WHAT GUARANTEES SUCCESS
Ecclesiastes 9:11-18

“I have observed something else in this world of ours. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise are often poor, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being at the right place at the right time.
People can never predict when hard times might come. Like fish in a net or birds in a snare, people are often caught by sudden tragedy. Here is another bit of wisdom that has impressed me as I have watched the way our world works. There was a small town with only a few people living in it, and a great king came with his army and besieged it. There was a poor, wise man living there who knew how to save the town, and so it was rescued. But afterward no one thought anymore about him. Then I realized that though wisdom is better than strength, those who are wise will be despised if they are poor. What they say will not be appreciated for long. But even so, the quiet words of a wise person are better than the shouts of a foolish king. A wise person can overcome weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much that is good.”


I. HUMAN ABILITY CANNOT GUARANTEE GENUINE SUCCESS
· The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race….
· The strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle….
· The wise are often poor….
· The skillful are not necessarily wealthy….
· The educated doesn’t always lead successful lives….
· The most beautiful doesn’t always get the crown….
· The most dedicated doesn’t always get promoted….
· The intelligent doesn’t always pass the board exam….

Success is not what you think!
Professionals, students, and everyone else need to listen to Solomon’s word. And why should we listen to him? Listen to this: In 1 Kings 4:29, “God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth if understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore.” And in 2 Chronicles 9:22, “So King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king in all the earth. Kings from every nation came to visit him and to hear the wisdom God had given him.” That’s his credentials. Enough to silence us.
The philosophy of our day convinces us that if we’re going to make it, we’ve got to run faster. We’ve got to be stronger and more competitive and more clever, and more manipulative. Otherwise, we won’t be successful. There is no room for the weak, for the soft-hearted, for the compassionate, for the merciful. You have to be tough in order to win! Don’t you believe it! Solomon seems to be shouting, “That’s not true!”
He says, “It is all decided by chance, by being at the right place at the right time….”
We’re talking about the sovereign hand of God. Even though we may not hear a lot about God’s sovereignty in the daily news, it is at work. In the final analysis His “time” and His plan (called “chance” by Solomon) always win. The hand of God has a way of bringing contrasting results other than expected and logical results.
In verse 12, “People can never predict when hard times might come. Like fish in a net or birds in a snare, people are often caught by sudden tragedy.”
A similar warning is issued by the Apostle James in his letter: “Look here, you people who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.’ How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like a morning fog – it’s here a little while and then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, ‘If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.’ Otherwise you will be boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil” James 4:13-16.
You’ve made plans for the future. Success is coming. You can sense it. You can smell it. Momentum is increasing. Everything is going right and soon all the pieces will fall together. But suddenly (that is the key word)…………… a tragedy. You never thought about it….you didn’t see it coming. Solomon says, “….people are often caught by sudden tragedy….”
· Sudden death of a loved one….
· A terminal disease….
· A tragic accident….
· A natural disaster….
· Loss of a job….
· Financial reversals….
· The groom to be elopes with another girl….
· A sudden break up….
· And many other tragedies.

God has a way of bringing all of our plans to an abrupt halt. We ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will or God willing.” We make plans, yes, but God has the final say. He is sovereign!
The race is not always to the swift. The strong are not always the strongest. The intelligent and competitive aren’t always the wealthiest. Human ability cannot guarantee success!

II. WISDOM IS BETTER THAN ABILITY
“Here is another bit of wisdom that has impressed me as I have watched the way our world works. There was a small town with only a few people living in it, and a great king came with his army and besieged it. There was a poor, wise man living there who knew how to save the town, and so it was rescued. But afterward no one thought anymore about him” v. 13-15.
Picture the scene: It’s a small village. Few people. No armies. A great king came with his vast army to attack it. The people inside the village are terrified. Death is sure. And suddenly within the village there is a poor wise man who speaks. The village was rescued!
It’s a scene that communicates the importance of wisdom (good judgment). The village represents a life under pressure – people like you and me in any generation, living our lives, realizing a very loud and powerful enemy is present. It’s all around us and it’s in us. The environment, the system, and our human nature dictate us to conform. The desire of the enemy is twofold: initially to seduce us and ultimately to destroy us.
Strength is impressive but wisdom is more effective.

