ESCAPING THE WORLD’S MISERY

Sermon Details

Description

Sermon Outline

Key verse:

“Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him. For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?”(Ecclesiastes 8:6, 7).

Key Points

Ways to avoid unnecessary miseries in life:

1. The “timing” of God: Ecclesiastes 3
2. The “wisdom” and “discernment” of God: Matthew 16:3; James 1:5
3. The right “place” of God: Luke 13; Ruth 2
4. The right “action”: Mark 4:38-40; Matthew 26:41

Additional References

1. Ecclesiastes 9
2. Isaiah 49:8
3. Proverbs 16:33
4. Psalms 31:15
5. Psalms 23:2
6. Psalms 27:5
7. 1 Peter 5:6

Sermon

“Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him. For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?”(Ecclesiastes 8:6, 7).

The book of Ecclesiastes is written by Solomon and the most frequent expression he used in this was “vanity and vexation of the spirit.” Here he says “therefore the misery of man is great upon him.” Why is the misery of man great upon him? We need to know this truth.

Many times we as “How can I escape the misery in my life?” “If God exists, why is there misery in the world and in my life?” Some people think that if God exists, then He doesn’t really care about our misery or the suffering in this world. He created us but He doesn’t intervene or that God is not a personal God. Here ways to avoid unnecessary miseries in life.

1. The “timing” of God

You need to know that one of the reasons for misery upon the earth is “timing”. When we are out of the set timing, we enter misery. Yes, there is a right time and way for everything. Unfortunately man misses it for the most part and faces misery in life. This doesn’t mean that if you walk in the timing of God you will never have misery.  You may have to still face misery but the measure will be much lesser than the misery you face when you are out of the timing of God. Moreover, when you are in the timing of God, God will remove you out of your misery. This is what King Solomon writes. You know King Solomon was a student of ‘life’. He watched the behaviour of mankind and wrote of his observations. If you noticed, Solomon begins this chapter (Ecclesiastes 3) by stating, “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” As you read the entire book of Ecclesiastes, you will be able to put yourself in Solomon’s shoes to better understand his point of view. King Solomon was the wisest King that ever lived. It was a gift given to him by God when he asked God to give him wisdom to rule Israel. So if you give heed to this passage, you will be greatly blessed.

Now what does Solomon mean when he says “to every purpose/incident/occurrences in life there is a time and judgment”? He implies that if you stay in the timing and purpose of God, you will stay blessed. When people get out of the timing of God, then they land in to misery. “He has made everything 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.”(Ecclesiastes 3:11). But see man is in darkness and how can he come out of this darkness? For this he needs the help of God. Why has God left us in darkness? Because He wants us to seek Him for his time of blessing and deliverance. Yes there are good days and bad days; evil occurrences and good occurrences. God has placed both of them on the earth. If you are in the timing of God, you will only come across blessings of God.

2. The “wisdom” and “discernment” of God

There are certain things you cannot stop from taking place. But if you have the wisdom of God, you can avoid peril. The Bible says “you cannot stop the wind from blowing.” (Ecclesiastes 8:8). That is you need to know when the wind is not blowing in order to avoid the storm. Whoever keeps His command will come to no harm and a wise heart knows the right time and method. There is a right time and method to every purpose but since no man knows what will happen, who can tell him? It also means that you cannot do all things at the same time or you cannot do different things at the same time. You cannot plant a seed and harvest at the time. There is a season which is appropriate to plant a seed and a season to harvest. No two things can happen at the same time. Everything has its own time. For instance, there is a time to live and a time to die. These two things can’t occur at the same time. They will happen in their own time. Similarly at the time of death you cannot do anything and when your time of living you cannot think of dying. The verse “There is no work in the grave so whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might” (Ecclesiastes9:10) acts as a reminder that there is a cause and effect. So you should plan which activity/thing to do at a certain time. Many are doing things when their time is over. They start working for God when they are old and God doesn’t need them. All their lives they lived for themselves. It is a wrong time to start living for God when you are on your deathbed!

There is a fitting season, a right and proper manner of doing everything that has to be done under the sun. You may ask “How can I do that Pastor?” Ask for wisdom from God. The Bible says “He who lacks wisdom let him ask of God who will give without discrimination” (James 1:5). A wise man will always discern correctly. Jesus said “when it is evening you say it will be fair weather now because I can see the sky is red, or in the morning it will be bad weather today, because of the signs in the sky. You can discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times?” (Matthew 16:3). Discern the times – the evil time, the evil hour, the blessed time and the blessed hour and the hour of mercy and the hour of forgiveness. Don’t just live by the flesh, ignorant of God’s timing. The clock is in you – God’s clock. Yes when a man hits upon the right timing of God, it prevents a great deal of mischief in his life. Life is hard but there is a time and a place for everything. You don’t know what lies anywhere on this planet.

