A New Season
Entering a New Season means accepting Changes
Entering a New Season Brings Challenges
Entering a New Season Births Champions
Slide 1
Man, does time seem to go by fast!
As you know, last week I celebrated 23 years of marriage to Laura. I can’t believe it has been that long or that I am old enough to be married that long. But that day 23 years ago, began a new chapter in my life.
This year, it has been 10 years since I left my secular job at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Sometimes it seems like last year, but that was a change that altered these past 10 years for me in ways I could not have imagined at the time.
Next month it will be 8 years since the first time I preached at Hickory Creek. That was definitely a new season of life for me and my family and a blessing to us.
As we look back on our lives, I know that each of us can pick out milestones, times that a new season of life began. In fact, going forward, if we stopped to consider some possible future events, I believe we could see some new seasons of our life approaching.
That is because the reality for each of us is that we face new seasons regularly in our lives and this is not something that is new or unique to any of us.
In fact, the author of Ecclesiastes, Solomon, wrote these words nearly 3000 years ago.
Slide
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
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,
Slide
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.
Everything has a season. We know that new seasons continue to come.
But the hard part about
Entering a New Season means Accepting Change
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Every new season bring changes.
Just like the seasons of the year, a new season means changes to our life.
Many of us have a love/hate relationship with change.
We don’t like monotony, but change can be scary.
But even though change can be scary, we have got to realize that these changes will happen and we have to accept them.
Sticking your head in the sand is not going to help nor is wishing that things hadn’t changed.
Illustration - College
We have just entered another new season of life in our home. Both of the boys are away at college now and the house sure is a lot different. I am thankful that Melanie is still around, but our family dynamic has changed for each of us.
Family dinners are different without Jason and Adam. I miss being able to talk about what was happening in our lives on a regular basis.
Now, if I think about this, I do have the power to bring things somewhat back to how they were because I am a large financial contributor to this endeavor. But I know that this would not be what is best for them or for us for the long term. Even though I would like them around now, I don’t want them around forever! That is not how God has designed the family to work. At some point, your kids become adults and become independent from you, so, things will have to change.
So, I accept the change even though it is hard, understanding that it is ultimately best for them and for us.
But it is through my relationship with the Lord that I not only understand and know these things, but it is through that relationship that I am strengthened and steadied during these times of change, because I have a God who is unchanging.
Hebrews 13:8 tells us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Slide
Jesus doesn’t change. When we are dealing with changing circumstances and new seasons of life, it is vital to have a rock to cling to.
That Rock is the Lord and it is vital that we know Him and grow in that relationship with Him, knowing His word, so that we can have peace amid the changing circumstances and the uncertainties of the future.
Transition to Solomon
Solomon, the writer of those words in Ecclesiastes, had to accept a lot of change in his life.
This morning we are going to look at a few events in Solomon’s life to get a perspective on some of the things we might expect as we enter new seasons of life and consider how God uses those new seasons in our life to grow us.
So turn with me to 1 Kings 2:1-3.
Let’s take a look at what King David, who is on his death bed, says to Solomon, and consider how this helped Solomon deal with the new season of life that Solomon was about to enter.
It says
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1 Kings 2:1-3
1 When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son. 2 "I am about to go the way of all the earth," he said. "So be strong, show yourself a man, 3 and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go.
He tells him to be strong in the Lord. He is to walk in His ways and Keep His commands and decrees.
To be able to keep them, and to be strong in them, Solomon has got to know them.
Apply
If you are going to be able to accept the changes that life brings your way and be steadied and strong in the Lord, then you have got to know the word of God so you can walk in his ways and keep his decrees.
Without knowing God’s word, we are going to have a harder time dealing with change that comes our way, but drawing closer to the Lord, will help us because we will know that God is in Control and that He is unchanging!
Transition
So, changes come along with a new season of life and having a growing faith in the Lord will help us to be able to accept those changes and prosper during those times.
But not only are there changes,
Entering a New Season brings Challenges
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Solomon had changes going on – the death of his father, a new role as King, and with these changes, he had to face some challenges.
How was he going to face them?
Turn with me a page or two to 1 Kings 3:5-9
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Let’s read
1 Kings 3:5-9
5 At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."
6 Solomon answered, "You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.
Slide
7 "Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"
Who is able to govern this great people of yours?
Solomon had an awesome and challenging task before him, leading the people of Israel, filling the giant shoes of his father. How was he going to face that?
…With the wisdom of the Lord.
We need wisdom to face the challenging roles that come when we enter a new season of life.
Being King was not only a change from being prince, but it was going to be much more challenging.
