Setting Your Love On Others

Dennis Tuuri

Outline: Ecclesiastes 4 Setting Your Love On Others Sermon Notes for February 11, 2007 by Pastor Dennis R. Tuuri Intro The Movement of the Sermon Title; God’s Foreknowledge: "The fixing the mind upon" Charles Hodge "Looked favorably on and marked out for blessing" Haldane "Before loved or acknowledged" Garvie "Those on whom His eyes fixed from all eternity with love; whom He eternally contemplated and discerned as His." Godet "To love, to care for" Pareus "To fix the eye upon … with the additional notion of a benignant and kindly feeling toward the object." Shedd "For those on whom He set His heart beforehand" Williams hāšaq Ex. 27:17; 38:17, 28; 1 Kings 9:19; 2 Chr. 8:6 I. The Setting of God’s Love on Others – Deut. 7:17; Isa. 38:17; Dt. 10:15 II. The Setting of Our Love on God – Ps. 91:14 III. Setting Our Love On Others - Gen. 34:8; Dt. 21:11 IV. Motivations for Setting of Our Love on Others - Ecc. 4:1-12 A. The Disadvantages of Not Seeking Community - Ecc. 4:1-8 1. Isolation in oppression is horrible vv. 1-3 2. Isolation removes satisfaction from our labors vv. 4-8 B. The Triple Advantage of Community - Ecc. 4:9-12 1. Fulfilling the Purpose of work v. 9 2. Support in Inevitable Difficulties vv. 10-12a a. Encouragement in Depression v. 10 b. Protection in Difficult Environments v. 11 c. Defense Against Enemies v. 12a 3. Strength v. 12c Conclusion : Those whom He set His love upon, He actively blessed! "God's love is not passive emotion; it is active volition and it moves determinatively to nothing less than the highest goal conceivable for his adopted children, conformity to the image of the only-begotten Son.” John Murray Children’s Notes for “Setting Your Love on Others” 1. Before we were made, God set His ___ ___ ___ ___ on us . 2. He didn’t ___ ___ ___ His love on us because we’re better than others. 3. Solomon set his heart on building the ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___. 4. He ___ ___ ___ beautiful hooks or bands on the columns of the temple. 5. Because He set His love on us, He ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ us 6. We should set our ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ to love God. 7. Before people marry, they __ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ to love each other. 8. God says it isn’t good to be ___ ___ ___ ___ ___. 9. We should decide to have ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___. 10. When we ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___, friends help. 11. When we ___ ___ ___ ___, friends help us ___ ___ ___ ___ ___. 12. When we are ___ ___ ___ friends help us feel better. 13. When we work, it should be for ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___. 14. When we have enemies, ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ can help us. 15. Having friends makes us ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___. 16. We should ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ to have friends. 17. We should take ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ to be friendly to others. 18. We should try to help others ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___.