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All right. 
How are you doing today? 

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Crossing Church? 
Really? 

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All right. 
It is good to be in the house. 

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Little Lord. 
It is good to be with the people

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of the Lord, across all of our 
locations and we welcome all of 

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our locations, all across this 
region. 

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We also welcome everyone that's 
inside and online. 

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So thankful for each and every 
one of you and it is it's good 

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to be able to look at your 
smiling faces. 

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It's beautiful outside and 
beautifully. 

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More beautiful inside because 
all of us are here together and 

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we have the opportunity to be in
this Fellowship together in 

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fellowship with God. 
That's a great investment. 

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So, you remember Easter, when we
were doing this series, we 

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weren't in the series, but we 
defended a one-off called 

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chasing Shades. 
And we had those lights up here 

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that everything was 
monochromatic and it was like 

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Clayton was going from black and
white to color. 

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ER and back to black and white. 
How many of you remember that? 

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Yeah. 
It was pretty awesome, that that

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affect, right? 
And that was actually supposed 

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to be the part of a series but 
we put a different Series in 

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between but we're kind of coming
back to that and so we're in a 

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new series called chasing Shades
and it's based on exploring a 

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study in the Book of 
Ecclesiastes in the Old 

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Testament. 
I don't know how many of you 

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have ever really done a Deep 
dive into Ecclesiastes. 

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You're probably going on. 
I don't know if I'm gonna like 

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this or not. 
So so why would we do that? 

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Why would we take you to this 
Old Testament book with this 

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giant named? 
It's because the writer of The 

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Book of Ecclesiastes is the 
all-time grand champion of 

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chasing shades. 
His name is Solomon. 

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Now, the author in the book when
you read Ecclesiastes, he does 

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not identify himself by name but
by his family and by his title. 

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So you can figure out who he is 
by what he says. 

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And he doesn't in the first 
verse, let's look at it. 

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Ecclesiastes 11. 
The words of the teacher, son of

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David, David, the king of 
Israel. 

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So he was a child of David and 
the king in Jerusalem. 

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There's only one person that 
Fits both of those descriptions,

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and that's Solomon. 
So that's how we know who it is.

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Okay. 
Now, who is Solomon? 

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Solomon is the second child. 
That was born to David and 

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Bathsheba, you know, that David 
had multiple wives and just 

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because listen, just because the
Bible says, a person does a 

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certain thing. 
It doesn't mean that what they 

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did was the right thing, the 
Bible tells you the truth about 

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people. 
And and sometimes people say 

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well, If it's in the Bible, it 
must be right. 

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Well, no, it's not right. 
And David with Bathsheba is a 

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whole lot of wrong and some of 
you may remember a story about 

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an affair that David had with a 
woman that he saw taking a bath 

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on a rooftop. 
When he was up on a rooftop, a 

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higher rooftop, and it was 
actually the wife of one of his 

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best friends. 
And he has this affair with her.

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It produces a pregnancy. 
He wants to cover up the 

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pregnancy. 
And so he asks his friend 

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through the generals that are 
out fighting a battle, to allow 

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his friend to come back home. 
So that he'll think that the 

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child is his, but he will not 
dishonor, the, his fellow 

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soldiers on the field by even 
going into his own house. 

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And actually living out what he 
had been taught by David and yet

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David's trying to cover this the
sin up. 

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And since you can't cover it up 
by making his friend, think that

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it was his child. 
He actually puts him, has he put

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in the place in the battle Will 
hill? 

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Where he'll certainly died? 
And he dies in battle and then 

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after he dies in battle, David 
takes his widow to be his own 

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wife. 
So no one would know, except for

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God now. 
And a prophet came and tells 

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David. 
What he's done. 

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So try to understand. 
That Solomon doesn't come with 

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the best reputation in his past 
about the child that was 

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produced from that. 
Adulterous relationship died was

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stillborn after the affair after
the murder of her husband, and 

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the cover-up by King, David 
Bathsheba. 

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But then she became pregnant a 
second time and that second son 

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was Solomon. 
So that's his that's his family 

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history. 
And he was 19 years old when 

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King David died and then he 
became the new king of Israel at

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19. 
Now, the beginning of Solomon's 

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Reign, when you read about it in
First Kings, it's really marked 

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with a lot of violence. 
A lot of idolatry and marrying 

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for political gain. 
People would marry just to be 

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able to, you know, produce more 
for their own kingdom. 

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And it was also a time when he 
built a Alice for himself, and 

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he began the project of building
a temple to God. 

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Now, all of that money had 
already been procured by his 

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father David, but it's 
interesting, isn't it that he 

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decided to build his Palace 
first and then he would build a 

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temple. 
Yeah. 

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Yeah, and he really wasn't 
living a great life as a young 

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king, but it was during the 
early stage of this rain, that 

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this event happens, where he 
does this sacrificing and gods. 

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Speaks to him. 
You need to read this because 

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this gives you the background 
you need to stand on to 

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understand what I'm going to be 
talking about today. 

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The king that Solomon went to 
gibeon to offer sacrifices for. 

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That was the most important high
place in Solomon. 

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Offered a thousand burnt 
offerings on that altar at 

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gibeon. 
The Lord appeared to Solomon 

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during the night in a dream. 
And God said, ask for whatever 

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you want me to give you. 
How many of you like to hear 

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that from God? 
Ask for whatever you want. 

