and your God. And may God help us all for that to be true for us as well. Amen. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you as always for your word. We thank you for the word that calls us to remember, Lord. We thank you for the word given to the young people this morning, Lord, and to us all, really. Lord, help us to remember. Help us to be refreshed in your promises daily, Lord. Help us to come here weekly and brick by brick build a fortress for you. Help us, Lord, to remember. And may we do just that now as we partake of this supper, Lord. May we remember what Christ has done for us, Lord. The forgiveness that He has given us by the shedding of His blood and the breaking of His body, Lord, and we thank you. We are wretched sinners. But by the blood of Christ, we are now your children, and we cannot thank you enough for that. We ask all these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.