Personal note before this starts: I typically don’t like to hear Jerry Vines preach. He says some ill-timed and often dumb statements. I’ll try to be objective.
Preaching from Ecclesiastes. Claims Solomon wrote it. I would have to disagree, but that’s another issue.
Gives background about the book.
Says Solomon tried learning. He was a song writer, book writer, an expect in many things.
Great lessons of life not learned by knowledge and education.
But Solomon forgot his own proverb (“Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge”)
Solomon tried laughter.
American is pleasure oriented. At the end of pleasure is the abyss of insanity.
Solomon tried Alcohol.
Baptist people have surrendered to the seduction of the alcohol advertisements. It’s time Baptist preachers have something to say about the dangers of alcohol. “If I had I one toe and it wiggled towards alcohol I pull it off.”
Solomon has tried luxury.
Got involved in the world of commerce. He was also a workaholic.
Laymen, you ought to pay your preacher well. But there is the danger, pastor, of materialism in your life.
Solomon tried lust.
Sexual pleasure is preached today as the greatest pleasure. Sexual purity is scoffed at.
Sexual liberty has brought all kinds of health issues.
Dr. Vines wants to give us young preachers some theological advice, “Keep your pants zipped”.
“You need Jesus for life’s beginning.”
“You need Jesus for life’s aging.” Solomon describes the process of aging.
“You need Jesus for life’s dying.”
Personal Note:
This was pretty uneventful. Pretty uninspiring.
hey i am a very conservative southern baptist and this is the type of message that the world needs to hear today because that is where the world is going. it sounds to like the only person that would not like that kind of message is someone that is living in that kind of sin