In The Days of Your Youth Ecclesiastes 12

“In The Days of Your Youth” Ecclesiastes 12: 1 -8 Capturing the children of today to be the champions of tomorrow.

Ecclesiastes 12: 1 -8 (ESV) 1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; 2 before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, 3 in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed, 4 and the doors on the street are shut—when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low— 5 they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails, because man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets—

6 before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, 7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. 8 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity. 13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

“Remember” – What does it mean? (1) To rehearse these things in your mind, 2 Peter 3: 2. (2) keep these thoughts at the fore front of your mind in all that you do; they should be a constant reminder, Lk 17: 2; Gal 2: 10; 2 Tim 2: 8. (3) To remind again and again, repetition; Rom 15: 15. I Tim 4: 6; (4) Pay strict attention to God, To consider all He says with the intention of obeying. (5) To allow Him to influence and control our decisions and conduct.

REMEMBER: The Days of Your Advantage {Youth}: (vs. 1 -5) Their future life purpose? Their future health? Their future marriage partner? The nature and development of their families? The eternal destiny of their soul?

2 Timothy 1: 5 (NKJV) 5 when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. 2 Timothy 3: 14 -15 (NKJV) 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Exodus 20: 12 (NKJV) 12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.

REMEMBER: The Days of Advancement: (vs. 2 -8) verse 2: sight dimmed, depressed verse 3: trembling hands, stooping posture, losing teeth, cataracts verse 4: loss of hearing, awakening early verse 5: increased fears, gray/white hair, slow movements, decreased sexual drive verse 6: weakened spinal cord, deteriorated mental powers; loss of bladder control; heart failure verse 7: death

REMEMBER: Keep Eternity in View: (vs. 13, 14) {Three final summary principles} “this is man’s all” {The entire responsibility of humans} A. Fear God: (Purpose of Life) B. Keep His commandments: (Instructions for life) C. God will bring every work into Judgment: (Accountability of Life)