1 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:06,160 OK, good morning. You can turn to the book of 2 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:10,720 Ecclesiastes. I had a friend who was dyslexic. 3 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:15,840 He called it Ecclesiastes. We call it Ecclesiastes, and in 4 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:17,720 Afrikaans we call it Prieta Kant. 5 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:25,120 You know it's called Prieta Kant. 6 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:32,840 So we're going to be doing a series. 7 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:37,440 And so just to let you know that your life is actually pointless 8 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:40,040 and meaningless. And we start the year with this 9 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:42,600 unbelievable sense of purpose and we are going to leave a 10 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:45,040 legacy. And the Bible says your legacy 11 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:48,560 doesn't actually count. So we get all caught up with all 12 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:51,320 sorts of worldly ideas and we've got to go back to the Word of 13 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:53,560 God and see what the word of God says. 14 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:59,160 So it's good to be here. I did a funeral on Thursday of 15 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:01,800 this beautiful lady's husband and her dad. 16 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:04,680 His name was Dave. He lived for 70 years to the 17 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:07,800 day. Amazing man. 18 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:10,040 Incredible how his family spoke about him. 19 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:13,360 I then got on an aeroplane yesterday morning at 5:00 and 20 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:16,720 flew down to Natal because I was speaking at an event in 21 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:20,320 Johannesburg last week on Monday or week before. 22 00:01:20,320 --> 00:01:24,000 On Monday a little girl came up to me, a teacher, young teacher. 23 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:27,160 She walked up to me, said Rory. Don't know who I am, but my 24 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:31,400 grandfather's Andy, fan of that. And Andy fan of that, for those 25 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:33,840 who don't know, is the fastest spring buck that's ever lived. 26 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:39,960 And he was a track athlete and he was a spring buck and he was 27 00:01:39,960 --> 00:01:41,920 my rugby coach and my Afrikaans teacher. 28 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:47,440 She said to my grandpa's very sick Rory, well you go down and 29 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:49,160 pray for him. I said I'm very busy at the 30 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:50,840 moment, but I'll try and go next week. 31 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:54,000 And on Friday last week at 11:00 at night, his wife sent me a 32 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:55,760 message and said, Rory, he's not going to make it. 33 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:59,240 And so I booked a ticket on Friday at 11:00. 34 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:02,600 And I got on a plane. I drove to, flew to Durban, 35 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:05,720 drove to how I prayed with my Afrikaans teacher in English. 36 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:12,320 And I came back, I was in church. 37 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:17,120 And on Sunday morning last week, he died less than 24 hours after 38 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:20,320 I prayed with him. I had the privilege of doing his 39 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:23,760 funeral yesterday. And when you do a funeral of an 40 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:30,280 Afrikaans teacher in Durban hard to teach Midlands boys 41 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:33,720 Afrikaans, but I can now August on I can say Yella's buyer 42 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:36,360 welcome Ecka second Stolener student. 43 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:40,680 I could buy a hood career. Ecka's floatin Afrikaans welcome 44 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:44,840 Nahiri practi by a donkey. I saw the hiller backcraftness 45 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:47,840 in Afrikaans doing Ella's smart like welcome. 46 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:54,240 No, it's my Afrikaans. Alice for Bay Huya Mora taught 47 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:59,160 scenes and I saw an amazing thing. 48 00:02:59,920 --> 00:03:03,280 He coached me for three years in rugby and he never, ever, once, 49 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:06,560 not once did he ever tell a story about him playing for the 50 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:08,360 Spring Bucks. Not once. 51 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:12,800 But there were 3 spring Bucks there, including the Spring Buck 52 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:15,480 captain Gary Tasman sitting in the front row of the church. 53 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:18,440 And I realized he never actually spoke about playing for the 54 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:20,040 Spring Bucks, but he produced spring Bucks. 55 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:23,880 It's the most amazing thing, most incredible thing. 56 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:27,640 And this morning when I woke up, I got a message from a boy, a 57 00:03:27,640 --> 00:03:30,200 mother of a boy who got baptized in that swimming pool three 58 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:32,640 years ago. He went to Vietnam and he was 59 00:03:32,640 --> 00:03:36,240 killed in a Vietnam prison. And she sent me an SMS and she 60 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:38,600 said, Rory, please think of us at 10:00 today. 