EVERYTHING IS MEANINGLESS

Ecclesiastes sits on the proverbial shelf of a literary genre called wisdom literature. Written by King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, this book strikes a tone that shocks most readers. Why? Because it’s downright pessimistic. Solomon just seems sad. So, let’s dissect the seemingly pessimistic journal entries of King Solomon as we embark on our pursuit of happiness. In the first entry, we will see two equations to help us unlock life’s grand design: Everything = Meaningless & Eternity = Meaning.
Start Lesson
EVERYTHING IS MEANINGLESS

Venue



Downloads


About

FMR develops youth ministry curriculum that is free to all local churches. Each monthly release includes a sermon series, small group guides, and supporting graphics packs that are original, practical, and ready to use.

Small Group Instructions

Introduction

• Stride by stride, every person on the face of the earth is chasing something. They are either pursuing acclaim, success, satisfaction, fulfillment, the perfect vacation, or just their idea of the perfect family in a photo frame.

• While all of those goals seem drastically different, they remain the same at the core.

• Everyone is pursuing happiness.

• We share the pursuit, but how do we get to where we are going?

• Fortunately for us, the ancient wisdom book of Ecclesiastes offers profound guidance for our pursuit of happiness.

• We all want to be happy, don’t we? That desire dwells deep down in our hearts. Looking at modern society, you’d think we were all relatively happy.

• Endless entertainment is at our fingertips. World wealth is at an all time high. Fifteen thousand self-help books are published every single year. Robots will vacuum your house for you and then return to their little home in your kitchen (unless they get stuck on the stairs).

• However, while life seems to be getting easier, people are not getting happier.

• Sociologist Gregg Easterbrook explained, “The percentage of people who describe themselves as “happy” has not budged since the 1950s, though the typical person’s real income more than doubled through that period. Happiness has not increased in Japan or Western Europe in the past half-century.” The modern world was built on the foundation of people’s collective pursuit of happiness. While we may have assumed that’s what we were accomplishing, culture has clearly missed the mark.

• So, as we launch into our study on Ecclesiastes, please ask yourself this crucial question.

• What are you currently pursuing to make you happy?

• What is that thing you think is the key to the happiness locked away in your heart? Is it success, a new job, a relationship, a trimmer physique, a different city, or a trophy on your shelf?

• Whatever came to mind, please write it down and keep it in mind as we journey through Solomon’s wisdom together.

ILLUSTRATION

• For Vincent van Gogh, a painter from the 19th century, the answer came easily. Vince wanted to be a famous painter more than anything. Creative energy seeped from his core, and he dreamt of nothing more than making art his life’s work. So, what did he do? He painted...a lot. He was a true prodigy, and his talent was unmatched and unmistakable. However, his creations went largely unnoticed. With paint-covered hands, he clasped his face as he dealt with debilitating letdown and financial meltdown.

• He poured his heart and soul into his paintings, hoping they would gain some glimpse of recognition, but it never came. His art didn’t hang in local coffee shops. No gallery owners called him back. The guy couldn’t even get a job painting a mural for a local preschool. Towards the end of his life, he concluded, “The sadness will last forever.”

• Tragically, Van Gogh passed away in his mid-thirties after a dreadful battle with depression. He didn’t sell a single painting in his lifetime. After his death, everything shifted, though. His art gained the recognition it deserved, and he is now a household name. To this day, Vincent van Gogh is considered one of the few true master painters. His masterpieces are displayed at many of the world’s most exclusive museums, with appraisals that would make your head spin.

• Van Gogh’s impact is unquestionable, but he spent his entire life searching and striving for everything to click and make sense. It never did, though.

• He meticulously pursued his painting but never saw the success, fame, and fortune he deserved. His story should serve as a warning.

•We must attach meaning to something much larger than ourselves.

• Ecclesiastes forces us to wrestle with a pressing question—what is the meaning of life?

• Ecclesiastes sits on the proverbial shelf of a literary genre called wisdom literature.

• Written by King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, this book strikes a tone that shocks most readers. Why?

• Because it’s downright pessimistic. Solomon just seems sad.

• So, let’s dissect the seemingly pessimistic journal entries of King Solomon as we embark on our pursuit of happiness.

Bible Study

• While math is not my thing, we will write out some non-numerical equations from Ecclesiastes designed to help us solve life’s meaning as we work through this study.

• Honestly, the first set of equations may seem the most perplexing.

• As we dig in, you will begin to see an extraordinary message emerge from these two head-scratching equations.

Application

Everything = Meaningless

• Look at the opening line of the book. Why are you being so harsh, King Solomon?

• Dial it in, buddy. People are doing their best; why would you call their lives meaningless like that?

