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well good evening it is a blessing to be able to be here today and have another joint service as Pastor Butler said we need to have more of them but not too many uh but certainly more than just one once a year so uh this evening we're going to look at Ecclesiastes chapter three I know I preached Ecclesiastes a few times the last few times I've been here I please preached through it last year but I really miss the preacher I really like his depressing encouragement that he gives and so we're going to look at perhaps a passage we all know Ecclesiastes chapter three we're gonna look at verses 1 through 15. a time for everything so we begin reading at verse 1 of Ecclesiastes chapter 3 all the way to verse 17 to set some of the context to everything there is a season a time for every purpose under Heaven a time to be born and a time to die a time to plant and a time to pluck what is planted A Time to Kill and a time to heal a time to break down and a time to build up a time to weep and a time to laugh a time to mourn and a time to dance a time to Cast Away stones and a time to gather Stones a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing a time to gain and a time to lose a time to keep and a time to throw away a time to tear and a time to sow a time to keep silence a time to speak a time to love and a time to hate a time of war and a time of peace what prophet has the worker from that in which he labors I have seen the god-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied he has made everything beautiful in its time also he has put eternity in their hearts except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice and to do good in their lives and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor it is the gift of God I know that whatever God does it shall be forever nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it God does it that men should fear before him that which is is has already been and what is to be has already been and God requires an account of what is passed moreover I saw Under the Sun in the place of judgment wickedness was there and in the place of righteousness iniquity was there I said in my heart God shall judge the righteous and the wicked for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work amen will let us pray our great God we are thankful that you are the creator of this world thank you that you created it in the space of six days and called it very good and thank you that you are the providential governor of all things that come to pass thank you that you are not the author of sin yet we are thankful that you're the one who decreed sin to come to pass and thank you that you also decreed the salvation for sinners in the Lord Jesus Christ we're thankful that you are infinite and eternal yet we're thankful that you create time and you work in time and space and thank you that as we have been created in your image there is a purpose for everything there is a purpose for our lives and we know that we failed in that purpose yet we're thankful for thankful for the last Adam who did not fail in it thank you for christ and his perfect law keeping thank you for christ and his perfect work that we might have our images renewed that we might have our souls redeemed that we might have our bodies resurrected and thank you that this is because of Christ's Lord and according to your unfolding and the execution of the appointed times and so we pray as we are perplexed and discouraged with the world around us as we are perplexed and discouraged with everything that is unfolding we pray that we would put our faith in you teach us to fear you teach us to put our trust in you teach us to be reminded that you are the potentate of time and you are The Sovereign ruler of this world and we pray if they're only here today who do not know you please save their souls please show them that eternity does await and we pray that they would flee that Eternal wrath to come through faith in Christ that they might have eternal life and so we ask once again as we come to a difficult passage we pray that you'd give us illumination from on high we pray that our hearts would be uplifted our hearts would be encouraged as we consider your ways and as we have to deal with the Fallen World in which we live so be with us now by your spirit we pray that you be honored and glorified and we pray these things in the Name of Christ amen well growing up my mother was always late now to her credit her parents were always half an hour early so I could see the swing the other way and then as I grew up I really hated being late and I still hate being late I remember one time I heard someone speak about why being late is not such a good thing and the reason is when we are late for other people we steal something that they can never get back and that is their time time is Relentless time is tyrannical and time is perplexing for us all and that's certainly something we see with the preacher here in Ecclesiastes chapter 3. and I do think the purpose of this book is all about wrestling with the inconsistencies of life I know there are differing views on what this book could mean but we see the preacher go on his quest for wisdom and as he observes the world around him he sees as he seeks to find wisdom what is the right way he also has to deal with foolishness he also has to deal with sin he also has to deal with the fallenness of this present evil age there are books like Proverbs you'd think if you do what's right you'll receive what's good if you do what's evil bad things might happen but then Ecclesiastes comes and