61 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:41,880 It's in about 20 minutes time because we're taking Jordan's 62 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:43,600 ashes and we're spreading them in the sea. 63 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:48,040 And so Thursday I did their funeral, Friday, Saturday I did 64 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:50,360 Andy's funeral. And today, a boy who got 65 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:54,520 baptized there, his asses are about to be spread. 66 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:56,440 You think, oh, this is a great way to start the year? 67 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:59,800 No, actually, the book of Ecclesiastes is an incredible 68 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,200 reminder to us that our lives are finite. 69 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:06,720 It's an incredible reminder that the only thing that we have in 70 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:09,440 common, you've heard me say the only thing we have in common. 71 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:12,520 Rich people. In this room, and poor people 72 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:15,040 and young people and old people and educated people and 73 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:18,200 uneducated people and English people and Afrikaans people. 74 00:04:18,399 --> 00:04:20,079 The big. People and small people and 75 00:04:20,079 --> 00:04:21,959 introverted people and extroverted people. 76 00:04:21,959 --> 00:04:24,760 The only thing we have in common is that we're all going to die. 77 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:30,800 It's the only thing we have in common, and therefore we have to 78 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:32,320 determine how we're going to live. 79 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:36,560 And so this book, the theologians say, written by 80 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:38,400 Solomon, or was it written about Solomon? 81 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:41,000 Solomon was the wisest man whoever lived. 82 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:43,680 In one Kings chapter 3, God said, you can ask me for 83 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:46,920 absolutely anything. And he said, I'll ask you for 84 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:48,840 wisdom. He was the wisest man whoever 85 00:04:48,840 --> 00:04:51,200 lived. I will ask you for wisdom. 86 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:54,120 And it seems when he was walking with God, he wrote the Song of 87 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:59,680 Solomon, this incredible absolute love intimacy that he 88 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:02,280 had with one woman. He said, I love you, Florida 89 00:05:02,280 --> 00:05:04,320 State. He never compares it to anybody 90 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:06,240 else. He says your waist is like a 91 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:09,920 bundle of wheat, your neck is like the Tower of Lebanon, your 92 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:12,920 teeth are like a flock of goats, your breasts are like the fruit 93 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:15,720 of a palm tree. He's absolutely enamoured by 94 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:18,200 this woman who he never compares to another one. 95 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:21,960 And yet somehow he loses the plot as he gets caught up in the 96 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:24,480 ways of the world. He marries Pharaoh's daughter, 97 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:27,360 and he ends up looking more and more like Pharaoh and less and 98 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:31,960 less like David. And in that cynical part of his 99 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:35,640 life, he writes the book of Ecclesiastes to not an old date, 100 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:38,760 outdated book, but an eternal book written to a group of 101 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:41,480 people who live in Pretoria at this time, saying, hey, guys, 102 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:45,240 this thing is very powerful. This thing will suck you in. 103 00:05:45,840 --> 00:05:48,520 And before you know it, you'll be living with the values of the 104 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:51,840 world and representing Pharaoh more than you'll be representing 105 00:05:51,840 --> 00:05:55,160 David. And so not only was he 106 00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:58,320 unbelievably wise, but God said I will give you lots of money as 107 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:02,960 well, $2.1 trillion I will give to you. 108 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:06,600 That's. More than Elon Musk and the 10 109 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:09,880 top richest men in the world right now, he was more wealthy 110 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:12,040 than all of them. And he says at the end of his 111 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:17,800 life, wealth is meaningless. And many of us are spending our 112 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:21,080 whole lives to get educated and work ourselves to the bone and 113 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:25,200 come home at 8:00 at night and completely deny our families of 114 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:28,320 your presence. And the Bible says it's 115 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:32,040 meaningless. Absolutely meaningless. 116 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:34,360 You're wasting your time, he said. 117 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:35,760 But Rory, what are we meant to do? 118 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:38,720 And we start in this small house and we build our way all the way 119 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:41,600 up to this very big house with lots of furniture. 