Iliff & Saltillo UM churches
Memorial Day Weekend
May 26, 2002
“Waiting On the Wind”
Eccl. 11:1-6
INTRODUCTION: It was 1866 and the United States was recovering from the long and bloody Civil War between the North and the South. Surviving soldiers came home with many stories to tell.
Henry Welles, a drugstore owner in Waterloo, NY, heard their stories and had an idea. He suggested that all shops in town close for one day to honor the soldiers who were killed in the Civil War and were buried in Waterloo Cemetery. At about the same time, Retired Major General Jonathan Logan planned another ceremony, this time for soldiers who had survived the war. He led the veterans through the town to the cemetery to decorate the graves. It was not a happy celebration but a memorial. The townspeople called it Decoration Day.
In 1882 the name was changed to Memorial Day and soldiers who had died in previous wars were honored as well. In 1971 President Nixon declared Memorial Day a federal holiday to be observed on the last Monday in May. Today, Memorial Day is not limited to honor only those Americans from the Armed Forces but also a day for personal remembrance. Families and individuals honor the memories of their loved ones who have died. Church services, visits to the cemetery, and flowers on graves, mark the day with dignity.
However, this day means more than cookouts, boating, trips to the beach and the beginning of summer activities. It has a deeper meaning. Tomorrow marks the National Observance of Memorial Day. All across America there will be the sound of marching feet, band music, and drums. In cities and small towns people will gather at parks and cemeteries where speeches are given, prayers are prayed, taps are played, and a salute given and guns fired. It is our way of saying “Thank You” to those who died that we might continue to enjoy our freedom.
We pause to look back at the past and remember the world conditions and circumstances surrounding those who lived before us. There were hardships and challenges for them similar in many ways but also very different from what we face today in the 21st century.
We must be people of courage to go on with our lives in spite of a difficult present and an uncertain future. The news media paints a different kind of future than at any time in history. The threat of terrorism has come closer to home. The alerts are color coded depending upon their severity. The “if” of terror has been changed to “when.”
Solomon’s writings in Ecclesiastics 11 gives us some advice on how we can live effectively in such a time as this. In verse 4 he says, “Whoever watches the wind will not plant; Whoever looks at the clouds will not reap” (Eccl. 11:4 NIV).
Many people, knowing the uncertain conditions we now live in are more inclined to put their life on hold until things improve. Many won’t make major decisions until they are sure of what is going to happen. Won’t buy a house right now, won’t go to college, won’t go on vacation because “I don’t know if it would be safe.” There are too many “what ifs...” Are you like this?
People who lived in other unfavorable times faced similar fears. Yet they continued to live their lives without shrinking back. We can too.
(1). Nothing Ventured: You have heard the old saying “Nothing ventured is nothing gained.” Solomon is saying the same thing. If we will not venture out to do anything until we have absolutely perfect conditions we are like the person who is observing the wind. We will never sow or reap. People will say, “the time is not right. I’ll put it off until a “Better” time or a more “opportune time." We do this in our careers and in our education, with our families as well as in our spiritual life. Paul explained salvation to King Agrippa in Acts 26:28 and he said, “Paul, you almost persuaded me to be a Christian. I will consider this and do it later.” King Agrippa was “waiting on the wind”--for more favorable conditions to occur before he received Christ. Maybe it wouldn’t have been a popular thing to do to be a Christian. Therefore he didn’t do anything. He didn’t sow and he didn’t reap. In what ways are you “waiting on the wind”? What do you need to do about it? Is your life “On Hold”?
The future is always unpredictable. Knowing this the great preacher C. H. Spurgeon said, “Sow when the time comes, whatever wind blows. Reap when the time comes whatever clouds are in the sky.”
He is saying, when you have calculated the risks, go ahead and take action. he had noticed that people often wait for a more convenient season which never comes. He is telling us that sometimes we make too big a deal about natural difficulties which become a hindrance to us.
People will say to us, “I would never go into that career because you would never succeed.” “I wouldn’t go to college because you can get just as good a job and you wouldn’t have to spend all that money.” Others say, “I wouldn’t go into business right now because you will lose the shirt right off your back. You won’t succeed.”
One woman told me, “I don’t think you should go into the ministry because you will have an awful life.”
If we take too much notice of advice people give us, we may never get started to do anything. Are you observing the wind too much? Are you waiting for perfect conditions in your life and as a result doing nothing?
2. Why do we observe the wind? There are several reasons why we hesitate to sow and reap.
If we keep observing circumstances instead of trusting in God, it becomes sinful to us.
a. For one the sin of Disobedience. God instructs us to sow--”Be not weary in well doing for you will reap in due season if you faint not.” ( Galatians 6:9).
I do not sow because there is some black cloud hanging over me. I am depressed. I don’t feel up to it today. I am making excuses as to why I can’t go to church on Sundays, teach a Sunday school class, go visit someone in the hospital, give to a missions project--I have made an excuse.
“Go into the world and preach the gospel--”I can’t do it Lord because... That’s Disobedience.
b. Other times we don’t sow because of UNBELIEF. I can serve God when I FEEL that there is hope of success. I can’t SEE anything happening right now. That is poor service and doesn’t contain any faith. Scripture says that “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Heb. 11:6). Observing the winds and the clouds is UNBELIEF. We are saying, “God, I don’t believe you can do it. At least not for me.”
c. The next sin is really REBELLION. I won’t sow unless I see God make the wind blow my way. I won’t reap unless God moves the clouds away first. If God would change my circumstances I would sow and reap. I sure can’t bloom where I am planted. That would be impossible. We justify our attitude by saying, “God did not send the right wind, how can He expect me to succeed under these conditions?”
d. Foolish fears--Another sin when we are always looking at our circumstances is FOOLISH FEAR. God has commanded his people throughout scripture not to fear. Then if he tells us that, we need to believe that He will be with us. There is a cloud, why do you fear it? It will be gone soon. There are fierce winds, why do you fear? They will subside.
We often fear what never happens. One President said, “The greatest fear is fear itself.” But it causes us to not sow or reap.
e. The sin of IDLENESS. The person who refuses to sow because of the wind or clouds is usually just not wanting to put forth the effort. If we don’t want to serve God in the first place, we can usually find enough reasons for not doing it.
These are some of the sins connected with observing the wind and the clouds and not sowing or reaping. Never even taking the first step. We are like this sailboat (show picture) just sitting idly by “Waiting on the Wind.”
3. How do we get moving?: How do we sow and reap? How do we get our sailboat out on the water? How do we get that seed corn in the ground? Solomon gives us some ideas in today’s scripture:
1. Become a liberal person--Solomon says, “Cast your bread on the waters and give a portion to seven and also to eight.” He is saying if you begin to give of your time and resources generously that you will not be sidetracked by the adverse conditions. You will concentrate more on making life better for those around you and in your giving out away from yourself you will see that some seed takes root. Some people will be helped. Circumstances will be changed for the better.
You might sow into a ministry or a mission project--some results will occur.
You might begin to teach a Bible study and over a period of time results will occur. People will grow.
Begin to give of yourself. Eccl. 9:10 says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.”
How do I know that my work will produce a harvest? You don’t really. There is no guarantee but you have faith that it will.
2. Have Confidence that God can change people and circumstances: If we consider the lack of interest that people have in the gospel and the hardness of the human heart, we might consider giving up on people. If we look at the wind and the clouds surrounding people, there are persons that we would just write off. We would say, “It’s no use. I can’t do anything with them and probably God can’t either.” When you say that, you will not sow or reap. Isaiah said, “Blessed be ye that sow beside ALL WATERS” (Isaiah 32:20). If you will not attempt to share the gospel with some people, you will never reap. Sometimes we think that God can’t change people or circumstances. We doubt his divine intervention.
STORY: When the first Memorial Day was celebrated, a group of women from Washington D. C. asked the War Department for permission to put flowers on the soldiers graves at Arlington Cemetery. After a lot of haggling, permission was finally granted to do so but a stern order was attached to the permission. Now flowers were to be placed on the graves of the Confederate soldiers who were buried in a segregated section of the cemetery. The ladies carried out their tasks faithfully. Then General James Garfield made a speech. When the crowds left, a strong wind came up. The wind blew almost all of the flowers into the Confederate section. After that the separation was never repeated. Many believed that all this was due to DIVINE INTERVENTION.
3. Your Own Spiritual Life: You may say, “I don’t feel like praying today. I don’t feel like going to church. I don’t even like my church. Nothing happening.” When you say that, instead of looking to the Lord you are studying your own feelings, your own disappointments--these thoughts will keep you from sowing and reaping. Are you observing the wind too much concerning your feelings? Scripture says that we walk by faith and not by sight. Our hope is not in our feelings but in Christ.
CONCLUSION: To sum things up today, let us pause to remember those who have gone before us and their sacrifice to make life better for us. Let us begin to give back something by learning to sow and reap that future generations will have something to look forward to. Let us not unduly look to the wind and the clouds of terrorism and threats to our way of life but continue to be diligent to do what we know to do trusting God to make it count. Are you waiting for the wind today? Or are you busy sowing and reaping a good harvest?
Shall we Pray:
