Friday Night Sermon ---> Ecclesiastes 3

ISDAMan

05-27-00, 01:33 AM

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Friday Night Sermon --- Ecclesiastes 3
An Online Group Study Of God's Word</TD>
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I don't know about you guys. I just have really been getting a bunch
out of these FNS's! Also, last night, as some of you know, I have
been having a problem with someone at work, I was really blessed of
God when He had Jim from the "Hope In The Night" radio
program call me so that I could speak with June hunt. What does this
have to do with this FNS? It ties in everywhere!!! I decided that I
would first consult the people of God before consulting an attorney.
I called them two nights prior and was not really ever expecting to
be able to get on. When they called me back, it was a blast!!! I was
given some great instruction and wisdom based upon God's Word to help
guide my actions. Now, just think how different the book of
Ecclesiastes would be if the writer had sought to seek God's wisdom
first,&ldots; if he had asked God's people. Sure, he was wise.
There's no disputing that. However, he sought the fruits of his own
wisdom over that of the Lord's wisdom. It never pays to seek your own
ways. Seek God's ways and don't be too shy or pig-headed to ask for
help. There'll be a blessing leading towards the victory God has
planned for you if you have faith enough to put your faith in action
and seek Godly instruction. This goes far beyond the false thought
that God helps those that help themselves. God helps whomever He
wishes and He in well known to wish to want to heap blessings upon
His faithful children. Faith is an active thing that, if we have it,
should be practiced whenever and wherever possible. BTW, as long as
you've got breath in your lungs it's possible. For more on this, read
the book of James. That's a whole different sermon in and of itself.
I do need to get on to this weeks FNS. I just need to Praise God and
say, "Thank you Lord for looking after my heartfelt desire to
serve you well. Thank you for sending your faithful servants to be a
help to me and the others that are depending upon me to be faithful
to you."

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New King James Version</TD>
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New Living Translation</TD>
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1 To every thing there is
a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2 A time to be born, and a
time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which 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 get, and a
time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 A time to rend, 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 of war, and a time of peace.

9 What profit hath he that
worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

10 I have seen the
travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

11 He hath made every
thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their
heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the
beginning to the end.</TD>
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1 There is a time for
everything, 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 harvest.

3 A time to kill and a
time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to rebuild.

4 A time to cry and a time
to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.

5 A time to scatter stones
and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away.

6 A time to search and a
time to lose. A time to keep and a time to throw away.

7 A time to tear and a
time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak up.

8 A time to love and a
time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.

9 What do people really
get for all their hard work?

10 I have thought about
this in connection with the various kinds of work God has given
people to do.

11 God has made everything
beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human
heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work
from beginning to end.</TD>
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More than being just a really cool song you loved to sing back in the
old days, these words are the very truth of our existence. We are in
time. We are limited. Even our existence, God has shaped so that we
might know his Greatness. He is without time. There is no border to
His existence that He must not cross. We, on the other hand, are
locked into these cycles and God has made everything beautiful in
it's own time. Notice that, "in it's own time"! If your 12
yr old daughter were to come home to you and say, "Pass the peas
and, oh, by the way, I'm pregnant.", would you get all starry
eyed and think about how beautiful that news is? No, you would not!
It's easy to understand that there is something happening well out of
time. If the neurosurgeon working on your brain does not time his
moves correctly, you might lose the ability to walk and talk. In
everything we do, there is timing. It's all God given. He meant for
us to use it well. Now, if you can accept that it's from God and that
it's good, how is it that you can't seem to find that time to pray,
study His Word, or witness to the lost? Where did the time go that
you should have spent with your wife/husband and child? If God is
good and supposed to know what He's doing, don't you think that He
figured in enough time in your day to account for this? Oh, well, it
was just a bad day right? O.k., what about your month then? Are you
going to call God a liar and say that He hasn't provided time for
what is He says is the right thing? Stop the excuses and get with the
times! These are dark days we live in. Is it too much to ask that you
be the beacon of light that God has made you? How else can you be
this if you do not put forth the effort to (have the faith to) allow
Him, who is the light, to shine through you? Do not forget the
frustrations of the writer of this book. Seeking that new position at
wok is fine if God says you have time for it. Marrying that one that
sets your heart ablaze is wonderful so long as God has penned in the
time in your spiritual date book. Doing anything is just fantastic
when you've got the go ahead from God. The only thing is, how will
you know you've got it when you swear up and down that you don't have
the time to get into God's Word. You make excuses about not being a
theologian,&ldots; I'm just a lay person. I can't serve in that
ministry,&ldots; and,&ldots; I've got too much on my plate as it is.
Well, let me ask you something? How much on your plate comes from
God? I don't care how good it tastes, what it does for you, or how
impressive the promises are, if it's not from God, you don't have
time for it!!!! Now, listen to be here Christians. You don't have
time for it!!!!! Yes, god does reward you with nice things. Still
didn't we just learn that you'd better not put too much stock in the
rewards of this life? It's far better to make an investment in the
eternal. 

