The Myth of Human Progress

This morning we began a new series titled, "Hevel Under The Horizon", going through the wisdom book of Ecclesiastes. This sermon is titled, "The Myth of Human Progress" and was preached by Pastor Thomas Terry from Ecclesiastes 1:1-11.

We learned that the preacher speaks truth when he says everything in the world that moves toward human progress is vanity or "hevel", meaning it is something like smoke that vanishes quickly and cannot be grasped. Moreover, all the toil we exert for all kinds of things that are also hevel weary us. Ultimately, life is full of weariness and hardships, we work but are never satisfied and in the end what will account for all this weariness of life—nothing, we will not even be remembered.

Now all this may seem depressing, but what the preacher wants you to feel is the meaninglessness of these things that are hevel in order to break their allure to keep you from trying to find ultimate meaning in anything or anyone not the Lord. The preacher's words are not altogether different from what Jesus said, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeit his soul? Or what shall a man give for his soul?" So, ask God to help you focus on heaven not hevel.