A World of Changes

Ecclesiastes 3:1-14

Introduction:

No one can forget year 2001. It began just after Florida's and the nation's supreme courts settled one of the strangest presidential elections. On Jan20, the nation questioned if President Bush was able to lead. On September 20, after he spoke to the joint session of the Congress, the doubts vanished. Less than 3 months after the most lethal terrorism in human experience, a government was annihilated by the US military power projected 8000 miles away. We now remember 2001 as before and after 9/11.

Earlier his year was the debate on embryonic stem cell research, and ends with the cloning of a human embryo by an American corporation. Certainly, one will never forget at the beginning of the year, Enron's share price was $84, and now, 60 cents.

There are also changes in our personal lives. There is the falling upon our shoulder of the burden to care for a sick child. We welcome the birth of a child, but sad to see the death of a loved one or friend. There are moments of joy and celebration, also sadness and pain. That empty seat in the sanctuary or in our heart will be hard to fill. There's the excitement of a new job, but also the disappointment over the loss of a job. It is a year of change and contrast.

We have not sought many of these changes; therefore, they have become sources of our stress and even despair. Unlike animals, we are constantly trying to find meaning in life events. This is what King Solomon attempted to address in his book of Ecclesiastes.

A casual gleaning of this book and the passage before us seems to paint a rather pessimistic picture of life. However, throughout this book, King Solomon is pleading his readers to look at life's realty from the perspective of the creator God. If one takes God out of the picture, then life is merely a series of events and changes without any intrinsic meaning.

I. Life is a series of events.

The author uses 14 pairs of opposites to describe life events. Some are not under our control; others are our deliberations.

1. A time to be born and a time to die, A time to plant and a time to uproot. Vs1

Birth and death are both in God's hand. He holds the timing of such events. When we try to create or terminate life, when modern technology crosses the line and begins to play God, it raises many profound ethical, theological and philosophical issues.

Gardeners and farmers know when to sow seeds. They also know when to uproot plants that have stopped growing. When God planted the nation of Israel, he uprooted other nations.

In our personal lives, there is also a time to plant and a time to uproot. During this year, many of you have moved to Houston, to establish your career and family here. In the same year, some of us have moved to other cities to establish our lives there. God has a way of uprooting and planting us, and He does it in His time.

3. A time to kill and a time to heal, A time to tear down and a time to build.

A peace loving country can suddenly find itself preparing for war. After the horrific attack on 911, both the NYC and the nation are on its way to rebuild. We constantly face deaths, either from natural causes or human violence. Yet, on the other hand, we are also working hard to bring healing, saving lives. A doctor at MD Anderson is awarded 10 Million dollars to develop pills that can prevent lung cancer.

Some have experienced the breakup of marriages or relationships, and with God's help, we are doing our best to rebuild our lives.

Personally, there's also a time to tear down and a time to build. There's the need to tear down those worldly, sinful or carnal character traits: pride, jealousy, bitterness, selfishness, and lack of self-control. Then, with the help of the Holy Spirit, build those godly characters in our lives, such as: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness and self-control.

4. A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and dance.

We mourn and weep over the loss of a loved one to death or health; or grief over the loss of an important relationship. Prolonged weeping can turn us into cynics questioning God's love and care.

Yet there is also a time for laughter. Several years ago, my mother died on a November Saturday morning at 10. However, several months ago we had planned a surprise 60th birthday party for my sister on that Saturday at 12 noon. She had been the main caretaker for mom for many years. Many family members had traveled from HK and different parts of the states to this party. After much discussion and knowing mom, we felt strongly that she would be happy to see us celebrate her daughter's birthday. So we decided to go ahead with the birthday celebration. It was a time of mourning, but also a time of laughter.

5. A time to gather stones, and a time to throw. A time to embrace and a time to refrain.

To gather stones means to clear the ground for planting. Throwing stones implies the disruption of agriculture. We can interpret this verse as a time for encouragement and a time for confrontation. We all need to be affirmed, to have others tell us of their love for us. We like to hear words such as: I am proud of you. No matter how strong we think we're, we need others to pat our shoulders, we want and need to be encouraged. However, there's also a time for confrontation. Because we're finite beings, we need others to tell us our sins, mistakes and shortcomings.

6. A time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away.

Right after the collapse of WTC, operation rescue was in full force. Several weeks later, it was switched to operation recovery. This is a painful dilemma.

How many suitcases did we bring when we first came here to study? Two or three? But what happened a year or two later? We were amazed at the amount of 'junk' we accumulated. Every New Year I always try to clean up my drawers, shelves, to throw away things that I really don't need. The Am Vets' phone calls are a good reminder that its time to give away some of those clothes that have found their way into the trunks, closets and basement.

However, there's also a time to keep things. How about some memories we can keep in our families. Edith Schaffer said, "Family is memory". We need to keep and create memories that we can pass on from one generation to the other. Why not pick up that long forgotten camera and begin taking pictures again so we can have a good laugh 10 years later?

On a more personal level, we may have been carrying some burdens from the past that need to be discarded; such as guilt from the sins we committed. Bring them to the Lord for he has already forgiven you. He is not condemning you any more, so you must not condemn yourself either.

7. A time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak.

Rumors, misunderstandings and insensitive words have turned friends into bitter enemies. We don't talk anymore. Sometimes we're the cause of such brokenness, and other times we maybe the victims of circumstances.

