Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:

2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!”says the Teacher.

“Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”

3 What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun? 4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.

5 The sun rises and the sun sets,

and hurries back to where it rises.

6 The wind blows to the south and turns to the north;

round and round it goes, ever returning on its course.

7 All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full.

To the place the streams come from, there they return again.

8 All things are wearisome, more than one can say.

The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.

9 What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again;

there is nothing new under the sun.

10 Is there anything of which one can say, “Look! This is something new”?

It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.

11 No one remembers the former generations, and even those yet to come

will not be remembered by those who follow them.

Nothing New Under the Sun

Expectations

Excuses

Do not look “under the sun” for what is not there.

Do not look “under the sun” for what only comes from beyond it.

Matthew 6:9-10

“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

God specializes in doing “new” with you.

Lamentations 3:22-23

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Psalm 40:1-3

I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.

2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire;

he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

3He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.

Isaiah 43:18-19

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.

19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

Hebrews 9:15

For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

Ezekiel 36:26

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Romans 12:2

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Revelation 21:1-5

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ... He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!