Bethel Evangelical Church, Clydach
  • Finding faith
  • Sermons
  • Find us
  • Contact us
  • New here?
    Let’s get introduced
    • About Us
      • Our beliefs
      • Our history
      • Our photos
      • Our sermons
    • Bethel people
    • What does God offer?
    • Contact us
    • Find us
  • What’s on
    Something for everyone
    • Sunday worship
    • Finding faith
      • Food for Thought
    • Fellowship and growth
      • Bible study and prayer
      • Fellowship groups
      • Growing together… in God’s Word
      • Oasis
      • Time2Talk
    • Children and youth
      • Sunday school
      • Adventurers and Discoverers
      • Impact
    • Special events this Easter
  • Meet us
    Stories of changed lives
    • Anna — I learned to trust God
    • Siân — I found something better
    • Esther — It feels like I’m finally alive!
    • Mary — I am a much calmer and happier person
    • Friends of Bethel
      • Garin Jenkins — God has been with me all my life
      • Billy Burns — He tried to kill me, but when I met him, I liked him
      • Alison Stewart — The truth set me free from heroin addiction
      • John Mosey — My daughter was killed at Lockerbie

Sermons

  • Our beliefs
  • Our history
  • Our photos
  • Our sermons

The purpose of life (Ecclesiastes 1:1-18)

Dave Norbury, August 31, 2008
Part of the Miscellaneous series, preached at a Sunday Evening service

Tags:

https://www.bethel-clydach.co.uk/sermons/?show&file_name=2008-08-31-pm.mp3 Download
Earlier: Same day: Later:
« Filling what is lacking What does a healthy church look like? Passover: The Lord's supper »

Ecclesiastes 1 (Listen)

1:1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2   Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher,
    vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
3   What does man gain by all the toil
    at which he toils under the sun?
4   A generation goes, and a generation comes,
    but the earth remains forever.
5   The sun rises, and the sun goes down,
    and hastens to the place where it rises.
6   The wind blows to the south
    and goes around to the north;
  around and around goes the wind,
    and on its circuits the wind returns.
7   All streams run to the sea,
    but the sea is not full;
  to the place where the streams flow,
    there they flow again.
8   All things are full of weariness;
    a man cannot utter it;
  the eye is not satisfied with seeing,
    nor the ear filled with hearing.
9   What has been is what will be,
    and what has been done is what will be done,
    and there is nothing new under the sun.
10   Is there a thing of which it is said,
    “See, this is new”?
  It has been already
    in the ages before us.
11   There is no remembrance of former things,
    nor will there be any remembrance
  of later things yet to be
    among those who come after.

12 I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

15   What is crooked cannot be made straight,
    and what is lacking cannot be counted.

16 I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind.

18   For in much wisdom is much vexation,
    and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

(ESV)

Powered by Sermon Browser
Special events this Easter
"He is not here, for he has risen." You are most welcome to join with us as we celebrate Jesus' death and resurrection this Easter. Our main service is Easter Sunday morning at 10:30am - an all-age service followed by refreshments. We will also be meeting Easter Sunday evening at 6pm. If you are unable…
More about Special events this Easter…
Marlene’s story

“I started to attend Bethel church and really felt that God was drawing me back to himself. I started to feel happy again.”

I remember opening the Bible and reading John 6:37, “all that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” I felt a great weight lift off my shoulders. I knew that no matter how bad I’d been God would forgive me and not cast me away. It wasn’t about my feelings but about God’s promise to forgive those who turn to him and trust in Jesus. I remember being so glad and joyful as I read the Bible and its promise of forgiveness.
Read more of Marlene’s story

Latest Tweets

…

Connect with us

Recent sermons

  • As the Lord had told him on July 6, 2025.
  • When pigs fly on July 6, 2025.
  • Just deserts? on June 29, 2025.
  • I saw a true vision of Jesus on June 29, 2025.
  • Yet I will rejoice on June 22, 2025.

 Bethel Evangelical Church, Heol-y-nant, Clydach     Tel: 01792 828095     Registered charity: 1142690