A Time For Everything
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
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;
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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.
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
This passage clearly indicates that when it comes to this life, there is a time for just about any and everything.
Obviously sin and sinfulness is not under consideration here.
The ups and downs of life are never more evident than in a small congregation where every little thing is seen more clearly.
Every visitor, sick, moving, wayward, and righteous are clearly recognized and noticeable.
The Lord’s church here in Ramona, OK has seen its fair share of challenges lately and I thought it good we consider God’s Word’s here by way of Solomon.
With this in mind let’s examine our lesson for today.
A Time To Embrace & Refrain
A Time To Embrace & Refrain
Covid-19
Covid-19
We find ourselves in a situation that none of us really saw coming.
Who would have thought even a month and a half ago we would be asked by our government to not meet even like we are doing right now?
To be clear there is a bit of an over reaction going on in the media.
It is now being said that there is roughly a 98 percent life expediency rate for most people of course the elderly and high risk are much higher, and it seems the death rate is basically the same for those as the flu, at least were age is considered.
I said all that to say this, “there is a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing.”
Embracing
Embracing
Over and over we seek Paul talking about the importance of embracing our brethren with holy affection.
16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.
20 All the brothers send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
12 Greet one another with a holy kiss.
26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
1 Th
None of us would argue the necessity of greeting each other in a positive and physical way such as “greeting one another with a holy handshake.”
However, we see plenty of examples of “circumstances” changing the normal.
One of the very first commands found in Scripture is found in where it says, “man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Here God is clearly commanding that it is good for a man and woman to marry.
Here God is clearly commanding that it is good for a man and woman to marry.
Yet, Paul told the church in Corinth that circumstances can have an impact on typically good biblical things.
8 To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am.
Why, because of the persecution and hardship marriage brings on those struggling to stay single.
Temporary is the key.
Paul wasn’t saying it is good over the rest of eternity to not marry if possible but for the time.
Summary
Summary
There are times where a good biblical thing can be temporarily suspended and allowed for if it doesn’t violate any other doctrine by suspending it.
Most of the time “embracing is good” but sometimes there is a time for “refraining from it.”
A Time To Be Born & Die
A Time To Be Born & Die
Birth
Birth
There is no greater joy, typically speaking, for a couple then when their child is born into this world.
The fun, the cake, the toys, the joy, and all the blessings that stem from such.
As Solomon again apply stated, “a time to be born”
However, as we know there is also an appointment each must meet which is death.
27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,
Not only is there a “time to be born” but also a “time to die.”
Death
Death
Here in Ramona we have felt, all to well, this powerful pain that comes from death.
It’s sting if you will as it hits our heart and melts our strength.
Thankfully we are not like those that don’t understand death, though it hurts unimaginably.
We know what happens to our loved ones when they pass from this life to the next.
34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Summary
Summary
Thankfully we can have confidence in our God that if we are faithful unto death we too, like our loved ones before us, will be with God and our loved ones again.
36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37 For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; 38 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” 39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
Solomon also mentioned…
A Time To Seek & Lose
A Time To Seek & Lose
Finding
Finding
The church here in Ramona all these years has been blessed by our God greatly by those we have simply been fortunate to “stop by” and find our love for them and them for us.
We have seen so many through the years come here and be a part of our family.
We also must be seeking those who are interested in truth and seeking those opportunities as they present themselves.
As Solomon said there is “a time to seek” and when those opportunities arise, we must take notice and meet them.
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
The reality is there is also a reason to seek or find a new congregation.
In this case, for those leaving they are seeking but for those having the void they are…
Losing
Losing
The church here in Ramona has not only seen its blessings in those that have found their way to us and those whom we have sought after but we have seen our fair share of those that have needed to leave us for one reason or the other.
There is “a time to seek” and “a time to lose.”
We are personally losing a great Christian lady here in Ramona but know the church where she is going is gaining a great Christian lady.
In this case we what Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes happening at the same time.
v
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
What Paul would say to the church in Roman is also apropos to this situation.
1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.
Summary
Summary
Our lose is their gain and yet through all this it is normal and expected.
There is a time for everything.
Conclusion
Conclusion
I know it seems we are getting, in many ways, the negative end of “a time” I would also like to take a moment and remind us all that even though “times are tough” right now and even though “times are uncertain” in many ways right now our God has told us that He is certain and we “never need to fear anything on this earth.
To Abraham the father of the faithful God said…
1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”
To Isaac God said…
24 And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.”
To Moses when God’s people were about to face their greatest threats and challenges…
6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” 7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. 8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
David while in Philistine captivity would remark…
3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. 4 In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?
The same God who was there for each of them is there for us today because…
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.