Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 - A Vision for Gathering With God’s People

In 2001, Bono, the lead singer of the rock band U2, lost his father to cancer. During his father’s sickness, he wrote a song which he gave the working title “Tough.” That’s how he always saw his dad – strong and self-reliant. The song began, “Tough, you think you've got the stuff / You're telling me and anyone / You're hard enough.” A few years went by before the song was finished and recorded. And during that time, Bono added a chorus to the song and the line,  “Sometimes you can't make it on your own.” That became the song’s final title.

Do you think you can make it on your own? Did you think that at some time? We’re prone to acting as though we’re sufficient in and of ourselves. Even when we have people around us, we can still isolate ourselves. But God’s will for His people is that we gather, and that our gathering has a certain tone.

The covenant community which is the congregation is unique in the world. God redeems His people from sin so that we can know and worship Him, and so that we may do this together. There is a companionship and unique connection that exists among those who are in union with Jesus Christ.

Today we’re looking at the second part of the Good Shepherd vision: gathering as one body on Sunday mornings and in small groups throughout Florence during the week. The Scriptures describe God’s command for us to gather and also the great benefits of gathering.

I spoke last Sunday about the first part of our vision: worship according to Scripture. This worship service is our primary and most necessary gathering. It sets the tone for every other gathering – whether all of us or just two or three of us. Gathering on the Lord’s Day for worship is essential for our spiritual growth and for our participation in God’s mission in the world. This is where we are fed by Christ with Christ in all the elements of worship. Christ alone is the bread of life. He alone can fill us and satisfy us.

Picture a family traveling somewhere in the car, and everyone is “hangry.” They’re irritable and more prone to selfishness because they need to eat. God nourishes us at this gathering to spiritually fill us so that we may enjoy that blessing and so that we may be a blessing to each other. And we bless each other as we gather.

Many parts of the Bible describe the gathering of God’s people. Ecclesiastes 4 is one. A little background on Ecclesiastes: it has three overarching themes: the difficult nature of life, finding joy in life, and reverence for God as a way of life. The writer gives an honest evaluation of these themes in order to offer us wisdom for living.

Now, in the Hebrew tradition, the book is referred to as Qohelet. “Qohelet” is the second word of the first chapter. It means “gatherer” – one who gathers proverbs or gathers people in order to teach them. When the word “Qohelet” was translated into Greek, the word “Ecclesiastes” was used. It means, “a member of the assembly.” We translate the word as “Preacher.” So, the book’s name itself implies the gathering of the people of God, specifically to receive God’s truth.

In fact, “Ecclesiastes” is very similar to the Greek word “ecclesia,” which is the NT word which means “public assembly” and which we translate “church.” Jesus established His gathering. He loved and gave His life for His church.

Ecclesiastes 4 expresses that as we learn the wisdom being provided. there are benefits to learning these things together. Our companionship and connection are vital. And keep in mind, as we go through this passage, the centrality of Christ for His church. Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and  lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Paul talks about how the Ephesian church “learned Christ.” Above all, the church gathers to learn Christ together.

Here at GS, we believe in both the centrality of our worship gathering and also
the necessity of the other gatherings. Through worship we know God and become known by Him, and through the other gatherings we know and become known by each other. All of it is essential to being a vibrant and healthy congregation.

Now look again at verse 9. The preacher points out that when it comes to work, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.” In other words, they have “pleasing wages.” Two can accomplish more; they can produce more and get paid more, it seems.

When I was a kid, we had a big vegetable garden. And when we planted, one person would walk each row and make small holes, the next person would come behind them and drop a few beans in each hole, and the next person would come behind covering the seeds with dirt. It went so much quicker that way.

You never see just one person building a house, or fixing a road, or running a restaurant. Multiple people can get more done together.

But look at this other reason not to work alone – probably the main reason on his mind. Verse [10] “For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” Manual labor can be dangerous. You can fall and be severely injured.

Often, people will go out working alone, and time after time, they have no issue. But then one day there’s an accident – a fall of some kind – and no one is nearby. No one is there to help them when they fall.

On a different but related note, what do we call the event in which Adam and Eve sinned in Genesis 3? We call it “the Fall.” They fell into sin. In 1 Timothy 6, Paul warns Timothy about falling into temptation. Hebrews 6 describes people who leave the Christian faith as having fallen away.