That is why you need to go out with discernment. You have to meet people with discernment. Random living will attract random occurrences in your life. There is evil out there. You cannot be where you are not supposed to be. You know Eve was alone when the Serpent spoke to her. The timing of Eve was wrong. Yes there is a right season and a right and proper manner of doing things. Like when Elimelech and his family should have stayed in Bethlehem, they left to Moab. What happened? Half of the family died in vain. But praise God, better prudence prevailed, when they heard bread was available in Bethlehem and they returned. That was the time of God. This was the right season and when a man hits upon it, it prevents a great deal of mischief which would have come upon him. Many are fire fighting the results of their own lack of discernment. The fire maker is there near their house all the time. They cannot do anything worthwhile because evil has come in their home. “Therefore the misery of man is great upon the earth.” Man is not keeping to the right time and manner of doing what he ought to, when he ought to. This is what brings much trouble to him. Solomon rightly says “his days are few and full trouble, and every day has a sufficiency of evil in because of the evil of sin, the evil of misery presses upon him, and is a heavy burden on him. The Bible says “time and chance happens to all.”(Ecclesiastes 9:11).Yes bad times and bad occurrences happen to all. It doesn’t matter whether you are an unbeliever or a believer.

3. The right “place” of God

When it says time and chance happen to all, you need to realize that Bible is saying there is a right time and a wrong time and way for everything. Unfortunately things happen when we go out of the timing of God. Yes, we don’t realize there is an evil time but since we are humans we cannot get away from this. But if we seek God, He will stop our foot from going out at the wrong time. You can be in the wrong place and lose your life. You can be in the wrong time and evil may happen. Like the 18 were in the wrong place at the wrong time and the tower fell (Luke 13:4). These are incidents and occurrences that no one has knowledge of – unless of course you take guidance from God.

That is why it is very important that whatever you do, wherever you go cover yourself by the blood of Jesus. Put a word to Jesus ‘I am going out’ and so when such accidents are going to happen, you have a chance of escape. Yes evil comes in many forms and many ways. You know Bible speaks of Ruth. She was living in the will of God. She left Moab and even her family to be with the godly family of Naomi. She loved the living God. When she was faced with the choice to go back to her family or go with Naomi, she decided the latter. She loved her mother in law so much that she went and stayed in a rented house with Naomi and said she would go and glean some fallen grains.

This speaks of poverty. In the Old Testament, the poor could pick up left over grains according to the Law of Moses. That means they were almost beggars. Going out to glean itself shows that they were poor. But she didn’t mind. She had God with her and because of this kind of attitude things would go well with her. God would see that she went at the right time. God divinely put it in her heart to go into the fields to glean. She went and was led by the Spirit of God. All those who are the sons of God are led of the spirit of God and she went being led of the Spirit at the right time. Bible says “There is a time for everything under the sun.There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth :”( Ecclesiastes 3:1).He has made everything in its appropriate time. There is an appointed time for everything and there is a time for every event under heaven.

Many go outside the time or before the time. They live by chance or fortunes. They come in anytime, go out anytime. They plant anytime, they sow any time. When you move outside the time of God, you face consequences. Like it says “there is a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build up.”(Ecclesiastes 3:3). Many are building when they have to break and many are breaking when they have to build. There is a time to get angry; there is a time to remain silent. a time to weep and a time to laugh. A time to get and a time to lose. A time to keep and a time to cast away. But who will tell us this perfect blessed time? Only God. He knows the perfect time. There is a time of favor and there is a time of mercy. God has his time and you need to know the timing of God. “In a time of favor I have answered you. And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”(Isaiah 49:8).”

“In his time, in his time,

He makes all things beautiful in his time.

Lord please show me every day,

As you’re teaching me your way

That you do just what you say –

In your time.

In your time, in your time.

You make all things beautiful in your time

Lord my life to you I bring.

May each song I have to sing

Be to you a lovely thing.

In your time”

Praise God!

4. The right “action”

Yes you will rise in your life if you stick to God’s time. Don’t live by chance, accidents, good fortunes and luck. Don’t live according to your time. Stick to God’s time. You may be asking “Pastor how will I know Gods time?” The Holy Spirit will guide you in what He wants you to do. He knows the pitfalls and the evil around. He knows when the evil hour will come. People sleep when they have to be praying and they pray when they have to go out and do something. You need to be led of the spirit of God. Look at the disciples. When Jesus took them to the Mount of Olives and told them “pray that you don’t enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41) they were sleeping and Jesus was praying. When they have to pray they sleep, and when they have to sleep they are worry. Like in the boat when the storms were around and Jesus was sleeping (Mark 4:38-40). There are people who pray every time but yet lose the joy of the Lord. I mean some prayers are just parrot prayers that show they don’t trust the lord.