gives us Nuance it helps us to see that we live in a fallen world and unfortunately things are not fair and perhaps we might cry out vanity of vanities all his vanity says the preacher or Enigma of enigma is all his enigmas says the preacher that's his motto and then we have his question in verse three what prophet of chapter one what prophet has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun well he seeks wisdom he finds grief when we try pleasure now pleasure isn't necessarily A Bad Thing and we'll see that a little bit when we get to the latter part of these verses we're looking at but he seeks to find pleasure he seeks it in goodness is this the meaning of life well then death happens death happens to us all the fool dies and also the wise the like and then even two if one pursues riches well you might die or not might die you're going to die and the one after you might not use that money for good he might be a fool so what then is good for man nothing is better for man than to eat and drink and enjoy the good that God has given to him in this world God gives us blessings and it's not wrong to enjoy them in the present age even the present evil age in which we live so he comes to a new section time and its purpose time and purposes under Heaven and the problem that we see here is the problem of time time is Relentless it continues on with or without us and so certainly the idea of duration is in view here but also the question of when is the appointed time for us to do something that's something perhaps you and I wrestle with all the time when should I do this when should I do that when is the proper time the problem for God's people is knowing when is the proper time for something and so the preacher gives us some encouragement here but it's also very depressing there is comfort and there is a curse as well as we consider time and so in these verses the preacher Ponders the cycle of time and man's god-given purpose and so we'll look at this idea of time under two headings this evening first of all we'll see a time for everything in verses one through eight and then secondly we'll see the time God has given in verses 9 through 15. so a time for everything and the time God has given so let's first look at a time for everything in verses one through eight and notice in verse 1 we see his General observation about time to everything there is a season a time for every purpose under heaven now I do think the author of the book of Ecclesiastes is Solomon he's referred to as the preacher kohalet he's the one who gathers people around he's the one who preaches to those who gather and I do think perhaps it could be Solomon after his turning away and after he came back and it's an older Solomon preaching to his younger self gather around young ones here's what I have to say with my hori hairs here's what I have to say in my old age here's what I've observed in the Life in which I have lived so he's reflecting on life reflecting on meaning reflecting on this world and he goes on this Quest by observing the world around him now there's certainly a theological aspect he is the king in Israel but he observes the world around him and what he observes is that there is a season for everything to everything there is a season a time for every purpose under Heaven both phrases are one and the same teaches us that there is order to this world there is a tell us his quest began with a seemingly meaningless view of Labor in chapter 1 verses 4 through 4 through 11. there's nothing new Under the Sun one generation passes away another comes up the sun rises and forgets all those who might pass away well there is meaning in our vain miserable lives in which we live in this world and that meaning comes from the Lord God most high and we'll get to that in verses 9 through 15 but here he's observing and pondering and he enters then into this poem concerning time a time for every purpose under heaven now Under the Sun certainly carries the idea of in this world the flow of life but under Heaven could be more nuanced than that could also carry the idea of what could happen after the present age but all of it uh teaches us about the flow from this life and the things that we observe and how that might affect us into the next life as well so he goes on to deal with some specifics not exhaustively but he deals with some specifics that uh elicit completeness or invoke completeness in verses two through eight now overall the structure of this poem this is probably what we all know we probably have heard it many times we've probably heard it done to music before as well we probably know these words a little more than the rest of the Book of Ecclesiastes and certainly it's difficult to structure them so I follow Bartholomew's structure and he has four categories for the things that we see in verses one through eight and so I do think the first category are in verses two through three and that teaches us about beginnings and endings a time to be born and a time to die a time to plant and a time to pluck what is planted there is a time to kill and a time to heal a time to break down and a time to build up and the preacher will deal with death a lot in this book he even deals with his well-being born it's actually better to die than to be born sorry if that depresses you but if you're born into this world you have to deal with the Fallen World in which we live so it's better not to have been born at all but there is a time to be born and a time to die he also deals with breaking down and building up as well a time to plant a time to pluck there might be a Time to Kill and a time to heal a time to remove