Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. . . even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. We finish our years like a sigh. The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knows the power of Your anger? For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath. So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Ps. 90:1-2, 9-12, NKJV

There Is A Season Eccl. 3:1-11

There Is A Season 1. These seasons offer certainty to the searcher - Something cannot come from nothing Heb. 3:4 - Life cannot come from non-life Ps. 100:3 - Order cannot come from disorder Job 38-41 I. certainty for the searcher A. We are created to be searchers, given the tools to learn (senses, processor, recorder, FF-pause-rewind) and the seasons of earth and life keep us guessing and learning. B. These verses remind us that while we will never understand everything, every season of life teaches us something that helps us to learn something else 1. The Bible and seasons of life teach that something cannot come from nothing Heb. 3:4 2. The Bible and seasons of life teach that life cannot come from non-life Ps. 100:3 (Gen. 2:7; 1:12) 3. The Bible and seasons of life teach that order cannot come from disorder Job 38-41 C. In every season of life, God is teaching us something that will allow us to learn something else.

There Is A Season 2. These seasons offer hope for the hurt - Hurt felt in many forms - Pain will not continue forever Eccl. 7:14 II. hope for the hurt A. When God created this world, there were potential dangers, physically (mountains, gravity) and spiritually, but God had a solution for each threat (tree of life, His instructions, plans for forgiveness). B. The seasons of life have potential for hurt to come in a variety of ways 1. consequences of sin (others, my own) is most often responsible 2. leaving, learning, and losing may not involve sin but still hurt C. Pain is “seasonal” and will not continue forever 1. Eccl. 7:14 in the day of adversity, consider that it is temporary and can benefit us. 2. v2a pain of death is softened by the hope of resurrection (another season, implied in v17) 3. v3a there is a time to heal, requiring us to learn to avoid uselessly dragging the past into the present 4. v8b even justifiable war (physical or spiritual) is fought for the sake of peace

There Is A Season 3. These seasons offer pause for the prospering - Prosperity in God’s plan Eccl. 7:14; 5:10, 13; Prov. 20:29 - Job - Pause to prepare for other seasons III. pause for the prospering A. God created this world with the potential of prosperity and wealth for some 1. Eccl. 7:14 intended this to be a season of joy (incl sharing [Acts 20:35] and gratitude) 2. Eccl. 5:10, 13 like a rosebush, God created prosperity to harm those who are reckless 3. Prov. 20:29 we may also prosper in health and strength for a season B. Job’s life was full of these seasons 1. Job’s health was good, terrible, good, failed (died) 2. Job’s wealth was (unknown at first), good, terrible, good 3. Job’s “quiver was full,” then empty, then full and prospered until his death 4. Job’s faith excelled, weakened, excelled after he repented C. When you prosper (health, wealth, family, faith), pause to prepare yourself and your family for other seasons 1. Read these verses and discuss them in connection with what is happening around you 2. Spend time with and for people in all these seasons (Mt. 25; so many lessons and impressions made on families and children who spend regular, consistent time with those who are older) 3. Ask God for help in each season and promise Him that you will be devoted to Him in each season

There Is A Season 4. In every season, Jesus offers - Certainty Lk. 24:44; Jn. 14:6 - Hope Jn. 11:25; Mt. 11:28-30 - Pause IV. Jesus came, reminding men that despite these seasons, He alone offers A. Certainty Jn. 14:6 1. of the prophecies fulfillment in Him Lk. 24:44 This sets Christ apart from every rel leader—no one else has documented, historical facts confirming their claims. 2. of His exclusive offer of salvation a. Him as the only the way, truth, life Jn. 14:6 b. His instruction concerning accepting His offer Mk. 16:16 no one can misrepresent His instructions about His salvation and be His Church.   B. Hope 1. for hearts heavy with sorrow from the seasons of life Jn. 11:25 a. the resurrection of all the dead is the end of changing seasons b. the resurrection to life brings an eternal season of the pleasant parts of Eccl. 3, eternal . . . c. the resurrection to death brings an eternal season of the unpleasant parts of Eccl. 3, eternal. . . 2. for lives burdened by sin Mt. 11:28-30 a. relief from the mental weight of guilt—if God has left my guilt in the past, surely I can! b. relief from the spiritual consequences of sin (sp separation from God, His ppl, hope) C. Pause 1. Both rich and poor have unique temptations regarding money, but Jesus described the spiritual problems of the rich more often than the poor a. RYR (Mt. 19:23); Rich man and Lazarus; Rich fool b. And whether we have riches or not, these warnings apply Mt. 13:22; Lk. 12:15; 1 Tim. 6:9-10 c. The solution is to understand the role of money and keep it in that role.

There Is A Season Eccl. 3:1-11 For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2 NKJV) - To become a Christian Acts 2:38 - To again live for Christ Acts 8:22