SEASONS
By: Pastor Ron Crandall
Intro:
We all understand that our surroundings go through seasons, but what about the Christian? We know that the earth has four seasons winter,spring,summer and fall. Some seasons we like and others well, we just can’t wait for them to be over. I think we are much like the four seasons in our walk with God there comes a season of blessing, and boy do we not want to leave it. But when the season of "God where are you?" hits, many times we are just praying that we’ll make it through. There are also some things in certian season you can and cannot do! I really don’t know anyone who like to go swimming in the dead of Winter... But if it is summer man it is hard to pull you out of the pool,off the beach or out of the lake. Likewise you don’t prune your fruit trees in the midst of summers rays and why? They will bleed to death because the sap is flowing. But in the winter time you begin to prune the fruit tree so it will bear fruit and not marble sized either. Prunning of a tree fruit tree causes it to bring forth larger and sweeter fruit. I think you get the picture... There are seasons in our walk with God. Oh they may not be called winter,spring, summer and fall but we still encounter them. So what do we do and how do we react to the seasons we encounter turn with me to:
Eccl 3:1-15
1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which 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 together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rend, 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 hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.
14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
(KJV)
* We will always have seasons of miracles(this is what I call them) of God’s love, we call them struggles and testings.
** There will be times that we attempt to do the will of God, yet, everything seems to go Wrong.
It may even feel like we have two left feet,but rest assured God has a plan in spite of our feelings.
1.) We can’t Pray away God’s season;
The Lord has purpose in not allowing us to be fruitful all the time.
If you look at the fruit tree they do not bear fruit year round, there is a season when everything is ripe and ready for the harvest.
A tree that is never pruned (tested) always produces small fruit and it is usually bitter.
But if you prune back the tree, it does bleed, and when it heals and spring comes then you begin to see large fruit, sweet and good for use.
* These seasons or periods destroy our pride in our own ability, and they reinforce our dependency and our sufficiency in God’s ability.
Remember it is OUR RESPONSE to God’s Ability that forms responsibility.
a.) There is a purpose in these temporary inconveniences, test and challenges.
b.) They are to bring about a maturing of the children of God.
Do not be discouraged by them but take another approach choosing rather to see the greatness that God has for you.
2.) Delays are not DEFEATS in the Kingdom of God and HIS plan.
2 Cor 4:6
6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
(KJV)
2 Cor 4:7-10
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
(KJV)
Another version put’s it like this:
2 Cor. 4:8,9
Hard pressed, not suffocated
Puzzled, But not utterly baffled
Pursued, but not caught or outrun
Struck down, but not out of the fight
The first two that God mentions here refer to wrestling
The third refers to a race,
The fourth refers to a boxing match
Verse 7; tells us that it is God not us, so who’s problem is it when you are a believer? God’s
Why are we always hanging on to things that really do not matter or taking offence because things did not go how we plan them to go?
We need to let the Spirit of God do his perfect work in us.
2 Cor 4:15-18
15 For all things (are) for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound unto the glory of God.
16 Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory;
18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
LIGHT AFFLICTION for a moment 2 Cor. 4:16-17
17 For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory;
1.) The word Faint means- “to be weak, to fail, to be weary”
2.) The word renewed’s meaning -” is to renovate”
AFFLICTION: 2347 thlipsis (thlip’-sis);
from 2346; pressure (literally or figuratively):
KJV-- afflicted (-tion), anguish, burdened, persecution, tribulation, trouble.
WORHETH: 2716 katergazomai (kat-er-gad’-zom-ahee);
from 2596 and 2038; do work fully, i.e. accomplish; by implication, to finish, fashion:
KJV-- cause, to (deed), perform, work (out).
AFFLICTION:
Putting a lot of pressure on that which is free and unfettered
It is kind of like spiritual bench-pressing
Another word is used of crushing grapes or olives in a press
Gethsemane--- “oil press” or drops of anointing
look not at the things which are seen:
Look not: Sko-eh’-o’- To take aim at, regard, consider, take heed, look at/on, mark
Temporal: for the occasion only, temporary, for a season, or Subject to change
Eternal: perpetual, forever, everlasting
2.)We need to understand God’s season’s:
We know the four natural or physical season’s and we here in Oregon know one really well….
4) Seasons: Winter, spring, summer and fall
The Tree has goes through 4 changes every year yet only one bears fruit.