• You may think this is just for the shock factor, but it’s actually definitive of Solomon’s core message. He surveyed Israel’s people toiling in the sun, building their own little lives, and ultimately getting nowhere.

• It’s as if everyone was running on a treadmill while happiness taunted them from the other side of the gym.

• By our culture’s standards, Solomon should be the happiest person in history. His wealth was staggering. Modest estimates suggest that Solomon’s wealth would rack up to nearly $12 billion today.

• Money. Chariots. Friends. Parties. Expensive art. Fine meals. Designer sandals. Solomon had it all, but he still concluded that everything “under the sun” proves to be meaningless and repetitious.

• I imagine Solomon peaked out his window to survey his exquisite estate just to conclude, “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes1:2).

• Solomon drives it home when he expounds on the repetition of creation. Look at his bleak description. He explains that the sun sets and rises while the tides move in and out. It’s an inescapable cycle.

• Do you ever feel like your life looks like that?

• You go to school, then come back home just to do it again and again.

• You feel like your routines are like the tides and your responsibilities are like the sunrise.

• It’s just the same mundane, humdrum sequence every single day.

• How do we escape it? How do we get off the treadmill?

• We achieve this when we attach meaning to the mundane.

Eternity = Meaning

ILLUSTRATION: Light a candle then blow it out, showing how quickly the smoke disappears into the air.

• The Hebrew word for “meaningless” is hebel, which loosely translates as “vapor or breath.”

• Think of when you exhale a deep breath in the middle of winter and a cloud of vapor pours from your lungs. It’s there for a moment; then it vanishes.

• You can see it and perceive it, but it’s not lasting. It’s there for a moment; then it’s gone. This is why understanding biblical language is so helpful.

• Solomon’s strategic use of Hebel reveals his core argument.

• Everything is meaningless because it’s not eternal.

• Your job won’t last forever.

• Your car will break down eventually.

• Your wealth will run out one day.

• Not to be morbid, but your loved ones will eventually have funerals.

• Everything is temporary.

• It’s just a vapor that’s here for a moment, then vanishes into thin air.

• A random, reoccurring prepositional phrase is the guide map to escaping

Solomon’s confusing maze of meaning in Ecclesiastes. Twenty-seven times, he points out that we are living “under the sun.”

• This is not just a weather update for the sunny deserts of Israel. “Under the sun” is the context of his conclusion.

• The wise king wants you to understand that everything under the sun is meaningless because it’s all temporary.

• All physical creation has a shelf life.

• You discover meaning when you attach an eternal mindset to your everyday monotony.

• The world in front of you is only a snapshot of ultimate reality. The spiritual world, heaven, and God’s Kingdom make our vast universe look like a molehill next to Mount Everest.

• Live your life with that in mind, and you will discover meaning.

• Rev. Rick Warren explained, “Without God, life has no purpose, and without purpose, life has no meaning. Without meaning, life has no significance or hope.”

• Life by itself has no meaning. Life, in service to God, is full of meaning.

• That’s your source of significance.

• That’s your source of significance. Your physical life may be a fleeting vapor, but your soul is eternal.

• Wake up every day with that mindset, and your life will radically change.

Landing:

• Everything may be meaningless, but you can also use everything to bring glory to God and bring it meaning.

• We make meaning when we magnify God amid the monotony of life.

Small Group

TALK IT OUT 

Go through these questions with your circle. Be honest. Be open. Talk through the tough stuff.

Ice Breaker: Go around your circle and share this week’s highs and lows. What was the best part of your week and the lowest part of your week?

Q1: Do you have a favorite painting? What makes it your favorite?

Q2: What stuck out to you from today’s message?

Q3: “We are all in pursuit of happiness.” What are some things people think will make them happier?

Q4: “Without God, life has no purpose, and without purpose, life has no meaning. Without meaning, life has no significance or hope.” What does this quote mean to you? How can we ensure we live a life of significance?

Q5: What are some ways you can attach eternal meaning to your temporary life?

Application: Simply ask yourself, “What are you currently pursuing to make you happy? What is that thing you think is the key to the happiness locked away in your heart?” Be brutally honest with yourself, then write down your answer and pray for God to help you change that.

Reading Plan

READING PLAN

READ THESE PASSAGES IN ORDER EVERY DAY

Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

Ecclesiastes 1:12-18

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

Ecclesiastes 2:12-26

Ecclesiastes 3:1-14

Ecclesiastes 3:15-22

Ecclesiastes 4:1-12

Do the following with each passage: 

ASK– God to connect with you here. In prayer, start by slowing down and inviting God to be present. Begin with focus and openness to see what God has for you today.