120 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:44,600 And at the end of it, we go down and down and down to another 121 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:46,000 small house with little furniture. 122 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:48,440 We give everything away. We think, wow, that was worth 123 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:51,160 it. What was worth it, you think? 124 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:54,480 Why? As we say, to go to NASA to pick 125 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:59,400 up shells. Another shell, another cowrie. 126 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:02,400 Wow. Another calorie to add to the 127 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:05,200 other calories. And I've got a collection of 128 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:08,720 calories. And the book has written to us 129 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:13,760 to save us from the system that is so unbelievably powerful, 130 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:16,800 that draws us into things that are not eternal. 131 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:21,040 It says in the book of Ecclesiastes, God has put 132 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:24,120 eternity into our hearts. I met a lady at the at the 133 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:26,880 coffee shop today. She's got eternity tattooed on 134 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:29,680 her hand, on her arm here. I said, man, you know, that is 135 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:32,480 in the heart of God. He puts eternity in our hearts. 136 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:36,840 That's why nothing under the sun can actually make us satisfied. 137 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:42,000 Nothing can make us satisfied, $2.1 trillion. 138 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:45,360 I can tell you the difference between a million and a billion. 139 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:48,360 A million seconds is 11 1/2 days. 140 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:54,480 A billion seconds is 31 years. A trillion seconds is 31,000 141 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:58,600 years. He was a trillion dollar, a 142 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:03,960 trillionaire dollar trillionaire, 60,000 thousand 143 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:09,880 thousand, 1000 Rand. And at the end of it he says 144 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:15,160 it's not worth it. And you say or try me? 145 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:27,760 I mean 10% I reckon Lord God, I can pull her. 146 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:30,160 I know Solomon couldn't, but I reckon I could. 147 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:39,960 I reckon Lord God and. And then he had 1000 women. 148 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:45,080 Can you imagine? Can you imagine some of you 149 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:50,800 thinking, try me Lord, and some of your thinking, save me Lord? 150 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:56,080 The one I've got is more than I can handle and otherwise just 151 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:59,120 give me two or three, Lord God. I mean, let's just try me Lord 152 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:09,560 God. 1700 wives, 300 concubines. One of the commentators says the 153 00:09:09,560 --> 00:09:12,400 difference is you don't have to send Valentine's cards to the 154 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:17,200 one 700 wives and 300 concubines. 155 00:09:17,200 --> 00:09:19,120 Can you imagine trying to remember their birthdays? 156 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:26,440 Can you imagine and you've got twins and you've got triplets 157 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:27,680 and you've got you miss the whole thing. 158 00:09:27,680 --> 00:09:30,400 I just an absolute nightmare. And he says, you know what, I 159 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:36,680 tried sex but it didn't fulfil me. 160 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:39,840 I could have dinner, breakfast, lunch and supper with a 161 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:42,120 different woman every single day of the week. 162 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:45,960 But there's something that's lacking inside of that. 163 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:50,160 And so we're going to go on a search, 3 CI. 164 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:53,960 We're going to go on a search with a man at the end of his 165 00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:56,480 life who's coming back to God and saying, hey, guys, please 166 00:09:56,480 --> 00:10:00,680 listen to me. To make a mistake is stupid. 167 00:10:00,680 --> 00:10:02,960 To make a mistake that somebody else has made is even more 168 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:05,440 stupid. And he's saying, listen, God 169 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:08,800 gave me incredible wisdom. I had an amazing lineage from my 170 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:11,200 dad. I moved off the path and now I 171 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:13,440 want to write back a letter, particularly to the young people 172 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:15,600 of Pretoria. And I want to say to young 173 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:20,800 people of Pretoria, you've got to learn how to live biblically. 174 00:10:26,210 --> 00:10:28,490 There are three kinds of writings in the Old Testament. 175 00:10:29,530 --> 00:10:31,770 There's historical books if you don't know the Bible. 176 00:10:31,770 --> 00:10:36,490 You have to teach you the Bible. From Genesis to the book of 177 00:10:36,490 --> 00:10:39,130 Nehemiah, it's called the history books, historical books. 