and a time to uplift and so there are beginnings and endings in the world in which we live that is part of the world uh this world that is governed by time so there's beginnings and endings but there's also emotions and embracing in verses four and five a time to weep a time to laugh a time to mourn and a time to dance a time to Cast Away Stones a time to gather Stones a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing I have a personal bubble so I'm all good with not embracing for a long period of time for me it's always a time not to embrace but how verse 5 the time to Cast Away and gather Stones perhaps it could be the idea of building up a place a home where embracing happens where or where uh he uh weeping and mourning and laughing and dancing all the curves I know the dancing part's hard for the Dutch but certainly dancing uh it can be a good thing especially at a wedding a time to celebrate and time to Rejoice you don't have to do that but certainly is a time to dance but all in all of life there is a time for these things a time to weep A Time To Laugh A Time to mourn a time to dance a time to Cast Away Stones a time to gather Stones a time to embrace and a time to refrain from from embracing and then the third category is abounding and lacking in verses 6 and 7. notice a time to gain and a time to lose a time to keep and a time to throw away a time to tear and a time to sow a time to keep silent and a time to speak there's a time to buy and a time to purge there's a time to mourn perhaps garments and grief can be part of that morning aspect but we're lacking we tear our clothes but we sow our clothes as well and then seven a time to keep silent and a time to speak on the social media age we always feel like it's time to speak right what what gave us the idea that our opinions matter later on in the book he's going to talk about how there's a popular King but then the popular Kings popularity Fades away because let's be honest nobody cares what we have to say there's only really one person that's our mother and that's the a list that's it and so most the time we need to learn when to speak and when to keep silent but there's a time for all these things it's just knowing wisdom on when to execute these good can be good things so a time to keep silent a time to speak and then the last thing that we see is private and public things that happen in private and things that could happen in public a time to love and a time to hate there is a time to hate in this world isn't there hate isn't necessarily a wrong thing we can have righteous anger and righteous hatred towards Injustice in this world and later on in chapter three he does talk about the Injustice that prevails in this world in chapter four he talks about the Injustice that happens to the oppressed yet there is no comforter for them in the present evil age can we not hate those very things so there is a time to love and a time to hate there's also a time for war hour and a time of Peace that's also another difficult one for us today I do believe there is a time for just War but sometimes knowing when that's the murky part isn't it so sometimes knowing when a more war is just is the difficult part of life sometimes even two in Wars wars are so very messy and so it's really hard to determine dare I say the right side in those Wars but the overarching principle there is a time of war and a time of Peace what he's teaching us here is that there really is a time for everything under Heaven there's an order in this world God has made man God has put eternity in his heart as we'll see in verse 11. there is a time for everything in this world there are Ebbs and flows in life is what this teaches us as well you could say that the preacher isn't a millennial the preacher understands hands that there are Ebbs and flows in life how life goes I just like to troll people who are not like me and are Millennial uh there's just Ebbs and flows in life the next great event I'm waiting for is price return it doesn't necessarily have to get worse or have to get better I'm just waiting for Christ to return and so a pre-mill everything's going insane everything sucks for the Post Mill everything sucks let's build a theocracy and for the all Mill everything has always sucked deal with it Christ is coming again now I'm just trolling you if you're pre-miller post Mill that's perfectly fine but he does seem to be anachronistically uh very uh Millennial Ebbs and flows in life time of War time of Peace but all this is meant to give us Comfort isn't it especially when we get to chapter 3 verses 16 and 17 he talks about in the place of judgment so when the courts probably is in view here in judgment wickedness was there you think the place of Justice the place of the courts the place where Justice is supposed to be you think that would be there but there there is wickedness vanity of vanities perplexity in the place of righteousness iniquity was there notice what gives him Comfort God shall judge the righteous and the wicked there is a time when there is going to be those people who are going to receive their just do there is going to be the appointed time of God's return when he shall judge the living and the dead God shall judge the righteous and the wicked for there is a time for every purpose and for every work there's Ebbs and flows there's Madness and inconsistency in this world there is Injustice yet there is a time where God will make everything right and all of this is meant to comfort God's people especially when it seems like the world is going insane I got news for you the world has always been insane the world has been going