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Today I would like to share with you a message about “timing.” As we go through life, we all realize that timing is so important. In fact, we could even say, “Timing is everything.” No matter how hard we try, if it is not the right time, we cannot see fruit. No matter how much effort we put in, if the timing is not right, it will not succeed. That is how crucial timing is.
The Roman philosopher Seneca (around 4 B.C.–A.D. 65) once said: “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” In other words, what people often call “luck” is not simply a coincidence. It is the result of preparation meeting the right time.
The Bible also speaks of timing. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” In Greek, there are two important words for time: Chronos and Kairos. Chronos refers to chronological time—the steady, measurable passing of hours and days. But Kairos is different. Kairos refers to the right moment, the opportune time, a significant point in life when God works in a special way and changes our direction.
Our relationships(出会い) can also be understood in this way. Some(ある出会い) are simply Chronos encounters, part of the natural flow of time. But others are Kairos encounters—God-appointed, meaningful meetings that leave a lasting impact.
So I ask you today: is our gathering here just a Chronos meeting, or could it be a Kairos meeting—a divinely appointed moment where God is at work?
There are many kinds of encounters in life. Most of them are passing encounters that quickly fade away. But as we live, there are also meetings that happen under God’s providence—what we may call Kairos encounters. And I truly believe that our meeting today is a Kairos encounter, a providential meeting given by God.
From Ecclesiastes 3:1, we learn that there are moments appointed within God’s providence. Do you believe that this very moment is such a moment? Amen! We as human beings cannot control timing. It is God who determines the times and seasons. That is why we need wisdom to discern the times.
Jesus Himself discerned the right time perfectly. At the beginning of His public ministry, He declared, “The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:14). Jesus knew exactly when to begin.
In John 12:23, He said, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” And in John 13:1 we read, “Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father.”
Jesus always acted in step with the will of God, observing carefully what God was doing and moving according to God’s time. In the same way, our church must also watch carefully, discerning God’s will, God’s work, and God’s timing.
Let us read Ecclesiastes 3:2: “A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot.” Just as there is a beginning and an end to life, so there is a beginning and an end to everything under heaven. Birth and death are also under the sovereignty of God. One day you and I will die. But right now, we are alive—and this is the season to live with all our hearts for God.
IBF Church was also born at the right time, decades ago. And today, by God’s grace, it is still alive and well. So, this is still the time for IBF Church to sow the seed of the Word of God and the seed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ—diligently, like a farmer in springtime. This is springtime for IBF Church! Brothers and sisters, let us sow the seed of the Word of God and the seed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ diligently. Don’t be lazy.
Now let us read Ecclesiastes 3:3: “A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build.” In our lives, there are things that must be torn down. They are… Our sins, our pride, and our idols. But at the same time, there are things that must be built up. They are… Our faith, our community, and our families. They should be strengthened through the Word of God and through prayer.
Let us read Ecclesiastes 3:4: “A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.” Not long ago, I cried, wept, and mourned a lot. There were farewells, and many loved ones passed away. It seems that in our lives, joy and sorrow are always interwoven. Our lives are full of bittersweet memories. How wonderful it would be if there were only sweet memories in life. But life is not like that. Yet I am thankful, because even after times of weeping, God gives us reasons to laugh again.
When it is time to cry, we should cry. We don’t need to hold back our tears. Let the tears come when they come. God gave us the emotion of sorrow, and He allows us to express it at the proper time. And when it is time to laugh, we should laugh. A community without joy, without laughter, cannot last long.
I pray that IBF Church will be a church where laughter never ceases. A church where, when one member weeps, others weep with them; and when one member rejoices, others rejoice with them. I pray that IBF Church will be such a healthy and beautiful community—a community full of empathy and love.
So let us weep when it is time to weep, and let us laugh when it is time to laugh. I pray that we will be a community that knows how to both weep and laugh together in a healthy and beautiful way. And may we even be a church so full of joy that, like King David, we can dance before the Lord with all our hearts.
Let us read Ecclesiastes 3:5: “A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing.”
There are moments in life when we must let go of what is meaningless. And there are moments when we must gather what is truly valuable. Brothers and sisters, in the end, what remains are… People! People are what matter most. The Bible teaches us that a single soul is more precious than the whole world. Brothers and sisters, we are called to gather what is most precious—the lost souls. We must nurture them with the Word and prayer, raising them to be men and women of faith.
Life also has its proper timing for love and closeness(intimacy). There are moments when we should open our hearts and welcome others, showing care and acceptance. And there are moments when it is right to step back, to hold some distance. So, let me ask you: at IBF Church, is it a time to embrace, or a time to refrain from embracing? The answer is clear—it is a time to embrace. It is a time to welcome one another and to show one another acceptance.
Finally, let us look at verse 6: “a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away.” This verse talks about our possessions and the things we hold on to, but also about loss and letting go. “A time to search” means those moments when we try to find what we have lost, or when we try to fix a broken relationship or recover a missed chance. Spiritually, it also reminds us of the time to seek God and to ask Him for wisdom. But “a time to give up” means… This is something we all experience. No matter how hard we try, there are times when we lose things. We may lose money. We may lose relationships. We may lose health, and we all lose the strength and beauty of youth.
Ecclesiastes 3:6 also says, “a time to keep and a time to throw away.” “A time to keep” means we must hold on to things that are truly important. We must keep God’s truth, our faith, our relationships, and the mission He has given us (2 Timothy 4:7; Jude 1:3).
But there is also “a time to throw away.” Sometimes we need to let go. We must put down heavy burdens so that new doors can open. We must give up sinful habits and empty attachments to find true freedom (Hebrews 12:1; Philippians 3:8).
As I finish this message, I want to say: there is a time for everything. For IBF Church, now is the time to plant the seed of God’s Word and the seed of the Gospel with all our heart. It is the time to make the church strong through the Word and through prayer. This is not the time for worship that feels like a funeral, but for worship that is full of joy, like a wedding. It is the time to rejoice before the Lord and even to dance like King David. It is the time to look for lost souls and to welcome them with love. And above all, it is the time to stand firm in faith and to hold on to the truth.
Let us pray.
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