It's About Time
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
It’s About Time
It’s About Time
Ecclesiastes
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth? I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God. I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him. That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
Introduction:
Vanity Fair is a world where everyone is striving for what is not worth having.
Sermon points covered:
A life without God is meaningless
True pleasure can only be satisfying with God
This morning we are looking at the subject of Time. The word time is used quite frequently in the book of Ecclesiastes and specifically in the verse 8 verses. The point Solomon is making is:
The timing of life’s circumstances should cause us to reverence God
There is an Appointed and Appropriate Time Concerning the Activities of Life, vs. 1-8
The Timing of all activities (purpose- matter: metonymy used for what someone takes delight in
Season- appointed time
Time- suitable moment or appropriate time
There are physical, emotional and spiritual implications to the timing of activities
The Activities with their Opposites
To be born- to die
To plant- to uproot what was planted
To kill- to heal
To breakdown- to build up
To weep- to laugh
To mourn- to dance
To cast away stones- to gather stones
To embrace- to refrain from embracing
To search (to get)- to give up something up as lost
To keep- to throw away
To Rend- to sew
To keep silent- to speak
To love- to hate
To war- to have peace
Consider the activities of your life. Do you ever feel they are inconvenient? Ray Stedman said correctly: If God has a time for everything He also has a purpose in everything.
There is an ignorance concerning God’s plan, vs. 9-11
The Observation of the work men do, vs. 9-10
What profit can a worker gain from his toil?
The burden was given to men
To keep them occupied
The ignorance men possess, vs. 11
God makes everything beautiful in its time
Beautiful- properly, marked by suitability, rightness or appropriateness
What activities could we wrestle with that could be described as beautiful
God set the world or eternity in the heart of man
People desire to know the significance of the events and activities that occur in their lifetime.
Job is a great example
The desire to know but without the possibility of knowing what God is doing from beginning to end.
God is all knowing
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
He has foreknowledge- do you not think he knows what you are going to experience in life?
We pray for things but sometimes God just wants us to trust him. The Apostle Paul and the thorn in the flesh.
Struggles- the process of sanctification
Enjoy Today
We are to enjoy the present as long as we live, vs. 12
Rejoice
To do good in his life- enjoy your life
Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
Man’s labor is a gift from God
Eat and Drink
Find satisfaction in your labor
It is a gift from God
Understand God is Sovereign Over All Things
The work of God is eternal
Nothing can be added or taken away
No one can thwart and change God’s will
For the purpose that man might fear Him
Depend and trust God
There is a repetition of events
The world goes round and round
We are not the first to experience it or the last.
Conclusion:
Examine the activities and events of your life. God has allowed you to experience them no matter how joyful or painful. Sometimes we cannot makes sense of the events of our lives but one thing we can do is to trust and lean on God who is over all things.