‘ TIS THE SEASON
Eccl. 3:1-8
INTRO.- ILL.- Someone described the seven ages of man in these ways: spills, drills, thrills, bills, ills, pills, wills.
Spills - infancy.
Drills - childhood. We get drilled about doing this and that.
Thrills - Teen years perhaps. I’m not sure they are all that thrilling, however.
Bills - Adult living. Work. Marriage. Raising children. And lots of bills.
Ills - When our health starts to decline. Dan Sullivan went into the hospital for the first time at the age of 53.
Pills - One for arthritis. One for high blood pressure. One for this and two for that.
Wills - I haven’t made mine yet.
The inspired writer of the book of Ecclesiastes wrote, "There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven."
I can’t say there is a season for every activity under heaven. At least, not for me. There are so many things in life that I haven’t done and I really don’t care to do.
ILL.- Take, for example, the "Survivor" TV show. I don’t know much about that show because I don’t normally watch it, but I sat down last Thursday evening and watched most of it. Let me tell you, it did not turn me on! Some of the stuff they did rattled my cage, but it did not excite me nor invite me to do it!
At one point in that show, the local African natives brought out a cow, poked a hole in the side of that cow, and blood started pouring out of it like someone turned on a hose. They filled some tin cans with that blood and two women drank it.
Uh uh! Ain’t no way I’m going to do that! Not for anybody. Not for a million bucks.
I don’t think God meant for us to try everything in life. I’m certainly not interested at trying my hand at everything even though I’ve done a lot in life. I’m a survivor of sorts, but I’m not going to be one of those kind of survivors.
Eccl. 3:2 "A time to be born and a time to die..."
A TIME TO BE BORN. Why were you born? When were you born? Where were you born? To whom were you born?
ILL.- I was born to Leo and Juanita Shepherd on December 9, 1944, in Joplin, MO, but I didn’t know I was going to be me! I thought I was going to be born Robert Redford or perhaps Brad Pitt. Pitt went to high school in Springfield, MO. That’s just 70 miles from my hometown. I think we got mixed up or turned around in our birthing somehow. I think he was probably meant to be me and I was meant to be him. THE ENTERTAINMENT WORLD DOES NOT KNOW WHAT IT’S MISSING!
No, seriously, I wouldn’t trade places with either Robert Redford or Brad Pitt. I WOULD MUCH RATHER LIVE MY LIFE BY SERVING THE LORD THAN LIVE THEIR WAY OF LIFE.
God put me to serve Him, not entertain people. God put me here to live for Christ, not cash. God put me here for His glory, not my own glory.
A TIME TO DIE.
ILL.- I finally went back to see my mom in the nursing home last week. She’s doing pretty good, considering everything. A time to die was very evident to me when I looked around that nursing home. Many of those people had the SOL appearance. By that, I mean "sick of living." Many were ready to die or perhaps wanted to die.
Not my mom. She’s too social. She loves living, likes to talk, visit, socialize, go places, listen to music, eat, and play bingo. Mom will fight "tooth and nail" all the way to the grave. At least, she appears that way.
Mom is a Christian. She can be a good one, but sometimes, she is not. But she will not be kept out of heaven because of her occasional stumbling nor will she go to heaven because of her occasional goodness. SHE WILL BE SAVED BY GRACE. By God’s graciousness in Jesus Christ. Just like the rest of us.
Yes, we are to believe in Christ, trust Christ, surrender to Christ, and serve Christ. But we are saved because of what He did for us, not because of what we do for Him!
A TIME TO BE BORN AND A TIME TO DIE.
Do you know what time it is? It’s a time and season for many things. It’s the time of the year when most people get excited. It’s the holiday season! We just finished Thanksgiving and we’re heading toward Christmas!
ILL.- One time a rabbi, a priest and a Christian minister were talking about how each of them celebrated Christmas. The minister and priest said that they give thanks for all of God’s blessings and on Christmas morning they open their gifts.
"We do it a little differently," the rabbi said. "On Christmas morning my entire family goes to my brother’s department store. We look at the empty shelves, and then we all join in singing ‘What a Friend We Have in Jesus.’"
What’s the Christmas season all about? It’s about our friend and Savior, Jesus Christ, but it’s not about making money.