178 00:10:39,690 --> 00:10:41,890 So from Genesis to Nehemiah, it's the. 179 00:10:41,890 --> 00:10:46,200 Story of Israel. 'S life, historical books. 180 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:49,560 And then you've got the prophets, major prophets and 181 00:10:49,560 --> 00:10:54,000 minor prophets. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel is a 182 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:57,880 guy called Habakkuk. Don't call your child that. 183 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:01,480 There's another guy called Obadiah. 184 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:07,440 He's not related to me. Nahim Jonah, minor prophets. 185 00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:11,040 And the prophet's job was to try and stop the madness of Israel. 186 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:14,760 And Israel kept going left and right and left and right. 187 00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:17,840 And the prophets obviously stand up and perform miracles, like 188 00:11:17,840 --> 00:11:21,160 Elijah performed 7 miracles. And then Elijah said, give me a 189 00:11:21,160 --> 00:11:23,520 double anointing. And Elijah performed 14 190 00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:25,240 miracles. And they raised the dead. 191 00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:27,920 And when their bodies got thrown onto bones, people came alive. 192 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:30,280 And it kind of stopped the rot in Israel. 193 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:33,960 But Israel always went back to the rot because eventually it 194 00:11:33,960 --> 00:11:36,440 had to come where one saviour would come and save the whole 195 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:38,880 thing. So they were pointing to Christ, 196 00:11:38,880 --> 00:11:40,680 pointing to Christ, pointing to Christ. 197 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:42,680 And the Israelites keep pushing away. 198 00:11:43,560 --> 00:11:46,720 And then we've got books called the wisdom literature. 199 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:51,200 Job teaches us about how to suffer in this world. 200 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:54,520 Proverbs teaches us about life and relationships and about 201 00:11:54,520 --> 00:11:59,400 finances. I was thinking about our 202 00:11:59,480 --> 00:12:01,800 financial advisors or wealth creators. 203 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:04,480 And most of you will have one or some of you will have one. 204 00:12:07,240 --> 00:12:10,080 Your wealth advisor should give you a monthly report and a 205 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:14,320 yearly return. I mean, if they do their job 206 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:17,560 properly, you get a monthly report and a yearly return. 207 00:12:17,560 --> 00:12:20,880 And when you read the wisdom literature, you realize that you 208 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:25,080 are God's financial advisor. You and I are God's financial 209 00:12:25,080 --> 00:12:28,800 advisor. And I thought, well, if I expect 210 00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:31,600 a monthly report and a yearly return from my financial 211 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:33,920 advisor, Can you imagine what the Lord expects of me with my 212 00:12:33,920 --> 00:12:36,000 time and my gifting and my finances? 213 00:12:36,680 --> 00:12:38,560 A monthly report and a yearly return. 214 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:41,520 That's what the wisdom literature talks about. 215 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:45,840 And the Song of Solomon teaches about love and about marriage 216 00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:52,000 and about intimacy. They tell a story of a king with 217 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:56,200 three sons. Amazing king, amazing three 218 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:58,000 boys. One was very good looking, A 219 00:12:59,960 --> 00:13:05,840 little bit of a Boogamina. The other one was incredibly 220 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:10,160 strong, and the third son was just the son of the soil, used 221 00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:12,640 to just go out adventuring every day. 222 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:16,040 We'd go out into the fields and the king and his wife were 223 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:19,720 speaking about their son or their sons and who would take 224 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:21,440 over the Kingdom. And the king didn't know what to 225 00:13:21,440 --> 00:13:24,200 do because it wasn't just a succession. 226 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:28,080 They had to decide who was the right man to take over the 227 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:30,560 throne. And one day he said to his sons, 228 00:13:30,560 --> 00:13:32,400 I'll tell you what boys. He called them all in with his 229 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:33,360 wife. He said, I'll tell you what, 230 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:35,360 boys. I will give you unlimited 231 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:39,120 resources so that you can have an unlimited travel budget to go 232 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:44,720 to the ends of the earth and to find an animal that will best 233 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:47,200 represent the Kingdom that this country needs. 234 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:50,440 And when you come? Back we will assess. 235 00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:54,200 The animal we decide are you the one to become king and the good 236 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:56,680 looking son went out and he spent a year out there while 237 00:13:56,680 --> 00:13:57,640 his. Parents were waiting. 