September 13, 2025 • 29 mins
Today's episode of Sunday Service by Pray.com features Focus On The Family
When you reflect back on your life, what will matter the most? King Solomon asked this question, and with unlimited resources, he tried everything! Discover the secret to The Meaningful Life!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding Proverbs nine ten.
Heavenly Father, it is your wisdom I desire, for it
is the only knowledge worth having. Your wisdom shows me
how to live day to day in this life with
your blessings. As I study your word, I understand how
(00:25):
love works. Coupled with the power you have invested in me.
I begin to understand the wisdom of your ways that
are so much higher than my own. Through the power
of your word, I realize how childish I can act sometimes.
Then I need your instruction in Kingdom principles. When I
(00:46):
honor you and draw near to you, I hear your
heart beat and long to be with you. I will
follow you wherever you lead. I am in this world,
but not of it. I am only passing through on
my way to my eternal home with you in heaven.
You are preparing me for that day when we will
(01:08):
never be parted, and I will know fully the beauty
of your wisdom. I'm humbled by you, Lord, and feel
so ignorant of your ways. Strengthen me to set at
your feet and be instructed by your Holy Spirit that
I might learn what is holy and pleasing in your
(01:29):
sight and the precious name of Jesus. Amen. Thank you
for listening to today's daily prayer for more inspiration and
an incredible message from our feature pastor. Stay tuned to
pray dot COM's Sunday service.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Hey, pray dot Com family, Pastor Nick Gatsky here with
a better word. We all want our lives to matter,
and that goes for teens wondering what career to pursue,
all the way to retirees reflecting on decades of work.
We all want to know what makes life meaningful. King
Solomon asked the same question, and with unlimited resources, he
tried everything discover the secret to the meaningful life. Right
(02:19):
now on a better Word.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Today, on a better Word with Pastor Nick Katsky.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
The true meaning in life is found when you fear
the Lord, and because God sees, and because God knows,
and because God will judge, everything now matters. What are
you afraid of?
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Heikes public speaking, maybe spiders or snakes. Most of our
fears are things we try to overcome, outgrow, or simply
push aside. But today on a Better Word, Nick Gatsky
reveals there's one fear. We need a fear that can
give your life purpose, meaning and longevity. As we wrap
(03:09):
up our series The Meaningful Life, we're discovering why the
ancient writer of Ecclesiastes concludes that people need to fear
God after testing wealth, pleasure, knowledge, and achievement. Solomon's final
words reveal what we were actually created for. It's not
about adding another item to your spiritual to do list.
(03:32):
It's about embracing a perspective that transforms everything. So pastor Nick,
when most people hear fear God, they picture an angry
deity waiting to punish them. How is biblical fear different
than that kind of terror.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Well, biblical fear isn't just a fear of punishment or retribution.
And that's what we think of right when somebodys be
afraid of God, will be afraid of him because he's
stronger than I am, and he's not going to use
that strength in a way. That's just he's going to
take it out on me even if I don't deserve it,
or he won't be gracious to me if I do
(04:09):
deserve it. But biblical fear does include a level of
acknowledgment that yes, God is way bigger and more powerful
than me, and therefore I better pay attention. He's infinitely
more severe than I give him credit for. But beyond that,
it's a level of reverence to say because he is
(04:34):
God and I am not, because he sees everything and
I don't see things clearly, because he knows everything and
I only know a fraction. Because he is infinite and
stands outside a time, and I am finite and live
for a very short amount of time, I should revere
him for who he is, what he does, and what
(04:57):
he calls us to do. And that's a he healthy
sense of biblical fear.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
So in today's message, you mentioned that the fear of
God brings benefits like wisdom and security, even having God
confide in us. For someone who's never experienced that kind
of relationship, how do you even begin.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
You begin by acknowledging that you are not the king
of your own universe, which is hard right, that I
am not on the throne of my life. That is
human problem number one. But when you get to the
place to say, there is somebody greater than me, somebody
(05:35):
who deserves my allegiance, my reverence, my fear, and that
person actually wants the very best for me. Then you
start to get to a place where you can begin
to say, I'm going to grow in understanding who this
person is and how they call me to engage with
(05:57):
them and live in a certain way. And at that
place there actually comes great joy and.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
You have to almost release control, right, and that can
feel scary. What do you say to the person who
finds fear in that?
