Okay. King Solomon was a smart man. And then the Lord blessed him with supernatural wisdom in addition. Pastor Greg Laurie says we should heed the man's counsel. The wisest man who ever lived is going to tell you what the sum of the matter is.
Are you ready? Fasten your seatbelt. He said, here's what I've learned. I'm a seasoned pro. I've experienced this all.
You want to live a life that's meaningful, a life that is fulfilling. Number one, fear God. Number two, keep his commandments. This is the day for a new beginning. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.
Can you hear all the angels singing? This is the day, the day will lie in.
So many think their happiest life is down the pathway of money, fame, and pleasure. If that's the case, every TV star, movie star, rock star, and sports star would be ecstatic. Yet hundreds and hundreds have taken their own lives. We're going to hear from the man who said, vanity, vanity, all is vanity. He was the celebrity of celebrities of his day.
Today on a new beginning. Pastor Guy Glory shows us Solomon's lesson for the ages about real contentment. David is at the end of his reign. He's done his job. He's completed the task that God set before him.
Now he gives his final words to his successor.
Solomon, and one day we too will give our final words. David says this in 1 Chronicles 28, verse 9, Solomon, my son. Learn to know the God of your Father intimately. I would underline that. Know the God of your Father intimately.
Worship and serve Him with your whole heart and a willing mind. I guess I'd underline that whole verse. What a beautiful legacy he was leaving his son.
Now, it was Solomon's. to own and run with or to forget. But to make it even better, the Lord Himself now appears to Solomon. And that happened in 1 Kings chapter 3. The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream.
And God said, what do you want? Ask and I'll give it to you.
Solomon replied, Well, Lord, you were wonderfully kind to my father David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you, which is attributed to David. And you've continued this great kindness to him today by giving him a son to succeed him. Lord, you've now made me king. But Solomon says, I'm like a little kid. I don't know what to do.
I don't know how to do it.
So Lord, I'm asking you to give me wisdom. And the Lord said, that was an excellent answer. Because you have asked for wisdom and you've not asked for riches or even a long life or even the death of your enemies, I'm gonna give you what you asked for. I'm gonna give you so much wisdom. That you'll be the wisest man alive.
And not only that, but I'm going to give you riches and honor as well. Oh man, Solomon was set up for success, but somehow he managed to. to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. He had everything going for him. His dad was David.
He was given the kingdom. He was given the throne. God Himself appears to him in a dream and gives him all this wisdom. And what does Solomon do? He immediately starts to compromise.
Because one of the first things he did out of the gate was he married a non-believer. 1 Kings 3 tells us he made an alliance with Pharaoh and married one of his daughters. Before you know it, he's offering sacrifices to her false gods because one thing always leads to another. That's his first compromise. He literally goes into a full-blown Backslide.
He didn't do it overnight. It was just one thing leading to another. He compromised his morality.
So it's not bad enough. He marries this non-believing woman.
Now he has Seven. Hundred wives and three hundred concubines. And so that's a next step he takes down.
Now, that brings us to our next passage: Ecclesiastes.
So I told you to turn there, right? Ecclesiastes 1.
Now Solomon describes what he did. It's almost like he's doing personal research. On sin. It's like Solomon saying, Look, I hear these things are bad. I hear God say they're bad.
But I don't know that. personally. Because I've not experienced it.
So, for the sake of research. I'm going to go and do everything God tells me not to do to find out if He's telling me the truth. That is the stupidest idea of all time. But that's exactly what the wisest man did. That's why I titled this message The Foolish.
Wise men.
So in Ecclesiastes 1:13, Solomon says, I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom. All that is done. Under heaven. He's going to try it all. First he says, Try something noble.
I'll just apply myself to wisdom and knowledge. I will acquire great knowledge.
Well, that's a good pursuit. He says in Ecclesiastes 1:16, he says, Look, I'm wiser than all the kings that ruled in Jerusalem before me. I have greater wisdom and knowledge than any of them. But you know, I worked hard to distinguish wisdom from foolishness, and now I realize that it's like. Chasing the wind, for the greater my wisdom, the greater my grief.
