To Everything There is a Season
Bro Whitney Belbin

Ecclesiastes 3:1
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Ecclesiastes 3:2
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

Ecclesiastes 3:3
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

Ecclesiastes 3:4
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

Ecclesiastes 3:5
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

Ecclesiastes 3:6
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

Ecclesiastes 3:7
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

Ecclesiastes 3:8
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Ecclesiastes chapter three and verse one tells us that there is a time for every purpose.
For whatever struggles you are going through, for whatever trials, for whatever joy, for whatever you feel or feel not, for whatever you do or do not there is a purpose and an appointed time in our lives that these things will take place.

Not may take place, but will take place.

There is a season and reason for all things. There is a definite purpose and God predetermines the outcome of every situation.

I would like to give you a little testimonial if you would allow me. I will be brief, this message is not about my life or me per say, but I believe that it is applicable to the message here tonight.

When I was a new Christian I had attended a church for many years that refused to realize that people had fears. That people had concerns and problems in their lives.

According to their philosophy if there was sadness it was because the person that was sad was not walking with the Lord.
If there was hurt it was because the hurting one was not leaving his or her hurt at the Masters’ feet.

If there was worry it was brought about because of unbelief.

I don’t believe that for a moment. I believe that that it is damnable misuse of scripture and half-truths.

People will always have concerns, fear, and worry. Sadness and fear are a fact of life and are NOT to be considered for one second as a FAILURE or a LACK of BELIEVE on the part of a brother or sister in Christ.

Am I saying that it is proper to walk around in a cloud of despair? Am I saying that we should all be as Chicken Little and run around yelling the sky is falling?

Not at all, I am just pointing out that all these emotion we feel are real. We as humans are not perfect and will not be perfect until we are taken home to be with our Lord.

Should we turn them over to God?

Definitely!

Will God give us the answer to our problem at that instant?

He could.

But then again that goes back to the first verse of chapter three
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:"

As I have stated many times before God works in His time. It could be that this very emotion you are experiencing has not just yet accomplished His purpose.

Worry or fear can sap our faith in God, If we allow it to.
I am not disputing that fact.

If we were to look over to the Book of Luke chapter twelve and verse twenty-two we would read:

"And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on"

Take no thought of or in other words don’t worry about these things.
The things our Lord is referring to are the basic needs of man. If we are not to take thought of or worry about the things we really do need why worry of other things?

The Lord then goes on to say in Luke chapter twelve and verse twenty-five:
"And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?"

In other words what are we going to gain in worry? What is this worry going to accomplish?

All that we need, all that we fear the Lord knows of. If we are to continue to dwell upon these things we will soon get consumed by them and that my friend is where we will get away from the Lord.

We are told in Luke chapters twelve verse twenty-nine that we are not to be of a doubtful mind. A doubtful mind will produce the fruits of little faith.

We can take solace in the word of God. We have so many examples set out before us if we only take the time to read of them.

Have you ever read of King David? David was a mighty man of war, a man of God, who was consumed, with the fear of man. He had cried out to the Lord in Fear time and time again in the book of Psalms. Was this man a failure? I think not.

This fear that was in David only served the purpose of bringing him closer to God, To produce a greater love for God and I believe a better understanding of the character of God. Just about every time David cried out in fear to the Lord he then praised the Lord and understood his full dependency upon Him.

Perhaps that is why there is fear in your live at this time. To draw you closer to the one who knows the true reasons or root cause of this problem that is troubling you.

First Corinthians chapter ten verse thirteen states,
"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."

There are no temptations (Trail) taken you, or come upon you, which have not been experience by someone before you. You are not alone with your fears. You are not alone with your worries. The trials you face or are going through are not unique to you alone nor do they belong just to you.

Lean on Him. Cry out to Him like David for deliverance and understanding.
He will give you both.

Perhaps there is sadness in your life, a feeling of loneliness and despair.
Perhaps you feel forsaken by all that you hold dear and can’t understand why you are facing this.

Perhaps you, like I, have been told that your loneliness was due to your walk with the Saviour lacking in some area. Perhaps you, like I, were pointed to this passage in the book of Proverbs chapter eighteen and verse twenty-four:
"A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly:.."

The fact that they neglected to point out the rest of the verse showed me the true character of these people
"...and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."

"...and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."

Once you become a child of God you are never alone. There is no need for loneliness. If all forsake you remember Hebrews Chapter thirteen and verse five:
"for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

Again if we look into the word of God we can find an example of this very thing.

