22 June 2025

Sunday Worship 22 June 2025 : Fear God and keep His commandments

Sunday Worship 22 June 2025 : Fear God and keep His commandments
Text: Ecclesiastes 12

Speaker:
Rev Moses Kwek
Series:
That they may learn to fear Me

Message Notes

INTRODUCTION

1. The Book of Deuteronomy

a. The fear of the LORD as foundational
b. Tied in with various aspects of relating to God   (Deuteronomy 10:12-13)

2. The Book of Proverbs

a. The fear of the LORD as the beginning of knowledge   (Proverbs 1:7)
b. Enabling one to practice wisdom and understanding in life

3. The Book of Ecclesiastes

a. The fear of the LORD as man’s purpose in life
b. A conclusion arrived through contemplating and comprehending life on earth

CONTEMPLATING MAN’S PURPOSE ON EARTH

1. Solomon   (Ecclesiastes 1:1)

a. King over Israel in Jerusalem
b. Preacher who sought to share lessons learnt

2. What he had set his heart to do   (Ecclesiastes 1:12-14)

a. Seek and search out by wisdom
b. The purpose of man’s life on earth

3. Solomon’s attempts to find man’s purpose in life

a. By pursuing work
b. By pursuing wisdom
c. By pursuing wealth
d. By pursuing pleasure

COMPREHENDING LIFE ON EARTH

1. Complexities of life observed

a. Futility
i. Of labor   (Ecclesiastes 1)
ii. Of pleasure   (Ecclesiastes 2)
iii. Of greatness   (Ecclesiastes 2)
iv. Of wealth  (Ecclesiastes 5)
b. Time
i. A time for every purpose  (Ecclesiastes 3)
ii. Time and judgement  (Ecclesiastes 8)
iii. Time and chance  (Ecclesiastes 9)
c. Injustice on earth  (Ecclesiastes 4, 6)
d. Certainty of death
i. To the wise and the fool  (Ecclesiastes 2:14-16)
ii. To the great and the small  (Ecclesiastes 9)
e. Things in life that ought to be cherished
i. Companionship  (Ecclesiastes 4)
ii. A good name  (Ecclesiastes 7)
iii. Wisdom  (Ecclesiastes 8-10)
iv. Generosity and charity  (Ecclesiastes 11)

2. Comprehension found

a. Concerning life on earth and earthly pursuits
b. A recurring understanding  (Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12:8)
i. Vanity of vanities
ii. All is vanity
iii. Grasping for the wind

CONCLUDING ON THE FEAR OF THE LORD

1. Special insights gleaned concerning the fear of the LORD

a. What God does  (Ecclesiastes 3:14)
i. It shall be forever
ii. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it
iii. God does it, that men should fear before Him
b. How faith in God must be practiced  (Ecclesiastes 5:1-7)
i. With reverence, humility and sincerity
ii. Not with empty words
iii. It must stem from fearing the LORD
c. The fear of the LORD protects one  (Ecclesiastes 7:16-18)
i. From being self-righteous
ii. From being foolishly wicked
d. It will be well with those who fear God  (Ecclesiastes 8:10-13)
i. We live in an unjust world
ii. But God will bless and protect those who fear Him

2. Solomon’s conclusion of man’s purpose in life  (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

a. To fear God and keep His commandments
i. This is man’s all (man’s ultimate purpose in life)
ii. This is the only thing that will not result in vanity or grasping for the wind
b. Reason
i. God will bring every work into judgement
ii. He will judge every secret thing, good or evil, in our lives
iii. The fear of God is the only thing that will enable one to live purposely and pleasing to God!

THE CHALLENGE FOR US ALL

1. Solomon

a. He began with the fear of the LORD
i. Seeking wisdom
ii. To lead God’s people
b. Sadly, he did not end with the fear of the LORD
i. He arrived at this conclusion
ii. Through making many mistakes in his life

2. Our challenge

a. To learn from Solomon
i. His contemplation and comprehension of life and his conclusion
ii. His mistakes and inability to conclude his own life well
b. To purpose and practice in our own lives
i. The fear of God
ii. The keeping of His commandments