"There is a flow to history and culture. This flow is rooted and has its wellspring in the thoughts of people. People are unique in the inner life of the mind -- what they are in their thought-world determines how they act. This is true of their value systems and it is true of their creativity. It is true of their corporate actions, such as political decisions, and it is true of their personal lives. The results of their thought-world flow through their fingers or from their tongues into the external world. This is true of Michelangelo's chisel, and it is true of a dictator’s sword" (Francis A. Schaeffer, "How Should We Then Live?").
A person's worldview influences how he relates in the world. A community's worldview influences its culture. In Eccl. 1-6, balancing pleasure and achievement maintains a proper worklife balance in building up God's kingdom. In Eccl. 7-12, you build a biblical worldview in your city by maintaining a balanced life of fearing God and responding appropriately to authority. Then you can save and bless your city with wisdom and skill. You gain success by investing in multiple opportunities as you build a biblical foundation through making disciples.
Balance Life By Fearing God
A good name, day of death, mourning, sorrow and wise man's rebuke was better than fine perfume, day of death, feasting, laughter and song of fools. The wise was in the house of mourning, but fools in the house of pleasure. Extortion turned the wise into a fool and a bribe corrupted the heart. The end of matter and patience was better than its beginning and pride. Stay calm do not ask why the past was better than the present. Do not be destroyed by being overly righteous, overly wise, overly wicked and a fool. A man avoids all extremes by fearing God. The wise were more powerful than ten rulers in the city. Do not pay attention to every word people say. Please God to escape the woman who would ensnare and trap. Men searched for many schemes with only one upright man among a thousand (Eccl. 7:1-29). Balance life by fearing God and listening to wisdom.
Enjoy Life By Obeying Authority
Obey the king's command as the wise know the proper time and procedure for every matter not knowing the future. It was meaningless for men to hurt themselves by lording it over others or receiving praise. When a sentence for a crime was not quickly carried out, peoples' hearts were filled with schemes to do wrong. It went better for men who feared God than the wicked. It was meaningless for the righteous to get what the wicked deserve and vice-versa. Nothing was better than to enjoy life and his work (Eccl. 8:1-17). Enjoy life by obeying and responding appropriately to authority.
Save Your City With Wisdom
The wise and the wicked could not predict the future. Each of them would be forgotten after death. Be clothed always in white, anoint head in oil and enjoy life with one's wife. Do everything with one's full strength. The race was not to the swift, battle to the strong, food to the wise, wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned since no man knew when his time would come. A poor and wise man was not remembered when he saved a small city from a powerful king. Even though wisdom was better than strength, his words were ignored. Listen to quiet, wise words more than a ruler's foolish shouts. Wisdom was better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroyed much good (Eccl. 9:1-18). Save your city with wisdom through the filling of the Holy Spirit.
Bless Your Land With Skill
A fool lacked sense and showed his stupidity. Calmness laid great errors to rest in the midst of a ruler's anger. Fools were put in many high places while the rich occupied low ones. Overcome a dull ax with more strength but skill brought success. A charmer received no profit when a snake bit before being charmed. A fool multiplied his words and his work wearied and consumed him. A wise man's mouth was gracious. Blessed was the land whose king was of noble birth and whose princes ate at a proper time for strength and not for drunkenness. Laziness and idleness caused the rafters to sag and the house to leak. Do not revile the king in your thoughts since those words could be reported (Eccl. 10:1-20). Bless your land with calmness, skill and timing.
Gain Success By Investing in Multiple Opportunities
Reap a harvest by casting multiple portions of bread upon the waters. Whoever watched the wind or clouds did not plant or reap because people could not understand God's work. One cannot know whether morning or evening sowing would succeed. Enjoy every day and remember the many dark days. God brought judgment on meaningless youthful pleasures (Eccl. 11:1-10). Gain success by investing in multiple opportunities, taking calculated risks and working hard while being accountable to God.
Build a Biblical Foundation By Making Disciples
Youth should remember their Creator before experiencing trouble and poor health from old age. The Teacher searched and wrote right and true words like goads and firmly embedded nails given by one Shepherd. He warned him of adding anything else. No end came from making many books. Much study wearied the body. The whole duty of man was to fear God and keep His commandments. He judged every deed and hidden thing, whether good or evil (Eccl. 12:1-14). Build a biblical foundation by sharing truth and making disciples.