For instance, once when Kenneth Hagin was going somewhere his grandmother said “Keep on praying even while travelling. Don’t stop praying. I will also keep on praying till you return back home.” He said, “You don’t need to worry. I won’t pray”. She said, “What? Have you become an unbeliever?” He replied, “Jesus said, ‘Lo I am with you till the end of ages.’ So I trust he will be with me”. Yes there are times of praying and there is place where you do pray.  But then other times you just carry the presence of God and things will happen. Like I spoke to you of Ruth. She just moved being led of the Spirit and “her feet happened to fall on Boaz field.”(Ruth 2:3). It seemed to be lucky for her or a chance for her but the whole disposition was of the Lord. Did she pray and leave the home? I don’t know. Maybe or may not. But then how did such a miracle happen? Because she carried the presence of God.

Always doing the will of God brings the favour with God. The Bible says “the lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.” (Proverbs 16:33). This means God has power over the result. Does not the Bible say “for to him that is joined to all the living there is hope? For a living dog is better than a dead lion.”(Ecclesiastes 9:4). What is it saying? Many are living in the fast lane and doing things at risk. They don’t realise that anything can happen and they a lion may die without a reason. But a dog is humble and faithful. He lives under the shadow of its Master and eats the crumbs that fall from the masters table. So he is regularly fed. It is better to be alive than be dead. What is the use of all the wealth of the world to a dead man? Keep the timing of God. Seek God’s face every day. Carry the presence of God every day. Read the Bible every day. Don’t do wrong. Live right and ask for forgiveness. Seek for the wisdom of God. God will keep you out of many miseries of the world.

That doesn’t mean you will never have misery but compared to unnecessary miseries others are facing, you will not be facing them. Yes get into the timing of God and see how he guides your feet to his blessings. That is why when you go out pray before going. Take the lord with you. The Psalmist says “My times are in your hands O lord.”(Psalms 31:15).God says “in a favourable time I have answered you and in the day of salvation I have helped you.”(Isaiah 49:8).

Beloved times and occurrences will happen. Fortunes – or what the world calls as bad luck – may happen. But don’t worry. If Jesus is with you, all will be well. “Moreover man does not know his time, like fish caught in a treacherous net and birds trapped in a snare so are the sons of men ensnared at an evil time when it suddenly falls on them” (Ecclesiastes 9:12). God forbid you enter an evil time. I pray that God will save you from the evil time and that you will enter God’s appointed time. Yes God has his time, his place of blessing. David said “he will lead me beside still waters” (Psalms 23:2) and “for in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion” (Psalms 27:5). Therefore humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and he will exalt you in due time (1 Peter 5:6). God will guide you by his Spirit. He will let you know when and where to go. He will take you into the purposes of God so you will avoid many of the pitfalls that the world is falling into and so that you can live a peaceful and blessed life.

Praise God!!!

Abstract

“Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him. For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?”(Ecclesiastes 8:6, 7).

When people get out of the timing of God, then they land in to misery. “He has made everything beautiful in His time. But see man is in darkness and how can he come out of this darkness? Why has God left us in darkness? Because He wants us to seek Him for his time of blessing and deliverance.

There are certain things you cannot stop from taking place. But if you have the wisdom of God, you can avoid peril. The Bible says “you cannot stop the wind from blowing.” (Ecclesiastes 8:8). That is you need to know when the wind is not blowing in order to avoid the storm.

Discern the times – the evil time, the evil hour, the blessed time and the blessed hour and the hour of mercy and the hour of forgiveness. Don’t just live by the flesh, ignorant of God’s timing. The clock is in you – God’s clock. Yes when a man hits upon the right timing of God, it prevents a great deal of mischief in his life. Life is hard but there is a time and a place for everything. You don’t know what lies anywhere on this planet.

Always doing the will of God brings the favour with God. The Bible says “the lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.” (Proverbs 16:33). This means God has power over the result.

I pray that God will save you from the evil time and that you will enter God’s appointed time. Therefore humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and he will exalt you in due time (1 Peter 5:6). God will guide you by his Spirit. He will let you know when and where to go. He will take you into the purposes of God so you will avoid many of the pitfalls that the world is falling into and so that you can live a peaceful and blessed life. Praise God!!!