238 00:13:57,640 --> 00:14:01,000 For him and all the subjects were waiting for him and when he 239 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:04,680 came home, he came back with a Peacock inside of a golden cage 240 00:14:04,680 --> 00:14:07,320 covered with a golden cloth. And he pulled it off and the 241 00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:11,040 Peacock pruned its feathers and everyone's like, wow, we've 242 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:13,680 never seen one of these things. This is what the Kingdom is 243 00:14:13,680 --> 00:14:15,200 going to be like. It's going to be this like 244 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:19,840 flesh, beautiful, colourful, incredible, extravagant display 245 00:14:19,840 --> 00:14:23,960 of beauty and gold and blue. And everybody is like what I 246 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:29,600 said, he must become the king. And they waited six months and 247 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:32,600 the second brother came back with a huge golden cage with a 248 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:35,280 huge golden cover. And he pulled off the golden 249 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:37,320 cover and inside there was a lion that roared. 250 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:42,320 The strong brother brought back the lion and he said, this is 251 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:44,600 what we need. We need this, this is. 252 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:48,000 And the lion ate the Peacock and the older brother disappeared. 253 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:50,160 And the younger brother took center sage or the second 254 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:52,600 brother and and the king said, surely this is the one. 255 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:54,440 He said, no, no, no, we just wait for the third son. 256 00:14:56,440 --> 00:14:58,720 And the third son came walking over the hill six months later. 257 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:00,560 And he said, Dad, I didn't travel far. 258 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:05,400 I just went over the hill to meet a girl that piqued my 259 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:07,480 interest. He said, I've spent the last 18 260 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:08,920 months getting to know this girl. 261 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:16,160 I want this girl to be my wife. Her name is Sophia Wisdom, he 262 00:15:16,160 --> 00:15:17,560 said. I want to marry her. 263 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:22,520 That is why the Wisdom literature was written, so that 264 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:26,320 you and I can marry Sofia. We can intimately get to know 265 00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:30,680 Sofia, and when we understand Sofia, we don't need Peacocks 266 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:35,640 and lions to prawns and to roar. When we understand the intimate 267 00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:39,720 details of Sofia, when we find Sofia, we will learn how to rule 268 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:42,600 and reign in this world. And so we are entitling our 269 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:48,320 series, finding Sophia, finding wisdom. 270 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:53,720 And God has put eternity inside of our hearts that nothing, 271 00:15:53,920 --> 00:15:58,160 nothing will satisfy us. Even however clever you might 272 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:01,520 be, nothing will satisfy it, says education. 273 00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:03,480 Education. All of you who've come to 274 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:05,960 university think this is absolutely important. 275 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:09,000 Yes, it's absolutely important, but it's not ultimate. 276 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:13,200 It's not ultimate because, as the theologians say, there are 277 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:18,520 many people with PhDs, lots of PhDs, two or three PhDs who lie 278 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:22,520 in bed on their 70th, 80th birthday, who shake like leaves 279 00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:24,800 and can't remember their children's names. 280 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:29,160 It's important, but it's not ultimate. 281 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:33,320 Amen. It's nice to see you. 282 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:38,200 Good morning. Let's read together. 283 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:49,280 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king of Jerusalem. 284 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:55,200 Meaningless. Meaningless, says the teacher. 285 00:16:55,560 --> 00:17:01,160 Utterly meaningless. Everything is meaningless. 286 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:05,040 That is, the word hebble or hebble, spelled hebble, is 287 00:17:05,040 --> 00:17:10,280 pronounced hebble. What does man gain from all his 288 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:12,240 labor? Say gain. 289 00:17:13,200 --> 00:17:15,079 You see, we live in a world of profit. 290 00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:18,480 That's, that's it's like, what do you profit? 291 00:17:24,329 --> 00:17:30,450 Solomon realized with one $2.1 trillion in his bank, he was not 292 00:17:30,450 --> 00:17:38,530 going to take with him. And many of you have got 293 00:17:38,530 --> 00:17:42,330 educated, you've built up trust accounts and blessings for your 294 00:17:42,330 --> 00:17:44,290 children. And you've got to ask the 295 00:17:44,290 --> 00:17:49,800 question why? And some leave this nation and 296 00:17:49,800 --> 00:17:52,640 go and live in other nations for the safety of their children. 297 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:56,640 And their children are safe, but they no longer serve God. 298 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:03,120 But you think, but I've provided safety for my children. 299 00:18:03,120 --> 00:18:04,720 So is that what you're trying to provide? 