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And what would you say? 
That might be right there. 

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Your whole sermon. 
What would you say? 

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Solomon answered. 
You have shown great. 

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Kindness to your servant My 
Father, David because he was 

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faithful to you. 
And in many ways he was and 

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righteous and upright in heart. 
He pursued God, you have 

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continued this great kindness to
him, and have given him a son to

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sit on his throne to this day. 
This very day. 

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Now, Lord, my God, you have 
made. 

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Serving King in place of my 
father, David, but I am only a 

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little child and did not know 
how to carry out my duties. 

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So there's a lot of humility 
there in that in that prayer. 

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Your servant is here among the 
people. 

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You have chosen a great people 
too numerous to count or number.

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So give your servant a 
Discerning heart. 

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That's his prayer. 
To govern your people and to 

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distinguish between right and 
wrong for who is able to govern 

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this great people of yours. 
The Lord was pleased that 

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Solomon asked for this. 
So God said to him, since you've

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asked for this and not long for 
long life or wealth for 

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yourself, nor of asked, for the 
death of your enemies, but for 

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discernment in administering 
Justice, I will do what you have

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asked. 
I will give you a wise and 

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Discerning heart so that there 
will never have been anyone, 

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like you listen to this, nor 
will there ever be another? 

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There's never been and there 
will never be anyone as wise as 

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this King because that's what 
God Said. 

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Moreover. 
I'll give you what you have not 

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asked for both wealth and honor,
so that in your lifetime, you 

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have will have no equal among 
Kings. 

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Wow. 
Wow, so that resulted in 

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Solomon, having this uncanny 
ability to be worldly successful

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in literally, every way a person
could be successful. 

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And if you really want to know 
how successful he was, you need 

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to read First Kings 10, 14 to 
29. 

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I'm not going to read that for 
you now, but it's amazing. 

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What? 
What? 

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He amassed now. 
There's a website called wealth 

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result.com. 
And it lists the top 10 all-time

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wealthiest people in the world. 
Now if you put Elon Musk on that

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list, and he's the wealthiest 
man on Earth right now, he would

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presently be between number four
and five on that list based on 

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his net worth. 
But guess who number one is? 

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Number one, all-time all 
cultures richest man via net 

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worth on that app. 
Solomon, Solomon's net worth is 

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estimated to be at two point one
trillion dollars. 

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That's nearly 10 times. 
Elon musk's present net worth. 

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Wow, because of this gift that 
God gave him of wisdom. 

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Solomon was able to have 
virtually unlimited money. 

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I mean, he used gold for Mortar.
He had unlimited access to 

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pleasure. 
He had unlimited power. 

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He had unlimited influence. 
He could live out every dream, 

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every desire, and every fantasy 
that anyone could ever imagine. 

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And with all of that. 
Wouldn't you think that he'd be 

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happy or satisfied? 
And then we read Ecclesiastes 

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chapter 1 verse 2, where only 
two verses in look what it says.

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Meaningless meaningless says the
teacher. 

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Utterly meaningless. 
Everything is meaningless. 

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Let me ask you a question. 
Does that sound like a man who 

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is fulfilled? 
Because this is written later in

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his life. 
What does this sound like a man 

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who's frustrated and 
unfulfilled? 

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You spend some time in this book
with me and you'll find a man 

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who is lost. 
Who is cynical, who is virtually

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hopeless, a man full of answers,
but missing the most important 

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one. 
In my opinion, a man more to be 

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pitied than to be applauded. 
Why. 

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Because his search? 
Was confined to the lower story.

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Now, for those of you who don't 
know what I'm talking about, 

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when I say that. 
Let me explain the difference 

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between the lower story and the 
upper Story. 

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The lower story is the place 
where you and I live. 

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It's where we deal with life. 
It's where we grind it out. 

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It's where you have to pay the 
bills at the end of the month. 

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It's where you go to the grocery
store. 

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It's where you experience the 
challenges and, and the pain and

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the difficulty. 
And the joys of this life. 

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That's the lower story. 
But there's also, the upper 

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Storey the upper. 
Ori is the place that God calls 

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you to. 
It's the place where he doesn't 

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do you harm, but good, it's 
where you find a purpose and a 

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plan for your life that he has 
provided for you. 

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It's where that relationship is.
That's the upper story. 

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And that's why you we need to 
understand that Solomon's search

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was confined to the lower 
Storey. 

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Look at Ecclesiastes 13 through 
seven. 

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It says, what do people gain 
from all? 

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Are laborers at which they toil 
Under the Sun Generations. 

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Come and generations. 
Go? 

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But the Earth remains forever. 
The sun rises and the sun sets. 

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And hurries back to where it 
rises the wind, blows to the 

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South and then turns to the 
north. 

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Round and round it goes. 
Every turning on its course, 

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streams flow into the sea. 
It's he's never full to the 

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place. 
The streams come from there. 

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They return again. 
Now, the phrase that really 

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struck me in that passage. 
Is that part in verse 6, where 

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it goes round and round it goes?
And it's true. 

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That's kind of life. 
Isn't it? 

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Made me think about a personal 
story? 

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Okay, because when I was a 
little kid my parents, it was a 

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cheap, it was a cheap thing to 
do on the weekend would take us 

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with load us all up and take us 
in the car to the drive-in 

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theater. 
Okay. 

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I need to see a show of hands at
all of our locations. 

