Seasons - What Is God Up To?

Subject: Understanding The Seasons In Our Lives

By Rick Welborne

　
Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 (NKJV) 
1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: 
2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what 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; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
7 A time to tear, 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 has the worker from that in which he labors? 
10 I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied.
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
12 I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives,
13 and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor--it is the gift of God.

–Tonight I want us to take this journey and look at the seasons we are in, the seasons we are headed into, or maybe, the season we are coming out of. Four part series.
–For most of us, we do not give much thought about the season we are in unless we find ourselves in a time of winter...a time when things seem to be dying.
–It is easy to become disillusioned during times of winter if we are accustomed to spring and summer. New life and harvest.
–I was just listening to Hillsongs "Desert Song" and it asks the question of what will I do in the desert, the fire, the battle, in winter...I will bring you praise.
–How many of you know that is exactly what God wants us to do no matter what season we are in...Bring Him praise and glory!
–Sometimes our Americanized version of Christianity clouds our perspective on how God works and we find ourselves getting very frustrated with God and life.
–God, where are you? Why is all this stuff happening to me?

1. From our text in Ecclesiastes the Word of God points our some very important facts that we need to understand about seasons and about our lives.

A. Everything (everyone, every family, every business, every church), will have the changing of seasons and the timing in regard to that.
B. Not understanding this principle causes people to abandon prematurely these institutions...they fail to see what God is up to in their lives.
C. Most of us know that there is a time to be born and a time to die...yet we always seem unprepared when it happens to someone close to us. Some even get angry with God.
D. This one is important that we get...a time to plant and a time to pick what was planted..
planting and harvest.
–Many are striving to harvest when God is saying plant...no fruit (no harvest) is coming forth so we panic and complain.
–It is also foolish to be trying to plant when it is harvest time...some plough up their harvest prematurely to plant something new...we must know our season.
–In Jamestown many of the settlers ate their seed that needed to be planted...consumed their harvest before it could be planted. What we do with our tithes and offerings.
–There is a temptation to use up the harvest (all of it) when there is an abundance but a wise steward will save seeds for planting...preparing for the next season.
–To some who are struggling with very little harvest...you are tempted not to plant (to give) because you have so little. You are killing your future harvest.
–God says there will be a time of harvesting and God cannot lie...keep planting your seed and your life into His Kingdom...I don’t have much...plant what you can.
E. God has made everything beautiful in its time.
–Right! How can it be beautiful when it hurts so bad? Pain can be a friend and a great teacher if we embrace the present season we are going thru.
–Solomon says that God has put eternity in their hearts...that is saying that during the tough times God shows us what is really important...Himself and our families.
–I heard one of the business men in our church whose business was really struggling...I have never prayed so much or sought God this much as I have thru this adversity.
–Key...just maybe that is the point...winter, the desert, adversity, and pain pushes us into a deeper relationship with God and that is a beautiful thing.
–Solomon goes on to say that there is nothing better for them to do but to rejoice, to worship, to praise, to lift up the Name of the Lord. Any other response is going backward.

2. What God is saying to Life Church and to the church in general.

–A few years ago this prophecy was given and many claimed it as theirs because of what they were going thru, myself included.
–Caution: We must be careful in prophecies given, we must understand they are not equal to the Word, and we do not normally record them. I don’t even remember who gave the prophecy and that is ok.
Prophecy: My Kingdom has many seasons, but seasons come and go. A season has just ended for many of you who have come full circle. That season has been painful for you. I have been pruning those dead branches off you, and you have felt the pain...the pain that must take place when I am about to consecrate you and put you into the work I have called you to. That consecration is about ready to take place. A new season, yes, a new season is coming.
–I believe I ran across this prophecy because many need to hear what it is saying to now.
–Many have testified to me that they have been thru some really tough times and that God has been pruning off the dead stuff from their lives...that will always be the case.
–What people loved and will love about this prophecy is that it said this present season you are in is ending and that it has come full circle...that may be or not be true in your life...it depends on where God has you now.
–Though we want this prophecy to be manifested in us there might just be more consecration (setting yourself apart) required so God can do what He wants to in you.
–What I hear that is so important to understand is this: A new season, yes, a new season is coming. It can’t be winter forever even though it feels like it...harvest (summer) is coming.

Daniel 2:20-23 (NKJV)
20 Daniel answered and said: "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His.
21 And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.
22 He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him.
23 "I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, And have now made known to me what we asked of You, For You have made known to us the king's demand."

–Daniel says "Blessed be the Name of the Lord forever" This is key...he worships!
–He says "God changes the times and the seasons.." It is all in His hands.
–"He reveals deep and secret things..." God is giving revelation to His people!
–God is not intimidated by the darkness...He is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
–Daniel thanks God and praises Him because He makes known what He is up to.

3. Many of you are convinced that God has a time and a season but you need God to act quickly or you feel that you are sunk.
Isaiah 48:1-6 (NKJV) 
1 "Hear this, O house of Jacob, Who are called by the name of Israel, And have come forth from the wellsprings of Judah; Who swear by the name of the LORD, And make mention of the God of Israel, But not in truth or in righteousness;
2 For they call themselves after the holy city, And lean on the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is His name:
3 "I have declared the former things from the beginning; They went forth from My mouth, and I caused them to hear it. Suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.
4 Because I knew that you were obstinate, And your neck was an iron sinew, And your brow bronze,
5 Even from the beginning I have declared it to you; Before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you, Lest you should say, 'My idol has done them, And my carved image and my molded image Have commanded them.'
6 "You have heard; See all this. And will you not declare it? I have made you hear new things from this time, Even hidden things, and you did not know them.

–What is God saying to His children? Listen carefully...He is saying you are called by My Name...why don’t you act like it?
–He goes on and says...I can back up what comes out of My mouth and I can give you a "Suddenly" and it will come to pass. Do a word study of "suddenly" in the Bible!
–God is saying that I have allowed you to get where you are and you feel backed into a corner...now I will deliver you and you will give glory to no one else but Me!
–A new season...a new thing...hear it, see it, and declare it...a new season and new things are on the way!

Isaiah 43:18-19 (NKJV) 
18 "Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. 
19 Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.

–It is time we stop living in the past and stop looking over your shoulder:

Philippians 3:13-14 (NLT) 
13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

–God says I will do a new thing and it will spring forth...that means fast!  God says He will do it even if he has to bull dozer a road in the wilderness or send rivers in the desert!

Isaiah 42:5-9 (NKJV) 
5 Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, And spirit to those who walk on it:
6 "I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles,
7 To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.
8 I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images.
9 Behold, the former things have come to pass, And new things I declare; Before they spring forth I tell you of them."

–I suggest we add one more Scripture here from Isaiah 42:

Isaiah 42:10 (NKJV) 

10 Sing to the LORD a new song, And His praise from the ends of the earth, You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, You coastlands and you inhabitants of them!