300 00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:06,760 What are you trying to provide An education? 301 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:09,720 Are you providing safety? Are you providing opportunity? 302 00:18:12,840 --> 00:18:14,880 I just want to poke the bear a little bit. 303 00:18:15,320 --> 00:18:18,360 The answer isn't in Ecclesiastes, but we have. 304 00:18:18,360 --> 00:18:20,600 To ask. Ourselves this question Every 305 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:24,240 worldview. Every worldview needs to answer 306 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:32,000 3 questions. Origins Where do I come from? 307 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:34,600 You have to answer that question. 308 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:43,240 Meaning why am I here? What is the purpose of my life 309 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:47,400 and destiny? Where am I going? 310 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:59,800 What happens to me after I die? You imagine the relief in a 311 00:18:59,800 --> 00:19:05,200 pastor's heart when you do a man's funeral or memorial. 312 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:08,320 His whole family is sitting in front of you, his whole family 313 00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:12,960 sitting in front of you. And I'm absolutely convinced in 314 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:19,360 my heart that he's in heaven. It's painful, it's tender, it's 315 00:19:19,360 --> 00:19:22,400 emotional, but you shed many tears together. 316 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:25,360 I've got down on my knees looking at Mary and preaching 317 00:19:25,360 --> 00:19:29,840 numbers Chapter 6 over her life. Absolutely heartbroken, but with 318 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:33,440 the peace and the knowledge that her husband is in heaven. 319 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:43,280 I did the funeral yesterday, my Afrikaans teacher with the 320 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:46,680 absolute peace and knowledge and the sadness everybody can They 321 00:19:46,680 --> 00:19:49,760 were rugby people there, they were head masters of schools, 322 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:52,080 they were spring buck rugby players. 323 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:54,120 Every. But the most important thing I 324 00:19:54,120 --> 00:20:02,120 knew in my heart is that Andy von der Vaat is in heaven and 325 00:20:02,120 --> 00:20:05,720 that boy that got baptized in that pool who got beaten to 326 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:10,360 death in the Vietnamese prison got beaten to death. 327 00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:16,560 But I knew that boy, and many people fought with that boy. 328 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:18,520 He was a difficult guy. He was a rebel. 329 00:20:19,120 --> 00:20:24,000 But I loved that boy, and my son LED that boy to Christ. 330 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:28,000 And I know in the bottom of my heart that that boy is with 331 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:31,160 Jesus. And I want to say to you today, 332 00:20:31,160 --> 00:20:35,000 if you did not know Christ, if you did not know Jesus, 333 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:43,680 meaningless, meaningless. Everything is meaningless if you 334 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:47,680 cannot answer the question. And I saw some of my teachers 335 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:51,160 there yesterday, teachers that have been atheists their whole 336 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:54,200 lives and have taken on the system of a Christian School. 337 00:20:54,400 --> 00:20:57,960 I saw them there and I stood up and I said, gentlemen, you must 338 00:20:57,960 --> 00:21:01,360 make right with God because I'm probably going to end up doing 339 00:21:01,360 --> 00:21:10,600 your funerals. I also said to the family, if I 340 00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:13,520 knew that that Afrikaans teacher I was going to do his funeral, I 341 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:15,280 would have got my orals remarked. 342 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:21,720 I think he would have given me some better marks. 343 00:21:22,360 --> 00:21:26,880 Mr. Thunderbird as a belief, Yanda Hanako Bukhrafn is doing 344 00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:32,520 let the power claim matkis as a belief. 345 00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:39,520 He would have said there's no way God will use you China. 346 00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:50,280 You must remember this Solomon was a product of adultery and 347 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:52,480 God used them to write 3 books of the Bible. 348 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:57,560 I don't know what you're a product of, but God can use you. 349 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:05,840 Most of Proverbs, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, I know 350 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:08,400 what it says in one Kings chapter 4, it says you wrote 351 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:13,000 3000 Proverbs and 1005 songs. One of them was Song of Solomon, 352 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:17,160 most prolific songwriter that's ever hit the world and he came 353 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:19,000 from adultery. Maybe you're a product of 354 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:22,080 adultery and you're sitting here and thinking I don't have a root 355 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:23,960 system. Yes, you do send Jesus. 356 00:22:25,480 --> 00:22:26,920 I think well maybe your life's messed up. 357 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:29,320 God can use you just like you use this messed up guy. 358 00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:32,480 Actually, most of the Bible is written by messed up people. 