There are many ways to fall. The enemy scatters traps all around, and within each one of us is a sinful nature prone to falling into sin. Galatians 6 says, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” You should never assume that you could never fall. It’s prideful, and pride comes before what? A fall. James 4.

Who would pick you up if you fell? Of course, our shepherd, Christ Jesus, will always pick up and rescue His people when we fall. In Him the grace of God is always ours, and He is always enough.

And part of how He picks us up is through who will love us with the love of Christ. Again, this is why worship is our primary gathering. We learn Christ together.  He transforms us with His gospel, so that we can love each other with a love born out of His love for us.

We gather as one body on Sundays to remember that Christ defines us. He is our only means of approval before God. We are in union together with Him. In Him, we have real fellowship with one another. Here, on the Lord’s Day, Christ and His gospel foundation shapes us and prepares us for our Life Groups, our Sunday morning Bible studies, our Sunday morning prayer, our men’s, women’s, youth and children gatherings, and our church-wide gatherings. Christ and His gospel must steer and stabilize each of these times.

You know, we don’t confess to an earthly priest. Jesus is our priest. But James 5 says, “Confess your sins to one another and pray for each other.” God encourages us to open up to each other and be there to pick one other up. And in that way, we have a priestly role with each other.

We gather as one body on Sundays for our Great High Priest to assure us of God’s grace and His love. We give God glory and remember all His benefits. Then we gather at these other times to encourage each other with the encouragement we’ve received, and to comfort each other with the comfort we’ve received, and to care for one another and to pick each other up.

Look now at verse 11, “Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone?” This is another example of when two are better than one. Scholars generally agree that the writer probably doesn’t have husband and wife in mind here (at least not strictly speaking) but rather, companions on a journey.

Have you ever been at an outdoor event of some kind where it’s freezing cold, and you’re bundled up with winter clothing, but also, you and the people with you huddle together to keep warm? It helps!

In a different kind of way, believers huddle together to keep warm. We’re like the coals in a great fire. After a fire is going strong for a while, you’ll see red hot coals burning at the base, side by side. But if you pull out one of those red coals and place it away from the fire – by itself – it will grow cold and black. The coals need each other.

Companions on a journey keep each other warm not only for comfort, but for survival. In the same way, followers of Jesus benefit from the heat generated from within us. Hebrews 10 says, “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another.” “Not neglecting to meet together” could be translated as “not abandoning the assembly” or “not abandoning the gathering.”

In the book of Acts, the early church was consistently together: worshiping together, praying together, enjoying life in Christ together. They suffered together and rejoiced together. Christ generated His warmth within them and they benefited from it among them. Faith might grow cold in isolation. Encouragement and hope might begin to fade.
We need one another.

Now finally, notice verse [12], “And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” In Romans 7, the apostle Paul describes his struggle with sin like fighting a war.

Imagine a soldier fighting in the trenches. Would he rather fight all alone, or have someone alongside him.  Wouldn’t he rather someone to cover his back in the battle and to help him in the fight?

In the war against sin, who has your back? Well again, if you are in Christ, He fights for you and with you. And He will preserve you. But interestingly, the preacher who wrote the book Hebrews, speaking to the church, says, “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God.” That sounds like God’s work, and it is. Christ keeps us in God’s grace.

But in your war against sin, the goal is not just for you alone to make it out alive. The goal is for the whole unit to make it out – for the whole battalion to survive. Like soldiers of war tell each other – “Leave no man behind.” Perseverance in Christ is not just about you – it’s about us. We are all members of Christ’s body together.

We don’t gather just to fill our schedules or to be social or to impress each other. We don’t gather simply to reinforce good morals or to make society better. We gather to know Christ and one other, so that we may trust Christ and one other. We gather so that – with Christ – we may help one another stand in our time of need.

Gathering with each other – in and of itself – can never be enough. What we must offer each other is not ourselves, but Christ. We are the body, but He is the head. We are unified in Him. Our participation at the Lord’s table is a sign of our union with Christ together.

He alone embodies and provides all the benefits of our gatherings, and He secured all the benefits. He took the worst fall to lift us up from sin and ruin. He endured the cold mistreatment of men by Himself, absorbing God’s wrath to bring us to the warmth of peace with God. And He prevailed against the enemy’s attack to demonstrate God’s gracious love for us.

Without Christ, we are on our own. Do you have Christ? Believe in Him today and join us in union with Him.

Let’s bow together in prayer.