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How many of you have personally 
experienced going to a drive-in 

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theater. 
Raise up your hands. 

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Okay. 
A lot of you have. 

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How many of you never 
experienced a drive-in theater? 

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Raise your hand. 
If you've never experienced, 

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that's so sad. 
It really is because drive-in 

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theaters are just great and 
there's so many great things 

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that we experience in a dress 
that you experience in a 

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drive-in theater. 
First of all, the the sound of 

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the movie is terrible because 
it's coming out of this little 

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aluminum speaker that you hang 
on your door, you window area, 

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right? 
But you do have surround sound 

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because everybody's got one of 
those and some of you that went 

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to the drive-in remember that 
you didn't sit in your car, you 

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backed up your truck and you put
Lawn chairs there. 

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How many you did that? 
Oh, yeah, and I'm not going to 

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ask how many of you tried to 
sneak in your friends in the 

228
00:14:59,500 --> 00:15:03,300
trunk of a car. 
Because that happened a lot to. 

229
00:15:03,300 --> 00:15:07,100
And you know, I remember the 
chocolate malts that you would 

230
00:15:07,100 --> 00:15:10,100
get that were frozen like rock 
hard and you start working on 

231
00:15:10,100 --> 00:15:14,200
the outside with a wooden spoon 
to try to actually get a bite. 

232
00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:16,300
And how many of you remember 
orange push-ups? 

233
00:15:17,100 --> 00:15:20,700
Oh, Where do you get those 
today? 

234
00:15:20,700 --> 00:15:22,400
I don't even know. 
Right? 

235
00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:25,200
So there's lots of great things 
about drive-in theaters. 

236
00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:29,200
But the thing I like the most at
the to drive-in theaters, my 

237
00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:33,300
parents would go Lafayette Road 
in Indianapolis and Westlake. 

238
00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:36,400
Those were the two theaters. 
Both of them had something at up

239
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front just underneath the 
screen. 

240
00:15:38,700 --> 00:15:42,400
That was amazing. 
I called it a merry-go-round, 

241
00:15:42,900 --> 00:15:45,200
some of you might call it a 
carousel. 

242
00:15:47,800 --> 00:15:49,700
You know what I'm talking about 
when I say carousel. 

243
00:15:51,300 --> 00:15:55,200
Yeah, there's still some of them
around I found out in the Green 

244
00:15:55,200 --> 00:15:57,100
Room this week that the one that
was at. 

245
00:15:57,100 --> 00:15:59,700
The White Oaks Mall in 
Springfield is gone now, but 

246
00:15:59,700 --> 00:16:02,700
they used to have one there and 
it was actually a double decker,

247
00:16:02,900 --> 00:16:05,100
like it had stairs and had two 
levels. 

248
00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:08,100
There's one in St. 
Louis at the aquarium. 

249
00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:10,900
And probably, if you've ever 
been to a county fair, you've 

250
00:16:10,900 --> 00:16:13,800
been able to get on one kind of 
a cheaper version, but you've 

251
00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:17,200
been able to experience one. 
So, let's just take a ride for a

252
00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:18,500
moment. 
What does that look like? 

253
00:16:18,500 --> 00:16:19,200
What is it? 
Like? 

254
00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:20,700
This is what it's like right 
here. 

255
00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:25,000
This is like riding on a 
Carousel and just a few things 

256
00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:27,500
to understand. 
You have all these different 

257
00:16:27,500 --> 00:16:31,200
animals and their on this 
mechanism that makes you go up 

258
00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:34,800
and down and then there are some
of these animals or to the 

259
00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:36,400
benches. 
If you're the lane person that 

260
00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:39,400
wants to sit on a bench. 
Right? 

261
00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:43,600
And then there's the center part
and there's the mirrors all the 

262
00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:45,400
way around. 
The let you see yourself. 

263
00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:49,200
While you're riding, whatever 
you're riding and a calliope in 

264
00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:53,500
the middle that's run on. 
On air steam, right? 

265
00:16:53,500 --> 00:16:57,700
It has a special sound. 
And you know, some of those 

266
00:16:57,700 --> 00:16:59,800
characters move. 
Some of them don't and you buy 

267
00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:07,000
your ticket, right? 
And like Solomon says, round and

268
00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:09,200
round. 
You go. 

269
00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:13,500
That's how it works with a 
carousel. 

270
00:17:14,599 --> 00:17:18,500
And that's how it works in the 
lower story, your life and my 

271
00:17:18,500 --> 00:17:20,400
life. 
It's like a carousel. 

272
00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:24,000
It's like a merry-go-round. 
It looks so inviting. 

273
00:17:24,099 --> 00:17:27,700
It sounds so happy. 
It sounds so fun, and you have 

274
00:17:27,700 --> 00:17:31,300
these different animals that you
can ride in all these different 

275
00:17:31,300 --> 00:17:33,800
experiences that you can choose 
from. 

276
00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:37,600
But eventually what happens 
after you've spent your quarter,

277
00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:39,800
your 50 cents or whatever. 
It is now, five bucks. 

278
00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:43,000
I don't know. 
The ride is over and you have to

279
00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:45,100
get off. 
Let somebody else get on the 

280
00:17:45,100 --> 00:17:45,900
ride. 
Now. 