insane since the fall sin is madness sin is insanity and so we have a good foundation and a good grounding in a fallen world to deal with those very inconsistencies I'm not saying we can't be angry at them I'm just saying we shouldn't be surprised by them especially with the doctrine of creation and the doctrine of Providence and certainly all Scholars agree that what we see in verses one through eight is the outworking of God's decree he is the one who is eternal he is the one who has created time he is the one who works in time and he's doing so according to his purposes and because he is the one who made it he makes everything beautiful there is a time for every purpose under heaven and this is why it's comforting for the church and comforting for Christians is because we know this unbelievers don't Bridges says the tears of the child of God have more of the element of happiness than the laughter of the ungodly and one thing that's important to note and for those that were with us at Surrey remember that he is not resolving the tension he just puts it side by side doesn't he and you see that throughout this poem there is a time to kill and a time to heal there is a time of justice but there's going to be a lot of Injustice pleasure is good but pleasure also leads to a lot of sin so there is juxtaposition how do we deal with these things and I do think everything in verses one through eight also teaches us that this includes God's frowning providences are they also not from the hand of God later on in seven verses 3 13 and 14. he says consider the work of God for who can make straight what he has made crooked in the day of prosperity be joyful but in the day of adversity consider surely God has appointed the one as well as the other so that man can find out nothing that will come after him so we have a God we can put our trust in even in the frowning providences there is a God that we can look to there really is a time for everything under heaven and thankfully there is a time for everything under Heaven because God has made it so and thankfully there is the time that God has given that's what we see in verses 9 through 15. and notice in verses 9 through 11 we see Time and Eternity in verse 9 he repeats the main question that we see in one three what prophet has the worker from that in which he labors what is man's profit in relation to the tyranny of time well verse 10. I have seen the god-given task which the sons of men are to be occupied he says in chapter 1 13 it is a burdensome task God has given to the sons of men by which they may be exercised God has made man upright God has made him in his image God as we'll see has put eternity in his hearts that is God a man is meant to glorify God and enjoy him forever the problem is man does not do that but even with the fall that doesn't change that that was man's operating command from God most high and so man has this task the problem is he seeks for it in other ways so he's seen it in this world and there are good things that God still gives to this present age and so there is Beauty in everything that God does I have seen the task which the sons of men are to be occupied that is God created this world he upholds it in him we live and move and have our being even still in a corrupted world he is still governing it and notice verse 11 he has made everything beautiful in its time I think that includes the positive aspects and the negative aspects of what we see in verses one through eight God is the potentate of time and he is governing all things for his purposes we're not supposed to know all the reasons why but that doesn't change the fact that he can and does make everything beautiful in its time that's hard for us that's hard for the people of God still when we see atrocities when we deal with illnesses when we deal with situations God has made everything beautiful in its time there is that perplexity for us of not understanding it of not getting it and he goes on to say in verse 11 he has made everything beautiful in its time oh sorry uh yeah verse 11 still also he has put eternity in their hearts carries deity is certainly of duration God has given man an immortal Never Dying Soul he wrestles with that in Ecclesiastes he's chapter four the animals die and Men die but we've never seen where a spirit goes isn't that true we believe what God says but we've never seen someone's spirit float float out of their body back to God so what is it there is this perplexity are we just animals and Ecclesiastes chapter four well Ecclesiastes 12 answers that question the bodies go into dust and the souls return to God who gave it we are Immortal and man understands that to some degree but in our corrupted nature it is sought in other ways and so without true knowledge time is a heavy burden the time in this world and Eternity forever it is a heavy burden even though we have been given and never dying Soul we are still finite God is the one who is infinite and he is the one who does all things he's put eternity in our hearts except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end we can't go past what we're seeing right now we can't go past what the day is going to hold and even then the next hour is going to hold we really have no idea what is going to happen we have the overarching picture God is working all things for good but we really don't know what's going to happen we have plans we have ideas we have predictions but we really don't know if they're going to come to pass or not we cannot find out the work that God does from beginning to end there is a purpose the problem is we don't understand the reasons I mean Joseph 