Second Timothy Chapter four and verse ten:

"For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia."
Three friends gone.

Second Timothy chapter four and verse sixteen:
"At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me"
All friends gone.

Second Timothy chapter four and verse seventeen:
"Not withstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me;"

The Lord Jesus Christ Still present.

Jesus Christ will never leave you. All others may, friends and family, neighbors or even church members but Jesus Christ will be with you always.

All these things Paul wrote from prison in Rome directly prior to being put to death.

Do you think that Paul did not want fellowship? He had mentioned that only Luke was with him and asked Timothy to bring Mark with him when he comes.

I believe Paul was indeed lonely.

But in spite of all Paul stated that the Lord stood with him.

In spite of his loneliness, in spite of his sadness, Paul did not neglect the Word of God
As he had asked that Timothy bring him his books and especially the parchments.

Don’t let the emotions of sadness or loneliness take you away from the word of God or God Himself.

Perhaps God is taking away those people in your live that are going to lead you in the wrong direction.

Perhaps you are placing them above God Himself in your life. Our God is a jealous God,
And will not share His glory with another.

These are questions only you can answer.

I am going to make a statement that perhaps all may not agree upon. I am going to state it just the same:

If sadness, loneliness, and fear are sinful as some men teach, then the Lord Jesus Christ is a sinner.

I will repeat that

If sadness, loneliness and fear are sinful as some men teach, then the Lord Jesus Christ is a sinner.

Some of you are probably saying, "How can you say such a thing brother!"

Lets look over in the book of Isaiah, at the very words given by the Holy Spirit of God to describe our Lord and Saviour.

Isaiah chapter fifty-three and verse three says:
"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not."

Despised, rejected, sorrows, acquainted with grief, esteemed not.

This man, our God, experienced each and every emotion that is common to all.

Our God knows the feeling of sadness. Our God knows the feeling of loneliness, and our God has experienced a feeling of being forsaken that we as His brothers and sister, sons and daughters, of the very same Father through adoption through faith in Him will never ever feel or experience.

Mark fifteen and verse thirty-four: "And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

"My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was rejected and forsaken of the Father. Can you tell me He wasn’t lonely? Can you honestly tell me that for the first time in His life that there was no sense of fear or abandonment?

Jesus Christ, our Saviour, had been scourged, stripped, upon his head they put they put a platted crown of thorns, mocked, spit upon, smote on the head, nailed to a cross and had his side pierced with a spear.

All these things He did willing to save the very people who would do this to Him. All this suffering He took upon Himself to save sinful man.

I believe the hardest of all these things was the loneliness and fear He must have felt when He cried out to the Father "why hast thou forsaken me?"

God can not look upon sin. Jesus Christ took upon Himself not only our sins but also the sins of the whole world. Because of this Jesus was left feeling utterly deserted.

This He did willing so you and I and all that will call upon His name would never have to experience it.

If you have never accepted the lord Jesus Christ as your personal saviour I ask you now have you ever felt frightened or sad?

Have you ever felt abandoned by those that you call friends? Has life’s cares have you worried or fearful?

Consider this if you would.

You can have a friend that is closer then a brother. You can have a friend that will never leave you or forsake you.

This friend is only a prayer away. This friend is always willing to talk and help you. He gave His life that you may live. He gave up all so that you will not have to.

He was forsaken by the Father so you would never have to be. He was separated from the Father so you would not have to be eternality.

This Friend is Jesus. Ask Him into your heart.

Friends our emotions are real, sadness, loneliness, fear and all the others. These are what separate us from the animals. These are the things that make us unique.

Through Jesus Christ we don’t have to become consumed within the confines of our own minds or emotions.

We can not allow our selves to be.

It is at that very point when they become all consuming that we lose touch with the Father and start leaning on our own understanding.

It is at that point where our feelings or emotions become sinful.

If you are at that point now I ask you, I beg of you, call out to the Father and ask for forgiveness. Cry out to the Lord for guidance and direction. He will do all for His glory.

Ecclesiastes 3:1
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:"

Proverbs 18:24
"...and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."

Isaiah 41:13
"For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee."

Matthew 10:28 "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

If you are not sure of your salvation, or have never heard of or accepted the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ and would like to know for sure that your sins can be forgiven please read "Gods Simple Plan Of Salvation" through the link on the home page or e-mail me. I would be glad to help.