359 00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:38,120 Yes, Amen. It's actually one of the only 360 00:22:38,120 --> 00:22:40,760 books that ends with judgment. Thank goodness we've got the New 361 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:46,680 Testament. But it starts with grace, and 362 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:49,320 then it points us to the New Testament where we find grace 363 00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:50,600 again. Amen. 364 00:22:51,520 --> 00:22:53,320 OK, let me get through. Sorry. 365 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:56,920 What does? What does man gain? 366 00:22:56,920 --> 00:22:58,320 From all his labour we have to ask. 367 00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:02,920 The question, gentlemen, Stall by flies by heralds by. 368 00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:07,560 You work your backside off all year for 11 months to have one 369 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:19,360 month at Stall by and it's nice to Estoni vent Almar from 370 00:23:19,360 --> 00:23:26,640 Peturius Door and then Almar Lahrmer drink Brindavine and 371 00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:30,880 then Vortella by aloud. He thinks for 11 months. 372 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:34,600 I freaking work my backside off to get to still by so that I go 373 00:23:34,600 --> 00:23:36,320 back to work for another 11 months. 374 00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:43,320 What does man gain from all his labor of which he toils under 375 00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:44,600 the sun? Sand to the sun. 376 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:48,360 You'll read that 20 times. Generations come and generations 377 00:23:48,360 --> 00:23:50,280 go, but the earth remains forever. 378 00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:53,120 The sun rises and the sunsets and hurries. 379 00:23:53,120 --> 00:23:56,320 Back to where it rises. And you hurry back to your 380 00:23:56,320 --> 00:23:58,640 school to pick up your child again, to bring them home, to 381 00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:00,920 take them to ticket cricket, to bring them home, to make them 382 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:03,720 supper, to wash their clothes, to go to bed, to make them 383 00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:05,680 supper, to make wash their clothes, to wake up. 384 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:07,040 And don't. Don't you feel like that 385 00:24:07,040 --> 00:24:08,760 sometimes? To hurry back to the office. 386 00:24:08,760 --> 00:24:10,280 To finish the thing. To go the thing. 387 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:12,440 To hurry back before. You get in your car to take them 388 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:14,320 to extra lessons to do it again. Hurry. 389 00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:15,720 Back, Hurry back. Hurry back. 390 00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:16,960 Hurry back. Hurry back. 391 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:18,880 Don't you feel like that? Hurry back, Hurry back, Hurry 392 00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:24,080 back. The wind blows to the South and 393 00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:26,480 turns to the north. Round and round it goes, Round 394 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:29,440 and round it goes, Round and round it goes from home to 395 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:32,880 Atterbury Rd. all the way to the school and then back to. 396 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:33,680 The school. And back to. 397 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:36,200 Atterbury Rd. and back into the. Estates and round and round it 398 00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:38,520 goes, and round and round it goes and round and round it 399 00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:40,120 goes. And you say no, but we living 400 00:24:40,120 --> 00:24:43,480 with purpose. The Bible says you work living 401 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:49,160 in circles China, you say No chance progress, no progress, no 402 00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:55,440 progress in a cul-de-sac, no progress that I called this 403 00:24:55,440 --> 00:24:56,800 thing you said. But I've changed everything. 404 00:24:56,800 --> 00:24:58,040 What have you changed? You bought a bigger. 405 00:24:58,040 --> 00:25:01,520 House and more furniture and you're going to give it away 406 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:03,440 when you get old and you're going to think what was that all 407 00:25:03,440 --> 00:25:10,440 about while you're collecting shells in Nazna or BS Akabai. 408 00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:19,640 All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full to the 409 00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:22,360 place that the streams come from, where they return again. 410 00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:26,360 All things are wearing. So more than one can say that I 411 00:25:26,360 --> 00:25:29,840 never has enough of seeing Netflix, Amazon Prime, Venice, 412 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:34,440 Mauritius, Bali, Europe nor the ear. 413 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:38,680 It's full of hearing. What has been will be again. 414 00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:40,440 What has been done will be done again. 415 00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:43,200 There's nothing new under the sun, you say? 416 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:48,960 Oh, rubbish, Rory. Medical advancement, really. 417 00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:56,520 And they still all die, you say? But there's this breakthrough in 418 00:25:56,520 --> 00:25:58,840 cancer treatment for how many years? 419 00:25:59,840 --> 00:26:03,600 And then they die, you say, Rory, you're stopping progress. 420 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:06,600 No, it's this is all the same. All falls into categories. 421 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:09,400 Communication. Have you seen Chet GPT? 422 00:26:10,240 --> 00:26:12,560 Ask Alexander Bell. He started that long before you 423 00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:23,200 were born. No, Madras leave. 