281
00:17:45,900 --> 00:17:49,700
You can go buy another ticket 
and you can write a different 

282
00:17:49,700 --> 00:17:54,600
animal, but eventually It'll 
stop again and you'll have to 

283
00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:58,100
get off the ride again. 
Now, maybe some of you. 

284
00:17:59,300 --> 00:18:01,000
You're not a merry-go-round 
person. 

285
00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:05,000
You're not a carousel person. 
Maybe you're a ferris wheel 

286
00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:07,000
person. 
You're a total Daredevil. 

287
00:18:08,300 --> 00:18:13,000
You like that idea of being way 
way up in the air you get this 

288
00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:17,200
incredible view, right? 
And you have the thrill of being

289
00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:19,200
so high. 
Some of you are just terrified 

290
00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:21,200
at that. 
But other of you that is you 

291
00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:24,500
just love that, right, but 
eventually, what happens you 

292
00:18:24,500 --> 00:18:26,000
have to come back down, don't 
you? 

293
00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:30,000
Hopefully slowly? 
But you have to come back down 

294
00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:32,100
and have to get off the ride. 
And then there's some of you. 

295
00:18:32,900 --> 00:18:35,800
You're not Ferris wheel people, 
you're not Carousel, people your

296
00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:41,000
teacups people. 
And if you're a teacup person at

297
00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:44,100
the end of my sermon, we're 
going to have an invitation time

298
00:18:44,300 --> 00:18:46,700
and you need to come up and just
repent of that. 

299
00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:51,300
Because I mean you're you're 
strange because you know, what a

300
00:18:51,308 --> 00:18:54,900
tea cup is, Right? 
Tea cups are like they're like 

301
00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:58,400
round and round squared. 
So you sit in it around. 

302
00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:01,700
Teacup and you have this round 
thing in front of you and before

303
00:19:01,700 --> 00:19:06,000
the ride even starts, you can 
start doing this and you start 

304
00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:08,500
spinning like this, and then 
they start to run. 

305
00:19:08,700 --> 00:19:11,500
It and you're spinning like 
this, while you're spinning like

306
00:19:11,500 --> 00:19:21,200
this and then you vomit. 
That's why you need to accept 

307
00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:25,700
Christ at the end of this sermon
because that's you just need to 

308
00:19:25,700 --> 00:19:29,800
be delivered from that. 
I don't know, but all I'm trying

309
00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:33,600
to say, is there different ways 
to describe going round and 

310
00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:37,300
round, right? 
But the fact of the matter is, 

311
00:19:37,300 --> 00:19:39,600
none of those rides ever, really
goes anywhere. 

312
00:19:40,500 --> 00:19:44,400
Just back to where you started, 
only, you have less money in 

313
00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:48,100
your pocket, then you did before
because you paid for your ticket

314
00:19:48,100 --> 00:19:53,400
and that is the way. 
Is in the lower story even at 

315
00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:57,900
its best, you never really get 
anywhere and sometimes the price

316
00:19:57,900 --> 00:20:01,600
of that ticket is 
extraordinarily and staggeringly

317
00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:05,400
high. 
It was high for Solomon and it's

318
00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:11,700
recorded in First Kings chapter,
11, verses 1 to 13, King 

319
00:20:11,700 --> 00:20:12,900
Solomon. 
However. 

320
00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:17,700
Loved many foreign women besides
Pharaoh's daughter. 

321
00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:24,100
I mean, he had so many wives you
had to categorize them by 

322
00:20:24,100 --> 00:20:29,800
nationality. 
Moabites ammonites edomites. 

323
00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:35,300
I do nians in Hittites. 
They were from Nations about 

324
00:20:35,300 --> 00:20:37,300
which the Lord had told the 
Israelites. 

325
00:20:37,300 --> 00:20:40,900
You must not intermarry with 
them, because they will surely 

326
00:20:40,900 --> 00:20:42,600
turn your hearts after their 
gods. 

327
00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:47,500
Nevertheless. 
Solomon held fast to them in 

328
00:20:47,500 --> 00:20:50,000
love, you know, God told him not
to do that. 

329
00:20:50,300 --> 00:20:52,800
God told him to be the husband 
of one wife. 

330
00:20:53,300 --> 00:20:58,900
God told him not to store up 
wealth, like gold silver or 

331
00:20:58,900 --> 00:21:01,300
horses and he's known for his 
wives. 

332
00:21:01,300 --> 00:21:04,700
He's known for his Stables. 
He's known for his wealth. 

333
00:21:05,500 --> 00:21:10,000
How many he had 700 wives of 
Royal birth. 

334
00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:16,800
That's princesses. 
And 300 concubines and his wives

335
00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:21,000
led him astray. 
As Solomon grew old, his wives 

336
00:21:21,100 --> 00:21:23,200
turned his heart after other 
gods. 

337
00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:27,000
And his heart was not fully 
devoted to the Lord, his God, as

338
00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:30,700
the heart of David. 
His father had been, he followed

339
00:21:30,700 --> 00:21:33,800
a stirreth the goddess of the 
sidonians. 

340
00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:37,000
And Molech, you know, Molech was
an idol. 

341
00:21:37,300 --> 00:21:41,000
That you sacrificed little 
children alive by burning them 

342
00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:46,500
alive. 
I'm not gonna try to paint this 

343
00:21:46,500 --> 00:21:50,200
as any kind of a pleasant 
picture and that's why he's 

344
00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:53,600
called the detestable, god of 
the ammonites. 