17 he's sold into slavery 30 is when he rises to power and eventually he says to his brothers what you meant for evil God meant for good or even job God never tells job why everything hap is happening to or what what's happening to him and why it's happening to him nobody tells or God never tells job why all these things are occurring to him or perhaps to use another example it's the author of God Moves In A mysterious way William Cooper I must confess in the old Trinity Hymnal which we still use I cannot stand the tune I love the words but I cannot stand the tune so we don't sing it as much as I'd like but maybe we'll use Dundee next time but I love the words and I think we'll see him or even with that bad tune because of his life he was actually quite a fragile man in the mind and actually before his conversion he actually tried to kill himself as Nick Needham says uh he was doing the deed he was hanging himself and just as the life was about to leave his body the Rope broke and he still struggled with he didn't kill himself again or try to again but he had a great struggle throughout all his life even after his conversion but after this time and after many other bouts of mental illness his family committed him to a private Lunatic Asylum it's actually there where he got converted is actually there where God saved his soul it's actually there where he read God's word and came to life Everlasting and when you read his hymns I mean he talks about frowning providences and talks about God moving in a mysterious way his wonder I mean as you listen to his hymns you'd never know that that was the life that he led or the life that he uh that that God made for him there was a time for that rope to break and a time for him to go to the Asylum but it was the Lord who may made it beautiful in its time God really does move in mysterious ways and God really does make everything beautiful in its time it doesn't change the fact though that we can be perplexed by life and Enigma is a vanities why is life such an enigma and really all of life is uncertain too right I mean you know when you get married you don't know what's going to happen the next day you know you don't know if your spouse is going to hit their head and be in a coma you don't know what's going to happen and even later on in Ecclesiastes chapter 11 he uses the illustration of investing now there's differing views on what Ecclesiastes 11 verses 1 and 2 means but I do think it carries the idea of seafaring that is cast your bread upon the waters as they engage in their seafaring investing Enterprise and after you will find it after you for you will find it after many days give a serving to seven diversify and also eight for you do not know what evil will be on the earth you don't know what's going to happen in life and so then he says basically it is what it is verse three if the clouds are full of rain they empty themselves upon the Earth and if a tree falls to the South or to the north in the place where the tree falls there it's gonna lie it is what it is he who observes the wind will not sow and he who regards the clouds will not reap so you know what you're supposed to do you're not you don't know the works of God verse five in the morning sow your seed in the evening do not withhold your hand for you do not know which will prosper either this or that or whether both alike will be good to use New Testament language don't worry about tomorrow for today has its troubles you see dear brethren we don't know what's going to happen tomorrow you know what we're supposed to do fear God keep his Commandments and just worry about today just do what we're supposed to do now just do the next thing if I make make an observation about our modern times I don't think we were meant to know as much as we know I don't think we were meant to have so much information drilled into our heads images in our heads I mean I I was talking to a dear brother a couple years ago and he said yeah in World War II was like two weeks before we heard something that happened I mean we are getting things that are happening in real time we're not meant to know it all so much and so what's the best thing just fear God and keep his Commandments and so what then are we to do with respect to our time well there's two things I think the preacher tells us in verses 12 through 15. one enjoy life to fear God notice enjoying life in verses 12 and 13. God has given you time God has made you and given you life Brethren that in itself is a gift created life present temporal life is a gift from God most high remember God is love is has life in himself and he doesn't need you and I for perfect life we don't complete him in any way so God out of his good pleasure created the world and got out of his good pleasure redeemed Sinners out of that world to enjoy eternal life with him and so even this temporal life we can instill still enjoy good things and if life is miserable if there's inconsistencies why not in benefit and enjoy those blessings he says in verse 12 I know that nothing is better for them to rejoice and to do good in their lives and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor there there is a view out there that teaches that the preacher is contrasting the life of carnality with the life of of righteousness and perhaps he's being sarcastic here but verse 13 it is the gift of God later on in chapter 5 he talks about a that what you receive from God everything you have from God is a gift but he also says that the ability to enjoy that gift is a gift as well that is be thankful for your gifts be thankful for the things you have be thankful for those blessings