424 00:26:30,110 --> 00:26:32,550 What has been will be again. What has been done will be done 425 00:26:32,550 --> 00:26:34,030 again. There's nothing new under the 426 00:26:34,030 --> 00:26:36,590 sun, is there anything of which one can say? 427 00:26:36,590 --> 00:26:40,310 Look, there is something new. It was here already long ago. 428 00:26:40,310 --> 00:26:43,680 It was here before our time. There's no remembrance of men of 429 00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:46,360 old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered 430 00:26:46,360 --> 00:26:49,000 by those who follow. And we are preaching in our 431 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:50,400 churches in the beginning of the year. 432 00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:53,800 You must build a legacy. It's not biblical. 433 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:59,000 Confon Zindrov says this Live, preach the gospel, die and be 434 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:03,600 forgotten. Live, preach the gospel, die and 435 00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:06,400 be forgotten. Oh, yes, of course we remember 436 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:15,840 2019. CEO Khaleesi the OK, let's go 437 00:27:15,840 --> 00:27:19,960 back to two. Let's go back to 2015 and 11 438 00:27:20,720 --> 00:27:26,880 seven. John Smith, Bucky's Victor was 439 00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:33,480 PSP say 2004, 2003. England, England. 440 00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:34,400 England. Johnny, Johnny. 441 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:36,680 Johnny Wilkinson. Johnny Wilkinson. 442 00:27:36,800 --> 00:27:38,800 You remember Johnny Wilkinson? Yeah, of course you remember 443 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:41,240 Johnny Wilkinson. And the lock was Martin Johnson. 444 00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:43,760 Martin Johnson was the captain. He lifted who was his partner 445 00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:49,600 again And and the the who's the guy passed the ball to Johnny 446 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:52,920 Wilkinson. And let's go back to 95. 447 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:56,520 Remember Francois Pina and and Mark Andrews played lock and 448 00:27:56,520 --> 00:27:58,840 covers. Visa played and his lock partner 449 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:08,760 was you won't remember in 91 was John Eels and and and 87 was the 450 00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:12,840 guy from New Zealand who played and and let's talk about let's 451 00:28:12,840 --> 00:28:17,760 talk about Nobel Peace Prize, Nelson Mandela, FW Leclerc. 452 00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:18,600 They won it. What year? 453 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:22,000 Can't remember the guys afterwards can't remember the 454 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:23,960 top Peace Prize in the world. Can't remember. 455 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:28,800 And the prize for psychology and the prize for science can't 456 00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:32,920 remember, he says. You think your whole life, I 457 00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:35,760 want to tell you this, your great grandkids won't remember a 458 00:28:35,760 --> 00:28:37,880 thing about you. And this building will be in the 459 00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:41,040 ground, rusted, fallen down and forgotten in 100 years time. 460 00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:45,120 And no one will remember this move of God that we had, that 461 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:46,800 we've enjoyed. No one will remember. 462 00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:49,600 And so we can't spend our time worshiping this. 463 00:28:49,600 --> 00:28:52,560 We've got to find something that will satisfy us deep inside of 464 00:28:52,560 --> 00:29:02,680 our souls. If you've got your Bibles open 465 00:29:03,040 --> 00:29:06,320 to Proverbs 31, this unbelievable woman, Proverbs 31 466 00:29:06,640 --> 00:29:13,000 and verse 30, it says this charm is deceptive and beauty is 467 00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:16,680 fleeting. Say fleeting, same word. 468 00:29:16,680 --> 00:29:21,120 Heaven, same word, exactly the same word, Meaningless, 469 00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:23,640 Meaningless. Everything is meaningless. 470 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:27,200 Yeah, it's described as fleeting. 471 00:29:27,280 --> 00:29:31,680 Same word in Jonah. It says those who cling to 472 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:34,480 worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. 473 00:29:34,600 --> 00:29:38,920 Same word, worthless. Worthless, fleeting. 474 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:42,680 And you'll see the mirrors as you walk down to the bathrooms, 475 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:44,120 go to the bathroom and have a look. 476 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:47,320 And it just says vanity, Vanity. Everything is vanity. 477 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:54,000 Stop looking in the mirror. Is Jim good? 478 00:29:54,040 --> 00:29:56,360 Absolutely. The way some of you guys do, 479 00:29:56,360 --> 00:30:03,640 Jim, It's become an idol. You said Rory, you should go to 480 00:30:03,640 --> 00:30:07,720 gym more. OK, Buy some bigger clothes. 481 00:30:13,010 --> 00:30:15,050 What's ultimate? What's what's ultimate? 482 00:30:16,650 --> 00:30:18,090 This is the word. This is what it says in the 483 00:30:18,090 --> 00:30:20,010 message. Smoke, smoke. 484 00:30:20,490 --> 00:30:36,280 Everything is smoke. I can smell it, I can see it, I 485 00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:56,470 can't grab it. And then Jesus comes and grabs 486 00:30:56,470 --> 00:31:01,630 you. He says I designed you with a 487 00:31:01,630 --> 00:31:04,710 purpose. Don't waste your life. 488 00:31:05,910 --> 00:31:06,430 God bless you.