In Ecclesiastes 4 we find another meaningful pursuit sandwiched between two meaningless pursuits, as is Solomon's style. The Meaningful Pursuit is the pursuit of companionship. This passage contains the great statement that a cord of three strands is not easily torn apart. We will explore the primary meaning in context and then explore an additional meaning that the n+1 formula in this text suggests, that the plus one is also a reference to God. He is the one who truly provides enduring strength to our human relationships, whether we are looking at a marriage or a friendship. Excluding God leaves us "under the sun" and fending for ourselves.

2. Series Overview
Trivial Pursuits
•Worldly Wisdom
•Worldly Pleasure
•Riches/Contentment
•Lasting Gain
•Self-Sufficiency
Meaningful Pursuits
•God’s Timetable
•Companionship
•“The” God
•The Fear of God
•Obedience

3. The Pursuit of
Companionship
Ecclesiastes 4

4. Sermon Outline
It’s Lonely at
the Bottom!
Two are
Better than
One!
Ecclesiastes
4:1-8
Ecclesiastes
4:9-12
Ecclesiastes
4:13-16
It’s Lonely at
the Top Too!

5. Some very definite structure
• Repetition of “vanity” and “under
the sun.”
• Repetition of the word “better”
(verses 3, 9, 13)
• Repetition of “1” (5x) and “2” (6x)

6. First Point
The Misery of
“The Hunger
Games”
It’s Lonely at
the Bottom!
Ecclesiastes
4:1-8

7. Three Miseries of
the Oppressed
•No Comforters
•No Power
•No Hope

8. Three Miserable People
1.Those motivated by envy.
4 Then I saw that all toil and all skill in
work come from a man's envy of his
neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving
after wind.

9. Three Miserable People
1.Those motivated by envy.
2.Those motivated by nothing.
5 The fool folds his hands and eats his
own flesh.

10. Three Miserable People
1.Those motivated by envy.
2.Those motivated by nothing.
3.Those motivated by
insatiability.

11. Second Point
The Power of
Community
Two are
Better than
One!
Ecclesiastes
4:9-12

12. Those in community have…
• Someone to lift them up!

13. Those in community have…
• Someone to lift them up!
• Someone to provide warmth!

14. Those in community have…
• Someone to lift them up!
• Someone to provide warmth!
• Someone to have their back!

15. The Cord of Three Strands (n+1)
• There are six things the LORD hates, yes,
even seven… (Prov. 6:16)
• Three things are too wonderful for me;
four I do not understand… (Prov. 30:18)
• 12 And though a man might prevail against
one who is alone, two will withstand him—
a cord of three strands is not quickly
broken.

16. Daniel 3:24-25
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished
and rose up in haste. He declared to
his counselors, “Did we not cast three
men bound into the fire?” They answered and
said to the king, “True, O king.” 25 He answered
and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking
in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt;
and the appearance of the fourth is like a son
of the gods.”

17. Third Point
Don’t confuse Faithful
Friends and Fickle
Fiends!
Ecclesiastes
4:13-16
It’s Lonely at
the Top Too!

18. A Tale of Two Kings
• The old King was foolish because
he took no advice.
• The young king was wise and rose
to prominence.
• The adoring crowds turned on him.

19. Is this a
foreshadowing of
Jesus’ Final Week of
Ministry?

20. 3 Takeaway Points
1.Our Savior was oppressed and
understands our suffering!
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of
sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one
from whom men hide their faces, he was
despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isa. 53:3)

21. 3 Takeaway Points
2. Our Savior, Jesus, has our
back!
And behold, I am with you always,
to the end of the age.” (Mt. 28:20b)

22. 3 Takeaway Points
3. Our Savior, Jesus, is faithful,
not fickle!
The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with
him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will
also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will
deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for
he cannot deny himself. (2 Timothy 2:11-13)