1. W E L C O M E T O T H E
J A C K S O N S T R E E T C H U R C H O F C H R I S T
W E ’ R E G L A D Y O U ’ R E H E R E

2. (Eccl 2:1-11) I said in my heart, “Come
now, I will test you with mirth;
therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely,
this also was vanity. {2} I said of
laughter; “Madness!”; and of mirth,
“What does it accomplish?” {3} I
searched in my heart how to gratify my
flesh with wine, while guiding my heart
with wisdom, and how to lay hold on
folly, till I might see what was good for
the sons of men to do under heaven all
the days of their lives. {4} I made my
works great, I built myself houses, and
planted myself vineyards. >>>

3. {5} I made myself gardens and orchards,
and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in
them. {6} I made myself water pools
from which to water the growing trees
of the grove. {7} I acquired male and
female servants, and had servants born
in my house. Yes, I had greater
possessions of herds and flocks than all
who were in Jerusalem before me. {8} I
also gathered for myself silver and gold
and the special treasures of kings and
of the provinces. I acquired male and
female singers, the delights of the sons
of men, and musical instruments of all
kinds. >>>

4. {9} So I became great and excelled
more than all who were before me in
Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained
with me. {10} Whatever my eyes desired
I did not keep from them. I did not
withhold my heart from any pleasure,
For my heart rejoiced in all my labor;
And this was my reward from all my
labor. {11} Then I looked on all the
works that my hands had done And on
the labor in which I had toiled; And
indeed all was vanity and grasping for
the wind. There was no profit under the
sun.

5. THE
CLUTTERED
LIFE

6. "Peanuts" comic strip
• Lucy: “Life is like a lounge chair
on your deck. Some place it so
they can see where they are
going; some place it so they can
see where they have been; and
some place it so they can see
where they are at present.”
• Charlie Brown: "I can't even get
mine unfolded."

7. LIFE CAN BE COMPLICATED
AND CLUTTERED.
• Rushing here and there,
• this appointment, that meeting,
• activities centered around kids,
friends, and self that never cease,
• work, and family,
• it all begins to resemble that junk
drawer, closet or room that we so
haphazardly throw things in.
• If our lives seem cluttered let’s learn
from the life of Solomon, whose life
had come to a point of clutter.

8. I. THE
CHARACTERISTICS OF
THE
CLUTTERED LIFE

9. BUSYNESS . . . 2:4,5,6
I made my works great, I built
myself houses, and planted myself
vineyards. {5} I made myself
gardens and orchards, and I
planted all kinds of fruit trees in
them. {6} I made myself water
pools from which to water the
growing trees of the grove.

10. BUSYNESS . . . 2:4,5,6
• Activity is not wrong in itself.
• But when our activity results in
neglected relationships with…
•our spouse,
•our family,
•our friends,
•and our God,
• it is wrong.

11. BUSYNESS . . . 2:4,5,6
• Unfortunately, people who are
constantly busy think they have not
done enough.
• Solomon was busy!
- He made
- He built
- He planted
• And in the midst of it all, life was
becoming cluttered.
• Living with the idea that "the busier
the better," is simply not true!

12. CONSTANT PURSUIT OF GAIN ... 2:7,8,9
I acquired male and female servants,
and had servants born in my house. Yes,
I had greater possessions of herds and
flocks than all who were in Jerusalem
before me. {8} I also gathered for myself
silver and gold and the special treasures
of kings and of the provinces. I acquired
male and female singers, the delights of
the sons of men, and musical
instruments of all kinds. {9} So I became
great and excelled more than all who
were before me in Jerusalem. Also my
wisdom remained with me.

13. CONSTANT PURSUIT OF GAIN... 2:7,8,9
• The cluttered life is often
consumed with the pursuit of
gaining more and more.
• Solomon acquired ....
– Servants
– herds & flocks
– silver, gold & special treasures
– singers & musical instruments
• He gained so much that he was
"greater" than all before him (vs.9).

14. CONSTANT PURSUIT OF GAIN... 2:7,8,9
• J.D. Rockefeller was asked how
much it would take to really satisfy
him. He answered, "Just a little bit
more."
• "Just a little bit more," is a sure
sign of a cluttered life.

