September 9, 2018 – Wisdom from Ecclesiastes and the Sermon on the Mount – From Foolish Statements to Gratitude

-            The

From Foolish Statements to Gratitude

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 - New International Version (NIV)          

¹ Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.

² Do not be quick with your mouth,
    do not be hasty in your heart
    to utter anything before God.
God is in heaven
    and you are on earth,
    so let your words be few.
³ A dream comes when there are many cares,
    and many words mark the speech of a fool.

⁴ When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. ⁵ It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. ⁶ Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? ⁷ Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.

What did the Teacher say to go near to the house of God to do (verse 1)?

In your opinion, what is the “sacrifice of fools” (verse 1)?

What should we “not be quick with” our mouths to do (verse 2)?

How is the “speech of a fool” marked (verse 3)?

What should we not delay in fulfuilling (verse 4)?

What is better than making a vow and not fulfilling it (verse 5)?

In your opinion, what does it mean to “not let your mouth lead you into sin” (verse 6)?

What is meaningless (verse 7)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

Matthew 5:33-37 - New International Version (NIV)

³³ “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ ³⁴ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; ³⁵ or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. ³⁶ And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. ³⁷ All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

What does Jesus say that His hearers have heard was said long ago (verse 33)?

Why should we not swear an oath by heaven (verse 34)?

Why should we not swear an oath by earth (verse 35)?

Why should we not swear an oath by Jerusalem (verse 35)?

Why should we not swear an oath by our head (verse 36)?

What do we need to say (verse 37)?

What comes from the evil one (verse 37)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, how is the reason the Teacher gives in Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 about not making a vow different from the reason that Jesus gives in Matthew 5:33-37 for not swearing an oath?

Colossians 3:15-17 – New International Version (NIV)

¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

What should “rule in your hearts” (verse 15)?

How should the message of Christ dwell among us (verse 16)?

What should we do “through psalms, hymns, and songs of the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts” (verse 16)?

In your opinion, what does it mean to “do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (verse 17)?

How should we give “thanks to God the Father” (verse 17)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what is the difference between the “sacrifice of fools” that the Teacher warns about in Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 and the “psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit” that Paul instructs us to use to teach and admonish each other with in Colossians 3:15-17?

In your opinion, how is the focus of Jesus telling us in Matthew 5:33-37 not to swear an oath have something in common with the focus of Paul telling us in Colossians 3:15-17 to “be thankful”?

James 5:7-12 – New International Version (NIV)

⁷ Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. ⁸ You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. ⁹ Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

¹⁰ Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹ As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

¹² Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.

How long are we to be patient (verse 7)?

What does the farmer wait for (verse 7)?

Why do we need to “be patient and stand firm” (verse 8)?

Who is “standing at the door” (verse 9)?

In your opinion, why does James give us the “prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord” as an example of patience in the face of suffering (verse 10)?

Who do “we count as blessed” (verse 11)?

Who is “full of compassion and mercy” (verse 12)?

What should Christians not do (verse 12)?

What is needed (verse 12)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, how does Ecclestiastes 5:1-7 which talks about the dangers of vows to God help us understand why James would counsel us to have patience and to use a simple yes or no in James 5:7-12?

In your opinion, how does Jesus telling us not to swear an oath by our head because we can not change the color of a single hair in Matthew 5:33-37 help us begin to understand why James commands us to be patient in James 5:7-12?

In your opinion, what does Paul’s instruction to “let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts” in Colossians 3:15-17 help us understand about the patience that James instructs us to have in James 5:7-12?

In your opinion, what do these passages from Ecclesiastes, Matthew, Colossians and James teach us about foolish statements?

In your opinion, how do we move from the “sacrifice of fools” to doing and saying everything “in the name of the Lord Jesus”?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)