Apply
What are some of the new seasons in your life that could be challenging?
Marriage – being married is great, but the truth is that it is much more challenging to deal with what 2 people want than just yourself.
Becoming parents? - being a parent is much more challenging than just babysitting your nieces or nephews.
Job change? - Changing jobs brings new challenges in learning new things.
Moving? - Moving to a new area brings challenges of meeting and establishing relationships with new people.
College? - Going to college is challenging, for the kid and for the parent.
Many here today, I am sure are facing new challenges.
How are you going to face them?
We need to face it like Solomon faced it, with humility, seeking the wisdom of the Lord.
Slide
James 1:5 says
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
We need to seek God’s wisdom during times when we find our self in challenging situations.
Be in prayer and be asking for the Lord’s wisdom.
Lord, how is it that I should be teaching my child
Lord, what do I need to be doing in my marriage?
Lord, give me wisdom in being a leader at my workplace.
Lord, how should I glorify your name in servingYou?
We need to be praying and asking for the Lord’s wisdom, but our need for wisdom is also another reason to be in the God’s word, because there is a lot of wisdom for living in the pages of the Bible.
Do you know what happens when we aren’t praying and aren’t growing in our knowledge of the Lord through His word?
We deal with changes and challenges in our own wisdom.
I will tell you what happens when we deal with changes and challenges in our own wisdom.
We get stressed out in life and frustrated with those around us, because we find that we are unable to control all the things that are happening and they never go according to the plan we have mapped out in our heads.
We are not only stressed and frustrated, but we worry because the outcome of acting in our own wisdom is so uncertain.
In that stress and frustration and worry, we often create further problems in our relationships that did not need to occur, but do occur because we are acting in our own wisdom instead of in the wisdom of the Lord.
But when we are praying and growing in our relationship with the Lord, and relying on Him and His ways, He will give wisdom and strength to act in that wisdom, along with the peace that surpasses all understanding, knowing that God is supremely able to work things out for His glory and our good.
Transition
When we are in that position, accepting change and facing challenges in God’s strength and wisdom, that we often find and learn that entering a new season is not something that beats us down, but instead, we find that
Entering a New Season Births Champions
Slide
Turn over a few more pages to 1 Kings 8:10-14.
Solomon had accepted the changes and faced the challenges in the wisdom and strength of the Lord and God used him powerfully.
God used Solomon to build for Himself the Temple where Israel would worship for years to come.
1 Kings 8:10-11
Slide
10 When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the LORD. 11 And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled his temple.
Solomon accepted the changes that came his way,
He faced the challenges that occurred with humility, seeking the Lord’s wisdom, and as he continued to move forward, He was able to be used to do mighty things for the Lord.
With building the temple, God was pleased.
His presence which filled the temple showed that.
Apply
Maybe you are thinking
I could never be used to do anything great
I will never be a champion for the Lord
I can’t deal with change, and
I am overcome when facing challenges in life.
Perhaps you have been trying in your own strength.
The key to becoming a champion for the Lord is submitting yourself to Christ.
When we submit ourselves to the Lord in our daily living, trusting him with the changes that go on, humbly seeking him in the challenges we face, He gives us new opportunities to be used in greater ways.
And the reality is that
God wants to use everyone in this room and
He can use everyone in this room.
But you need to humble yourself and Submit yourself to Him
Now, maybe you are sitting here today wondering what it is that the Lord could use you to do.
I don’t know.
But as I look back on my life, there are a few decisions that were made that are clear times of entering a new season, but there are countless small, seemingly inconsequential decisions that brought me to those decisions and strengthened me in making them.
Today we are kicking off our fall ministry season.
We have all kinds of Small group options and discipleship opportunities for you and your family.
There is Awana available for your K through 5th graders on Tuesday evenings.
We have Impact and TBD available on Wednesday evenings for your 6th – 8th grade and Senior High students.
We have women’s studies that will be available on Friday mornings and Monday evenings, as well as a couple of Wife of Noble Character studies available during the week.
For our Mothers of Preschoolers, we have MOPs available on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays.
We have a young adults study for guys on Sundays and one for gals available on Mondays.
We have our Men’s study that is kicking back off on Saturday mornings.
And we have multiple adult options available on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings.
I will tell you that making a decision to be part of one of these study groups will help you in making the “small” decisions, walking in the ways of the Lord on a daily basis, so that as the Lord brings you to those New Seasons of life, you will have the strength and wisdom to enter that New Season, accept the changes, face the challenges, and become a Champion for the Lord.
Let’s pray.
