So take your Bible and go to Ecclesiastes chapter 5. Ecclesiastes chapter 5. We'll read the first eight verses here in this chapter. Ecclesiastes 5 beginning with verse 1. Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God. and be more ready to hear than to give the sacrifice to fools. For they consider not that they do evil. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God. For God is in heaven, and thou upon earth. Therefore, let thy words be few. For a dream cometh through the multitude of busyness, and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words. When thou vowest to bow unto God, defer not to pay it, for he hath no pleasure in fools. Pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldst not vow than that thou shouldst vow not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin, neither say thou before the angel that it was an error Wherefore should God be angry at thy voice and destroy the work of thine hands? For in the multitude of dreams and many words, there are also divers vanities. But fear thou God. If thou seest the oppression of the poor and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter. For he that is higher than the highest regardeth, and there be higher than they. Life at times can come at us pretty fast. You've probably noticed that. in the fall months, it seems like our busyness at the church increases as we have these special events and special days. And it seems like we're ramping up even as we come through open house into Thanksgiving and missions conference and Christmas and all these things. And that's just this side of things in the ministry. And then You have your daily lives and your work life and all of these things with your family. And sometimes life can come at you pretty fast. We oftentimes say, or we kind of describe our life like a plate. And we might say, I just got a lot on my plate right now. Have you ever said that? Man, I just, I got so much on my plate and not sure where to even begin. Sometimes people ask us to do something and we might say, man, I, wow, I just don't know if I can fit anything more into my schedule. I'm not sure that I can handle anything more. My plate is full. And we come to times in our life where it just feels like life is coming too fast. And we find ourselves frustrated because we have a hard time handling it. Sometimes our life kind of looks like this. Here's our plate and here's life It's like okay, I Know all this is supposed to mean something And I know all this is supposed to fit together somehow that's what the box says I'm supposed to be able to make something out of all this but Where do I start? Where do I begin? If I pick up that piece, I'm going to have to remove that piece. And that's not going to fit with this. And what do I do? And life can seem like it's just coming so fast that we can get very frustrated. We can kind of lose hope that we can get it all done. We know that in all of these things that God brings to us, there is a reason for it. Whether it's something good or whether it's a trial or a difficulty, we know that all things work together for good. There's something that God wants to make of this mess, but we're not sure where to begin. We sometimes look at life and we're kind of confused as to which piece to pick up first. We know that There's something that God wants us to do, but we're not sure exactly what that is. Does life seem disconnected tonight? Does life seem overly busy, and as a result, somewhat confusing? Maybe even frustrating, and perhaps even hopeless? Well, remember, God has not given us the spirit of fear. but of love and of a sound mind. God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. He tells us to be careful or to be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known unto God, casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you. Now Solomon is the author of the book we are in tonight of Ecclesiastes. And Solomon's life is by no means perfect. We could study his life tonight in just a few minutes and discover that Solomon, though given great wisdom from God, did not always live wisely. He had wisdom. God had entrusted him with wisdom. But in a practical life way, he didn't always live as wisely as he should have. His ill-advised choices at times brought confusion and frustration. He is the one who said, all is vanity. In other words, all is empty. I have all this stuff, and I have all these things, and I have life all around me, but I really don't know what to do with it. I don't know how it connects. Solomon finds himself in a dilemma of perhaps hopelessness or even fear, and he wonders, what is God wanting me to do next? Those choices that Solomon makes unwisely not only affect him personally, but affect, of course, the people that he's leading as well. So God uses this man, Solomon, though not a perfect man, to write this book from a perspective of someone who had certainly a lot of things on his plate, a lot of things that came his way, some by choice, some by God's divine grace, but God uses Solomon to give us three challenges to our thoughts as we go through perhaps a busy time. As life begins to hit us hard, and family pulls one direction, and church pulls another direction, and work has demands, and, oh, I've got to get the oil changed on my car, and I need gas tonight before I get home, and we haven't eaten supper yet. And, you know, life begins to get difficult. So Solomon, by way of the Holy Spirit, gives us three challenges to our thinking. First of all, we see a worship veracity. A worship veracity. Notice verse one here in our chapter. He says, keep thy foot when thou goest into the house of God. You know, one of the best things we can do when life is a little bit fast paced and when life seems a little bit confusing and when we don't have all the answers, one of the best places we can go is to church. And I'm thankful you're here tonight because even a song, a prayer, a missionary report, a verse of Scripture can begin to bring clarity to our minds and our hearts. One of the best things we can do when life becomes a little bit confusing and a little bit uncertain is getting to the house of