Seasons: Seasons Change, God Stays The Same

Pastor Cole Parlier

Main Scripture

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time.

‭‭-Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3:1-11a‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

-‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13:8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The Point

1. What is a ‘season’?

a. Definition

i. Weather effects based on timing

1. “each of four divisions of the year (spring, summer, autumn, and

winter) marked by particular weather patterns and daylight hours,

resulting from the earth’s changing position with regard to the

sun.”

ii. Circumstances based on timing

1. “A proper or suitable time”

iii.

1. “An indefinite or unspecified period of time”

b. Synonyms

i. Mature, harden, toughen, period

c. Origin

i. Root is Latin “serere” meaning ‘to sow’ and ‘time of sowing’

ii. Moved to Old French then English as “season”

d. Astrological

i. Seasons occur mainly due to earth's tilt on it’s 23.4 degree ever changing

(very slowly) axis. The hypothesis goes that the earth was rotating

straight until a “Giant Impact” knocked it off its original axis resulting in it’s

bent. This axis is very, very slowly changing.

e. Conclusion

i. In the same way seasons change due to the earth's tilt toward or away

from the sun rather than the earths proximity in orbit to the sun, our lives

fluctuate not due to our inherent closeness to God (because He’s always

near us by His Spirit) but due to our hearts tilt toward or away from Him.

Our souls can prosper in every season life if we trusting God through faith

in Jesus. Though we can be rooted in the love and favor of the Lord

Jesus always, in this life we will have night and day, winter and summer,

life and death, joy and sadness. We must remember sorrow lasts for the

night. The earth is spinning and joy will come in the morning.

2. Earthly life is seasonal, Heavenly life is eternal

a. Our perception of seasons of life (though real) and our power to persevere or

lack thereof within them can change vastly based on our spiritual position

regarding the Son of God. The sun is always shining above the clouds and the

Son of God is always reigning on His throne and by His Spirit.

i. “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not

consumed.” - ‭‭Malachi‬ ‭3:6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

b. Abiding in Jesus, obeying Jesus, and applying His wisdom makes every season

and circumstance “beautiful in its time” as we speed the coming of the eternal

beauty of the everlasting kingdom of Christ.

i. We speed the coming by sowing to the Spirit and not the flesh, forsaking

the desire of the flesh and embracing the desires of the Spirit. This is the

out working of praying “your kingdom come”.

ii. If you walk by the Spirit of God in these temporary seasons you will make

the most of every season by bringing God glory, putting treasure in

heaven, and producing the fruits of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22)

3. Your assignment may change, but your calling stays the same

i. Because your ever-changing calling is to be formed into the image of Christ as you love and obey God, love people, and pursue the “good works he prepared in advance you” (Ephesians 2:10) we must learn to recognize a change of season (assignment). You will need to reorganize, say yes and no to opportunities, to prioritize your calling. This is called repentance (changing your mind to follow Christ rather than the circumstance changing you).

ii. Learn to number your days so that you may gain a heart of wisdom for the gifts and callings of God are irrevocable. We need faith to stand on this!

1. “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”- ‭‭Romans‬

‭11:29‬ ‭ESV‬‬

4. God will help you not grow weary in well doing, to sow kingdom seeds in each season

a. “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also

reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption,

but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us

not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give

up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially

to those who are of the household of faith.” - ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6:7-10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Truths to know in EVERY season

1. In Christ God loves me

2. In Christ, I have God’s favor

3. God is always with me

4. What I sow I reap

5. God’s wants me to be fruitful

6. Mercy is available

7. Grace is available

8. Help is available

Seeds to sow in EVERY season

1. Love

2. Faith

3. Hope

4. Obedience

5. Wisdom

6. Mercy

As we sow the seeds of the gospel and produce the fruit of the Kingdom of God in every

season, we are fulfilling the prayer “Your Kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is

in heaven” we are asking for God’s eternity to overcome the world’s temporal.

Questions for action

- Have you entered into the eternal season of the life and favor of God by accepting

Christ?

- Can you identify what earthly season you’re in?

- Are you producing spiritual fruit that honors God?

- What seeds are you ‘sowing’ in this season, is it to the flesh (temporary seed) or to the

Spirit (eternal seed)?

Conclusion

God wants you to be fruitful in every season of earthly life. He wants you to produce fruit that lasts. Today God is calling you out of the spiritually cold and dead winter and into the eternally favorable and fruitful summer of God in Jesus Christ. He is the eternally fruitful vine of life and you can be His branch allowing Him to work in and through you each day in every season. Will you turn your eyes to Jesus and let him reset your crooked off kilter spiritual axis by letting Him change your mind and heart? Will you let Him bring you into the everlasting season of the favor of God because of the eternal impact of the gift of the perfect life, sacrificial death, resurrection, and current heavenly reign of Jesus Christ?

The Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for your sovereign seasons. Thank you for diversity of life through challenges, struggles, joys, and even uncertainty. We trust that you are working out your eternal plan of salvation and redemption that began on the cross as Jesus rules and reigns at your right hand at this very moment. I confess when I don’t trust you and follow you, everything does not seem beautiful. You promise for all those who are in Christ we are seated with Him at your right hand in heavenly places. Help me to see from your eternal heavenly viewpoint that I may receive your comfort and confidence today and persevere through every season honoring and loving You.

Invitation to follow Jesus

“Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”- ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16:24‬ ‭ESV‬‬

- into the eternal life of Christ that overcomes every season here

More scriptures to meditate on

“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.”

‭‭-Malachi‬ ‭3:6‬ ‭ESV

‬‬

“teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

-‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28:20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

-‭‭Psalms‬ ‭90:12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

‭‭-Romans‬ ‭12:1-2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor."”

-‭‭John‬ ‭4:34-38‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

-‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6:7-10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”

-‭‭John‬ ‭15:4-8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.”

-‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭4:18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”