On the other hand, there's a time to mend, to bring healing to such broken relationships; to start talking and communicating with each other again. It will involve forgiving those who have hurt us and accept other's apology and true repentance.

8a. A time to love and a time to hate.

It is important that we live in a peaceful, harmonious and loving relationship, but it is not peace at all cost. There's a time to hate. Acts of immorality and injustice must be hated. We learn to love the sinners but hate the sin; just as God loves us in Jesus Christ.

8b. A time for war and a time for peace.

Nations are at war. People living in the same society, community and even under the same household may be at war with each other. But, there is also a time for peace.

Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall see God." With God's help, we do our best to bring peace and harmony into our immediate world. Stay away from untruths and half-truths. Don't propagate any rumors about anyone. May our words bring healing and comfort to those around us. The external world is very cruel and cold. Shall we ask God to help us to become a shelter where others can find peace.

In these 8 verses, we certainly feel the oppression of time. We must have said, "I can't imagine this actually happened to me", or "I can't imagine that we actually worked out our problems together. I thought it was a hopeless situation". Unlike animals, we try to find meanings in such life events. If there is no meaning, then we can understand philosopher Sartre's words that there is 'no exit'. We will be like animals trapped in a cage. This is the question in v9, What does the worker gain from his toils (?????????????????????). What's the gain, the profit and meaning in these life events? Beginning with v10, God enters the picture. Here the writer tells us what God makes and what He gives to bring sense and meaning to life.

II. God brings meaning into life by making things beautiful.

Vs. 11, "He has made everything beautiful in its time…?????????????." Note that the writer is not saying that everything is beautiful. War, conflict, tearing down, sadness, death are not beautiful, but even in these ugly events, God can make something beautiful out of them. We have that familiar passage in Romans 8:28,29,"God works in all things for the good of those who love Him." In its time He brings something beautiful out of everything.

When we see life from God's perspective, our times become sensible and meaningful. When all the pieces fall together, beauty emerges. When we see life thru God's eyes, we see purpose in tragedy, reason in calamity. We see His sovereignty at work; He is still in control.

We derive meaning out of life not only thru what God makes, but also thru what he gives to us.

III. God brings meaning into life by what He gives.

Vs 12,13, 'I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil-this is the gift of God............. ' Here are some gifts from God. What are they?

1. The gift of joy.

v12, Its a gift that we can be happy and enjoy life and rejoice at it. How can we be happy? By seeing life from God's perspective. This is a gift from God, He enables us to do so.

A man gave his business to God. He had struggled with this idea for twenty years. One Sunday his pastor preached on the value of turning one's entire business to God. As he drove home he decided his struggle was over, he totally and unequivocally committed his business to God.

That very night his place of business caught on fire. He received an emergency call and drove there and watched the place was up in flames. He was sort of smiling to himself. One of his colleagues raced to his side," Man! Don't you know what's happened to your....It's burning up." He replied, "I know it. I know it. No problem. This morning I gave this company to God, and if He wants to burn it up, that's His business."

Not even a fire, not even a disaster like that is sufficient to take away the gift of rejoicing. The gift of joy from God transcends human circumstances. With God's grace, we can rejoice even in the midst of hardships.

2. The gift to do good.

God enables us to rejoice in life, and also gives us the gift of doing good.

Humanly speaking we all can do good. But our good deeds are very limited. We do good only to those who do good to us. If you're kind to me, I'll be kind to you. But God's gift is no matter how you treat me, I can do good to you. Its difficult, almost impossible. This is why it must be a gift from God, so we can love the unloving, and be kind to the unkind. Its God's gift, that allows us to mend those broken relationships, to be peacemakers even if we're not at fault. He enables us to maintain a balance between the opposites in life.

3. The gift to find satisfaction.

"To find satisfaction in all his toil. ????????????????" It's a gift from God that we can be content in all of our toils. The basis of our contentment is not because we have everything we want. If so, why do we feel so empty the day after Christmas, or after that big raise? Or why are we so unhappy after moving into that dream house? The true reason for our contentment is knowing God. He is the one who says, "Every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine." (Psalm 50:10) This is the God who cares for and provides us with what is good and needed.

What is his ultimate goal? Vs.14, that people will fear him. Not to be afraid of him, but that we may revere and honor him in our life. That he will be glorified in our lives. This is the true meaning in life. Conclusion:

We will always remember year 2001. At the same time we must not lose sight that God is also at work in these seemingly out of control circumstances. He makes everything beautiful for us. In the ups and downs of life, he has never stopped working to mold us into his likeness: To be gentle and humble. His gifts of joy, doing good and contentment help us to maintain a balance and proper perspective in life.

In C.S.Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, this is how the land of Narnia is described. When Narnia is under the Witch's rule, the land is always winter but with no Christmas. To us Chinese, it's like winter without the Chinese New Year. There is nothing to look forward to. However, when Aslan, the lion, arrives at Narnia, snow starts to melt and hope returns. Birds begin to sing and animals start dancing again.

Isn't this also true with life? Without God, our life is just a series of events, without much meaning and direction. It is always winter without Christmas. But when God comes into our lives, the snow begins to melt; birds start singing again. Spring is here. Life can have meaning and hope.

Rev. William Hsueh   Dec.30 , 2001    Houston Chinese Church,  Houston, Texas