Speaker 2 (06:12):
I think, welcome to the club. And yet at the
same time, when you realize that you can't control it anyway,
I mean I would say to that person, have you
been able to control it all anyway? Yeah? No, you haven't,
and so why not give over that control to the
one who actually can? So good Thanks Nick.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
Let's turn together to Ecclesiastes, chapter twelve, verses nine to
fourteen to start the conclusion of the disposition of life.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Ecclesiastes comes to an end, and the editor of this
book makes his voice heard. Up until this point we
believe that Ecclesiastes is the direct words of Solomon. But
now there's a little PostScript commenting on the wise words
of Solomon and giving us the summary. And this summary
(07:06):
is found Ecclesiastes twelve, verses nine through fourteen. Follow with
me as we read this morning. This is what it says,
he writes. Besides being wise, the preacher also taught the
people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with
great care. The preacher sought to find words of delight,
(07:29):
and uprightly he wrote words of truth. The words of
the wise are like fixed, are like gods, and like nails.
Firmly fixed are the collected sayings. They are given by
one shepherd, my son. Beware of anything beyond these. Of
(07:50):
making many books, there is no end, and much study
is a weariness of the flesh. The end of the
matter all his been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man. For God
(08:12):
will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing,
whether good or evil. The end of the matter is this,
the editor concludes. This is the big reveal. This is
the takeaway. This is the chief application of twelve chapters
(08:36):
of wisdom. Do you ever become exhausted by trying to
keep up with all of the latest trends in leadership,
or the latest business strategies, or the latest theories about
your health or the next new diet or the latest
self help goals. Last year, seven hundred and sixty nine
(08:59):
million was spent on self improvement audio books. Another eight
hundred million dollars was spent in physical books for self improvement.
One point five billion dollars spent annually for people to
(09:26):
try to gain more wisdom, develop more habits, change your lifestyle,
have some clarity of perception, be self actualized, get healthier,
and stay healthier. And not all of these things are bad.
But there is a warning. The warning is beware of
(09:49):
wisdom that comes from someone other than the one shepherd.
He gives you what you need to have a fulfilling
life and friends that leads us to the end of
the matter. In the pursuit of meaning in this life,
(10:09):
we have seen that Solomon gave himself to self indulgence,
to learning, to money, to sex, to food and to drink,
and to pleasures of every kind. It was all vanity,
he said, fleeting in its nature. It was like a vapor.
Every time he turned to try to find a greater
experience in life, every time he tried to turn to
(10:32):
have greater self actualization, every time he thought pleasure would
do the trick it was like trying to catch the wind.
In the end, it was momentary. Living for the weekend
won't give you a sense of joy and a lasting
sense of meaning. Living for the next great meal, or
the next drink or the next sexual encounter won't do
(10:52):
it either. Your career might be fantastic, and you might
be really, really good at it, but in the end
it will provide you with what you most deeply desire
in life, it too will be vanity, like chasing after
(11:13):
the wind. The end of the matter, all has been heard,
all of the pursuits have been explored. The end of
the matter. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this
(11:36):
is the whole duty of man. Now, to say that
this is the duty of man is interesting if we
translate it from the original Hebrew. It literally says, this
is the whole of man. That is to say, this
is what life is all about. This is what you
(11:58):
were made for. When you are in proper alignment, when
you see things as they truly are, when things are
in your right estimation, the greatest meaning, the greatest fulfillment,
the greatest experience of this life happens when you fear
God and keep his commands and as we've said in
(12:20):
the previous weeks, fearing God is not simply being afraid
of him. It is acknowledging him. It is recognizing him
in your decisions. It's pointing to his proper place as
king of the universe. It's appreciating his severity. Fearing God
(12:47):
is a posture for your life. A posture is the
disposition of your indie visual parts, and when they're considered together,
they carry your body in a certain fashion. If you
(13:11):
bend one of those individual parts out of place, your
posture will be poor. And if you have poor posture
for too long, the other parts are going to begin
to hurt. Fearing the Lord is a posture for your life.
(13:33):
In every action, every thought, every deed, every desire, we
grow to acknowledge Him, to revere him, to follow him,
to love him. And as you do, true powerful meaning
(13:56):
virgins forth for you. There are wonderful benefits for you
in fearing the Lord. When you live your life in
this way, listen to some of the things that the
Bible says. This is just a flavor through psalms and
proverbs about the benefits of fearing the Lord. It says
(14:17):
that the fear of the Lord adds length to your
life Proverbs ten twenty seven. It teaches a person wisdom
Proverbs one and Proverbs nine and Proverbs fifteen. It enables
a person to avoid evil Proverbs three, eight, fourteen, and sixteen.