God, getting to our Bible in the morning, getting to that prayer closet, and getting with God. And so he says, keep thy foot when thou goest into the house of God. He's directing us back to God. Often in the midst of confusion and frustration, we look everywhere and to everyone but God. We get so frazzled and we get so distracted with the things of life that we push God aside and we say, well, I'll get to that later. I've just got too much going on right now. I don't know how many times over the years I've heard people say to their pastor, pastor, I would be in church tonight, but I just got a lot going on right now. And I'm thinking, boy, that's the time to go to church when you got a lot going on. Because it's in the house of God, it's under the word of God, it's in the presence of God that God begins to bring order, and he begins to bring some clarity to our life. So we must not keep our foot out of church, for we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more, as you see the day approaching. But notice here, he says, keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God. We must not come to church haphazardly. We must not come to church simply out of duty or formality. I speak tonight to the Wednesday night crowd. We're here every week, right? You're sitting in the same seat you sat in last Wednesday night and 10 years before last Wednesday night. You're still there and you're being faithful. There's something wonderful about that, but it can become a routine. It's Wednesday night, you go to church. And it can become just a routine. It can become just a formality. It can become a duty. And so he's instructing us here to keep thy foot when thou comest into the house of God. In other words, this word keep here has the idea of an intentionality, a purpose to guard our steps with proper intent. as we must keep our heart with all diligence. Solomon is instructing us here to keep our foot with diligence, as he wrote in Proverbs four and verse 26, ponder the path of thy feet and let all thy ways be established. So our worship, as we come to the house of God, must have a purposeful approach. We must come with a purpose, a purposeful approach. Keep thy foot with all diligence. Keep thy foot with a purpose as you come into church. But not just a purposeful approach, but a passionate attention. Isn't it amazing what can come into your mind during church? Just imagine if, right now, we could flash on these screens every thought of every person in this room. That'd be scary. That might cause some of us to walk out. Now, I don't think anybody's thinking bad thoughts. In other words, you're not thinking, yeah, when this is over, I'm killing Brother Downey. I hate that guy. I'm going to shoot him in the parking lot. I don't think up there be somebody's planning to murder Brother Downey. I don't think those thoughts would flash on the screen, but it's easy even in church to think about a whole bunch of stuff, isn't it? Think about tomorrow, and think about what we need to do yet tonight, and we gotta get the kids this, and we gotta pack the lunches, and tomorrow's gonna be a busy day, and I gotta get gas, and oh boy, I got a doctor's appointment Friday, and I gotta get ready for that, and oh, I gotta pay that bill, I forgot about that, boy, I better do that tonight. And it's easy, even in church, to think on the wrong things. And he says here in verse one that we are to come and be more ready to hear. In other words, a passionate attention. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. In Proverbs 15 and verse 31, the ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise. In James 1 and verse 19, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak. Slow to wrath. Isn't it amazing that oftentimes when church is over, we can remember what we said at church. I told her, we can remember what ticked us off at church. Can you believe she sang like that? Can you believe he just pulled out in front of me? I mean, by the time we get home, we can think about what we said at church, and we can think about what ticked us off at church, but can we remember anything we heard from God's Word at church? Swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. an intentionality of a passionate attention. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding, for the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She's more precious than rubies, and all the things that thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her left hand, riches and honor in her right hand. She's a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her, and happy is every man that retaineth her." And so we see a worship veracity. Boy, don't just come to church. Don't just come out of habit or routine or because someone will think ill of us if we aren't there. But let's come with an intentionality that God is going to speak to my heart today. So a worship veracity. But then he challenges us about a willful vow. A willful vow. When we hear God's word, what do we do with it? Most of us come to church three, four times a week. We come to the services. We sit in a connection group. We read our Bibles every day. We are saturating ourselves continuously with the word of God. But what do we do with it? James tells us to be doers of the word and not hearers only. So he talks to us now about a willful vow. And he mentions here in verse two a thoughtful decision, a thoughtful decision. Look at verse two. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God. For God is in heaven, and thou upon earth. Therefore let thy words be few. Seest thou man that is hasty in his words? Proverbs 29 tells us. There's more hope for a fool than of him. Decisions ought to be made thoughtfully. Decisions ought to be thought through, not based on a rash reaction or as an emotional decision. We live in an age of emotion. People make decisions today based on their emotion of that moment, oftentimes to later regret that decision. But when we come to the house of God, God's not simply trying to stir our emotions. His word ought to stir our heart to say, you know what? God wants me to obey that truth. And we give thought. Remember, we're responding to God, not simply to man. Decisions for God should be made humbly, should be made soberly, should be made reverently, not with eye service, as men pleasers, but as servants of God, doing the will of God from the heart. I saw something recently that I have thought a great deal about, maybe it will become a sermon, I don't know. But it simply said this, thoughts are words to God. Thoughts are words to God. Now, when you say something to someone after the service tonight, they don't know your thought. They only know what you said. But God knows our thoughts. And so when the Spirit of God speaks to us through the word of God and we have a thought, Lord, I should do that. That's just like saying, God, I'm going to do that. Because God knows the things that come into our mind, every one of them. If our thought is, Lord, I'm not doing that. Lord, I'm not going to tell pastor I'm not going to do it, but I'm not doing that. God knows your thoughts. Your thoughts are words to God. And talk and thoughts are cheap. but our reaction to God's word must include an action. God expects our decisions to be acted upon. When God speaks to our heart, whether we acknowledge that truth in our heart, in our thought, in our mind, or whether we walk an aisle and literally make a decision at an altar, either way, God expects us now to attach an action to that decision, a thoughtful decision. And notice he cautions us about a thievish delay. In verse four, he goes on to say, when thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it, for he hath no pleasure in fools. Pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldst not vow, than that thou shouldst vow not pay. I've said this often over the years, But I believe we could have revival tonight in any church if the people in that church would make one more decision. And I'm not sure we'd ever have to make another decision if we made this one. We could have revival tonight. If we made one more decision, you know what it would be? To keep all the decisions we've already made. How many vows have we made that we haven't paid? We often make decisions today that we don't plan to keep until tomorrow. It's easy to hear the word of God and make a decision. The power of God's truth, it grips our heart, and we say, oh, that's right, and the Bible says it, and I need to do it. And we make a decision, but in the back of our mind, we're saying, I'm gonna do it tomorrow. And tomorrow never comes. Have you noticed that in the Bible, God always speaks in the present tense? Today, if you'll hear his voice, harden not your heart. Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord. Remember now, thy creator, and the days thy youth. Behold, now is the accepted time. Today is the day of salvation. Why? Because we're not to boast ourselves of tomorrow. We know not what a day may bring forth. And so a thievish delay, the devil doesn't care what you do as long as you don't do it today. We could all make great decisions tonight, and the devil doesn't care how many we make, as long as we're not gonna act on it today. But rather decide I'll do that eventually. I'll do that someday. Someday, I'll get into a good Bible reading schedule. Boy, someday, I'm gonna be a soul winner. Someday, I'm gonna go to the mission field. Someday, I'm gonna start giving. A thievish delay. And then he talks about a thin denial in verse number six. He says, suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin. Neither say thou before the angel that it was an error. Wherefore should God be angry at thy voice and destroy the work of thine hands? For in the multitude of dreams and many words, there are also diverse vanities, but fear thou God. It's easy to rationalize away a decision. And God says, be careful. Don't let your mouth tell God something that later your mouth is gonna get your flesh in trouble for because your flesh isn't keeping what your mouth said you were gonna do. Keep your vow. If you're gonna say it, then do it. But it's often easy to crawl off that altar of sacrifices. But remember, our commitments are to God. He says, fear thou God. When you vow a vow, defer not to pay it, and I'm sure Solomon is thinking back to what he had read way back in the book of Numbers chapter 30, where the Bible says, if a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth. Or maybe he was thinking of Deuteronomy 23, and verse 21, where God said, when thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it. For the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee, and it would be a sin unto thee. Remember that New Year's resolution? It's October. Maybe God's saying, pay up. You said this year you were going to. Pay up. You remember last year's missions conference? Remember that little card the last night that we got to tear in half, make that cool sound that pastor so loves? Remember we put something down on there? It's God saying, pay up. Remember when we said, maybe back when The soul, when he'd kick off, came along, he said, yeah, I gotta get in that. I gotta go out. I gotta get a partner. I gotta knock some doors. Pay up. You remember when you told God you'd serve him with your life? Remember when you made that decision at camp as a teenager? And you said, Lord, I surrender. Pay up. There are sins of commission. If I told a lie tonight, that would be a sin of commission. If I stole something, It'd be a sin of commission. But there are sins of omission. There are things that we have told God we will do that we haven't done. And those sins God remembers as well. And so we must make a worship veracity with a willful vow. But then he kind of switches gears and talks about a wasted violence. Now our world tonight doesn't take God very seriously. It's easy to look out in our culture tonight and see that most people are not real interested in spiritual things. Their attention's not on God. It's not really on biblical truth. Most people are living their lives the way they feel or what makes them happy. While they may consider themselves spiritual to a degree, they have no real discipline of their life toward God or toward his word. And so we live in a