15. OUT OF CONTROL … 2:10
Whatever my eyes desired I did not
keep from them. I did not withhold
my heart from any pleasure, For my
heart rejoiced in all my labor; And
this was my reward from all my
labor.

16. OUT OF CONTROL … 2:10
• When busyness leads to being
more busy, and gaining leads to
just a little bit more, we are out
of control.
• The person who is out of control
with busyness and the pursuit to
gain, doesn't know it or refuses
to admit it.
• There is no discipline in this
cluttered life.

17. II. THE
CONSEQUENCES
OF THE
CLUTTERED LIFE

18. ECCL 2:11
Then I looked on all the
works that my hands had
done And on the labor in
which I had toiled; And
indeed all was vanity and
grasping for the wind.
There was no profit under
the sun.

19. MANY CONSEQUENCES
• Physical Loss,
• Spiritual Loss,
• Emotional Loss
• Destruction will come. It may take
years and it may go undetected,
but it will come.
• Burning the candle at both ends
results in no wax & no wick.

20. Solomon speaks of a
great consequence.
The consequence of
life becoming
meaningless.

21. The cluttered life does
not focus on the
meaning of life.
For life in all of its
busyness and pursuit of
gain has become
meaningless.

22. CONSEQUENCE OF A
MEANINGLESS LIFE
• The work God has given us to allow
us to achieve becomes
meaningless. It will not satisfy us.
• All our possessions, God has given
to us to enjoy become empty with
no meaning in them.
• Our relationships fail us. Nothing is
the same.

23. For those who choose to
remain in the cluttered life a
great price will be paid.
A price tag of meaningless.
It's all so futile, like grasping
at the wind.

24. III. THE CAUSE
OF THE
CLUTTERED LIFE

25. THE CAUSE IS IN THE HEART
• A heart that has pushed God aside
and has placed self on the throne.
• The heart is filled with selfishness.
• Solomon, here, uses the pronouns
"I" 26 times, and "me, mine &
myself" 24 times.
• Self control through the Spirit is no
longer existent.
• “Self" has taken control.

26. THERE’S NO ROOM FOR GOD
• God is pushed out of His rightful
place. The cluttered life leaves no
room for God!
• There are many religious people
who go to church Sunday after
Sunday but make no room for God.
• The cluttered life has smothered
out God.

27. GOD IS SMOTHERED OUT
BY OUR BUSYNESS?
• With gaining the world, but loosing
our soul?
• Is God and His Son just another
aspect of your cluttered world?
• Be careful, God looks at the heart.
• He knows when He has been
pushed aside with all the clutter.

28. IV. CURE FOR THE
CLUTTERED LIFE
• The cluttered life does not have to
be.
• Like that drawer or closet, we need
simply to begin to clean and
straighten our life up.
• There is a three fold cure for our
cluttered life.

29. 1. SOLITUDE
• We must begin to guard our hearts
with times of solitude.
• We have to get away from the
noise, distractions, and
interruptions to hear the voice of
God.
• God says, "be still and know that I
am God." (Psalms 46:10)

30. 2. STEWARDSHIP
• We must understand stewardship.
It’s not just money.
• The world wants us to believe we
own everything or we can try to
own everything.
• But the truth is, God owns it all. We
are managers.
• (Psa 24:1) The earth is the Lord's,
and everything in it, the world, and
all who live in it;

31. 3. SERVICE
• We must learn to give of ourselves
to serve others and God with our
lives, with our possessions.
• Our major purpose in life is not to
accumulate, but to focus ourselves
and the world's attention on Jesus.

32. 3. SERVICE
• (Mat 22:37-40) Jesus replied: "'Love
the Lord your God with all your
heart and with all your soul and with
all your mind.' {38} This is the first
and greatest commandment. {39}
And the second is like it: 'Love your
neighbor as yourself.' {40} All the
Law and the Prophets hang on these
two commandments."

33. CONCLUSION
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Let us
hear the conclusion of the
whole matter: Fear God and
keep His commandments, for
this is man's all. {14} For God
will bring every work into
judgment, including every
secret thing, whether good or
evil.

34. IS YOUR LIFE
SO CLUTTERED
THAT YOU ARE
CROWDING GOD
OUT?