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New King James Version</TD>
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New Living Translation</TD>
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12 I know that there is no
good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.

13 And also that every man
should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the
gift of God.

14 I know that, whatsoever
God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any
thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

15 That which hath been is
now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth
that which is past.</TD>
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12 So I concluded that
there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to enjoy
themselves as long as they can.

13 And people should eat
and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts
from God.

14 And I know that
whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from
it. God's purpose in this is that people should fear him.

15 Whatever exists today
and whatever will exist in the future has already existed in the
past. For God calls each event back in its turn.</TD>
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Now, we've already covered this in a previous FNS. Again, just to
brush over it, enjoy what God gives. There's nothing wrong with
having and enjoying stuff. Just don't let it become your lord and
master. Another great thing to know is that God has set times of
regular provision. He knows what the birds, the plants, and the bees
need to survive. He knows and can meet your needs too. Don't stress
over those hard times. It's not new to God. He'll never tell you,
"Man! I don't know what kind of mess you've gotten yourself
into." On the flip side, don't get high minded. That might be
new to you but not to God. Your number is going to come up and if you
are not firmly grounded in God, you whole world will come crashing
down around you.

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New King James Version</TD>
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New Living Translation</TD>
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16 And moreover I saw
under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and
the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.

17 I said in mine heart,
God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time
there for every purpose and for every work.

18 I said in mine heart
concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest
them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

19 For that which
befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth
them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one
breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.

20 All go unto one place;
all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

21 Who knoweth the spirit
of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth
downward to the earth?

22 Wherefore I perceive
that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his
own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see
what shall be after him?</TD>
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16 I also noticed that
throughout the world there is evil in the courtroom. Yes, even the
courts of law are corrupt!

17 I said to myself,
"In due season God will judge everyone, both good and bad, for
all their deeds."

18 Then I realized that
God allows people to continue in their sinful ways so he can test
them. That way, they can see for themselves that they are no better
than animals.

19 For humans and animals
both breathe the same air, and both die. So people have no real
advantage over the animals. How meaningless!

20 Both go to the same
place – the dust from which they came and to which they must return.

21 For who can prove that
the human spirit goes upward and the spirit of animals goes downward
into the earth?

22 So I saw that there is
nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is why
they are here! No one will bring them back from death to enjoy life
in the future.</TD>
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You'll never get another shot at living in this life of flesh ever
again. If you don't live it for God, and the way He has set for you,
not only are you going to live a miserable life here as you search
for something to fill the void, you're going to miss out on all the
joys of an eternity with God. You'll get soaked twice! For all that
we think of ourselves, God has made us subject to the same operating
system as the animals. Sin has caused us all the same dysfunction. We
die. Why rely upon what has proven to fail one for one every time.
This flesh will crash and burn. It all goes back to the dust. Get
with the maker's plan and set your clock by the maker's schedule and
the hazards of being caught up in a system doomed to fail cannot be
the driving force in your life. That is where joy in life comes from.
That is how Christians can be happy even though a fellow saint passes
on. Have that faith that has you do as God would have you do.
Therein, you will find meaning and joy. Therein, God will shine His
light in you.



Have Active Faith,

ISDAMan</TD>
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[This message has been edited by ISDAMan (edited May 26, 2000).]