So that means there are 3 seasons in which no fruit is produced
I want to warn you this morning
I want to leave you with something to chew on.
“Don’t make permanent decisions based on temporary circumstances”
Someone penned these words of wisdom:
“The reward of patience is reflected in gradually not have to amend your amendmants!”
* Temporary circumstances do not always require action.
For prayer brings us into patience. And Patience results from trust.
** PRAYER IS THE SEASONING OF GOOD JUDGEMENT:
So my question to you this morning is how much do you trust God?
Do we have examples yes?
We have Examples that Delays are not Defeats in God’s Kingdom and Plan
Daniel - Praying before and then after he was thrown into lions den
David- at ziklag
Sarah and Abraham:“ You shall bear a son”
Elisha: Prophesied to Samaria- about this time tomorrow --Famine will be over
Lazarus: “If you had only been there”
Jarius: “don’t panic”
Paul and Silas- Singing at the midnight hour
The psalmist David penned some of the most encouraging words, in Psalms 84:
“Who passing through the Valley of Bacca or the Valley of Tears/misery”
Ps 84:1-12
1 How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!
2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
3 Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God.
4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah.
5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.
6 Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.
7 They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.
8 O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.
9 Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed.
10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
12 O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.
(KJV)
4.) Are you waiting for God’s Appointment?
Appointment: “a fixed time or season”
Hab 2:3
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
(KJV)
God is a God of ORDER!
He does everything by appointment.
God has pre-determined points, to bring to pass His promise in our lives.
a. An appointment is a meeting already setup.
b. Yet God has already made a way of escape.
1 Cor 10:13
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
(KJV)
We need to be aware and have an INNER AWARENESS that makes us realize that in spite of temporary circumstances, God has a “PRESENT TIME DELIVERANCE”
5.) WHEN THE LORD SPEAKS A WORD INTO OUR LIVE, IT’S LIKE A SEED
a. It takes TIME, for the seed to sprout.
b. Ya do just look at the seed and say sprout do you? There is a process there is a season or appointed timed for it sprout. But if there were no sun, if there were no water, if there was no soil you would no have a lawn.
I don’t know about you, but if you have ever planted a lawn you sure would like to just utter the sprout and there lay before you a carpet of green grass. It takes work and nurturing, but the end result is beautiful.
Gal 6:9
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
(KJV)
You see if we really TRUST God, then we also know that:
“God knows when we have reached the time of germination.”
****OUR CONFIDENCE IS IN GOD’S SEED!
Zech 4:6
6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
(KJV)
David---
Ps 31:15-16
15 My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.
16 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies’ sake.
(KJV)
Key thought: What Eve thought was the promise seed, turned out to be cursed seed.
Gen 3:15
15a. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman,b.) and between thy seed and her seed;c.) it shall bruise thy head,d.) and thou shalt bruise his heel.
(KJV)
* Cain killed his brother. Jealousy and Murder
* She was delayed but, she was not denied
GOD UNWRAPPED THE BLANKET OF FAILURE FROM AROUND HER AND BLESS HER WITH ANOTHER SON.
Enter SETH and his name means “SUBSTITUTED” the root word is to appoint or place in one’s place
Gen 5:3
3 And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:
(KJV)
Eve began to realize that God is SOVEREIGN.
If He declares a thing, it will surely come to pass.
That doesn’t stop the evil one from trying to delay the fulfillment of what God has said, one thing is sure, “HE CANNOT STOP THE PROMISES TO HIS CHILDREN, THEY WILL COME TO PASS!!
YOUR BLESSING MAY NOT COME IN THE WAY YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD.
IT MAY BE DELAYED, BUT IT CANNOT BE DENIED. UNLESS YOU SURRENDER.
Phil 1:6
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
(KJV)
WE CANNOT ALLOW PAST CIRCUMUSTANCES TO ABORT OUR FUTURE OPPORTUNITY.
Mark 4:15
15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
(KJV)
*** LIFE WILL ALWAYS PRESENT BROKEN PLACES, BROKEN PIECES STRUGGLES, AND PLACE OF CONFLICT AND SEASONS.
Mark 4:15
15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
(KJV)
Rom 8:28
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
(KJV)
It is our perspective on the season that either makes it enjoyable or miserable.
INVITATION:
