The God of the In-Between Steve Carmack

Link to the below in formatted text: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RXhsNXFn6_9kRaWUiwh2C2A-P_IxlJmxC4a5sb3L6eM/edit?usp=sharing CAUTION: ALL THE STUDY HELPS BELOW ARE AI GENERATED. THERE MAY BE ERRORS Sermon Title: The God of the In-Between (Alternate title suggestions: "God in the Transitions," "The God of Every Season," "Trusting God in the In-Between," "Divine Order in Life's Changes," "Faithful Through the Seasons") Short Lesson Description (248 characters): Steve Carmack explores how God sovereignly appoints life's seasons, especially uncertain transitional periods. Drawing from Ecclesiastes 3 and other Scriptures, he encourages trust in God's unchanging faithfulness amid change, uncertainty, and loss of the familiar. Processed Sermon Text Welcome and Introduction Welcome everybody that's dialed in online, if you're listening. The title of this sermon this afternoon is The God of the In-Between. There's a moment in history that doesn't get talked about very much. In 1783, the American Revolutionary War was over. The fighting had stopped and the victory had been secured. But the interesting part is that the nation, as we know it, of course, didn't exist in any real functional way. The soldiers hadn't gone home. The government wasn't established. The Constitution hadn't even been written. Those in the Revolutionary War, they weren't colonies anymore, but they weren't really a country either. And historians tell us that this period was one of the most uncertain times in American history. There was no clear leadership. There was no money. There was no army to speak of. And certainly there was no guarantee that this American experiment of a country would even work out. What they were doing was living between what had been and what was coming. And that's where so often the uncertainty of our lives lie, in the in-between. And that moment reminds me of something important about life. Most of our anxiety doesn't come from where we've been, and it doesn't come from where we're headed. It comes from the transition, that kind of space in between. And the question is never whether those seasons are going to come. The question is whether or not we believe that God is still in control while we are in them, while we are in these kind of transitional seasons. God Is the God of Every Season And that's what I want us to think about this afternoon, that God is the God of every season, even the ones in between, even those transitional seasons. Every life is marked by seasons, and that's just a fact of living in this world. Some seasons are long and settled, and in those seasons they feel kind of predictable, right? They feel steady. They're familiar to us. Other seasons are brief. They're unsettling. They come quickly. Things change, and these are seasons that oftentimes don't give us a lot of time to prepare. Some seasons feel like an arrival. Some seasons feel like, okay, we finally made it. We finally got there. Things in life are starting to make sense. Other seasons feel like a departure. Other seasons feel like something is coming to a close or something is ending, and you're not quite sure what's going to come next. And it's usually those seasons, the transitional ones, that make us feel kind of uneasy. Personal Transitional Season And I mentioned to the church at Morris Road, Wendy and I, we're kind of going through one of these weird transitional seasons. We don't have much experience in it. It kind of makes me feel uneasy. Our oldest daughter is getting married this summer, and our family is about to grow, and it's about to grow in a way that I'm not used to. Our family is about to have members added to it of which I know nothing about. And some of you, of course, have gone through the season. You know what it's like. Wendy and I, we haven't gone through it. It's a strange season. It's unsettling for us. We've never been through this, and we don't know what to expect. And it's these areas that make us feel kind of uneasy, and not because they're always bad, but because they involve change. You know, we're moving into seasons of life that we don't have any experience with. And with that comes certainly uncertainty, and they're going to involve a loss of what is familiar to us. We're familiar with having young kids at home. We're familiar with the expectation that during the holidays, all of our kids are going to be at home with us, with Wendy and I. Guess what? It would be silly for us to think that this is the way it's going to be from here on out. There's going to be some changes. Changes are coming, and with that, a familiarity. And certainly when familiarity is taken away, we're quickly reminded how much we depend on it, how much we depend on it giving us comfort. Scripture Foundation: Seasons as Appointments But Scripture has helped us to see these moments differently because the Bible doesn't treat seasons as accidents or interruptions. It treats them as appointments. Ecclesiastes 3:1 — There is an appointed time for everything, and there is a time for every event under heaven. This verse is not just poetry. This verse is not just the lyrics to a Vietnam-era song. This verse is theology. This is theology. It tells us that seasons are not random. It tells us that they are timed. It tells us that they are measured. And it tells us that they are allowed. Daniel 2:21 — It is He who changes the times and the seasons... These would be the seasons. Your translation might even say seasons, which means that seasons, they don't sneak up on God. You know, sometimes seasons sneak up on us. We understand that. But seasons don't sneak up on God, and