It leads to life Proverbs nineteen twenty three. The fear
of the Lord brings wealth and honor and life Proverbs
(14:38):
twenty two. And it is the fountain of life Proverbs
fourteen twenty seven. Those who fear the Lord have a
secure fortress and a refuge for their children Proverbs fourteen
twenty six. They're blessed Proverbs twenty eight, Psalm one twelve,
Psalm one twenty eight, Psalm one twenty eight four. There
(15:00):
they are to be praised Proverbs thirty one. Those who
fear the Lord lack nothing Psalm thirty four nine. They
grow in their hatred for evil Proverbs eight thirteen. And
they walk in uprightness Proverbs fourteen two. To those who
fear the Lord, God does particular things. He confides in
(15:21):
them Psalm twenty five fourteen. Think about that for a
moment God confides in them. He makes his covenant known
to them Psalm twenty five. He has his eyes uniquely
on them Psalm thirty three. He has compassion on them
(15:44):
Psalm one O. Three. He loves them, He sends his
righteousness to them Psalm one O three seven. He delights
in them Psalm one forty seven eleven. He fulfills their
desires Psalm one forty five nineteen. And he makes them
safe Proverbs twenty nine five. Do you fear him? Do
(16:07):
you go through your days acknowledging God in every area
of your life? Or is he more often a passing thought? Friends,
Really pause and think about this. This is the opportunity.
This is a tremendous self reflective opportunity for significant growth
(16:32):
and greater meaning. And of course, we don't just fear
God for the benefits that we get by fearing him.
We fear God because of who he is. Because he
is eternal, because he is righteous, because he's just, because
he is loving, because he is holy, because he is
(16:54):
all powerful, and because he is all knowing, because there
is no beginning and no end to this God. He
is perfect in every single way. God does not estimate,
He doesn't need to estimate. He is precise. God doesn't
(17:16):
need to perceive things. He knows everything, and it's hard
to fear God when we have a really big vision
of ourselves but a very small vision of Him. It's
(17:40):
hard to fear God when we feel self sufficient to
accomplish what we want, or when we feel entitled to
have what we want whenever we want. It's easy to
underestimate this God in the midst of temptation, because when
we ultimately fall prey to that temptation, underestimating Him is
(18:05):
exactly what we do. And it's most certainly easy to
underestimate Him when we simply go through life charting our
own course. And verse fourteen ends with the reason why
fearing God gives meaning in life. Look at it with
(18:27):
me the last verse of this entire book, For God
will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing,
whether good or evil. If you are ready to meet
God right now, or if you are desiring to avoid
Him for the next ten, twenty or thirty years, there
(18:49):
will be one day when we will all stand before
Him face to face, and every thought and every word,
and every deed and every single secret you have will
be brought into His perfect judgment. Throughout the whole book,
this preacher Solomon has been living life under the sun
(19:12):
life without God, And he is saying again and again
and again, is that it is there any meaning to
be found in any of this? And he concludes that
life without God, in the midst of our actions, in
the midst of our desires, in the midst of our pursuits,
if God isn't present there, then it's all meaningless. But
(19:34):
now we come to the conclusion that if there is
a God, and if he is holy, and if he
will judge the world, then all of the sudden everything matters.
Every decision I make has meaning to it. Every action
is an opportunity to display the glory of God, joy
(19:58):
and meaning and all all of you above benefits that
we've read a moment ago in life are found when
I rejoice in Him, when I depend upon Him, when
I trust him, when I enjoy him, when I strive
for him, and when I obey him. The true meaning
in life is found when you fear the Lord. And
(20:23):
because God sees, and because God knows, and because God
will judge, everything now matters. This leads Philip Reichen to
conclude at the final judgment, it will matter how we
(20:45):
used our time, whether we wasted it on foolish pleasures
or worked hard for the Lord. It will matter what
we did with our money, whether we spent it on
ourselves or invested it in the eternal kingdom. It will
matter what we did with our bodies. What our eyes
(21:06):
saw or our hands touched, and what our mouths spoke.