READ– the selected section of Scripture slowly. Take note of the words and phrases that intrigue you, reading them a second time if necessary.

REFLECT– on what grabs you. How does this passage personally relate to your own life and experiences?

RESPOND– to the Scripture. Speak directly to God about what’s on your mind and heart. Look for ways to live out what you’ve uncovered.

EVERYTHING IS MEANINGLESS Instructions

Introduction

• Stride by stride, every person on the face of the earth is chasing something. They are either pursuing acclaim, success, satisfaction, fulfillment, the perfect vacation, or just their idea of the perfect family in a photo frame.

• While all of those goals seem drastically different, they remain the same at the core.

• Everyone is pursuing happiness.

• We share the pursuit, but how do we get to where we are going?

• Fortunately for us, the ancient wisdom book of Ecclesiastes offers profound guidance for our pursuit of happiness.

• We all want to be happy, don’t we? That desire dwells deep down in our hearts. Looking at modern society, you’d think we were all relatively happy.

• Endless entertainment is at our fingertips. World wealth is at an all time high. Fifteen thousand self-help books are published every single year. Robots will vacuum your house for you and then return to their little home in your kitchen (unless they get stuck on the stairs).

• However, while life seems to be getting easier, people are not getting happier.

• Sociologist Gregg Easterbrook explained, “The percentage of people who describe themselves as “happy” has not budged since the 1950s, though the typical person’s real income more than doubled through that period. Happiness has not increased in Japan or Western Europe in the past half-century.” The modern world was built on the foundation of people’s collective pursuit of happiness. While we may have assumed that’s what we were accomplishing, culture has clearly missed the mark.

• So, as we launch into our study on Ecclesiastes, please ask yourself this crucial question.

• What are you currently pursuing to make you happy?

• What is that thing you think is the key to the happiness locked away in your heart? Is it success, a new job, a relationship, a trimmer physique, a different city, or a trophy on your shelf?

• Whatever came to mind, please write it down and keep it in mind as we journey through Solomon’s wisdom together.

ILLUSTRATION

• For Vincent van Gogh, a painter from the 19th century, the answer came easily. Vince wanted to be a famous painter more than anything. Creative energy seeped from his core, and he dreamt of nothing more than making art his life’s work. So, what did he do? He painted...a lot. He was a true prodigy, and his talent was unmatched and unmistakable. However, his creations went largely unnoticed. With paint-covered hands, he clasped his face as he dealt with debilitating letdown and financial meltdown.

• He poured his heart and soul into his paintings, hoping they would gain some glimpse of recognition, but it never came. His art didn’t hang in local coffee shops. No gallery owners called him back. The guy couldn’t even get a job painting a mural for a local preschool. Towards the end of his life, he concluded, “The sadness will last forever.”

• Tragically, Van Gogh passed away in his mid-thirties after a dreadful battle with depression. He didn’t sell a single painting in his lifetime. After his death, everything shifted, though. His art gained the recognition it deserved, and he is now a household name. To this day, Vincent van Gogh is considered one of the few true master painters. His masterpieces are displayed at many of the world’s most exclusive museums, with appraisals that would make your head spin.

• Van Gogh’s impact is unquestionable, but he spent his entire life searching and striving for everything to click and make sense. It never did, though.

• He meticulously pursued his painting but never saw the success, fame, and fortune he deserved. His story should serve as a warning.

•We must attach meaning to something much larger than ourselves.

• Ecclesiastes forces us to wrestle with a pressing question—what is the meaning of life?

• Ecclesiastes sits on the proverbial shelf of a literary genre called wisdom literature.

• Written by King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, this book strikes a tone that shocks most readers. Why?

• Because it’s downright pessimistic. Solomon just seems sad.

• So, let’s dissect the seemingly pessimistic journal entries of King Solomon as we embark on our pursuit of happiness.

Bible Study

• While math is not my thing, we will write out some non-numerical equations from Ecclesiastes designed to help us solve life’s meaning as we work through this study.

• Honestly, the first set of equations may seem the most perplexing.

• As we dig in, you will begin to see an extraordinary message emerge from these two head-scratching equations.

Application

Everything = Meaningless

• Look at the opening line of the book. Why are you being so harsh, King Solomon?

• Dial it in, buddy. People are doing their best; why would you call their lives meaningless like that?

• You may think this is just for the shock factor, but it’s actually definitive of Solomon’s core message. He surveyed Israel’s people toiling in the sun, building their own little lives, and ultimately getting nowhere.

• It’s as if everyone was running on a treadmill while happiness taunted them from the other side of the gym.