It’s about being thankful. It’s about families being together. It’s about sharing with one another. It’s about loving one another. But most of all, it should be about Jesus! HE IS REASON FOR LIFE! HE IS THE REASON FOR LIVING! HE IS STILL THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!
PROP.- I want to share two ideas about the importance of this season.
1- Tis the season to live and give
2- Tis the season to reach and teach
I. TIS THE SEASON TO LIVE AND GIVE
ILL.- One woman said, "My husband and I have managed to be happy together for 20 years. I guess this is because we’re both in love with the same man." Many people are in love with themselves and they only live for themselves.
ILL.- Actress Shirley MacLaine said one time, "The most pleasurable journey you take is through yourself...the only sustaining love involvement is with yourself...When you look back on your life and try to figure out where you’ve been and where you’re going, when you look at your work, your love affairs, your marriages, your children, your pain, your happiness...When you examine all that closely, what you really find out is that the only person you really go to bed with is yourself...The only thing you have is working to the consummation of your own identity. And that’s what I’ve been trying to do all my life."
What a mixed up woman she is! Shirley MacLaine is consumed all right. She is consumed with herself. Her philosophy is, "All I really have to do is take care of me. All that is important in life is me." WHAT A RIDICULOUS AND SELFISH WAY OF THINKING AND LIVING. She is like so many people in our world.
Most people are only interested in themselves. They live for themselves. But the Christian is supposed to live for Christ. Anyway and in all ways.
Gal. 2:20 Paul said, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
The apostle Paul is saying, "I have died. I don’t live any longer. I don’t live for me anymore. I don’t live for money or prestige or praise or power. ‘Doing my thing, my way’ is not the important thing in my life any more. Christ lives in me and I live for Him now and forever more."
ILL.- A television interviewer was walking the streets of Tokyo at Christmas time. Much as in America, Christmas shopping is a big commercial success in Japan. The interviewer stopped one young woman on the sidewalk, and asked, "What is the meaning of Christmas?" Laughing, she responded, "I don’t know. Is that the day that Jesus died?"
Christ is dead to some people. Christ is not a part of their Christmas. It’s just another holiday season to them and nothing more. It’s the trappings and the treasures. It’s the partying and the presents, BUT IT’S NOT THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST!
If this season means anything to us at all, it should mean living for Christ. It should mean living and giving. It should mean giving our lives to Him. It should mean giving our money, which is really a gift from Him. It should mean giving our time and energy and devotion to Him.
ILL.- An old mountaineer and his wife were sitting in front of the fireplace one evening taking life easy. After a long silence, the wife said: "Jed, I think it’s raining. Why don’t you get up and go outside and see?"
The old mountaineer continued to gaze into the fire for a while, sighed and then said, "Aw, Ma, why don’t we just call in the dog and see if he’s wet."
That’s what you call the height of laziness. And I wouldn’t want to say that we are downright lazy, but we all have a lazy streak in us. When it comes to living for Christ and giving our lives to Christ we are either lazy or uncommitted or undedicated or undecided or unfaithful or unfruitful or ungodly or undone.
Our Savior went through hell for us but we have a hard time going to church and getting involved in Christian service. We have our own agenda. Our agenda is most important. Often, it seems like it doesn’t make any difference what the Lord wants or what His Word says. IT’S WHAT WE WANT AND WHEN WE WANT IT.
If we want to go to church, we’ll go to church. If we want to stay home or do something different, we’ll do that. THE LORD’S WILL IS NOT THE DOMINANT FORCE IN OUR LIVES. Our will is what matters most, but it shouldn’t be this way!
ILL.- Vance Havner said it this way: "Too many of us today are shaky about what we believe, BUT NOT SHAKEN BY WHAT WE BELIEVE." Our faith doesn’t shake us or have a hold on us.
ILL.- A little boy fell out of his bed. When his mama asked him what happened, he said, "I don’t know. I guess I stayed too close to where I got in."
We do the same thing with our faith. We stay too close to where we get in. We get into the church, but never move any closer to the Lord.
How does your church attendance compare to your attendance last year? How does your prayer life compare to last year? And your Bible study? And your service? AND YOUR SURRENDER?
‘TIS THE SEASON TO LIVE FOR CHRIST AND GIVE OUR LIVES TO CHRIST. Not slack off. Not slide down the mountain. Not slip away into the world!