345
00:21:54,500 --> 00:21:57,100
So Solomon did evil in the eyes 
of the Lord. 

346
00:21:57,100 --> 00:22:00,100
He did not follow the Lord 
completely as David, his father 

347
00:22:00,100 --> 00:22:04,600
had done on a hill east of 
Jerusalem Solomon, built a high 

348
00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:08,400
place for Chima. 
Same kind of sacrificing, the 

349
00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:12,200
detestable, God of Moab, and for
Molech, the detestable god of 

350
00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:15,800
the ammonites. 
He did the same for all of his 

351
00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:20,500
foreign wives who burned incense
and offered sacrifices to their 

352
00:22:20,500 --> 00:22:23,500
gods. 
The Lord became angry with 

353
00:22:23,500 --> 00:22:26,500
Solomon because his heart had 
turned away from the Lord, the 

354
00:22:26,508 --> 00:22:29,100
god of Israel who had appeared 
to him twice. 

355
00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:33,100
Although he had forbidden 
Solomon to follow other gods 

356
00:22:33,100 --> 00:22:36,000
Solomon did not keep the Lord's 
command. 

357
00:22:36,900 --> 00:22:40,300
So the Lord said to Solomon 
since this is your attitude. 

358
00:22:40,300 --> 00:22:43,700
You have not kept my Covenant, 
my decrees, which I commanded 

359
00:22:43,700 --> 00:22:45,600
you. 
I will most certainly tear the 

360
00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:49,000
kingdom away from you and give 
it to one of your subordinates, 

361
00:22:49,700 --> 00:22:51,900
nevertheless for the sake of 
David. 

362
00:22:52,100 --> 00:22:54,600
Father, I will not do it during 
your lifetime. 

363
00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:57,500
I will tear it out of the hand 
of your son. 

364
00:22:58,500 --> 00:22:59,800
Yet. 
I will not tear the whole 

365
00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:03,100
Kingdom from him, but we'll give
him one tribe for the sake of 

366
00:23:03,100 --> 00:23:08,000
David, my servant, and for the 
sake of Jerusalem, which I have 

367
00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:14,400
chosen. 
Ecclesiastes is the search for 

368
00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:17,500
meaning. 
In the lower story. 

369
00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:25,200
I wonder how many of us are 
searching for meaning in the 

370
00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:29,700
lower story in the circumstances
of this world. 

371
00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:35,900
The problem is that meaning or 
purpose isn't there? 

372
00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:41,400
It's in the upper Story. 
The upper story isn't about the 

373
00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:44,300
things that God can give you in 
the lower story. 

374
00:23:44,700 --> 00:23:47,600
Like the Prosperity Gospel says,
right. 

375
00:23:47,700 --> 00:23:50,300
It's about God's presence in 
your life. 

376
00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:53,200
And it's about God's plan for 
your life. 

377
00:23:54,300 --> 00:23:58,300
Now Solomon directed, his 
god-given gift at cornering, the

378
00:23:58,300 --> 00:24:02,100
market of the lower story, which
he did better than anybody 

379
00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:06,300
chasing Shades. 
And in the end. 

380
00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:12,500
He had nothing to show for it. 
His family was a mess, his 

381
00:24:12,500 --> 00:24:16,700
kingdom was divided and 
eventually everything he built, 

382
00:24:16,700 --> 00:24:21,000
even the temple, he built to 
God, came to ruin, you know, 

383
00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:25,500
some historians up until 
recently and recent archaeology.

384
00:24:25,500 --> 00:24:30,100
Wondered if King Solomon had 
ever even existed at all. 

385
00:24:32,700 --> 00:24:36,700
Solomon became the object of his
own conclusion. 

386
00:24:38,100 --> 00:24:40,800
Interesting thing a book about 
the Book of Ecclesiastes just 

387
00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:44,800
that the conclusion is at the 
very beginning of the book, not 

388
00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:48,300
at the end. 
The conclusion is everything is 

389
00:24:48,300 --> 00:24:53,100
meaningless. 
And he was the object of that. 

390
00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:58,100
He was meaningless. 
The thing is he knew better his 

391
00:24:58,100 --> 00:25:01,600
father even with all of his 
shortcomings did better because 

392
00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:04,100
he's pursued the heart of 
almighty. 

393
00:25:04,100 --> 00:25:08,600
God, Solomon was more about what
he could get from God. 

394
00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:13,600
Then to be close to God. 
Have you ever heard this before?

395
00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:17,100
The person who dies with the 
most toys wins? 

396
00:25:17,100 --> 00:25:18,400
How many of you've heard that 
before? 

397
00:25:20,500 --> 00:25:25,100
The truth is the person who dies
with the most toys is Dad. 

398
00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:32,600
Winds, are you kidding in my 
opinion? 

399
00:25:32,700 --> 00:25:36,600
Ecclesiastes is the most 
depressing book of the entire 

400
00:25:36,700 --> 00:25:40,200
Bible and that's saying 
something because it's even 

401
00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:41,900
worse than the book of 
Lamentations. 

402
00:25:41,900 --> 00:25:44,700
You know, the book of 
Lamentations is titled 

403
00:25:44,700 --> 00:25:50,600
Lamentations, which means 
incredible deep sorrow. 

404
00:25:51,900 --> 00:25:55,600
Because at least Lamentations 
reminds us of the upper story. 

