A Season and a Time to Every Purpose

A Season and a Time to Every Purpose

Ecc. 3:1-8

You have just completed a short survey to identify what topics concern you. (Survey below outline) Do any of those topics consume you? That is not God’s will for your life. Solomon wrote some great truths about our life “under the sun”, or the here and now. If we are not focused we can be consumed with the “cares of this world”, Mark 4:19. Solomon in chapter 3 shows us clearly that there is a season and a time to every purpose, positive and negative. We will have both if, we life any sort of balanced life. The Lord wants us to enjoy the good of our labor (verses 2:24, 3:13). Knowing the following truths will help us not to be consumed with this world.

• A time to be born – nine months after conception, 2 Cor.6:2 (now is the day of Salvation)
• A time to die – Rom.6:13, Heb.9:27 appointed  time
• A time to plant– right and wrong  time to plant crops
• A time to pluck up that which is planted – If you miss it, you lose it, you reap what you sow.
• A time to kill – ordered to in warfare (I Sam.15) capital punishment (Rom.13:4/Acts 25:11)
• A time to heal – Simple as recovery from any injury
• A time to break down – Old buildings, cars/ must have negative with positive
• A time to build up – Temple In OT / You now Acts 20:32
• A time to weep – Rom.12:15 / but not as those with no hope I Thes.4;13
• A time to laugh – Restoration of Israel(Ps.126:2), The Lord (Prov.1:26)
• A time to mourn – You eventually will, here and in heaven (Rev. 21:4)
• A time to dance – Biblically always “uni-sex” (Ex.15:20, 2 Sam 6:14) with no bodies touching. Always to the glory of God.
• A time to cast away stones – Clear and  prep farm land – Preparation
• A time to gather stones together – Altars and memorials
• A time to embrace – Family and love ones / wisdom- Prov.4:8
• A time to refrain from embracing- another man’s wife Prov.5:20, false religion or teachings
• A time to get – diploma, degree, spanking, a wife, salvation, rewards (I Cor.3, 2Cor.5)
• A time to lose– weight, health, home, wife, land, testimony, joy, rewards (ICor.3:15, 2Jn.8)
• A time to keep– the faith (Jude3, 2Tim.4), unspotted from the world (James 1:27)
• A time to cast away – Nation of Israel, the scorner(Prov.22:10) and relationships
• A time to rend – Veil in temple (Matt.27:51), old clothes- another use
• A time to sew – Adam and Eve- fig leaves, fine linen for us
• A time to keep silence – Jesus- Pilate and Herod, Fool counted wise (Prov.17:28), Not to answer  a fool(Prov.26:4)
• A time to speak – Stephen Acts 7, Paul Acts 26, Christ Matt.23, us Acts 1:8
• A time to love – Like Eze. 16:8 where physical and emotional love is involved
• A time to hate – Prov.8:13 Hate evil
• A time of war – Always has been, Looking for Armageddon
• A time of  peace – The Lord’s return Rev.20:1-4

Solomon was correct when he named all these times. If you believe the Bible, then you will know that you will experience all of the above. Rejoice in the fact that there are positive and negative times. We tend to get consumed in the negative and disregard the positive.

What Concerns You? Survey

            Please rate the following topics from 1 to 10. The topic that concerns you the most will be number 10; the topic that consumes the least of your concern will be number 1.

On October 7, 2012 fifteen class members were polled. Totals for each topic were added up and the results are posted below.

 

Politics                        ______47______

Money                        ______100_____

Marriage         _____108______

Career             _____111______

Terrorism        _____46_______

Health             _____109______

Family             ____128_______

End Times       ____42________

The Economy ____62________

Other              ____61________        (of identified – college mentioned most Please Identify)  

 

Do any of the above CONSUME you? ________________________________