God's Gifts in Time

Josiah Ott

Ecclesiastes • Sermon • Submitted a year ago • Presented a year ago

Ecclesiastes 3:1–15

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TURN: ECC CH. 3

!! OPEN in PRAYER !!

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INTRODUCTION: NEVER THE RIGHT TIME

· HUMAN BEINGS,, VERY SELDOM,, SEEM to be HAPPY WHERE THEY’RE at in LIFE.

NOT FINANCIALLY

GEOGRAPHICALLY

RATHER TIMES/SEASONS of LIFE

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SELAH— LOOKING to 7,, 10,, MARRIAGE

YOUNGER KIDS —> OLDER KIDS

OLDER KIDS —> TEENAGERS, DRIVING

TEENS —> COLLEGE/ADULTHOOD/ FREEDOM

YOUNG ADULTS—> SETTLING DOWN

STARTING FAMILY

MIDDLE-AGE ADULTS —> FOCUS on CAREER

OLDER ADULTS —> PART-TIME JOB—RUNNING KIDS AROUND

LOOKING FORWARD to RETIREMENT

EMPTYNESTERS —> MISS KIDS,

OLDER —> LOOKING BACK ((NOT HURTING,, KIDS @ HOME))

PATTERN CONTINUES— AND WE DIE.

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WE’RE GOOD @ BEING HAPPY “SOMEDAY”…

BUT NOT “TODAY”

WE’RE ALWAYS EXPECTING to FIND HAPPINESS ...OUT THERE

**WHEN YOU REACH “THERE”**

YOU’LL STILL WANT OTHER THINGS

TIME WILL FLY BY & YOU’LL MISS IT.

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IN VARIOUS SEASONS of TIME...

WHAT’S it LOOK LIKE: SERVING GOD W/ PASSING of TIMES?

CAN WE FIND JOY in the PRESENT?

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HOPE THIS TEXT HELPS ANSWER SOME of THESE QUESTIONS...

(T) I’D LIKE TO BEGIN BY READING THE PASSAGE THIS MORNING,

CH. 3… V1-15

THE TEACHER SAYS,

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PASSAGE READING:

Ecclesiastes 3:1–15 (ESV)

1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

9 What gain has the worker from his toil?

10 I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with.

11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

12 I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live;

13 also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.

14 I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him.

15 That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.

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PASSAGE PREACHING:

THOUGHT 1: THE SEASONS & TIMES OF LIFE (V1-8)

TEXT HAS A MAJOR SHIFT TODAY.

Last Week:

TEACHER CONCLUDED HIS SERIES OF VANITIES AND HIS PURSUIT OF SATISFACTION IN LIFE

Conclusion:

ENJOY GOD’S GIFTS,,

FIND ENJOYMENT in TOIL

ENJOYMENT = GOD’S GIFT

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AFTER REFLECTING on SO MANY VANITIES & CONCLUDING w/ ENJOYMENT...

(T) TEACHER MOVES to CONSIDERING SEASONS/TIMES of LIFE.

(3:1-8)

3:1 FOR EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON, AND A TIME FOR EVERY MATTER UNDER HEAVEN:

**(V2-8) EXAMPLES**

THOUGHT 2: ENJOYING THE PRESENT SEASON (V9-13)

THE GOD-GIVEN TASK

(V9-10) WHAT GAIN HAS THE WORKER FROM HIS TOIL? 10 I HAVE SEEN THE BUSINESS THAT GOD HAS GIVEN TO THE CHILDREN OF MAN TO BE BUSY WITH.

WITH ALL the SEASONS,,

DOINGS & UNDOINGS...

WHAT GAIN???

REOCCURRING QUESTION.

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PROBABLY EXPECTING: “VANITY!!!”

BUSINESS = UNHAPPY BUSINESS!!

(T) IF THINGS = CONSTANTLY UNDONE… WHY’S IT MATTER??