Whether we obeyed our father and mother will matter, and
so will the look that we gave them, and that
little comment we made as we were walking away. What
we did for a two year old will matter, the
(21:27):
way we made time to get down on her level.
What we said about someone else's performance will matter. The
sarcastic remark or the word of genuine praise, the proud
boast and selfless sacrifice will matter. The household task and
(21:48):
the homework assignment will matter. The cup of water, the
tear of compassion, the word of testimony, All of it matters.
The final message of Ecclesiastes is not that nothing matters,
(22:10):
but it's that everything matters. Everything has eternal significance. Everything
is a spiritual endeavor. Every aspect of your life can
either fall in line with God or fall away out
(22:30):
of line with God, and it matters. It has eternal
significance because it is all subject to the perfect judgment
of a righteous and eternal God who sees everything. Your
(22:51):
life is pregnant with meaning every single day, and fearing
God is the way that you experience it the best.
And what matters most is the decision that each one
(23:15):
of us have to make about the Lord Jesus. The
book ends, and it doesn't give us the hope of grace,
but it certainly points us to our need for it,
doesn't it. Because if it's true that I have failed
mightily and I have, and that I'm going to continue
(23:38):
to grow in my fear of the Lord, but I'm
not where I need to be and I believe I will,
then I need to be forgiven at that judgment. I
need a savior for my sins at that judgment. And
the coming of Jesus not only gives us a greater
(24:00):
reason to fear God, because God conquers death, sacrifices himself
and love for you and for me, and he gives
us his perfect righteousness on the day of that judgment.
So we will continue to experience life, meaningful life, not
just that this is all that there is, but that
there is a life that lasts forever into eternity. There's
(24:24):
a life to come a life with God. Jesus saves
us from the vanity of this life and he ushers
us into the eternal life. And so praise God, my friends,
that everything matters. Praise God for his eternal purposes that
(24:50):
are unfolding in your days right now. Praise God for
the life that is come because of His son Jesus.
What a life we have to live. Let's live in
(25:10):
fear of the Lord. Please pray with me, Father, help
us in this to see you more clearly, to never
underestimate or undervalue you in our decision making, shape our
(25:31):
thoughts and our desires. Give us a posture, a fear
that leads to obedience. We pray, we thank you for Jesus.
We thank you for the ministry of your spirit which
empowers us to this very end. And we pray now
(25:51):
that you would grow us as a church family in
this way and as individuals in this way as well.
We love you, Lord a man.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
This is a Better Word. With Pastor Nick Katsky and
a message titled the Disposition of Life, we're learning that
the fear of God isn't about cowering and terror, but
about recognizing something so magnificent and powerful that it re
orders your entire worldview. This message is the final part
of a series called The Meaningful Life. If you missed
(26:27):
any of the series, catch up online at a Better
Word dot org. And you never have to miss a
message when you subscribe to our podcast, available on your
favorite podcasting app. Search for a Better Word with pastor Nick.
Now once again, here's Nick.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
Are you experiencing the transforming power of Christ in your
daily life? Here in a Better Word? Our mission is
to give you all of Christ, in all of Scripture,
for all of life, because there's not a single part
of your life that Jesus cannot reach when you listen
to his word. God's Word is living, in active and
able to transform every part of your life for the
(27:05):
good for those who love God and seek Him. You're
invited to join me here for a Better Word every
day as we dig into God's Word together, verse by
verse to reveal Christ on every page. As you listen,
you won't simply hear messages about familiar Bible passages. We're
(27:25):
not skipping anything, especially the verses that challenge us and
sometimes make us uncomfortable, because that's where the change often happens.
So if you're listening today. It's not by accident. We're
glad you're here and we believe that God is calling
you to a better Word.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
Thanks Nick.
Speaker 3 (27:45):
This program is listener supported. We rely on the generosity
of listeners just like you to keep these messages going
and sharing the gospel. To support us, please go to
a Better Word dot org. That's a Better Word, Awarchie four.
Write to us at a Better Word the O box
number ten, Canfield, Ohio four four four zero six. I'm
(28:10):
Brian Dollan and goding you back next time for more
biblical teaching right here on a Better Word. A Better
Word is a teaching ministry of Old North Church in Canfield, Ohio.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
You will be like God human unity. God was severed
and through it all God's promise remain true.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
Follow me, April and I will make you great.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
This is the Chosen People. Listen to the Chosen People
at the Chosen.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
People dot com.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
That's the Chosen People dot com.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding Proverbs nine ten.
Heavenly Father, it is your wisdom I desire, for it
is the only knowledge worth having. Your wisdom shows me
how to live day to day in this life with
your blessings. As I study your word, I understand how
(00:25):
love works. Coupled with the power you have invested in me.
I begin to understand the wisdom of your ways that
are so much higher than my own. Through the power
of your word, I realize how childish I can act sometimes.
Then I need your instruction in Kingdom principles. When I
(00:46):
honor you and draw near to you, I hear your
heart beat and long to be with you. I will
follow you wherever you lead. I am in this world,
but not of it. I am only passing through on
my way to my eternal home with you in heaven.
You are preparing me for that day when we will
(01:08):
never be parted, and I will know fully the beauty
of your wisdom. I'm humbled by you, Lord, and feel
so ignorant of your ways. Strengthen me to set at
your feet and be instructed by your Holy Spirit that
I might learn what is holy and pleasing in your
(01:29):
sight and the precious name of Jesus. Amen. Thank you
for listening to today's daily prayer for more inspiration and
an incredible message from our feature pastor. Stay tuned to
pray dot COM's Sunday service.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Hey, pray dot Com family, Pastor Nick Gatsky here with
a better word. We all want our lives to matter,
and that goes for teens wondering what career to pursue,
all the way to retirees reflecting on decades of work.
We all want to know what makes life meaningful. King
Solomon asked the same question, and with unlimited resources, he
tried everything discover the secret to the meaningful life. Right
(02:19):
now on a better Word.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Today, on a better Word with Pastor Nick Katsky.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
The true meaning in life is found when you fear
the Lord, and because God sees, and because God knows,
and because God will judge, everything now matters. What are
you afraid of?
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Heikes public speaking, maybe spiders or snakes. Most of our
fears are things we try to overcome, outgrow, or simply
push aside. But today on a Better Word, Nick Gatsky
reveals there's one fear. We need a fear that can
give your life purpose, meaning and longevity. As we wrap
(03:09):
up our series The Meaningful Life, we're discovering why the
ancient writer of Ecclesiastes concludes that people need to fear
God after testing wealth, pleasure, knowledge, and achievement. Solomon's final
words reveal what we were actually created for. It's not
about adding another item to your spiritual to do list.
(03:32):
It's about embracing a perspective that transforms everything. So pastor Nick,
when most people hear fear God, they picture an angry
deity waiting to punish them. How is biblical fear different
than that kind of terror.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Well, biblical fear isn't just a fear of punishment or retribution.
And that's what we think of right when somebodys be
afraid of God, will be afraid of him because he's
stronger than I am, and he's not going to use
that strength in a way. That's just he's going to
take it out on me even if I don't deserve it,
or he won't be gracious to me if I do
(04:09):
deserve it. But biblical fear does include a level of
acknowledgment that yes, God is way bigger and more powerful
than me, and therefore I better pay attention. He's infinitely
more severe than I give him credit for. But beyond that,
it's a level of reverence to say because he is
(04:34):
God and I am not, because he sees everything and
I don't see things clearly, because he knows everything and
I only know a fraction. Because he is infinite and
stands outside a time, and I am finite and live
for a very short amount of time, I should revere
him for who he is, what he does, and what
(04:57):
he calls us to do. And that's a he healthy
sense of biblical fear.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
So in today's message, you mentioned that the fear of
God brings benefits like wisdom and security, even having God
confide in us. For someone who's never experienced that kind
of relationship, how do you even begin.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
You begin by acknowledging that you are not the king
of your own universe, which is hard right, that I
am not on the throne of my life. That is
human problem number one. But when you get to the
place to say, there is somebody greater than me, somebody
(05:35):
who deserves my allegiance, my reverence, my fear, and that
person actually wants the very best for me. Then you
start to get to a place where you can begin
to say, I'm going to grow in understanding who this
person is and how they call me to engage with
(05:57):
them and live in a certain way. And at that
place there actually comes great joy and.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
You have to almost release control, right, and that can
feel scary. What do you say to the person who
finds fear in that?
Speaker 2 (06:12):
I think, welcome to the club. And yet at the
same time, when you realize that you can't control it anyway,
I mean I would say to that person, have you
been able to control it all anyway? Yeah? No, you haven't,
and so why not give over that control to the
one who actually can? So good Thanks Nick.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
Let's turn together to Ecclesiastes, chapter twelve, verses nine to
fourteen to start the conclusion of the disposition of life.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Ecclesiastes comes to an end, and the editor of this
book makes his voice heard. Up until this point we
believe that Ecclesiastes is the direct words of Solomon. But
now there's a little PostScript commenting on the wise words
of Solomon and giving us the summary. And this summary
(07:06):
is found Ecclesiastes twelve, verses nine through fourteen. Follow with
me as we read this morning. This is what it says,
he writes. Besides being wise, the preacher also taught the
people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with
great care. The preacher sought to find words of delight,
(07:29):
and uprightly he wrote words of truth. The words of
the wise are like fixed, are like gods, and like nails.
Firmly fixed are the collected sayings. They are given by
one shepherd, my son. Beware of anything beyond these. Of
(07:50):
making many books, there is no end, and much study
is a weariness of the flesh. The end of the
matter all his been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man. For God
(08:12):
will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing,
whether good or evil. The end of the matter is this,
the editor concludes. This is the big reveal. This is
the takeaway. This is the chief application of twelve chapters
(08:36):
of wisdom. Do you ever become exhausted by trying to
keep up with all of the latest trends in leadership,
or the latest business strategies, or the latest theories about
your health or the next new diet or the latest
self help goals. Last year, seven hundred and sixty nine
(08:59):
million was spent on self improvement audio books. Another eight
hundred million dollars was spent in physical books for self improvement.
One point five billion dollars spent annually for people to
(09:26):
try to gain more wisdom, develop more habits, change your lifestyle,
have some clarity of perception, be self actualized, get healthier,
and stay healthier. And not all of these things are bad.
But there is a warning. The warning is beware of
(09:49):
wisdom that comes from someone other than the one shepherd.
He gives you what you need to have a fulfilling
life and friends that leads us to the end of
the matter. In the pursuit of meaning in this life,
(10:09):
we have seen that Solomon gave himself to self indulgence,
to learning, to money, to sex, to food and to drink,
and to pleasures of every kind. It was all vanity,
he said, fleeting in its nature. It was like a vapor.
Every time he turned to try to find a greater
experience in life, every time he tried to turn to
(10:32):
have greater self actualization, every time he thought pleasure would
do the trick it was like trying to catch the wind.
In the end, it was momentary. Living for the weekend
won't give you a sense of joy and a lasting
sense of meaning. Living for the next great meal, or
the next drink or the next sexual encounter won't do
(10:52):
it either. Your career might be fantastic, and you might
be really, really good at it, but in the end
it will provide you with what you most deeply desire
in life, it too will be vanity, like chasing after
(11:13):
the wind. The end of the matter, all has been heard,
all of the pursuits have been explored. The end of
the matter. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this
(11:36):
is the whole duty of man. Now, to say that
this is the duty of man is interesting if we
translate it from the original Hebrew. It literally says, this
is the whole of man. That is to say, this
is what life is all about. This is what you
(11:58):
were made for. When you are in proper alignment, when
you see things as they truly are, when things are
in your right estimation, the greatest meaning, the greatest fulfillment,
the greatest experience of this life happens when you fear
God and keep his commands and as we've said in
(12:20):
the previous weeks, fearing God is not simply being afraid
of him. It is acknowledging him. It is recognizing him
in your decisions. It's pointing to his proper place as
king of the universe. It's appreciating his severity. Fearing God
(12:47):
is a posture for your life. A posture is the
disposition of your indie visual parts, and when they're considered together,
they carry your body in a certain fashion. If you
(13:11):
bend one of those individual parts out of place, your
posture will be poor. And if you have poor posture
for too long, the other parts are going to begin
to hurt. Fearing the Lord is a posture for your life.
(13:33):
In every action, every thought, every deed, every desire, we
grow to acknowledge Him, to revere him, to follow him,
to love him. And as you do, true powerful meaning
(13:56):
virgins forth for you. There are wonderful benefits for you
in fearing the Lord. When you live your life in
this way, listen to some of the things that the
Bible says. This is just a flavor through psalms and
proverbs about the benefits of fearing the Lord. It says
(14:17):
that the fear of the Lord adds length to your
life Proverbs ten twenty seven. It teaches a person wisdom
Proverbs one and Proverbs nine and Proverbs fifteen. It enables
a person to avoid evil Proverbs three, eight, fourteen, and sixteen.
