The Seasons of God
November 19, 2000
Intro: A number of years ago, there was a report from Russia that they had had a disastrous mismanagement of their collective farms. Here were hundreds of trucks on the Steppes, tractors as well as combine-harvesters, but they arrived too late. Because of their blundering everything fell in a heap, and it was a most tragic thing to see thousands of acres where crops lay rotting in the fields. They missed the season.
Prov 10:5
5 He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.
1. The Seasons of God
A. God’s Word Pictures
a. Parables – word pictures – we find them throughout the Bible
b. We see the Parable of the Sower –
c. Soil representing man’s heart and seed the Word of God
d. We read of Sowing and Reaping, of planting, pruning, and harvest
e. These are simple pictures that God uses to describe the way He works in peoples lives and hearts
f. It is a parallel between the visible world around us and the invisible realm of the Kingdom – how these two go hand in hand
Eccl 3:1
1 To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven:
B. Everything Operates According to Seasons
a. It tells us that life has to do with certain segments of time
b. It talks about specific seasons that are defined and limited to their time frame
c. All of life is subject to these different seasons
d. And one of the revelations that we need to grasp is the work of harvest also has to do with seasons
C. Gathering in the Summer
a. Our text speaks of ‘gathering in the summer’
b. Is says a wise son is one that needs to be about the work of gathering the harvest
c. While the season is right – while the opportunity exists – a wise son gathers
d. But the son who causes shame is one who sleeps and is oblivious to the urgency of the hour
D. Gathering in Particular Season
a. Our text talks about gathering in the summer
b. How many know that summer doesn’t last all year long
c. It is limited and confined – and today I want to consider with you in being sensitive to the season around us
d. There is a harvest before us – God is on the move – revival is happening, but it is wise to know which season we are in
2. The Season to Gather what you Have
A. Paul’s change of Season
a. As you read about Paul’s ministry and the history of the church…it was evangelizing
b. In Ch. 13-15 it was an incredible season of gathering…the churches were growing…men rising up…healings taking place…the church on the move
c. It was a tremendous season of harvest…the church was growing daily
d. Beloved, as you read this, you will notice that no less than 9 different regions and cities were impacted by the ministry of Paul and Barnabas
e. It was a critical season in the history and development of the church
f. But the season of evangelism changed…and I want you to notice with me…that this is a critical time
B. A Season of Follow-up
a. The season changed at different points of time along the way…notice
Acts 15:36
36 Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing."
Acts 15:41
41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
b. Paul noticed a critical time – a change in the season – we’ve been evangelizing, we’ve been preaching and gathering
c. But…it’s time to follow-up…it’s time to revisit
Acts 16:5
5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.
d. They were strengthened…and increased – Paul said, we have to re-enforce and strengthen what we have
e. We’ve been frantically evangelizing, but the emphasis is a little different now
f. We must keep what we have and strengthen it…the season has changed
g. And, Beloved, we must also be aware of what is happening in our church
h. How often have you seen a farmer always reaping, or always planting
i. Never, there are seasons for each – in between these two seasons is to water, to cultivate, to clean and maintain
C. Changing Focus
a. And that is where we are at this morning…we have to strengthen what we have
b. We just got done with the biggest outreach of the year…we must gather and strengthen what we have
c. Here is Paul…he saw that the onus was on him to conserve, consolidate and reinforce his churches or his gains might be lost
d. He went from Evangelist to Apostle àthe worker, to strengthen and reinforce
D. Pausing to Gain
a. In ministry, in order to retain – you have to pause
b. The pause is to make sure that the gains and the territory won are held and retained
c. Fruit is lost when our attention is totally focused in one area
Borodino – near Moscow à here the advance of Napoleon in his conquest of Russia was halted and rolled back. What happened to him happened to many generals in history. To put it simply, his supply lines became over stretched, and with the onset of the Russian winter the logistics of the army collapsed and the French suffered a stunning defeat.