that is a gift that comes from God most high and so in a fallen age he doesn't know much but this he does know God created this world called it very good said eat the plants said eat the meat and enjoy it and it is good do good in your life rejoice and that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of his labor and this theme comes up a lot it's founded on a robust understanding of the doctrine of creation comes up in two comes up in three comes up in five comes up in six comes up in nine comes up into comes up a lot 11 and 12 and comes up a lot in this book there's enigmas and sadness and absurdity in this life but God created it and there is good things that we can enjoy and if you think I'm all about just eating and drinking and enjoying well remember in first Timothy 4 remember the problems of the Heretics in first Timothy 4. remember they said don't eat or drink or I don't don't uh they were forbidding marriage well what does Paul say he says God has made it you need to thank him for it he says God has given it to you enjoy it I'm not saying you sin with these good things okay I'm not saying you sin at all that's not what he's talking about here but what he's saying is especially for redeemed Saints based on First Timothy 4 we can enjoy temporal blessings good Goods without making them bad Gods we can use it in moderation and thank the Lord for what he has given to us we may not understand everything but God gives good things if he gives you labor you have some money you want to buy a little something and you have the money to do that that's fine you don't have to tell me you don't have to tell your friend you don't have to tell anyone that is between you and God most high God has given us good things in this world and we ought to thank him for that even in dark providences does he still not give us good things does he still not provide for us is he still not with us remember dear Brethren everything we have temporal and eternal is a gift from God most high so in light of Eternity in light of time enjoy what God has given you in time and then the second thing that we must do in light of time his fear God verses 14 and 15. it kind of again sort of gives us the answer of verses 1 4 through 11 of chapter one why do these things occur why is there order why is there nothing new Unto the Sun Well verse 14. I know that whatever God does who works through secondary means it shall be forever nothing can be added nothing can be taken from it you cannot thwart the problem the the plans and promises and providences of God it shall be forever now remember dear Brethren that great mystery God is eternal he's not bound by time but God has created time and he works in time and perhaps again what we could say based on uh in New Testament language or even Genesis 50 languages what man means for evil God means for good God is working everything for the good to those who love God whatever God does it shall be nothing can be added nothing can be taken from it and notice God does it that men should fear Him again what's the end of the whole matter where as the book unfolds is we're making our way to that main point what is the end of the whole matter fear God and keep his Commandments what does Providence teach you you're not God fear Him what does creation teach you you've been created he is the creator what does redemption teach you you were once dead in your trespasses and sins but God has redeemed you fear God and keep his Commandments fear God and trust in him all of life Under the Sun is full of enigma and absurdity but there is a God who does all things good and according to his ways that we should fear Him and then notice in verse 15 that which has already been building off these similar ideas and what is to be has already been and God requires an account of what has passed there is nothing new Under the Sun dear Brethren there is nothing new under this present evil page but that doesn't mean there isn't any meaning in life even when there's Injustice verse 16 there is the God of Justice who might delay for his purposes who might not bring that Justice right when we'd like it to come but God is the just judge he shall judge the righteous and the wicked for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work rather than God has created time and God has given you and I time in this world and what we call this is the doctrine of Providence again all this is meant to direct us godward that is the point of the book it's meant to direct us Christ's word and to cry out to him and Trust in his ways and even too many times the New Testament Paul says we got to redeem the time that is honor him glorify him with the time that he has given to us appreciate the things God has given appreciate the time that God gives and all this teaches us is that God gives us purpose in life even in the mundaness of life isn't there a purpose fear God keep his Commandments if you believed on Christ if you've looked to him that is what God calls you to do as a redeemed sinner as a redeemed Saints you don't need to fear what's going to happen with the future if and if the world Burns around us God is in control of all things and he will make everything beautiful in its time and thankfully not only is he unfolding all things according to his decree but our great anchor in life is our Christ but we also have our anchor in an eternal God Bridges says it is the wise and regular and orderly administration of the one who sees the end from the beginning and to whom there is no unanteed contingency and whose omniscient I in the midst of what appears to us inextricable confusion has a thorough and intuitive