Phil Auxier's Blog
We’re nearing the end of our short 2018 series on Ecclesiastes at Crestview Bible Church. This series has been challenging to preach. Digesting 12 chapters of Biblical truth into 6 sermons is challenging. But, it’s been a fruitful study for our body. My sermon from 11/11/18 Fear God with Joy (Ecclesiastes 8:1-9:18) is now online. This sermon offered up some incentives to live life fearing God with joy. I hope it encourages you.
This weekend, our church had a focused engagement with Matthew Ellison from Sixteen:Fifteen. He preached Sunday from Acts 13-14 on An Audacious Mission for An Audacious Church. On Saturday, he met with Crestview’s Leadership Pipeline and H2Go Team as we thought about engaging globally. You can follow CBCH2Go on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Be in prayer, too, for God’s global plans through us as a people. I hope it was an encouraging weekend for our body.
My 10/28/18AM sermon, God’s Sovereignty and Life Under the Sun (Ecclesiastes 5:1-7:29), is now online. Dealing with this large of a chunk of Scripture was challenging to prepare for, but it was a fruitful labor to engage in. I think the way the Preacher drives down deep to help us be drawn out to fear God is very moving. I hope you agree. Have a great week.
We are rolling at Crestview Bible Church in our Ecclesiastes. There are lots of things happening in life right now, so I haven’t posted here lately. So far, I’ve completed 3 sermons in the book of Ecclesiastes:
Our Toil Under the Sun – Introduction and Ecclesiastes 1:1-8 (10/7/18)
Investigating Your Toil – Ecclesiastes 1:9-2:26 (10/14/18)
God’s Wisdom for Time and Life – Ecclesiastes 3:1-4:16 (10/21/18)
What a challenging book? I hope it’s bearing fruit in the lives of our people. These are challenging sermons to prepare as I’m trying to move pretty quickly through this book. I’m hoping you benefit as well.
Lord willing, this coming Sunday, October 7, I’ll start a short series on Ecclesiastes at Crestview Bible Church. Following up on what we learned in 1 Peter, how God provides hope for the outcasts, we think about our life in this world with appropriate wisdom. This book will help us get there.
In preparing, I’ve been helped by the twitter feed of Ray Ortlund. Here’s some tweets he made that relate to the entire book of Ecclesiastes. Chew on these slowly as we begin to absorb the message of this book:
@rayortlund Jun 7 2018
Ecclesiastes: You will not live long, but you can live well. You will soon die and be forgotten, with no lasting mark on this world. But in it all, God will be present, showering joyous gifts upon you in the simple experiences of daily life. Enjoy! And get ready to meet Him!
@rayortlund Apr 19 2018
Taking two weeks off of Twitter for a deep dive into Ecclesiastes. A writing commitment beckons. Nixi joins me in bidding you a fond, lingering, achingly heartfelt farewell, y’all.
@rayortlund 8 Nov 2017
If you’ve been defeated by life, you can’t see what’s the point, you’re giving up, good. You’re finally ready for wisdom (Ecclesiastes).
@rayortlund 8 Nov 2017
Our options: 1. Create our own meaning and permanence, and be crushed by reality. 2. Let God give us everything worth having, and enjoy the ride. (Ecclesiastes)
@rayortlund 8 Nov 2017
It is stunning to me how quickly even magnificent people are forgotten after they die. We just don’t last. And we are wise to accept that now (Ecclesiastes).
@rayortlund 13 Jun 2017
According to Ecclesiastes, two things stand out: (1) life is crazy; (2) God is involved. Wisdom is not mastering that, but accepting it.
@rayortlund 7 Jun 2017
Ecclesiastes invites us, out of our frantic, desperate giddiness, back into honesty, simplicity, gratitude, joy, serious thought, God.
@rayortlund 7 Jun 2017
If we try to make this life ultimate, we go crazy with rage. If we accept this life humbly, trusting in God, we become wise (Ecclesiastes).
@rayortlund 7 Jun 2017
Ecclesiastes: The good things of this life pass away. But momentary enjoyment is still right, if received gratefully from the hand of God.
@rayortlund 7 Jun 2017
An experience does not have to be infinite, eternal and final to be good. It can be limited and temporary and still good (Ecclesiastes).
@rayortlund 12 May 2017
Ecclesiastes strikes us as pessimistic only because our false idealism dies so hard. But if we’ve been shattered by life, it’s delightful.
@rayortlund 10 May 2017
Our significance isn’t in our achievements but in God who gave us our achievements. They can’t tell us we matter; he does (Ecclesiastes).
@rayortlund 1 May 2017
Another reason I love Ecclesiastes: it isn’t “religious.” No flowery evasions, no pious negativity. I hate religion, I love life.
@rayortlund 29 Apr 2017
I think I could be a Christian without the book of Ecclesiastes. But I’d be less realistic and honest with myself. Grateful.
@rayortlund 29 Apr 2017
Ecclesiastes is saying, “Stop hoping this life will be The Ultimate Human Experience. It cannot be. But it’s still good. Roll with it.”
@rayortlund 29 Apr 2017
The book of Ecclesiastes proves that it’s possible to be disgusted and disillusioned with this world and still trust God and enjoy life.
@rayortlund 28 Apr 2017
Ecclesiastes frees us from two opposite errors: joyless, unsmiling grimness; and glib, giggly shallowness. We mature, and we laugh!
@rayortlund 28 Apr 2017
Ecclesiastes doesn’t destroy faith. It destroys misplaced faith, foolish idealism that tries to make the impossible succeed. This world!
@rayortlund 28 Apr 2017
Ecclesiastes takes an honest, unsparing look at the hard questions we ask, and it doesn’t blow us off with shallow answers. I love that.
@rayortlund 28 Apr 2017
If you want to understand what is happening is this world everywhere you look, absolutely everywhere, you’ll find it in Ecclesiastes.
@rayortlund 28 Apr 2017
If the book of Ecclesiastes suddenly disappeared, we would lose laser-clarity about our heartaches and God’s goodness. Huge loss.
@rayortlund 28 Apr 2017
More literal translations are to be preferred: NIV’s “Meaningless” versus ESV’s “Vanity” in Ecclesiastes. Vain, yes; meaningless, no.
@rayortlund 22 Apr 2017
Ecclesiastes teaches us an aspect of wisdom we don’t want: deeply accepting the frustrations in this life that refuse to yield to us.
@rayortlund 21 Apr 2017
Ecclesiastes relocates me. It moves me from unrealistic expectations to a simple, humble enjoyment of life as it really is. Grateful.
@rayortlund 21 Apr 2017
If we saw life with the eyes of Ecclesiastes, we’d be more tolerant of weakness and patient with failure. Just the way life is.
@rayortlund 21 Apr 2017
One reason for the angry frustration in our world: We aren’t reading Ecclesiastes. We keep expecting everyone to be smart, reasonable.
@rayortlund 21 Apr 2017
We don’t need grandiosity, mythology, self-exaltation. We need realism, humility. We need Jesus in Ecclesiastes. His peace awaits us.
@rayortlund 21 Apr 2017
I love the book of Ecclesiastes. Yes, it’s sobering and humbling. But in that very way it’s also freeing and relaxing. I’m better off.
@rayortlund 21 Apr 2017
The rowdy exuberance of the Psalms and the meditative tenderness of Ecclesiastes are fully compatible. Both belong in the Christian mind.
@rayortlund 21 Apr 2017
The book of Ecclesiastes forms the rocks against which the winds of reality blow our ships of grandiosity. How else can we be rescued?
@rayortlund 21 Apr 2017
Job: wisdom for suffering. Proverbs: wisdom for success. Ecclesiastes: wisdom for mortality. Song of Songs: wisdom for sexuality.
@rayortlund 20 Apr 2017
We think, “When X happens, I’ll finally arrive.” But what if X does happen? It will let you down. Ecclesiastes warns us. But it’s okay.
@rayortlund 19 Apr 2017
Grateful for the honest realism of Ecclesiastes, without which the Bible might seem incomplete. But not a book of cynicism. Far from it.
@rayortlund 21 Apr 2016
We cannot buy our way out of futility, laugh our way out, think our way out, accomplish our way out (Ecclesiastes). But we can look to God.
@rayortlund 1 Jun 2015
What makes our lives worthwhile is not our impact on the world, which is fleeting, but our origin in God, who is good (Ecclesiastes).
@rayortlund 15 Oct 2014
I saw the Beatles, live, in concert. It was amazing. And I still needed salvation in Jesus. (Ecclesiastes)
@rayortlund 25 Sep 2013
Ecclesiastes teaches us to value our work not for its outcome (vanity) but for its source (God). Thus, gratitude.
@rayortlund 13 Jul 2013
Grateful for Ecclesiastes. Full of wise reflection, clear-eyed honesty, modest but effective remedies. Gospel preparation.
@rayortlund 9 Jul 2013
Proverbs articulates the “ground rules” of wisdom. Job and Ecclesiastes present the exceptions. We need both.
My 9/30/18AM sermon, Suffering Leads to Glory for the Church from 1 Peter 5:5-11, is now online. On top of wrapping up the book of 1 Peter, this sermon helped give clarification and application for what we do with the book itself. God is moving His people to glory, even if it takes bringing them through suffering. And, these movements include: embracing humility, stepping into spiritual alertness, and anticipating glory. It’s all active and calling for us to follow Jesus. I hope this sermon encourages you.
My friend Thad Bergmeier preached for me on 9/23. I asked him to do some training on evangelism during the Sunday School hour. He did some My Circle Training, which is a simple method for intentional Gospel engagement.
During the AM sermon, Thad preached 1 Corinthians 10:23-31 on Glorifying God in Your Life. I appreciated the application for how we need to think intentionally about engaging our unbelieving friends.
My 9/16/18AM sermon, Suffering Leads to Glory for Elders (1 Peter 5:1-4), is now online. This sermon got at the work that elders do. They share in the sufferings of Christ. They also shepherd out of the example of Christ Himself. And, for those who are faithful, they can anticipate being honored with glory. So, there are high stakes for the church in these verses. I hope it encourages you.
In the month of September at Crestview, we’re teaching the song Living Hope by Phil Wickham. Here are the details:
My 9/9/18AM sermon, Suffering Leads To Glory from 1 Peter 4:12-19, is now online. This sermon introduced (and dug in) to this big final section of the book of 1 Peter. And, the theme of this big final section is about suffering leading to glory. This sermon dug in to the reality of suffering and what God might be up to in the midst of it. I hope it encourages you.