III. WISE COUNSEL IS NEVER POPULAR, RARELY OBEYED, AND SELDOM REMEMBERED
“Then I realized that though wisdom is better than strength, those who are wise will be despised if they are poor. What they say will not be appreciated for long” v. 16.
Solomon tells us that “the wisdom of the poor man is despised.” Wise, godly counsel is not popular. It’s rarely obeyed. It’s usually forgotten (like sermons/messages). No one remembered the poor man.
The poor man is the inner heart, the conscience, the spirit within us. It is the Spirit of God convicting us, convincing us, comforting us, guiding us and showing us the right path. We seldom obey.
“But even so, the quiet words of a wise person are better than the shouts of a foolish king” v. 17.
The enemy is always louder and more convincing than the quiet wise man. But if you want to succeed, listen to the wise.



IV. WISDOM IS BETTER THAN WEAPONS OF WAR
The enemy forces are on the attack. What are these enemies? Sickness, tragedies, recession, financial reversals, break ups, shadows of the past, peer pressure, daily struggles like rent, tuition, food, clothing, medicine, etc. Our village - our life, our values, our principles, our faith, and our relationships – is being threatened.
Instead of fighting the enemy with our own strength, we need to listen to the quiet voice deep within our spirits. It is the voice of the Spirit of God, urging us to turn to God’s Word as our guide in the midst of chaos and confusion. As our village is under attack, defeat is very sure if we do not listen to the voice of the Spirit within.
But the Holy Spirit won’t shout. He won’t use force. He won’t even threaten. He speaks softly and waits patiently to be heard and obeyed.
When Moses died, Joshua succeeded him. His mission? Lead the people of Israel into their Promised Land. The Lord gave him this instruction: “Obey all the laws of Moses gave you. Do not turn away from them, and you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then you will succeed” Joshua 1:7-8.
Not by strength, not by ability, not by beauty, not by intelligence that we will succeed. But by listening to God’s Word and obeying it. His voice is that gentle, small voice within us. Obey it!










MAKING MY LIFE COUNT
Ecclesiastes 11:1-6

“Give generously, for your gifts will return to you later. Divide your gifts among many, for you do not know what risks might lie ahead. When the clouds are heavy, the rains come down. When a tree falls, whether south or north, there it lies. If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done. God’s ways are as hard to discern as the pathways of the wind, and as mysterious as a tiny baby being formed in a mother’s womb. Be sure to stay busy and plant a variety of crops, for you never know which will grow – perhaps they all will.”

When was the last time you did something adventurous? When was the last time you gave something to someone without expecting anything in return? When was the last time you gave your 100% in a project? When was the last time you said, “Lord, I trust you completely no matter what”?
If your answer to those questions is, “I can’t remember,” what are you waiting for? When will you live life to the fullest?

There was a very cautious man
Who never laughed or cried
He never risked, he never tried
He never sang or prayed!
And then one day he passed away
His insurance was denied,
Foe since he never really lived,
They claimed he never died!

Solomon’s personal remarks as he nears the end of his journey are full of refreshing hope. We are told to stretch, to reach, to take up the challenge, to be determined.

I. LIVE UNSELFISHLY
“Give generously, for your gifts will return to you later…”
In other version it says, “Cast your bread upon the waters.”
Solomon is saying that when a life is released to others, God will bring back any number of benefits and blessings.
“If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life” Matthew 16:25.
Releasing ourselves is God’s way. Living unselfishly is letting ourselves free. By giving ourselves away we find true life.
This may sound too simple, but it really all starts here – TAKE AN INTEREST IN PEOPLE. You have to show people that you care about them by taking an interest in them. Look for value in every person. Put yourself in other’s shoes. Find reasons to like them. You won’t take an interest in people if deep down you care nothing about them. If we don’t want to help people, yet we want to them to help us, then we get in trouble.
Everyday we have the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives. Don’t waste it.

