Appointed Times for All Things
Pastor Tan Thai · Jan 17, 2021
This sermon based on Ecclesiastes 3:1-14 explores the truth that all things in life have appointed seasons and times ordained by God. King Solomon, who tested every path to happiness under the sun, concluded that only the fear of God brings true meaning to life.
The sermon opens with a portrait of contemporary historical challenges in the United States — a presidential inauguration requiring 20,000 National Guard troops and a new COVID-19 variant — to introduce the message of Ecclesiastes 1:9-11 that there is nothing new under the sun. The pastor recalls major historical pandemics such as the Antonine Plague (165-180 AD), the Black Death (1331-1351), and the 1918 influenza pandemic to illustrate that cycles of hardship have repeated throughout human history.
The second section introduces King Solomon through the story in 1 Kings 3, where God granted him wisdom and everything he did not ask for. The sermon uses Solomon's prayer as a lesson about prioritizing God's righteousness over material wealth, connecting it to Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6:32-33. Ecclesiastes is presented as the memoir of a man who tested every path — pleasure, riches, building projects, music, many wives — only to conclude that all is vanity, meaningless, like chasing the wind.
The central section of the sermon examines Ecclesiastes 3:1-14, listing 14 pairs of contrasting appointed times in life — from birth and death, weeping and laughing, love and hatred, to war and peace. The pastor emphasizes that no one can live in only one extreme; experiencing both sides of appointed seasons matures a person, making them more humble, compassionate, and understanding. The parable of the old man and the horse illustrates the limitation of human perspective in evaluating life's events.
The sermon theologically emphasizes that God — who created the vast universe and sustains all celestial bodies by His word — is the sovereign Lord of time and all appointed seasons. Citing Psalm 139:14-16, the pastor reminds the congregation that each person's days were ordained by God before birth. Romans 8:28 is used to encourage those experiencing difficulty and loss, assuring that all things work together for good for those who love God.
The sermon concludes with Solomon's counsel in Ecclesiastes 12:1 and 12:13-14 — to remember the Creator in the days of youth, to fear God and keep His commandments. The pastor calls the congregation, instead of lamenting what they lack, to give thanks to God for what they have, and to look upward to receive help from their Creator, as Psalm 121:1 declares.