405
00:25:56,700 --> 00:26:00,900
Look at Lamentations, 3:22-23 
for, because of the Lord's. 

406
00:26:00,900 --> 00:26:04,000
Great love. 
We are not consumed for his 

407
00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:07,700
compassion's never fail. 
Well, that's upper story. 

408
00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:13,000
There are new every morning. 
Great is your faithfulness? 

409
00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:15,900
Can I get an amen? 
That's the upper story? 

410
00:26:16,300 --> 00:26:18,600
I say to myself. 
The Lord is my portion. 

411
00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:21,600
Therefore. 
I will wait for him. 

412
00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:24,500
Wow. 
Beautiful. 

413
00:26:27,900 --> 00:26:31,100
So why in the world are we in 
this most depressing book of the

414
00:26:31,100 --> 00:26:33,200
Bible? 
Like I could have done a lot of 

415
00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:34,000
things today. 
Jerry. 

416
00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:35,300
What do I have to listen to 
this? 

417
00:26:36,500 --> 00:26:39,700
Because it shows us that the 
pursuit of happiness in the 

418
00:26:39,700 --> 00:26:42,500
lower story is an illusion. 
And you know what? 

419
00:26:42,500 --> 00:26:45,200
I think I think a lot of us are 
doing exactly that. 

420
00:26:47,500 --> 00:26:50,400
I think a lot of us are looking 
for happiness, in the lower 

421
00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:52,500
story. 
We're pursuing it in the lore 

422
00:26:52,500 --> 00:26:53,900
story. 
We're saying, if I just get 

423
00:26:53,900 --> 00:26:56,900
enough money, if I just get 
enough education, if I just get 

424
00:26:57,000 --> 00:27:00,100
a better relationship, if I just
get better connected, if they're

425
00:27:00,100 --> 00:27:02,400
just something else in the lower
story. 

426
00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:05,000
If I live in a nicer house, my 
drive, a better car. 

427
00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:07,800
If I have a little bit more 
money in the bank, if I have a 

428
00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:10,500
little bit better, retirement 
portfolio. 

429
00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:16,500
Then I'll be happy. 
Nobody ever searched harder and 

430
00:27:16,500 --> 00:27:21,400
went deeper in this than Solomon
and you're not going to find 

431
00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:29,400
something that he didn't. 
The tragedy of the of his life 

432
00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:35,100
is a testimony for us to find 
our meaning are worth our 

433
00:27:35,100 --> 00:27:38,900
identity, and our purpose in the
upper story. 

434
00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:44,400
The good life is a god life must
say it. 

435
00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:49,500
Again. 
The good life is a god life. 

436
00:27:50,700 --> 00:27:54,200
Everything else is Carnival 
barkers and throw away prizes. 

437
00:27:56,300 --> 00:28:00,000
Let's apply this. 
Okay, looking across the board. 

438
00:28:00,300 --> 00:28:04,600
As I scan this audience all the 
rest of the audiences that are 

439
00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:05,700
listening right. 
Now. 

440
00:28:06,500 --> 00:28:08,700
How many of you by show of 
hands? 

441
00:28:08,700 --> 00:28:14,900
Consider yourself, Young? 
Okay, it's good. 

442
00:28:15,700 --> 00:28:19,500
If you consider yourself young, 
you really need this book. 

443
00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:24,900
Look at Ecclesiastes 12 one. 
Remember your creator in the 

444
00:28:24,900 --> 00:28:28,400
days of your youth. 
Before the days of trouble. 

445
00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:32,700
Anybody, my age are around my 
age, or older than my's going. 

446
00:28:32,900 --> 00:28:36,800
I get the days of trouble. 
Like I do an assessment every 

447
00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:38,200
morning. 
What is still working? 

448
00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:42,600
I'm like, on Apollo 13. 
It's like what on the spacecraft

449
00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:46,000
still? 
Works absolutely true before the

450
00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:49,600
days of trouble come and the 
years approach when you will say

451
00:28:49,700 --> 00:28:52,700
hi fine. 
No pleasure in them. 

452
00:28:54,300 --> 00:28:57,100
If you're young or consider 
yourself young, you can start 

453
00:28:57,100 --> 00:28:59,100
right now. 
You can make the most of your 

454
00:28:59,100 --> 00:29:01,200
life. 
In the upper story. 

455
00:29:01,300 --> 00:29:06,300
You can take advantage of your 
youth, your health, your energy,

456
00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:12,000
and your gifts to very make the 
very most of your life for God. 

457
00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:16,300
How many of you across all of 
our locations, ready your show 

458
00:29:16,300 --> 00:29:18,900
of hands time? 
Are middle-aged. 

459
00:29:21,300 --> 00:29:23,300
It is so funny. 
When I asked these questions. 

460
00:29:23,300 --> 00:29:28,100
Nobody wants to admit anything. 
You need this book. 

461
00:29:28,900 --> 00:29:31,400
If you consider yourself, 
middle-aged, you need this book 

462
00:29:31,400 --> 00:29:36,900
because you can wake up one day 
and find yourself thinking is 

463
00:29:36,900 --> 00:29:42,200
this all there is and that's 
pretty disconcerting. 

464
00:29:42,500 --> 00:29:45,400
You can, you can look at your 
life and you can say, you know, 

465
00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:51,400
what, I've spent years climbing,
the ladder of success, only to 

466
00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:55,400
find that that ladder was 
leaning against the wrong wall. 