The pursuit of knowledge is not where it's at.
So he literally goes from being a brainiac. to a party animal. Yeah, I'm just gonna party, and they do that a lot in college as well. I'm going to just party like there's no tomorrow. He apparently listened to the Beastie Boys.
You've got to fight for your right to party.
So literally, Solomon says, I'm gonna party now. I'm going to drink. I'm going to get really drunk. I'm going to just seek after pleasure. He says in Ecclesiastes 2.
I said, come on, let's give pleasure a try. Let's look for the good things in life. I found this too was meaningless. It's silly to be laughing all the time. What good does it to seek only pleasure?
How true is that? You ever notice when people drink, they just start laughing? Like a bunch of idiots. They don't even know what they're laughing at. We're going to have a good time.
What happened? We don't know. We were really drunk, but we were having fun, I think.
So we got pulled over for that DUI and that didn't work out so well. Yeah, and then someone shows you a video of yourself, and all your jokes weren't as funny as you thought, and you weren't as clever as you thought, and you're just acting like a stupid drunk. Greg, that's kind of harsh, isn't it? Don't forget I was raised in an alcoholic home. Don't forget, I spent the first 17 years of my life watching drunk adults destroy their life.
And that's one of the reasons I decided I don't want to drink. I don't see anything positive that comes out of it whatsoever. And I've seen alcohol destroy. Christians too. You have the liberty.
Oh, I have the liberty. to drink and one day that liberty starts becoming a problem. And the same issues that non-believers have dealt with, believers are dealing with as well. I've seen ministries destroyed by drinking. I've seen ministers destroyed by drinking.
Solomon says, I tried it. But it was not the right thing. I realized, he says in Ecclesiastes 2:3, I cheered myself with wine while seeking wisdom. I clutched at foolishness, and I realized this too was empty.
Now Sama says, okay, I've tried. acquiring knowledge. I've tried partying and drinking. I was going to build big things, big, massive estates, beautifully landscaped. He had unlimited funds.
I'm going to have private concerts. Ecclesiastes 2, he says, I built big homes for myself, beautiful vineyards, had great sums of silver and gold. I had wonderful singers, both men and women. I had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire.
Then I looked at everything I worked so hard to accomplish. It was all so meaningless. It was like chasing the wind. Wow, what a perfect analogy! Chasing the wind.
It was also empty. He could have anyone do a concert for him. I read recently that you can hire.
Well-known artists who do private performances. The Rolling Stones charged a Texan investor $7 million to play an hour-long set.
So, I mean, you've got unlimited funds. I'm gonna pull out the yacht and we're gonna be out in front of the estate and I'm gonna have a. Top tier rock band or hip-hop back performing.
Solomon had all that and more, and he said it was still so empty. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment. Uh We're thrilled when we hear from listeners that join us from every background and location. Pastor Greg, many years ago when I lived in California and attended Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, you would often preach there. Your sermons were always so wonderful and uplifting.
I've lived in Texas for over 20 years now and have missed hearing your messages. Just over a year ago, I discovered these podcasts and now I listen to them. It keeps my heart filled with God's presence. Thank you so much. Has Pastor Greg heard from you?
If not, would you consider dropping him an email and sharing your story? Send your email to greg at harvest.org. Do it today while you're thinking about it. Again, that's greg at harvest.org. We're following the unfortunate choices Solomon made.
Even the wisest man could be swayed by sin. Pastor Gregg continues his message called The Foolish Wise Man.
So after many wasted years, Solomon finally comes to his senses. And guess what? He came right back to what David told him in the first place. If only he had listened. What a sad thing.
But now he says, don't make the same mistake. I made Ecclesiastes 12:1, he says, Remember the Creator and the days of your youth before the difficult days come. And the years draw near, and you say, I have no pleasure in them. Another translation, don't let the excitement of youth Cause you to forget. Your Creator.
Okay, so he says that it was all empty.
So now Solomon's going to give us his conclusion. The wisest man who ever lived. It's going to tell you what the sum of the matter is. Are you ready? Fasten your seatbelt.
