Chasing The Wind - Time! Series

Timing! -- Ecclesiastes pt. 4

Opening Illustration: Blue Fish TV “There is a Time for everything!”

Illustration: What happens in 30 minutes of time put the timer on set it for 30 minutes?

Thesis: Solomon tells us that timing is everything in life and life goes through many stages and we need to know what time it is.

Question: What time is it?

Last night we all should have sprung forward with our clocks – Why? Because it’s been reported on the news that it is time to do this, it’s been on the radio, it’s been in the newspapers, but still some people woke up this morning and did not know what time it was – some will show up and hour late today and be confused – but for others somewhere in their day they will realize they are off in clock reading skills of time – they will have an AHA moment of I am late by and hour! They ask “What time is it?”

The same phenomena of missing proper time management happens all over the world --- especially in connection with time and eternity --- so Solomon pens this book of wisdom and this chapter on time management for a lifetime! Let’s read his thoughts:

Ecclesiastes 3:

1 There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

9What does the worker gain from his toil? 10I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. 14I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.

15 Whatever is has already been,

and what will be has been before;

and God will call the past to account.

16And I saw something else under the sun:

In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,

in the place of justice—wickedness was there.

17I thought in my heart,

“God will bring to judgment

both the righteous and the wicked,

for there will be a time for every activity,

a time for every deed.”

18I also thought, “As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. 19Man’s fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. 20All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. 21Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”

22So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?

Introduction:

I want to add to Solomon’s list today:

• There is a time to stand up for God in a godless society and say “God is not dead!”

• There is a time to stand for truth and Jesus when deception and denial of Him is everywhere!

• There is a time when to turn the TV off and on!

• There is a time to stand up for pro-life over the death of unborn babies!

• There is a time to give when others do not!

• There is a time to get off the couch and do something for God!

• There is a time to go to church and follow God’s Commandments to honor the Sabbath!

• There is a time to start a sermon and end a sermon!