Hitler made a similar mistake when he opened up a second front against Russia in WWII. There were the same disastrous results. Men over stretching themselves, greedy for military gain.
d. Beloved, listen to Paul’s heart…
2 Cor 11:28
28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
e. This was after the trials and tribulations that he had gone through
f. Because he knew that this season would not last forever
g. Doors that are open to us now will close…opportunities that exist at this moment will pass…and so we return to our text
“A wise son is one who knows when summer has arrived and is ready to labor.”
E. Seizing the Moment
a. Here is a man who sees and seizes the opportunity while it is there
b. And we must also be sensitive to the season is we are to grow and remain strong in the Lord
3. The Key of Release
A. Time Consuming
a. I want to look at Haggai for just a moment and reap some truths from these
Verses…
Hag 1:1-9
1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest:
2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "These people say, ’The time has not yet come for the LORD’s house to be built.’"
3 Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai:
4 "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"
5 Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways.
6 You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."
7 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways.
8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the LORD.
9 "You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house.
b. The release starts when the people of God are liberal
c. In their finances and in their time
d. The problem often is that we are so busy building our own little kingdoms that we neglect the Kingdom
"These people say, ’The time has not yet come for the LORD’s house to be built.’"
"Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"
e. Preoccupation – neglecting the Kingdom of God
f. Building takes time – and how often have we apt of doing something else instead of doing the work of God
g. How often have we decided to do something else instead of following up and building the Kingdom of God
B. The Lost Opportunity
a. How many times have we lost opportunities because of un-commitment in our lives
b. How many souls have we lost because we are building our kingdom
c. I want to tell you this morning…this neglect, this procrastination, this preoccupation with their own affairs sure got God’s attention
d. Beloved, listen, God’s time frame is critical this morning…what we do for God we must do in this season of opportunity
e. We must move when God is moving…and see what God wants to do in our generation
Mark 4:29
29 "But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."
C. No Delay
a. Immediately…no Delay…the harvest was ready…IT WASN’T GOING TO WAIT
b. And when we are insensitive to God’s season we not only rob the harvest we rob ourselves of the blessing
c. Our time is God’s time and we must use it wisely
Jer 8:20
20 "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved!"
D. Lastly, The Free Will Offering
a. The work of God cannot continue without resources
b. In our text in Haggai…it points out that the people were building their own kingdoms
c. That means that they were holding back…The Kingdom advances by the liberality of the people of God
d. When they came to their senses and began to build, it was built on their giving and their free will offerings…no one forced them to give
Mal 3:8
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
e. Not just in tithes…in offerings…
f. The free will offerings of God’s people liberally and generously given that finish the building of God’s testimony on the earth
g. And through the years I have noticed that when the people of God pull back in their finances…then the church in general hits a slump in souls
h. When we release, God releases…when we hold back…God holds back
i. And this morning, I believe that we need a recommitment of ourselves, our time and our resources
I’ve known several families that have ignored personal advantage and left home, church, friends and family and have gone to labor in unbelievable difficult situations. Ross Barcham, a missionary in China…lives in the capital city of Beijing. By profession, he is a dentist. He left a good paying job with a tremendous financial future to take his wife and family into China and work in a local clinic among the native Chinese. At the same time he preaches the gospel and has a home group meeting in his apartment, because no public meetings are allowed over there.
Ross has a brother of around the same age. He too is a dentist. He has pursued his career in Australia and has become established in a very successful, lucrative practice. He recently purchased a home worth a million dollars on the banks of the Swan River. His sister asked whether it ever bothered him that Ian, his brother, lived in such affluence while he lived in a hovel of an apartment in third world conditions. He said, “Ian, my brother has his reward! My eyes are focused on something else, on something that will never rust and cannot be robbed from me.”
“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something.
Because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something I can do.”
Simple words, powerful thoughts…Jesus said, “Say not there are four months then cometh the harvest. Lift up your eyes now for the fields are white already unto harvest.”
The season is here…the opportunity is here…and if we all do something
