A SERMON FOR UNDERSTANDING

A Season of Life

Recently I received an e mail that was about a ‘Season’ in your life that saw another entering into your life either permanently or temporarily. This caused me to become inspired to deliver the following sermon. After I forwarded the e mail I prayed to God and asked Him to tell me what I should impart in my sermon. This is what I got as an answer and what I have been told to say.

Here is the wording, short version, of what the e mail said.

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.

When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.

They may seem like a Godsend, and they are. They are the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.

What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Think about what is said here. Basically people come and people go but each fulfills a purpose in your life and you in theirs. God works in mysterious ways and often He uses people, like you and I, to do His work.

Now, in the Book of Ecclesiastes, there is further information related to seasons in our lives.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under the sun. A time to be born and a time to die.  A time to plant and a time to harvest.  A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to rebuild. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to lose. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak up. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.

God has given man so very much and it is His desire that we enjoy His gifts. In our life here on earth the gifts He has given us are earthly gifts and His purpose is having each of us enjoy those gifts but IN MODERATION. God does not condemn but approves of the use of the earthly blessings. It is the abuse of those blessings that He condemns. When man makes any gift of God his main purpose for life, that man has sinned against God.

The earth, without human desires, love, taste, joy, sorrow, would be a dreary waste. It would be as a world without water. On the other hand, abuse of any of the foregoing is as a flood and destructive in nature.

Reason and revelation are given so as to allow control of our wants and wishes but all too many have abused the use of God’s earthly gifts.

Many see the condemning of a person to death as not being Christian and against the teachings of Jesus. Just as Jesus said that, He was not here to change God’s word but to fulfill His promises, He did not change ‘a time to kill and a time to heal.’

Society, in the majority has elected to enact a death penalty. Were we to employ that penalty in excess, (shoplifting, car theft, burglary), and then we would be abusing reason. But, in employing the death penalty for grievous crimes, (mass murder, murder while committing torture, and similar crimes), we are not guilty of murder. The Commandment is, ‘Thou shalt not murder,’ not, ‘thou shalt not kill.’ There is no malice in wars of self-defense just as there is no malice in ridding society of those who would destroy God’s creation, man.

The time for healing may also be abused as to heal spiritually, before the sinner feels remorse would be, ‘out of time,’ and possibly injurious. That sinner would accept his spiritual injury as acceptable and therefore repeat that act. 

We all realize that there is a time to tear down a building and a time to rebuild. Just as there are times to cry and times to laugh. Each is understandable but each has its own time. But, when it is written, ‘a time to embrace and a time to turn away,’ it can get confusing.

To embrace something means that you condone its existence and even support it. The beggar, if trying to get out of his/her situation can be embraced but the idle beggar, content with his role as a taker and a bane to his fellow man is not one to be given to.

If this sounds harsh, ask yourself, if I give money to a man that will simply use that money to buy alcohol. Have I done wrong by giving him that money?’ Not too confusing now, is it?

‘A time to search and a time to lose.’  Don’t look for things that are harmful to you and lose your bad habits. Search for God in your life, all else will fall in place.

‘A time to keep and a time to throw away.’  Keep the things that you know to be of value to you in your walk through life in God’s grace and cast aside anything that will hinder that walk.

‘A time to tear and a time to mend.’  Apply this to nations. When a nation attempts to impress its will upon another nation, it is wrong, but when the time of confrontation comes to an end, the time for mending is at hand.

‘A time to be quiet and a time to speak up.’ The time to be silent is when God wants to speak to you. All too often we do not take the time to hear God. He is forever speaking to us when we listen. Then, the time to speak out is when you see wrong taking place and God’s law being broken. Speak out against abortion; speak out against what you know to be not of God’s will.

‘A time for love and a time for hate.’ The time for love is of God and of the things He has blessed you with. Do not fall in love with earthly things as they will pass. Hate sin, evil and all that would drive you from God.

‘A time for war and a time for peace.’ The war is within you. It is a war against all that you know to be righteous in God’s eyes. The time for peace will be with us only after we shed these earthly bodies and enter into God’s presence. Sadly, until then, we will be at war.

I am always doing my utmost to bring you the Word of God in such a manner so as to make it more clearly understood and easily conveyed to another. I pray that I have done so now with the help provided in God’s Word, the Bible.

(Closing prayer)

Heavenly Father, Abba, Lord Most High please hear our prayer. We praise you Lord, You are the Power and the Way. We offer You our hearts and our worship.

It is our desire to do Your will and to tell others of Your love and mercies. We seek to be bearers of Your Good News son as to have others join us in our worship of You. Be with us Lord and guide our paths.

This is a time we come to You with our supplications and voice our hopes of being blessed with the gifts only You can give. Be with us Lord and assist us in understanding You Word as You intended them to be of meaning in our lives. Protect us from any that would twist any of the meanings You have chosen to impart.  It is You we seek to serve and no other.

In Jesus’ name we pray, who is One with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever,

Amen, amen and amen. 

Pastor Lee S Gliddon Jr DOM

God's Word Christian Ministry