The components of building a biblical worldview in your city include:
1. Fear God
2. Obey and respond appropriately to authority
3. Develop wisdom by being filled with Holy Spirit
4. Develop skill in your vocation
5. Invest in multiple opportunities
6. Take calculated risks
7. Work hard being accountable to God
8. Build a biblical foundation by sharing truth
9. Make disciples in all cultural spheres
A person's worldview influences how he relates in the world. A community's worldview influences its culture. In Eccl. 1-6, balancing pleasure and achievement maintains a proper worklife balance in building up God's kingdom. In Eccl. 7-12, you build a biblical worldview in your city by maintaining a balanced life of fearing God and responding appropriately to authority. Then you can save and bless your city with wisdom and skill. You gain success by investing in multiple opportunities as you build a biblical foundation through making disciples.
Balance Life By Fearing God
A good name, day of death, mourning, sorrow and wise man's rebuke was better than fine perfume, day of death, feasting, laughter and song of fools. The wise was in the house of mourning, but fools in the house of pleasure. Extortion turned the wise into a fool and a bribe corrupted the heart. The end of matter and patience was better than its beginning and pride. Stay calm do not ask why the past was better than the present. Do not be destroyed by being overly righteous, overly wise, overly wicked and a fool. A man avoids all extremes by fearing God. The wise were more powerful than ten rulers in the city. Do not pay attention to every word people say. Please God to escape the woman who would ensnare and trap. Men searched for many schemes with only one upright man among a thousand (Eccl. 7:1-29). Balance life by fearing God and listening to wisdom.
Enjoy Life By Obeying Authority
Obey the king's command as the wise know the proper time and procedure for every matter not knowing the future. It was meaningless for men to hurt themselves by lording it over others or receiving praise. When a sentence for a crime was not quickly carried out, peoples' hearts were filled with schemes to do wrong. It went better for men who feared God than the wicked. It was meaningless for the righteous to get what the wicked deserve and vice-versa. Nothing was better than to enjoy life and his work (Eccl. 8:1-17). Enjoy life by obeying and responding appropriately to authority.
Save Your City With Wisdom
The wise and the wicked could not predict the future. Each of them would be forgotten after death. Be clothed always in white, anoint head in oil and enjoy life with one's wife. Do everything with one's full strength. The race was not to the swift, battle to the strong, food to the wise, wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned since no man knew when his time would come. A poor and wise man was not remembered when he saved a small city from a powerful king. Even though wisdom was better than strength, his words were ignored. Listen to quiet, wise words more than a ruler's foolish shouts. Wisdom was better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroyed much good (Eccl. 9:1-18). Save your city with wisdom through the filling of the Holy Spirit.
Bless Your Land With Skill
A fool lacked sense and showed his stupidity. Calmness laid great errors to rest in the midst of a ruler's anger. Fools were put in many high places while the rich occupied low ones. Overcome a dull ax with more strength but skill brought success. A charmer received no profit when a snake bit before being charmed. A fool multiplied his words and his work wearied and consumed him. A wise man's mouth was gracious. Blessed was the land whose king was of noble birth and whose princes ate at a proper time for strength and not for drunkenness. Laziness and idleness caused the rafters to sag and the house to leak. Do not revile the king in your thoughts since those words could be reported (Eccl. 10:1-20). Bless your land with calmness, skill and timing.
Gain Success By Investing in Multiple Opportunities
Reap a harvest by casting multiple portions of bread upon the waters. Whoever watched the wind or clouds did not plant or reap because people could not understand God's work. One cannot know whether morning or evening sowing would succeed. Enjoy every day and remember the many dark days. God brought judgment on meaningless youthful pleasures (Eccl. 11:1-10). Gain success by investing in multiple opportunities, taking calculated risks and working hard while being accountable to God.
Build a Biblical Foundation By Making Disciples
Youth should remember their Creator before experiencing trouble and poor health from old age. The Teacher searched and wrote right and true words like goads and firmly embedded nails given by one Shepherd. He warned him of adding anything else. No end came from making many books. Much study wearied the body. The whole duty of man was to fear God and keep His commandments. He judged every deed and hidden thing, whether good or evil (Eccl. 12:1-14). Build a biblical foundation by sharing truth and making disciples.
The components of building a biblical worldview in your city include:
1. Fear God
2. Obey and respond appropriately to authority
3. Develop wisdom by being filled with Holy Spirit
4. Develop skill in your vocation
5. Invest in multiple opportunities
6. Take calculated risks
7. Work hard being accountable to God
8. Build a biblical foundation by sharing truth
9. Make disciples in all cultural spheres
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