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A Time To Every Purpose Ecclesiastes 3:1-9 Ecclesiastes, Part 6 The whole of our lives operates on time. We live by alarms, clocks, and schedules, and rarely can we break away from them. Time is something we all live within, and it is something of which we all have equal amount. A wise man will use his time for eternity; a fool will squander his time accomplishing nothing. 1. Random Thoughts About Time: As we begin, let's just consider a bit about time. A. WHAT IS TIME? Webster says time is the "measurable period during which an action, process, or condition exists or continues…a customary moment for something to happen." Time is the stuff life is made of. James says our life is just a "little time" (James 4:14). B. WHY IS TIME SO IMPORTANT? Each moment happens only once. We cannot retrieve time, erase time, speed it up or slow it down. We have to live right now for God's glory. C. WHEN WILL TIME END? Revelation 10:6 tells us "that there should be time no longer." This will happen when God makes the new heaven and earth. The present arrangement of things will all be burned up and God will make all things new. Time began "in the beginning" when God made the heaven and the earth (Genesis 1:1) and time will end when this heaven and earth are replaced with the eternal Kingdom of God! 2. God Orders Time, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 Were it not for the dependability of God ordained natural laws, daily
life would be chaos. There are times and seasons in life, and it is
up to us to cooperate with God in how he has order our lives. Solomon
gives us fourteen couplets dealing with all of life; twenty eight things
in life that are appropriate at the right time. A. Birth and death: How much control do we have over birth and death? Solomon begins with
the beginning and ending, birth and death. These are the extremes that
surround our lives. We experience time because of birth. Time will end
for us at death. Many foolishly hasten their death, but we cannot prevent
it when our time comes. Modern technology and things like abortion or
mercy killing make it look as though man controls birth and death, but
ultimately we must say that they are not human accidents but divine
appointments, for God is in control. B. Plant and Pluck: How do the seasons (spring, summer, etc) set boundaries upon our lives?
A farmer must cooperate with rather than defy the seasons if he wants
a crop. Seed must be planted at the right time and then harvested at
the right time, or there will not be germination, or spoilage. We cannot
do some things when we want, but when they must be done. C. Kill and Heal: When is it time to kill or to heal? Life is strangely a mix between the battlefield and the hospital. Does this give someone the right to commit abortion or end their life if they have a terminal illness? Of course not! D. Break Down or Build Up: How can we apply this to our personal lives? Before you can build,
you must often first break down what is there, like urban renewal. First
there is blasting, and then there is building. We have to break down
the old habits in order to build new habits into our lives. E. Weeping and Laughing: Is it good to mourn or is it better to laugh? Jesus said in Matthew
5:4, Blessed are they that mourn. Proverbs 14:13 says, Even in laughter
the heart is sorrowful. (See also Luke 6:21,25) I believe that laughter
is good only after we mourn for our sins. Laughter without mourning
is false joy. We seem to learn best through affliction. Thankfully,
God also gives us times of refreshment with much-needed laughter. F. Mourn and Dance: Here is the funeral and the marriage. G. Throw stones or gather stones: How can stones can be either good or bad? It depends what you want
to do with them. If you want to build a garden, you throw away stones.
If you want to build a house, you gather stones (or bricks). H. To Embrace or not to embrace: There is a time to say hello and a time to say good-bye. To embrace a loved ones at such times is appropriate. I. To Get or to Lose: When is it good to pursue a goal and when is it wise to look realistically
at a situation that something is beyond our reach? J. To Keep or to Cast Away; to Rend or to Sew: How much of our lives have to do with discarding, saving, mending, making over, remodeling, and changing? Here is a good verse for a garage sale! K. To Remain Silent or Speak: What are examples of this in the Bible? Jesus remained silent at his
trial; Paul asked prayer that he would open his mouth boldly to preach
Christ. When is it wise for us to be silent? When is it wise for us
to speak? L. To Love or to Hate: What should we hate and love? Ye that love the LORD, hate evil! Injustice
and sin should anger the heart of God's children. M. To War or Make peace: Is war ever just? When tyranny runs roughshod over the rights and lives
of the innocent, sometimes war is just and saves life in the long run. |