## It is time!

## Ecclesiastes 3:1

Solomon is telling us here that God has an order of things in this life. God is not the author of confusion! He is a God of order! That means that everything that takes place is according to God's timetable, whether it fits in with ours or not. This meeting's focus is for a solemn assembly. The question was asked, "Is it time?" My answer is yes! It is time!

I. It is time to seek the Lord. cf. Hosea 10:12

A. Hosea lived and preached around 750BC, but the message is as up-to- date as the morning newspaper.

B. Consider the parallels:

1. His nation had deserted the Lord. cf. 7:13

2. His nation had forgotten God. cf 8:14

3. His nation had committed spiritual adultery. cf 1:2

4. His nation had lost all sense of value. cf. 7:2

5. His nation was trusting in idols. cf. 11:2

6. Drunkenness and debauchery were the order of the day. cf. 4:11

7. Their failure reflected a failure in spiritual leadership. cf. 4:9

C. No wonder the message was that it was time to seek the Lord!

II. It is time for God to work. cf. Ps. 119:126

A. Because preachers have made void God's Law.

1. We are God's watchmen.

2. We are responsible to sound the warning! cf. Ez. 3:17

3. A watchdog that won't bark out the warning is useless!

4. Isaiah describes many of today's preachers in 56:10-11.

B. Because churches have made void God's Law.

1. Programs have replaced preaching.

2. Madison Avenue methods have replaced the Romans road.

3. Convenience has replaced conviction.

4. Missions has all but disappeared in many "ministries".

C. When pastors and churches make void God's Law what should we expect from today's Christians?

III. It is time to wake up! cf. Ro. 13:11

A. Christianity has been lulled to sleep.

1. We have bought the "lie" that we have plenty of time.

2. Procrastination has become a way of life for us...if we don't do it now, we can do it later; or worse...let someone else do it.

3. Jesus said, "...work...while it is day the night cometh when no man can work." cf. Jn. 9:4

4. Jn. 4:35, "Say not ye, there are yet four months and then cometh the harvest? behold I say unto you, Lift up your eyes and look on the fields; for they are white already unto harvest."

B. Look what time it is!

1. If the alarm doesn't wake me up, then those words will.

2. Recognizing what time it really is will motivate me to get moving.

3. Paul is literally telling us to look at the spiritual clock and realize what time it is!

4. He tells us in Ephesians to "redeem the time"...make the most out of what time we have remaining!

C. Why the urgency?

1. "...For now is our salvation nearer than when we believed."

2. Paul was talking about the return of Christ.

3. Jesus is coming! And His coming is so much nearer now than when we first believed.

4. The urgency is for us to realize that tomorrow we may be in heaven, but those without Christ will be lost for eternity.

5. It is "high time" we quit fooling around thinking that we have plenty of time to do something for God...we need to wake up!

Conclusion: "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." It is time to seek the Lord, it is time for God to work, and it is time that we wake up and realize just what time it is!