II. GIVE GENEROUSLY
“Divide your gifts among many, for you do not know what risks might lie ahead” v. 2.
The principle of many is: Get all you can, can all you get, then sit on the can!
Henry Ford once said, “Success is not rare. It is common. Most people think of it in terms of getting; success, however, begins in terms of giving.”

1. GIVE YOUR TITHES AND OFFERINGS
“Honor the Lord by giving him the first part of all your income, and he will surely bless you abundantly” Proverbs 3:9.

A. TITHES – the 10% of my income. The first part of what I earn not the leftovers. God is not a pig na tira-tira lang ‘yong ibinibigay natin!

B. OFFERINGS – my expression of love and thanksgiving to God.

“You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do…I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Let me prove it to you! Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease…Then all nations will call you blessed” Malachi 3:8-11.

2. GIVE TO CHURCH WORKERS
“Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor” Galatians 6:6.

3. GIVE TO THE POOR OR THOSE IN NEED
“He who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord and He will repay him for his good deed” Proverbs 19:17.
Walang memory gap si Lord. At ayaw Niyang may utang Siya kaya nagbabayad agad.
“If you shut your ear to the poor, someday you’ll cry all alone” Proverbs 21:13.

Solomon says, “Be liberal and generous to as many as you can. You do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.” We have no idea what calamity, need, or unfortunate event may occur. But those who are generous will find benefit after many days. The Lord promises us that.
We must adopt an ongoing mind-set of giving toward others. I believe it has nothing to do with circumstances. I’ve met generous people with almost nothing who were willing to share what little they possessed. And I’ve met well-off people who were stingy with their time, talent, and treasure. The issue is really attitude.
Henri Nouwen said, “When we refrain from giving, with a scarcity mentality, the little we have will become less. When we give generously, with an abundance mentality, what we give away will multiply.”
Why should we adopt an abundance mentality? We always say, “kulang pa nga sa akin eh, bakit naman ako magbibigay o saka nalang ako magbigay kapag may sobra.”
If you believe in abundance, that’s what life gives you. If you believe in scarcity, then that’s what you get. I don’t know why that is, but after 10 years of ministry and of paying attention to people’s attitudes and watching how life unfolded for them, I know it to be true. So if you desire to be more generous, change your thinking and your attitude when it comes to abundance. Not only will it allow you to be more generous, but also it will change your life.
“Remember this – a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop….And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others….Yes, you will be enriched so that you can give even more generously” 2 Corinthians 9:6-11.

III. PURSUE VIGOROUSLY
“When the clouds are heavy, the rains come down. When a tree falls, whether south or north, there it lies. If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done” v. 3-4.
Solomon is probably describing those who spend their lives observing, watching, not getting involved. Instead of watching, pursue vigorously. We cannot change the weather, we cannot change the past, and we don’t what lies ahead. We can worry about them all we like, but we can’t change them.
“Do not wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.”
Excuses….excuses….excuses. Hindi maubos-ubos.
What are you waiting for? Get involved. Get into the action. Don’t just sit and wait for something to happen. Do something. Commit to something that will outlive you. Make an impact in the life of people. Only people will last forever. The most important use of your life is to share the Good News to people who are lost and help them grow in their walk with God. It’s not going to be a walk in the park. But it’s worth the investment.
Face the challenge and pursue vigorously. Give your best. Don’t settle for anything less.

IV. TRUST COMPLETELY
“God’s ways are as hard to discern as the pathways of the wind, and as mysterious as a tiny baby being formed in a mother’s womb. Be sure to stay busy and plant a variety of crops, for you never know which will grow – perhaps they all will” v. 5-6.
This encourages us to trust the living God completely. Just as we do not know the path of the wind, and just as we do not know how bones are formed in a tiny fetus, just as we do not know any of that, we are to trust God in everything – completely. Entrust Him your future. He is already there. When you can’t trace His hand, trust His heart.
Live unselfishly, give generously, pursue vigorously – and God will take care of you – today and tomorrow.
“And he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern” Matthew 6:33.