467
00:29:59,100 --> 00:30:01,300
We've all heard midlife crisis, 
right? 

468
00:30:02,100 --> 00:30:05,400
Well a midlife crisis, can be a 
good thing if it leads to a 

469
00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:09,500
midlife evaluation in the 
direction of the upper story. 

470
00:30:13,300 --> 00:30:14,700
All right. 
I'm going to ask the question 

471
00:30:14,700 --> 00:30:17,300
again. 
How many of you consider 

472
00:30:17,300 --> 00:30:21,500
yourself a senior adult? 
Yeah, you get the discounts. 

473
00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:28,200
If you're a senior adult, you 
need this book because often 

474
00:30:28,200 --> 00:30:31,500
people get to the age where they
qualify themselves a senior 

475
00:30:31,500 --> 00:30:35,500
adults and they wonder if 
they're not needed or if they're

476
00:30:35,500 --> 00:30:40,200
useless. 
This book reminds us that your 

477
00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:42,900
value is calculated in the upper
Storey. 

478
00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:47,700
Not in the lower Storey, not in 
other people's evaluation of 

479
00:30:47,700 --> 00:30:51,400
you, but in God's and it's 
incredible. 

480
00:30:52,300 --> 00:30:55,200
You realize that your experience
can teach your children, your 

481
00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:58,200
grandchildren, even your 
great-grandchildren and the 

482
00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:02,500
church, this incredible value of
an intimate personal 

483
00:31:02,700 --> 00:31:07,100
relationship, with Jesus Christ,
listening to me, for the Long 

484
00:31:07,100 --> 00:31:11,700
Haul. 
You know, I can say things like 

485
00:31:11,700 --> 00:31:14,400
this. 
I am young and now I'm old and I

486
00:31:14,408 --> 00:31:17,000
have not seen the righteous 
forsaken and I say it with 

487
00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:20,700
authority. 
And it's because of my age. 

488
00:31:21,900 --> 00:31:27,700
Or their children begging bread.
We have a certain amount of 

489
00:31:27,700 --> 00:31:30,400
authority because of the 
experience of our lives and we 

490
00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:34,900
can utilize those experiences to
make such a difference. 

491
00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:41,000
Let me sum it up this way. 
It's time to get off the 

492
00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:44,900
merry-go-round. 
And begin the Great Adventure 

493
00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:50,200
through the high mountains and 
the deep valleys of God's 

494
00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:55,700
glorious, Grace. 
His Amazing Grace. 

495
00:31:57,700 --> 00:32:02,700
Everything isn't meaningless. 
Is it? 

496
00:32:06,100 --> 00:32:09,300
Not when you're living in the 
upper story. 

497
00:32:11,900 --> 00:32:13,600
We're moving to a time of 
decision. 

498
00:32:20,500 --> 00:32:24,600
This is where. 
The gospel comes rushing in 

499
00:32:24,600 --> 00:32:29,000
because it is such a contrast 
between the lower story. 

500
00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:32,800
And the upper story you think 
about Jesus Christ dying on the 

501
00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:36,200
cross and from the standpoint of
the lower story. 

502
00:32:36,500 --> 00:32:39,800
Doesn't that just completely fit
meaningless? 

503
00:32:43,700 --> 00:32:49,500
Man, this great man who is able 
to accomplish all these amazing 

504
00:32:49,500 --> 00:32:55,000
things that everybody can see 
and experience dies at the prime

505
00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:58,500
of his life at 33 and Enemy of 
the State. 

506
00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:07,000
Executed horribly. 
But that's only in the lower 

507
00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:12,600
story. 
He was doing something amazing. 

508
00:33:14,700 --> 00:33:18,800
He was taking your sin. 
All of it. 

509
00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:26,600
Every bit of it, all your debt. 
Taking it. 

510
00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:31,600
Allowing his father in Heaven to
place it on his shoulders. 

511
00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:41,000
Saying, I'll be responsible for 
all they've done. and when he 

512
00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:46,600
died, On that cross. 
He said the Greek word. 

513
00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:55,200
That means paid in full. 
Me, ask you a question. 

514
00:33:57,200 --> 00:33:59,600
Is there a lot of things you've 
done in your life that you need 

515
00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:02,800
to say? 
You're sorry to God for, there's

516
00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:09,699
a lot in mind. 
And is God going to take that 

517
00:34:09,699 --> 00:34:14,800
apology? 
He will. 

518
00:34:16,100 --> 00:34:19,400
If you come to Christ because he
paid it all. 

519
00:34:22,300 --> 00:34:26,199
So, here's the moment. 
Where we realize that Jesus 

520
00:34:26,199 --> 00:34:31,000
died, not for what he did. 
But for what we've done that he 

521
00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:33,000
was buried and that he rose 
again. 

522
00:34:34,400 --> 00:34:39,300
And he lives today. 
That is the upper story. 

523
00:34:39,300 --> 00:34:44,000
That's the gospel message. 
And you can come to Christ. 

524
00:34:45,699 --> 00:34:47,800
And you don't have to be who you
were anymore? 

525
00:34:48,900 --> 00:34:54,100
All the answers that Solomon had
could give him everything that 

526
00:34:54,100 --> 00:34:58,500
this world could offer. 
And yet he missed the one answer

527
00:34:58,500 --> 00:35:02,700
that he needed most. 
And as you can have an intimate 

528
00:35:02,700 --> 00:35:07,400
personal relationship with God 
through Jesus Christ, and if 

529
00:35:07,400 --> 00:35:09,900
you've never come into that 
relationship, you can do that 

530
00:35:09,900 --> 00:35:12,300
right now. 
You can do it today. 