LET’S SEE:

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(11A) HE HAS MADE EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL IN ITS TIME.

THE SECRET = ENJOYING the PRESENT as a GIFT FROM GOD.

EBB & FLOW of LIFE— MONOTONY of LIFE— CYCLES of LIFE— GOD HAS MADE EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL… IN ITS TIME.

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SEASONS of NATURE = HELPFUL ILLUSTRATION

HATE a SEASON—YOU CHOOSE to HATE 1/4 of YOUR LIFE!

GOD SET IT UP THIS WAY.

—>> IF WE DON’T GET to CHANGE IT…

CAN WE LEARN to ENJOY IT? <<—

INTERESTING:

COMPLAIN of COLD in WINTER

COMPLAIN of HEAT in SUMMER

WE’RE WORSE THAN GOLDILOCKS!

ONE WEEK in FALL = JUST RIGHT.

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(Q) CAN WE CHOOSE to SEE UNIQUE BEAUTIES??

SPRINGTIME = BEAUTY of NEW LIFE

SUMMER = BEAUTIFUL & WARM

FALL = BEAUTIFUL—CHANGING TREES

WINTER = BEAUTY of FRESH SNOW

**WITHOUT WINTER—SPRING WOULDN’T BE SPRING**

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SELAH:

SNOW-ANGELS in WINTER

PLAYGROUNDS in SUMMER

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(T) HOW ABOUT SEASONS of LIFE??

(Q) WHAT is UNIQUELY BEAUTIFUL about YOUR PRESENT SEASON?

CHILDHOOD—IMAGINATION/PLAY/NO ANXIETIES

TEEN YEARS—FRIENDS/SPORTS/ACTIVITIES

YOUNG ADULT—FREEDOM/STARTING OUT

OLDER ADULT— ESTABLISHED

EMPTY-NESTERS: DAVE RAMSEY— GRAND-KIDS = BETTER??

RETIRED— CEASED from TOIL,,

**IF YOU SAY THERE’S NO BEAUTY in YOUR PRESENT SEASON—YOU’RE CALLING GOD a LIAR**

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BOARD MEETING: TURNING 30— BEST DECADE of LIFE

40 THINGS BEGIN to GO DOWNHILL SLOWLY

50 THINGS JUMP OFF CLIFF

**I DON’T DOUBT THAT 30-40 = PROBABLY MOST POPULAR**

BUT WE ONLY GET to LIVE IT ONCE...

(Q) WILL WE SPEND the OTHER 50,60,70,80 YEARS LONGING for IT??

OR CHOOSE to FIND the BEAUTY in the PRESENT?

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HE DOESN’T SAY EVERY SEASON is EQUAL.

BUT HE DOES SAY GOD MAKES THEM ALL BEAUTIFUL IN THEIR TIME.

(T) THIS GOD—NOT ONLY MADE EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL— BUT HAS GIVEN US OVERARCHING SENSE of TIME—ETERNITY

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(v11b) ALSO, HE HAS PUT ETERNITY INTO MAN’S HEART, YET SO THAT HE CANNOT FIND OUT WHAT GOD HAS DONE FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END.

EVERYTHING - BEAUTIFUL in ITS TIME...

(T) THERE’S MORE THAN JUST THIS.

ALL HUMAN BEINGS HAVE a SENSE of “SOMETHING MORE”

SOMETHING TRANSCENDENT

LIFE AFTER DEATH

INWARD LONGING = PUT THERE BY GOD.

**BUT ONE THAT WON’T HAVE ALL ANSWERS THIS SIDE of ETERNITY**

WE CAN’T FULLY FIGURE OUT the WORK of GOD...

(T) INSTEAD:

(V12-13) 12 I PERCEIVED THAT THERE IS NOTHING BETTER FOR THEM THAN TO BE JOYFUL AND TO DO GOOD AS LONG AS THEY LIVE; 13 ALSO THAT EVERYONE SHOULD EAT AND DRINK AND TAKE PLEASURE IN ALL HIS TOIL—THIS IS GOD’S GIFT TO MAN.