It leads to life Proverbs nineteen twenty three. The fear
of the Lord brings wealth and honor and life Proverbs
(14:38):
twenty two. And it is the fountain of life Proverbs
fourteen twenty seven. Those who fear the Lord have a
secure fortress and a refuge for their children Proverbs fourteen
twenty six. They're blessed Proverbs twenty eight, Psalm one twelve,
Psalm one twenty eight, Psalm one twenty eight four. There
(15:00):
they are to be praised Proverbs thirty one. Those who
fear the Lord lack nothing Psalm thirty four nine. They
grow in their hatred for evil Proverbs eight thirteen. And
they walk in uprightness Proverbs fourteen two. To those who
fear the Lord, God does particular things. He confides in
(15:21):
them Psalm twenty five fourteen. Think about that for a
moment God confides in them. He makes his covenant known
to them Psalm twenty five. He has his eyes uniquely
on them Psalm thirty three. He has compassion on them
(15:44):
Psalm one O. Three. He loves them, He sends his
righteousness to them Psalm one O three seven. He delights
in them Psalm one forty seven eleven. He fulfills their
desires Psalm one forty five nineteen. And he makes them
safe Proverbs twenty nine five. Do you fear him? Do
(16:07):
you go through your days acknowledging God in every area
of your life? Or is he more often a passing thought? Friends,
Really pause and think about this. This is the opportunity.
This is a tremendous self reflective opportunity for significant growth
(16:32):
and greater meaning. And of course, we don't just fear
God for the benefits that we get by fearing him.
We fear God because of who he is. Because he
is eternal, because he is righteous, because he's just, because
he is loving, because he is holy, because he is
(16:54):
all powerful, and because he is all knowing, because there
is no beginning and no end to this God. He
is perfect in every single way. God does not estimate,
He doesn't need to estimate. He is precise. God doesn't
(17:16):
need to perceive things. He knows everything, and it's hard
to fear God when we have a really big vision
of ourselves but a very small vision of Him. It's
(17:40):
hard to fear God when we feel self sufficient to
accomplish what we want, or when we feel entitled to
have what we want whenever we want. It's easy to
underestimate this God in the midst of temptation, because when
we ultimately fall prey to that temptation, underestimating Him is
(18:05):
exactly what we do. And it's most certainly easy to
underestimate Him when we simply go through life charting our
own course. And verse fourteen ends with the reason why
fearing God gives meaning in life. Look at it with
(18:27):
me the last verse of this entire book, For God
will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing,
whether good or evil. If you are ready to meet
God right now, or if you are desiring to avoid
Him for the next ten, twenty or thirty years, there
(18:49):
will be one day when we will all stand before
Him face to face, and every thought and every word,
and every deed and every single secret you have will
be brought into His perfect judgment. Throughout the whole book,
this preacher Solomon has been living life under the sun
(19:12):
life without God, And he is saying again and again
and again, is that it is there any meaning to
be found in any of this? And he concludes that
life without God, in the midst of our actions, in
the midst of our desires, in the midst of our pursuits,
if God isn't present there, then it's all meaningless. But
(19:34):
now we come to the conclusion that if there is
a God, and if he is holy, and if he
will judge the world, then all of the sudden everything matters.
Every decision I make has meaning to it. Every action
is an opportunity to display the glory of God, joy
(19:58):
and meaning and all all of you above benefits that
we've read a moment ago in life are found when
I rejoice in Him, when I depend upon Him, when
I trust him, when I enjoy him, when I strive
for him, and when I obey him. The true meaning
in life is found when you fear the Lord. And
(20:23):
because God sees, and because God knows, and because God
will judge, everything now matters. This leads Philip Reichen to
conclude at the final judgment, it will matter how we
(20:45):
used our time, whether we wasted it on foolish pleasures
or worked hard for the Lord. It will matter what
we did with our money, whether we spent it on
ourselves or invested it in the eternal kingdom. It will
matter what we did with our bodies. What our eyes
(21:06):
saw or our hands touched, and what our mouths spoke.
Whether we obeyed our father and mother will matter, and
so will the look that we gave them, and that
little comment we made as we were walking away. What
we did for a two year old will matter, the
(21:27):
way we made time to get down on her level.