531
00:35:12,800 --> 00:35:16,500
You can't afford the ticket. 
You can't pay the admission. 

532
00:35:18,200 --> 00:35:22,200
Jesus bought you the ticket. 
There's going to be somebody 

533
00:35:22,200 --> 00:35:24,500
right over there by our 
baptistry that would love to 

534
00:35:24,500 --> 00:35:27,400
talk to you about what that next
step is. 

535
00:35:28,800 --> 00:35:35,200
You can he baptized into Christ?
Buried with him raised to walk 

536
00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:38,100
in newness of Life. 
Bible says that anyone is in 

537
00:35:38,100 --> 00:35:39,500
Christ. 
He is a new creation. 

538
00:35:39,500 --> 00:35:41,800
The old has gone. 
The new has come. 

539
00:35:41,800 --> 00:35:44,700
What a? 
What a joyful, wonderful hopeful

540
00:35:44,700 --> 00:35:48,300
thing. 
But only God can give you and he

541
00:35:48,300 --> 00:35:49,900
gives it to you through his own 
son. 

542
00:35:52,100 --> 00:35:55,700
It's not meaningless. 
Not in the upper story. 

543
00:35:58,300 --> 00:36:02,700
Many of you today are here and 
you've made a decision to 

544
00:36:02,700 --> 00:36:04,100
follow. 
Jesus Christ. 

545
00:36:04,600 --> 00:36:06,900
Oh, but that doesn't mean that 
you don't struggle with the 

546
00:36:06,900 --> 00:36:10,500
lower story. 
Some of you, you know what I'm 

547
00:36:10,500 --> 00:36:13,300
saying, all of us at one time or
another, we get lost in it. 

548
00:36:13,900 --> 00:36:17,700
The cares of this world. 
They weigh us down. 

549
00:36:17,700 --> 00:36:22,700
They break us down. 
And we don't see any way out. 

550
00:36:22,800 --> 00:36:25,800
I mean, think about how many 
people are struggling needing 

551
00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:34,900
counseling right now. you know, 
Jesus said, He goes when I 

552
00:36:34,900 --> 00:36:37,000
leave. 
He said this to his Apostles 

553
00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:43,100
night before he died. 
He said when I leave, I'm not 

554
00:36:43,100 --> 00:36:47,700
going to leave you as orphans. 
And then he went on to say I'm 

555
00:36:47,700 --> 00:36:56,900
going to send you the counselor.
I invite you to come up here in 

556
00:36:56,900 --> 00:36:59,800
a moment. 
Get down on your knees and have 

557
00:36:59,800 --> 00:37:01,500
a little time with your 
counselor. 

558
00:37:03,300 --> 00:37:06,100
With your counselor, the Holy 
Spirit. 

559
00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:11,200
Lower story's getting you down 
to Breaking, you down its 

560
00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:13,800
grinding on you. 
You know what he'll do. 

561
00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:17,000
He'll help. 
You see the upper story again. 

562
00:37:18,500 --> 00:37:22,000
He'll kind of reorient you to 
the person that God made you to 

563
00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:24,300
be. 
He'll change you. 

564
00:37:26,400 --> 00:37:28,300
I encourage you to consider that
today. 

565
00:37:29,400 --> 00:37:32,500
These steps will be open and 
there's plenty of room. 

566
00:37:32,600 --> 00:37:35,200
Hey, and you say, well, I can't 
get to the steps so I don't need

567
00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:36,600
to come. 
Well, you know what? 

568
00:37:36,900 --> 00:37:39,300
There's a second layer. 
There's a third layer. 

569
00:37:39,300 --> 00:37:45,500
There's plenty of room. 
Would you consider that would 

570
00:37:45,500 --> 00:37:47,500
you stand with me? 
Heavenly father? 

571
00:37:47,500 --> 00:37:51,600
I'm praying right now. 
Because we put all of these 

572
00:37:51,600 --> 00:37:55,700
defenses up because we don't 
want to be made uncomfortable or

573
00:37:55,700 --> 00:37:58,300
feel uncomfortable. 
I know there's a little bit of 

574
00:37:58,300 --> 00:38:01,200
that right now. 
The idea of, I don't know if I 

575
00:38:01,207 --> 00:38:04,900
should go up there or not or my 
hair looks really bad when it's 

576
00:38:04,900 --> 00:38:07,500
wet or who knows? 
What? 

577
00:38:09,400 --> 00:38:11,900
I just pray right now. 
Father, you'll break through all

578
00:38:11,900 --> 00:38:17,200
of those defenses, all of those 
pretenses and just see this 

579
00:38:17,200 --> 00:38:21,300
child's human heart that just 
needs you. 

580
00:38:21,300 --> 00:38:26,200
So desperately. 
And I pray father, like little 

581
00:38:26,200 --> 00:38:29,200
children. 
We would just run. 

582
00:38:30,500 --> 00:38:35,400
To be close to your son Jesus. 
My pre we find him here in this 

583
00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:38,800
moment. 
In Jesus name, I pray. 

584
00:38:39,200 --> 00:38:39,700
Amen.