WHEN WE CAN’T CHANGE the SEASONS

WHEN WE CAN’T FIGURE GOD OUT FULLY

WHEN WE CAN’T GRASP ETERNITY

—> WE CHOOSE to ENJOY the PRESENT.

BE JOYFUL

DO GOOD

EAT, DRINK, TAKE PLEASURE in TOIL

THESE THINGS = GOD’S GIFT to US!

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WE HAVE to CONTROL— WHAT WE CAN CONTROL — OUR ATTITUDES & PERSPECTIVE.

WE CAN’T CONTROL or UNDERSTAND:

the SEASONS

the TIMES

ETERNITY

WORK of GOD

CONTROL WHAT WE CAN CONTROL—CHOOSE JOY TODAY.

NOT OUT THERE

NOT in the NEXT SEASON

NOT in the PAST SEASON

FIND ENJOYMENT in the PRESENT GIFTS

(T) BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, WE CAN’T CONTROL THE WORK OF GOD:

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THOUGHT 3: THE EVERLASTING WORK OF GOD (V14-15)

(V14-15) 14 I PERCEIVED THAT WHATEVER GOD DOES ENDURES FOREVER; NOTHING CAN BE ADDED TO IT, NOR ANYTHING TAKEN FROM IT. GOD HAS DONE IT, SO THAT PEOPLE FEAR BEFORE HIM. 15 THAT WHICH IS, ALREADY HAS BEEN; THAT WHICH IS TO BE, ALREADY HAS BEEN; AND GOD SEEKS WHAT HAS BEEN DRIVEN AWAY.

OUR WORK = TEMPORARY

GOD’S WORKS = FOREVER/ETERNITY— JUST as HE’S PLACED IN OUR HEARTS..

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GOD IS OUTSIDE of TIME

IN the BEGINNING…GOD.

HE ISN’T BOUND BY the RULES

?? REF. JOHN CH. 1 — THINGS “COMING ABOUT” HE JUST WAS. ??

GOD DIDN’T HAVE a BIRTHDAY

NO START DATE

ALWAYS BEEN

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ASIDE: ETERNALITY of GOD = HARD to GRASP

**EVERY WORLDVIEW BELIEVES in SOMETHING ETERNAL.**

HIGH SCHOOL: IN the BEGINNING: ROCKS.

HARDEST ASPECT to UNDERSTAND = PROBLEM EVERY WORLDVIEW HAS...

PERHAPS WE OUGHT to TAKE GOD @ HIS WORD??

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HIS WORK ENDURES FOREVER & IT’S BEYOND FIGURING OUT...

THE PAST THINGS WILL RETURN AGAIN,, GOD SEEKS THAT WHICH is in the PAST

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SURVEYING: ALL of GOD’S WORKS = NECESSARY RESPONSE = FEAR BEFORE HIM.

HE’S MADE it BEAUTIFUL — TRUST HIM

HE’S MADE IT— WORSHIP HIM.

VIEWING SEASONS:

LET’S BE DRAWN to AWE-FILLED, REVERENT WORSHIP…RATHER THAN COMPLAINT.

LET’S TRUST THAT HIS GIFTS,, IN TIME,, ARE GOOD...

(T) AND SO WHAT IS THE TEACHER SAYING TO US THIS MORNING? I BELIEVE HE’S TELLING US TO,

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PREACHING IDEA:

TRUST GOD’S SOVEREIGN HAND IN THE VARIOUS SEASONS OF LIFE AND CHOOSE TO ENJOY THE PRESENT.

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GOSPEL: ETERNITY IN THE HEART

ALL THIS = SET UP BY GOD.

SETS UP TIMES—SEASONS

HE’S the ONE WHO SET UP CREATIONS BIRTHDAY

& THE DAY IT’LL END.