What we said about someone else's performance will matter. The
sarcastic remark or the word of genuine praise, the proud
boast and selfless sacrifice will matter. The household task and
(21:48):
the homework assignment will matter. The cup of water, the
tear of compassion, the word of testimony, All of it matters.
The final message of Ecclesiastes is not that nothing matters,
(22:10):
but it's that everything matters. Everything has eternal significance. Everything
is a spiritual endeavor. Every aspect of your life can
either fall in line with God or fall away out
(22:30):
of line with God, and it matters. It has eternal
significance because it is all subject to the perfect judgment
of a righteous and eternal God who sees everything. Your
(22:51):
life is pregnant with meaning every single day, and fearing
God is the way that you experience it the best.
And what matters most is the decision that each one
(23:15):
of us have to make about the Lord Jesus. The
book ends, and it doesn't give us the hope of grace,
but it certainly points us to our need for it,
doesn't it. Because if it's true that I have failed
mightily and I have, and that I'm going to continue
(23:38):
to grow in my fear of the Lord, but I'm
not where I need to be and I believe I will,
then I need to be forgiven at that judgment. I
need a savior for my sins at that judgment. And
the coming of Jesus not only gives us a greater
(24:00):
reason to fear God, because God conquers death, sacrifices himself
and love for you and for me, and he gives
us his perfect righteousness on the day of that judgment.
So we will continue to experience life, meaningful life, not
just that this is all that there is, but that
there is a life that lasts forever into eternity. There's
(24:24):
a life to come a life with God. Jesus saves
us from the vanity of this life and he ushers
us into the eternal life. And so praise God, my friends,
that everything matters. Praise God for his eternal purposes that
(24:50):
are unfolding in your days right now. Praise God for
the life that is come because of His son Jesus.
What a life we have to live. Let's live in
(25:10):
fear of the Lord. Please pray with me, Father, help
us in this to see you more clearly, to never
underestimate or undervalue you in our decision making, shape our
(25:31):
thoughts and our desires. Give us a posture, a fear
that leads to obedience. We pray, we thank you for Jesus.
We thank you for the ministry of your spirit which
empowers us to this very end. And we pray now
(25:51):
that you would grow us as a church family in
this way and as individuals in this way as well.
We love you, Lord a man.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
This is a Better Word. With Pastor Nick Katsky and
a message titled the Disposition of Life, we're learning that
the fear of God isn't about cowering and terror, but
about recognizing something so magnificent and powerful that it re
orders your entire worldview. This message is the final part
of a series called The Meaningful Life. If you missed
(26:27):
any of the series, catch up online at a Better
Word dot org. And you never have to miss a
message when you subscribe to our podcast, available on your
favorite podcasting app. Search for a Better Word with pastor Nick.
Now once again, here's Nick.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
Are you experiencing the transforming power of Christ in your
daily life? Here in a Better Word? Our mission is
to give you all of Christ, in all of Scripture,
for all of life, because there's not a single part
of your life that Jesus cannot reach when you listen
to his word. God's Word is living, in active and
able to transform every part of your life for the
(27:05):
good for those who love God and seek Him. You're
invited to join me here for a Better Word every
day as we dig into God's Word together, verse by
verse to reveal Christ on every page. As you listen,
you won't simply hear messages about familiar Bible passages. We're
(27:25):
not skipping anything, especially the verses that challenge us and
sometimes make us uncomfortable, because that's where the change often happens.
So if you're listening today. It's not by accident. We're
glad you're here and we believe that God is calling
you to a better Word.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
Thanks Nick.
Speaker 3 (27:45):
This program is listener supported. We rely on the generosity
of listeners just like you to keep these messages going
and sharing the gospel. To support us, please go to
a Better Word dot org. That's a Better Word, Awarchie four.
Write to us at a Better Word the O box
number ten, Canfield, Ohio four four four zero six. I'm
(28:10):
Brian Dollan and goding you back next time for more
biblical teaching right here on a Better Word. A Better
Word is a teaching ministry of Old North Church in Canfield, Ohio.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
You will be like God human unity. God was severed
and through it all God's promise remain true.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
Follow me, April and I will make you great.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
This is the Chosen People. Listen to the Chosen People
at the Chosen.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
People dot com.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
That's the Chosen People dot com.
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Matthew Potter
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