“Is Life Meaningful or Meaningless?” – a message from Ecclesiastes 1

This past weekend at Eastbrook, I began our new preaching series “The Skeptic’s Guide to Life with God: Ecclesiastes” by preaching a message entitled “Is Life Meaningful or Meaningless?” from Ecclesiastes 1.

You can find the message outline and video below. You can access the entire series here. Join us for weekend worship in-person or remotely via Eastbrook at Home.

---

“I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” (Ecclesiastes 1:14)

Background on Ecclesiastes

The type of literature Ecclesiastes is

The author of Ecclesiastes

The framing of Ecclesiastes

The searching of Ecclesiastes

Is Life Meaningless? (Ecclesiastes 1:2-11)

The meaning of hebel: 

• literally: “vapor” or “breath”
• figuratively: “meaningless,” “empty,” “fleeting,” or “vanity”

A series of considerations of what can seem meaningless or fleeting:

• Toil and the weariness that comes from it
• The rise and fall of generations
• Longing for more (greed)
• Things come and go
• Being forgotten after death 
• Examples of life’s brevity even in nature

Creating or Discovering Meaning (Ecclesiastes 1:12-18)

Searching for knowledge and wisdom can feel meaningless

The difference between creating meaning and discovering meaning

Discovering the One who holds meaning (John 1:1-5)

---

Dig Deeper

This week dig deeper in one or more of the following ways:

• Consider reading through the book of Ecclesiastes in one sitting to get a sense of what the entire flow of the book is about. 
• As we approach this series, what are some of your biggest questions about life, God, and life with God? Maybe you could write them down and discuss them with others.
• Explore some of the following resources:
  • Timothy Keller, Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Skeptical
  • The Bible project Guide to the Book of Ecclesiastes