II. TIS THE SEASON TO REACH AND TEACH
The first point of this message deals with our relationship to the Lord. This second point deals with our relationship to people.
ILL.- A preacher’s little girl went to bed sick one evening. A few minutes later she got up and said to her mother, "Mama, I must see daddy right now." Her mama replied, "Honey, you can’t talk to daddy right now. He’s working on his sermon."
She said, "Mother! I’m a sick woman and I must see my preacher right now!"
Brothers and sisters, there are a lot of sick people in our world who need a preacher! There are multitudes of people in our world and community who are spiritually sick and they need a preacher! THEY NEED SOMEONE TO REACH OUT TO THEM IN LOVE AND WITH THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST!
ILL.- In one town some years ago a little boy attended the Sunday School at a certain church. When his family moved to another part of the town the little boy still attended the same Sunday school, although it meant a long, tiresome walk each way.
A friend asked him why he walked so far to go to Sunday School, and told him that there were plenty of other churches just as good near his home. "They may be as good for other people, but not for me," was his reply. "Why not?" he was asked. "Because they love a kid over there," he replied.
IS THIS US? Is this our church? Is this you?
God has called us to love people, to reach out to people in love and with the gospel. Are we doing this?
Matthew 28:19 Jesus said, "Go into all the world and make disciples..."
Matthew 22:39 Jesus also said, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love your neighbor whoever he is.
ILL.- I saw my neighbor walking down the street on Saturday morning about 4:30. Huh? I get to the church early! And yes, I truly saw my neighbor walking down the street. It was the first time since I moved to Mattoon that I recognized him, but I didn’t recognize him until I got to the church. I didn’t realize who he was until I got to the church.
My neighbor was not Bill Lenkner. My neighbor was not Phil Montgomery. My neighbor was not Harold Tays. I don’t even know my neighbor’s name, but I’ve seen him many times early in the morning walking down the street, pushing a cart with a barrel sitting on it, collecting junk. PERHAPS YOU’VE SEEN MY NEIGHBOR GOING DOWN THE STREET.
I don’t know where he lives nor how he lives, but he’s my neighbor. I think he’s very poor. He looks very poor. I suspect that he is collecting garbage in order to eat and live. HAVE YOU MET MY NEIGHBOR? Do you know my neighbor?
I am ashamed to say that I have never stopped to talk to my neighbor. I have never asked him who he is or what he does or how he lives or where he lives. But he is my neighbor. AND HE IS YOUR NEIGHBOR TOO!
Some day when I see my neighbor again I am going to take the time to talk to him. I want to get acquainted. I want to share with him in some way. I want to be an angel share the gospel with him. And who knows? I might be surprised. He might even be an angel!
Heb. 13:2 "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it."
Brothers and sisters, we are surrounded by people. People who need people. People who need us! People who need to be loved by us! People who need to hear the gospel of Jesus from us!
If this holiday season means anything at all, it should be mean that we care about people. It should be mean that we love people enough to reach out to them, anyway we can, any time we can, and especially, teach them about Christ.
We keep asking people, "What do you want for Christmas?" It’s not what people "want." It’s what people "need" for Christmas. THEY NEED A SAVIOR! THEY NEED CHRIST THE SAVIOR!
And we need to present Him to them as best we can. With loving deeds, kind words, caring hearts, compassionate looks, and a considerate testimony about Jesus.
I John 4:20-21 "If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother (or neighbor), he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother (or neighbor), whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother (and his neighbor)."
CONCLUSION----------------------------------------
ILL.- In December 1903, after a series of failed attempts, the Wright brothers were finally successful in getting their "flying machine" off the ground. Thrilled by the feat, they sent this telegraph to their sister: "We have actually flown 120 feet. We’ll be home for Christmas."
Katherine hurried to the editor of the local newspaper and showed him the telegram. He read it and said, "How nice. So the boys will be coming home for Christmas." His spiritual blindness caused him to miss the big story which he could have told to the world: Man has flown!
HAVE WE MISSED THE REAL ISSUE ABOUT CHRISTMAS? The big story about the holiday season? It’s not about giving and receiving gifts. It’s not about eating. It’s not about having a good time.
It’s about living for Christ and giving our lives to Him. It’s about putting Christ first in our lives no matter what or who comes our way. And it’s about reaching out to all people in love and with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
