Back to the Future
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 Victory Fellowship
February 4, 2024 - Rev. Roderick Grabski
I. Introduction: A time for every activity under heaven.
a. Most of us are very familiar with the passage Jaime read this morning.
b. Even if we are not familiar with the Old Testament, we have probably heard the song based on this text: Turn! Turn! Turn! (by Pete Seeger, 1959. The Limeliters 1st recorded hit in 1962. Recorded by the Byrd’s in 1965, and also Judy Collins and Pete Seeger in 1965.)
c. Even though the song has somewhat of an optimistic look, Solomon’s intention is to paint a picture of life that is indeed dreary without God. He summarizes these verses in verse 15 Whatever is, has already been, and whatever will be, already is. God repeats what has passed. Reminds me of back to the future.
II. Back to the Future
An American science fiction comedy franchise created by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale. The franchise follows the adventures of a high school student, Marty McFly, and an eccentric scientist, Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown, as they use a DeLorean time machine to time travel to different periods in the history of the fictional town of Hill Valley, California.
The first Back to the Future film was the highest-grossing film of 1985 and became an international phenomenon, leading to the second and third films, which were back-to-back film productions, released in 1989 and 1990, respectively. Though the sequels did not perform quite as well at the box office as the first film, the trilogy remains immensely popular
a. Time is a very important factor in the movie series. In fact, since the invention of the timepiece, humans have been preoccupied with time to an unhealthy result. We even schedule God in.
b. Think about all the songs written about about time.
i. Huey Lewis and the News wrote “Back in Time,” Pink Floyd’s “Time,” “Closing Time” by Semisonic, Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time,” The Beatles’ “Yesterday,” Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes’ “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life,” “Clocks” by the English rock band Coldplay, Cher’s 1989 hit, “If I Could Turn Back Time,” Chicago’s 1969 song, “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” Jim Croce’s “Time in a Bottle,” And even Isaac Watts’ 1719 hit, “O God Our Help in Ages Past.”
c. Humans never used to be so time-bound. They relied on the changing seasons, the phases of the moon, and even the behavior of animals to guide and instruct them.
d. They saw God everywhere and in everything around them.
e. Ironically, Solomon’s use of The Hebrew word used for time here is tu[e ayth. It refers to seasons or opportunities, not minute by minute, or month by month, or even year by year passing of time.
III. A Long Time in Between
a. In the beginning of chpt 3 Solomon is summarizing the seasons of life by naming opposites, i.e. a time to give birth and a time to die. There is a lot happening in between those opposites
b. Solomon wants the reader to know that without God in the middle of all those opposites, life is meaningless. He says in verse 14: I know that everything God does will remain forever there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him.
IV. We Can’t Turn Back Time or Foresee the Future.
a. How often do we wish we could change the past, or worry about the future? How often do we say, “If I only knew then what I know now?”
b. MercyMe has a song where they contemplate these thoughts. Dear Younger Me.
If I knew then what I know now Condemnation would've had no power, My joy my pain would've never been my worth. If I knew then what I know now, would've not been hard to figure out what I would've changed if I had heard.
Then they conclude: Dear younger me It's not your fault. You were never meant to carry this beyond the cross.
c. God is with us in the times, seasons, and changes in our lives. No matter what we are going through, God promises to cause all things to work out for Good to those who love Him and are called according to hi purpose.
d. Don’t just make time for God. Let Him guide you in all the times of your life.
PRAYER
SONG: Days of Elijah
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (HCSB)
There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven: 2 a time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot; 3 a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build; 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; 5 a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing; 6 a time to search and a time to count as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away; 7 a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to be silent and a time to speak; 8 a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.