Ecclesiastes 12, 13. Let's hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God and keep his commandments. That is man's all, for God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether it be good or bad. Here's what Solomon is saying: the house of David.
It's been passed on to the Son. He said, Here's what I've learned. I'm a seasoned pro. I've experienced this all. You want to live a life that's meaningful, a life that is fulfilling.
Number one, Fear God. Dear God.
Now, what does it mean to fear God? Does that mean be afraid of God? No. To fear God means to reverence God, just another word for reverence. Respect God.
Be in awe of God. Believe in and trust in God.
So fear, reverence, respect God. Start there. The Bible says the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. One good definition I heard of the fear of God is the wholesome dread of displeasing Him.
So, fear God. Number one, number two, keep his commandments. Ah, yeah, those commandments. They're given for your own protection. They're given for your own good.
They're like. A wall of protection around your life to keep evil out. This is why our nation is unraveling before our very eyes. We have pushed on every God-given boundary. But there for our own protection.
We're trying to Redefine what God has defined, and we're facing the consequences of it. Keep his commandments. How many of you have been to Disneyland? Raise your hand.
Okay, mostly everyone. Remember this ride, the Autopia ride? Remember those little cards? Those things are cool, you know?
Now they're fun. And when you drive those cars, There are these little concrete barriers that keep you in your lane. Even if you take your hands off the steering wheel, you're not going to go anywhere dangerous. Can you imagine taking one of those cars downtown in this city and driving it around? Do you think you would be vulnerable if you were to do that?
Is this a good idea? Those cards are not meant to go. On the real streets. They're meant to go on the fake streets of Disneyland and the autopia ripe.
So, in the same way, God has given us barriers and absolutes. Why? Because He wants to ruin our life. No, He wants to protect you, He doesn't want you to go out and kill yourself. I remember once I was riding a Vespa.
You know what a Vespa is, a little scooter. And this Vespa said it was freeway-rated. And I thought, it doesn't seem the wheels are like donut-sized wheels. No, you can ride this on the freeway. I was in Santa Barbara, and there's this one way to get to the other side on the regular streets.
But you could get on one little on-ramp, just one on-ramp away.
So I just had to get on the freeway and get on the on-ramp. It was that simple, and I thought, I'm going for it.
So I got that thing going as fast as I could. I hit 30, I hit 40, I was maybe at 45. Everybody's passing me. Big, giant, big and I'm on this little I'm going to die as somebody goes by. Boom!
The word. I'm not sure what I'm doing. Oh my gosh, my heart was pounding. I got off quickly. Never doing that again.
That thing was not rated for that kind of a road. God's put these barriers up for your own good. Imagine if we. Obey God. Imagine if America just said, okay, for one day for just the heck of it.
Let's do what God says. Let's not do what God says we should not do. It would change the nation. If we would just obey the commandments of God. How many more marriages would be saved?
How many more People would have a life that is meaningful. We've destroyed so many things and so many lives by disobeying God.
Some people only care about consuming things. They never think of others.
Some people love people and use money. Other people love money and use people. We got to find the balance. Don't waste your life. Like Solomon did.
He's self-destructed in slow motion. Such a tragedy, such a waste. The house of David. Ups and downs, highs and lows. Mistakes were made.
but lessons were learned, sometimes a little later than they should have been, but they were learned. And one day, we, like David, will give our final message. We have two major dates in our lives. The date of our birth. and the date of our death.
We really have nothing to do with either one of those dates. We didn't decide when we would be born. And we don't decide when we will die. God decides that. Here's a we have input on, the Dash.
Just the dash. Born this year, died that year. Dash. That's your part. What are you going to do with the dash?
What are you going to do with the life? David said to Solomon, Know the God of your father. Jesus said, many will come to me in that day, the final day, the day of judgment. And they'll say, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? And did we not do miracles in your name?
And did we not cast out demons in your name? And Jesus said, I will say to them, Depart from me. I never knew you, you workers of iniquity. I think there's going to be a lot of religious people on the final day that will say, Lord, did I not go to church in your name? And did I not try to follow rules in your name?