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PRE-EXISTED CREATION…HE MAKES the RULES...

THE ETERNAL GOD—ACTS in TIME:

Galatians 4:4–5 (ESV)

4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,

5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

JESUS CAME @ TIME SOVEREIGNLY DECREED— TO DIE for OUR SINS

HE’S COMING BACK @ the APPOINTED TIME...

**ALL of US HAVE a TIME—WE HAVE to STAND BEFORE OUR MAKER**

JESUS COMES BACK

or WE DIE...

(V2) TIME to BE BORN—TIME to DIE...

**WE DON’T GET to CHOOSE WHEN WE DIE,, UNLESS WE SELF-INFLICT IT**

WE CAN’T PROLONG DEATH FOREVER.

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IT COMES for ALL of US WHEN GOD SAYS “IT’S TIME”

ARE YOU READY?

GOD PLACED ETERNITY in OUR HEARTS…WE HAVE to KNOW THERE’S MORE to LIFE THAN THIS

ROM. CH.1:20— CREATION SO SUFFICIENTLY TESTIFIES to CREATOR—WE’RE WITHOUT EXCUSE...

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THERE’S a TIME/DAY of SALVATION

HAVE YOU TRUSTED in CHRIST?

YOU CAN HAVE a RELATIONSHIP W/ LIVING GOD

FORGIVENESS for ALL YOUR SINS

HOPE for ETERNITY,, RATHER THAN a DREAD

CALL: WITHOUT HOPE/ASSURANCE,, TALK to ME AFTER SERVICE...

(T) WHAT’S MORE IMPORTANT THAN

ENJOYING the PRESENT—IS KNOWING

YOU’LL ENJOY ETERNITY W/ GOD...

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APP: TRUSTING GOD & ENJOYING THE PRESENT

CONSIDERING...GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY OVER TIMES

GOD SETS the TIMES

HIS WORK LASTS FOREVER

HE MAKES ALL THINGS BEAUTIFUL...

To Believers: 2 RESPONSES

FIND JOY IN THE PRESENT SEASON OF LIFE.

WE CAN’T CHANGE HOW HE’S SET UP the TIMES

GOD HASN’T ASKED US FOR OUR OPINIONS...

WE MAY NOT LIKE THINGS AS THEY ARE…NOT OUR CHOICE.

WILL WE FIND the BEAUTY in PRESENT SEASON??

HE’S MADE it BEAUTIFUL SOMEHOW....

(Q) CHRISTIAN, ARE YOU LONGING FOR ANOTHER TIME?

FOR a FUTURE TIME— WHEN YOU’LL FINALLY BE CONTENT/HAPPY

PROBABLY WON’T BE…AND IT’LL FLY BY IF YOU ARE.

FOR a PAST TIME— YOU MISS the OLD DAYS?

GOD HASN’T GRANTED US TIME-TRAVEL.

DON’T RESENT the PRESENT- IT’S TRULY GOD’S GIFT to US.

ENJOY the PRESENT GIFTS of FOOD, DRINK, TOIL, FAMILY, ETC.

IF YOU HATE the PRESENT SEASON— THINK THERE’S NOTHING BEAUTIFUL in IT— YOU’RE CALLING GOD a LIAR.

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GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY OVER the TIMES—SHOULD DRAW US to FEAR— TO REVERENT WORSHIP of HIM...

THE AWESOME,, ETERNAL GOD,, THAT ACTS in TIME.

THINKING of HIS CREATIVE GENIUS— SHOULD DRAW US to WORSHIP.

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Conclusion:

SO, LET’S FIND JOY & a CAUSE for WORSHIP in the PRESENT…

EVEN IF THERE’S SOME THINGS WE MIGHT CHANGE.

IF GOD CALLS IT BEAUTIFUL,

THEN SURELY THERE’S BEAUTY IN IT. AMEN?

....LET’S PRAY THIS MORNING…

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