perception of the endlessly Diversified relations and tendencies of all events and all their circumstances Discerning throughout the whole the Perfection of Harmony God is the Eternal God God is the one who has created time God is the one who works in time God is the one who is unfolding all things for his purposes and brethren we must remember and appreciate his Redemptive times don't miss the language in the scriptures concerning our Christ when the fullness of the time had come God sent forth his son born of a woman born under the law to redeem those who are under the law and think about your life there was an appointed time that God redeemed your soul the pointed time that God worked in your heart with the word by the spirit to call you out of Darkness into Marvelous Light and if you're an unbeliever here today I pray that that would be you I pray that you would come to saving knowledge in the Lord Jesus Christ because if you don't there is an appointed time of your death and there is an appointed time of judgment that shall come and if you do not believe on Christ Jesus you shall die in your trespasses and sins and you shall bear the weight of your sin for eternity thankfully God is the one who makes everything beautiful in its time Christ has come and just as Christ has come there is an appointed time that Christ shall come again dear brethren we ought to praise God for his timing we ought to praise God and Trust in his timing because he really does make everything beautiful in its time well let us pray oh Lord Our God we are thankful that you are the king Immortal invisible Eternal invisible The God Who alone is wise we do thank you for your so great salvation for undeserving Sinners thank you for your so great salvation for one light the Apostle Paul who swell he still breathe breathe threats you saved him thank you for many of us here while we were dead in our trespasses and sins Christ died for the ungodly and thank you that you are the one who called us in the appointed time out of darkness and into Marvelous Light and thank you that as we live in this present age and as we deal with have struggles and deal with inconsistencies that we can come to your word and be encouraged and uplifted even if it is depressing that we can be validated and we can be assured of your nearness be assured of your providential guiding be assured that you are the potentate of time and so may we recognize that there is a time for everything under heaven we ask that we as we press on in this world that we would fear you and keep your Commandments that we would never give occasion for the devil that we would redeem the time to honor you and glorify you and all that we do and thank you that when there are times when we sin that there is an advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous and so we pray that as we are concerned and have anxiety that we would bring them all before you under your Mighty hand that we would cast them upon you for knowing that you do care for us help us not to have pride thinking that we could do it better but help us to remember that you are God and you do all things right there is a time for everything under Heaven There is a purpose for everything under Heaven you are the one who makes everything beautiful in its time and so we long for the return of Christ and as you tarry O Lord we are thankful that it does lead to the Salvation of your elect we pray if they're only here today who do not know you please call them forth out of Darkness into marvelous light that today would be the great day of their salvation thank you that Christ the son was sent forth born of a woman born under the law at the appointed time thank you you for his redemption in time and thank you that we have eternal life that awaits her people when Christ comes again but as we await that Celestial city as we await that Eternal rest as we await the new heavens and new earth thank you that we can put our faith and trust in you in this Fallen present evil age even as the spirit Wars against the flesh we know that we have the finished work of Christ we know that we have the spirit who indwells and so help us to walk in your ways help us to honor you help us to have wisdom in the present age on how we ought to live on the right course of action in various circumstances that arise and thank you again that we can put our trust in you so thank you for the time that we can spend together today the time that we can spend together this evening saying that this really is a glimpse and foretaste of the eternal life and eternal time that awaits your people when we enter into that new heavens and new earth so be with us now by your spirit may you be honored and glorified by our fellowship ship and we praise these our prayer praise you for all these things and we pray these things in the Name of Christ amen well we'll close by singing him 564. him 564 will stand and sing together [Music] and last one [Music] Lord [Music] Glory [Music] I'm going to pray for the food and then we'll have a time of meditation after let us pray oh Lord Our God we are thankful for the good gifts that you've given to us in this present age thank you for the gift of gathering together thank you for the gift of eternal life but thankful for the gift of good food we pray that you bless it to our bodies blessed as we enjoy it with one another think that it's a means by which we can fellowship with one another and we pray that you bless us now as we gather together and fellowship with one another and we pray these things in the Name of Christ amen we'll close the brief time meditation the piano's finished you're dismissed