• By our culture’s standards, Solomon should be the happiest person in history. His wealth was staggering. Modest estimates suggest that Solomon’s wealth would rack up to nearly $12 billion today.

• Money. Chariots. Friends. Parties. Expensive art. Fine meals. Designer sandals. Solomon had it all, but he still concluded that everything “under the sun” proves to be meaningless and repetitious.

• I imagine Solomon peaked out his window to survey his exquisite estate just to conclude, “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes1:2).

• Solomon drives it home when he expounds on the repetition of creation. Look at his bleak description. He explains that the sun sets and rises while the tides move in and out. It’s an inescapable cycle.

• Do you ever feel like your life looks like that?

• You go to school, then come back home just to do it again and again.

• You feel like your routines are like the tides and your responsibilities are like the sunrise.

• It’s just the same mundane, humdrum sequence every single day.

• How do we escape it? How do we get off the treadmill?

• We achieve this when we attach meaning to the mundane.

Eternity = Meaning

ILLUSTRATION: Light a candle then blow it out, showing how quickly the smoke disappears into the air.

• The Hebrew word for “meaningless” is hebel, which loosely translates as “vapor or breath.”

• Think of when you exhale a deep breath in the middle of winter and a cloud of vapor pours from your lungs. It’s there for a moment; then it vanishes.

• You can see it and perceive it, but it’s not lasting. It’s there for a moment; then it’s gone. This is why understanding biblical language is so helpful.

• Solomon’s strategic use of Hebel reveals his core argument.

• Everything is meaningless because it’s not eternal.

• Your job won’t last forever.

• Your car will break down eventually.

• Your wealth will run out one day.

• Not to be morbid, but your loved ones will eventually have funerals.

• Everything is temporary.

• It’s just a vapor that’s here for a moment, then vanishes into thin air.

• A random, reoccurring prepositional phrase is the guide map to escaping

Solomon’s confusing maze of meaning in Ecclesiastes. Twenty-seven times, he points out that we are living “under the sun.”

• This is not just a weather update for the sunny deserts of Israel. “Under the sun” is the context of his conclusion.

• The wise king wants you to understand that everything under the sun is meaningless because it’s all temporary.

• All physical creation has a shelf life.

• You discover meaning when you attach an eternal mindset to your everyday monotony.

• The world in front of you is only a snapshot of ultimate reality. The spiritual world, heaven, and God’s Kingdom make our vast universe look like a molehill next to Mount Everest.

• Live your life with that in mind, and you will discover meaning.

• Rev. Rick Warren explained, “Without God, life has no purpose, and without purpose, life has no meaning. Without meaning, life has no significance or hope.”

• Life by itself has no meaning. Life, in service to God, is full of meaning.

• That’s your source of significance.

• That’s your source of significance. Your physical life may be a fleeting vapor, but your soul is eternal.

• Wake up every day with that mindset, and your life will radically change.

Landing:

• Everything may be meaningless, but you can also use everything to bring glory to God and bring it meaning.

• We make meaning when we magnify God amid the monotony of life.

Small Group

TALK IT OUT 

Go through these questions with your circle. Be honest. Be open. Talk through the tough stuff.

Ice Breaker: Go around your circle and share this week’s highs and lows. What was the best part of your week and the lowest part of your week?

Q1: Do you have a favorite painting? What makes it your favorite?

Q2: What stuck out to you from today’s message?

Q3: “We are all in pursuit of happiness.” What are some things people think will make them happier?

Q4: “Without God, life has no purpose, and without purpose, life has no meaning. Without meaning, life has no significance or hope.” What does this quote mean to you? How can we ensure we live a life of significance?

Q5: What are some ways you can attach eternal meaning to your temporary life?

Application: Simply ask yourself, “What are you currently pursuing to make you happy? What is that thing you think is the key to the happiness locked away in your heart?” Be brutally honest with yourself, then write down your answer and pray for God to help you change that.

Reading Plan

READING PLAN

READ THESE PASSAGES IN ORDER EVERY DAY

Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

Ecclesiastes 1:12-18

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

Ecclesiastes 2:12-26

Ecclesiastes 3:1-14

Ecclesiastes 3:15-22

Ecclesiastes 4:1-12

Do the following with each passage: 

ASK– God to connect with you here. In prayer, start by slowing down and inviting God to be present. Begin with focus and openness to see what God has for you today.

READ– the selected section of Scripture slowly. Take note of the words and phrases that intrigue you, reading them a second time if necessary.

REFLECT– on what grabs you. How does this passage personally relate to your own life and experiences?

RESPOND– to the Scripture. Speak directly to God about what’s on your mind and heart. Look for ways to live out what you’ve uncovered.