culture that is even anti-God, a culture that is certainly indifferent toward God. And it's easy for us in this culture in which we live to kind of adapt in our lives to say, well, at least I go to church. At least I call myself a Christian. At least I try and make an attempt to do what's right. But you know, as the world ignores God, it's easy for us to ignore him too when the plate gets a little full. We got all these things we gotta do, it's easy to kinda, God, you're gonna have to wait. "'Cause I got to get to this." And it's easy to get enamored with all the things of our life that are seemingly important, and they are. But God says, seek ye first, God. In all things, he must have the preeminence. And as the world hardens itself toward God, we must be careful to keep our hearts, our lives tender toward God. And so God addresses this change that's taking place perhaps in a culture in verse number eight. And he says, if thou seest the oppression of the poor and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter. For he that is higher than the highest regardeth, and there be higher than they." It seems today we live in a world that has a hostile potentate. It seems that government no longer governs itself. It seems oftentimes to us, looking at it from our vantage point, Oftentimes our secular leaders no longer do what they expect us to do. They don't play by the same rules. And there is a hostileness to how God is treated in our culture because of the leadership that has turned its back upon God. We see people in power around the world. We see leaders of nations. We see leaders of cultures that have disregarded God completely. Someone has said, if you really want to know someone's character, put them in power. Power takes advantage of the disadvantaged. Power often exercises violence to stay in power. And that's what Solomon is addressing here. He's saying, if you see the oppression of the poor, if you see the violent perverting of justice and judgment in a land, oftentimes in a culture that rejects God, a culture that denies the truth of the word of God, a culture that has turned its back on God is gonna be a culture that is oppressive, a culture that turns violent. We don't have to look any further than the Bible to see that in the Pharaoh. or in Nebuchadnezzar, or in King Herod in the New Testament, ordering all the male babies to die. And in our human history, we see men like Nero or Hitler in their time exercising this human oppression, this rule over man. And we look around tonight and we see the dictatorships the ruling class, the powerful and political elite. And by the way, it's as old as life itself. And God says evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. We can't expect just because we vote a certain way that man is really gonna change. Because until a man is saved, nothing changes. So we see a hostile potentate, but notice he reminds us of a higher power. And I want to leave with this encouragement tonight in the latter part of verse eight, because he says, if you see these things, and we're seeing it, there's no sense denying it, we're seeing it all around us. The oppression of the poor, the violent perverting of judgment and justice. But what does God say? When you see it, marvel not at the matter. For he that is higher than the highest regardeth, and there be higher than they. You see, there's someone higher than the president. There's someone higher than the king. There's someone higher than the prime minister. There's someone higher than the dictator. I am Alpha. and Omega. The beginning and the ending. which is, which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. He hath on his vesture a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. There is none holy as the Lord, for there is none beside thee, neither is there any rock like our God. Talk no more so exceeding proudly. Let not arrogancy go out of your mouth, for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him our actions weighed. The bowels of the mighty are broken. They that stumbled are girded with strength. They that were full have hired out themselves for bread, and they that were hungry ceased. For the barren hath born seven, and she that hath many children is waxed feeble. For the Lord killeth and maketh alive. He bringeth down to the grave and bringeth up again. The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich. He bringeth low and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth up the beggar out of the dunghill to set them among princes. that they may inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's. He has set the worlds upon them. There is one higher than they. And one day God has given that one a name that's above every name. And one day every knee shall bow. Every tongue shall confess. Things in heaven, things in earth, things under the earth, that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Oh, we can kick Jesus out of a rally. You don't belong here. Oh, he's there. He's everywhere. He's omnipresent. You can't kick him out of a political party. You can't kick God out of the culture. You can't kick God out of a nation, out of its laws. God is everywhere. Don't kid yourself. Oh, we try to eliminate God through those in rulership. And even in our own life, we try to ignore God and we become indifferent to God. We say, God, I don't have time for you right now. And I'm just busy right now. Oh, he's still there. One day you're gonna acknowledge that he's there. Because one day every person is going to come before Him. Every person is going to stand before Him and give account of himself to God. Everyone will be at that rally. And everyone will stand before the one who is higher than they. And that's the one we want to serve tonight. That's the one we want to hear from. That's the one that when we hear from him, from his word, as we come into the house of God, that when he speaks to us, we not only wanna make a vow, we wanna keep that vow. We wanna live that vow. I challenge you tonight. Do you need to pay up? Have we made a past decision we need to keep? Do we need to make a decision? tonight to serve Him who's above all else.