He says, The problem was you never knew me. And that phrase that Jesus uses there. means I never knew you intimately. That's what it is to be a Christian, to have an intimate relationship with God. Knock, knock.
Jesus Knocking at the door of your life. Waiting for you to open it up. and let them come in. to be your Savior and Lord. In closing, maybe I'm talking to somebody that's actually followed the course of Solomon.
Maybe I'm talking to someone that is following. this course. Oh. Party, and that's where it's at. Possessions, that's where it's at.
Sex, that's where it's at. You're doing your own thing outside of the plan and purpose of God. And I bet you're starting to come to that same conclusion that Solomon came to, which was this is all empty, and it's like chasing the wind.
Sooner or later you'll come to your senses, I hope, and I hope it'll happen here. Where you'll say, It's God, it's God I need, it's God I want. And he wants a relationship with me. Jesus wants to come and live in your life and have a personal presence. Relationship with you.
I know we say that a lot. But man, that's true. Friendship with God. Does it get any better than that? If you would like your sin forgiven, If you would like to fill that hole in your heart, you've tried to fill with all the things this world offers.
If you would like to know that you go to heaven when you die, You can have a change in your life by believing in Jesus right here, right now. Let's pray. Father, I pray for every person here, every person wherever they are. If they don't know you yet, if they don't have this relationship with you right now. Let this be the moment they believe and come to you.
Now while our heads are bowed. and our eyes are closed and we're praying. How many of you would say today, Greg, I want to know Jesus Christ in a personal way? I want my sin forgiven. I want to know that when I die, I will go to heaven.
I want this hole of my heart filled. I want To know God. I want Christ to come into my life. If that's your desire. I want you to pray this prayer out loud after me.
Again, pray these words out loud after me. Pray this, Lord Jesus. I know that I'm a sinner. But I know that you're the Savior. Who died on the cross for my sin?
It rose again from the dead. I turn from my sin now. And I choose to follow you. From this moment forward. As my Savior and Lord.
As my God and friend. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. God bless each one of you that prayed that prayer. Yeah.
Today on A New Beginning, an important prayer from Pastor Greg Laurie with those making a change in their relationship with the Lord. And if you've just prayed those words and meant them sincerely, we want to first welcome you into the family of God. And then we want to help you get started in living each day with the Lord. Let us send you a unique edition of God's Word called the New Believer's Bible. In it, Pastor Greg helps answer your questions and helps you build a solid foundation for spiritual growth.
We'll send you the New Believer's Bible without charge when you call us at 1-800-821-3300. Call anytime, that's 1-800-821-3300. Or write A New Beginning Box 4000, Riverside, California, 92500. Or go online to harvest.org and click the words Know God. Yeah.
And then let us take a moment to thank you for praying for this ministry and for supporting it through your generous donation. It's an investment in kingdom business. Isn't that right, Pastor Greg? Yeah, it's really true, Dave. And I believe it's so important because, you know, the gospel saves lives.
It saves eternal lives. Because when a person believes in Jesus, according to Scripture, they pass from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to the power of God. And then, of course, that changes the course of their future. That impacts their children and their children's children. The gospel changes everything.
And thousands and thousands of people respond every single year. Thanks to the Lord. Also, thanks to you for your investment in this ministry, enabling us to reach people. Wherever they are.
So if this is something you care about, I encourage you to make a financial investment. And a new beginning in Harvest Ministries. Yeah, that's right, and we really do appreciate your support. Thanks for partnering with us today. It can make a real difference, not just for today or this week, but for eternity.
So get in touch with your support today by calling 1-800-821-3300. That's a 24-7 phone number, 1-800-821-3300. Or write a new beginning box 4000, Riverside, California, 92514, or go online to harvest.org.
Well, next time, Pastor Greg takes us to the Psalms for practical encouragement for our walk with God, the kickoff of the series Psalms of David, House of David. Join us here on A New Beginning with Pastor and Bible teacher Greg Laurie. This is the day, the day when life begins.
