The Best Time...

Message of Rev. T. J. de Ruiter at his resignation service of the Pentecostal Church Elim in Hilversum. The Netherlands

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1

"I know that whatever God does endures for ever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it.”
Ecclesiastes 3:14

Introduction

According to chapter 1:1 the book of Ecclesiastes contains the wisdom of king Solomon. But many doubt whether these saying of wisdom originally come from Solomon. Many scholars find many similarities with wisdom sayings of Greek philosophers. They think therefore that the book received her final edition in the fourth or century B.C. and Solomon lived in the tenth century B.C. I will of course not enlarge on this discussion in this sermon.

When the preacher of wisdom had determined that there is for everything under the sun a certain time, he gives a number of instances out off the normal, daily life. He says e.g.:”There is a time to break down, and a time to build up”, (verse 3). In verse 6: “There is a time to seek, and a time to lose. A time to keep, and a time to cast away.” The list goes on and I could add to it today: “There is a time to be ordained and a time to resign. A time to be consecrated as a minister and a time to receive a blessing to resign.”

Today...

It is today, the 26th of June 2011, exact twenty years and eleven months ago that I was ordained as minister of this Pentecostal Church Elim. If I was a member of one of those groups that always searches for deeper and mystical significations of numbers I would make a study on the number 2011. But because I am not interested in these religious, mystical meanings, I will not look for such a mystical, religious meaning behind 2011.

I think we can be sure of it, that not all that happens under the sun has eternal value. Much is done and much is happening that has little or no value and of which we must say: “That is absolutely worthless.” Whether our work in those twenty years that we served in Elim has been of worth or of no value, God will make that clear. In any case I know that something I - and we together as a ministerial couple - have done that has a real eternal value; It is the sowing of  the word of God in lives and hearts. We have sown the word of God in preaching, teaching and in pastoral counselling. On the ground of Isaiah 55:11 we are sure that God’s word shall not return empty to him but it shall accomplish all that He purposed. I quote here verse 14 of Ecclesiastes 3: “I know that whatever God does endures for ever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it.” But what we have done in our own strength and on which the seal of God is not put, will perish. Jesus spoke about the sowing of God’s word in well-known parables in Matthew 13. Whether it grows and brings forth fruit to eternal life or not depends on the ground on which it is sown. The ground in this parable of the sower is the hearts of people in which the word is sown. It depends on the ground whether it will brings forth fruit or not, but the farmer must of course sow with wisdom. Sometimes the ground is like hard like rock and sometimes like ground which is full of thorns and some hearts allow birds to pick the seed away. But in good soil it will grow and bear fruit  On the basis of personal counselling we know that we sown in Elim in hearts of which we are sure that they were good soil and that the Word of God grew and is already bearing fruit. If that is the case in your heart the word of God will bear eternal fruit in your life. For this we praise the Lord and give Him all the glory.

God’s  time to resign

Today it is the time to resign. We know that this is happening in the will of God. To know this is giving us rest and faith in Him for the future. 

Three truths about the time of God.

a. God’s time is the eternally appointed time. All that God is doing is determined through Him for eternity. I have not found it easy to find Gods time to resign. It was when the Spirit of the Lord spoke clearly to me last year that I knew: This is the time of God. I quote again verse 14 of Ecclesiastes 3: “I know that whatever God does endures for ever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it.”

b. God’s time is the confirmed time. If we live and act within the will of God, we will receive His confirmation of it. Then we know beyond a doubt that our steps are ordered by the LORD. We have indeed already received some confirmations that we are in His will to resign today.

c. Gods’ time is the best time. In 1 Chronicles 12:32 we read that the men of Issachar understood de right time for Israel to act. God's time is the right time. So it is now God's time to finish our ministry in Elim. After our conversion in1959 we learned the chorus: “God’s way is the best, the best always.” I would like today to add to it: “God’s time is the best, the best always.”

In closing

Psalm 31:15 says: “My Times are in Thy hand.” Also this day, on which we resign is, we – my dear wife Tessa and I – are very conscious of it, is in the will of God. Therefore we resign with gratitude, trust and with joy in our hears to the Lord and His people, gathered here today. It is today the best time for it is God’s time. Amen and amen.

The Netherlands, 26 June 2011

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