that is an important reminder to us. It reminds us that God is not surprised when life changes. God is not surprised when we move through these transitional phases as we're going through this life. And unlike us, so often, he is not scrambling to adjust. He is not just reacting to events when they happen. Isaiah 46:10 — Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, 'My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure.' What so often feels like a change or what feels like disruption to us is often direction at the hands of God. So when a season ends or when a new one begins, or if you're in a situation where you find yourself kind of stuck in between, it doesn't mean that God has stepped back. It doesn't mean that he isn't taking notice. It doesn't mean that God is still not at work. Because it does mean that God is at work. God's Presence in the In-Between Because God is not only present in the settled seasons, he's also present in the transitional ones. He's also present in the in-between. God is not surprised by the seasons of life. He offers them. And again, of course, Ecclesiastes just doesn't point out the season exists. It assumes something deeper than that. It assumes that God has authority over them. Ecclesiastes 3:11 — He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. In other words, there may be situations in which we might sense that something's going on, but guess what? We don't get to see the whole picture. God sees the whole picture. We don't get to see the whole picture, and this is where trust comes in. This is where trust comes in. You know, from our perspective, some seasons, they just don't feel right. Some seasons feel like disorder. They feel out of sequence or out of timing or out of its place. But the Scriptures remind us that what feels like disorder to us so often is divine order that's unfolding, and unfolding slowly. Isaiah 55:8 — For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. God is not bound by our boundaries, by our timelines. God is not bound by our comforts or our preference for stability in this life. God is going to work his purpose, his purpose, and even when that purpose is hidden to us, that is why it is so important that we be careful how we measure God's faithfulness in these things. So often we're tempted to measure God's faithfulness by how stable our life feels. That ought not be the measure of God's faithfulness, not by how predictable things are or about how little life has changed for us. But the Scriptures remind us not to measure God's faithfulness not by what changes, but by he who does not change. Malachi 3:6 — For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. That is the anchor, for I the Lord do not change. That is the anchor. Seasons change. Seasons change. Circumstances change. People in our life come and go, but there is something that remains steady and steadfast. It's unmovable. That's God. God remains the same. That's why his people endure. Trust in Transitional Seasons So when a season shifts or when life feels unsettled or when you're waiting for clarity in your life that hasn't come yet, Scripture reminds us of some things. That God is still ordering time. God is still working his purpose, and God is still faithful. Even when we can't see how. Even if we don't have the big picture. One of the hardest things about transitional seasons is that they remove from us what's familiar. They take away the routines that we're used to. They even take away faces that we expect to see. They take away places that feel steady. And when those things are removed, something gets exposed, and something gets exposed in us. Because a transition forces us to answer a question. Do we trust God only when life is settled, or are we trusting God even during the times when life is unsettled? Scriptures speak directly to this sort of tension. Proverbs 3:5 — Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding. And that verse assumes that there are going to be times in our life when our understanding just isn't enough. Transitional seasons remind us of our limits. And it reminds us of our limits of self-reliance. James 4:14 — whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. And that's not meant to frighten us. It is meant to humble us. And here's the encouragement. God is often most active when we feel least in control of things. And transitional periods, transitional seasons strip away this illusion that we have control. And it takes that and redirects that to our trust in God. Where our trust ought to belong, really. We were never meant to be in control to begin with. Psalm 103:19 — The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, And His kingdom rules over all. Nothing Permanent Except God One of the hard but holy lessons that seasons teach us is this. Nothing on this earth is permanent. Nothing on this earth is permanent except God. And that's not easy for us. Because we naturally want to hold on. We want to hold on to places. We want to hold on to routines. We want to hold on to relationships. But scriptures remind us that this world was never meant to be our final resting place to begin with. 1 Chronicles 29:15 — For we are aliens and pilgrims before You, As were all our fathers; Our days on earth are as a shadow, And without hope. And that is humbling language. We're tenants. Renters. Sojourners. Here in a temporary place. It reminds us that we are just a passing through. We're not setting up permanent residency here on earth. And this is why transitions help us. Because transitional seasons help us to kind of loosen our grip on things. It reminds us that this world is not our final home. And it reminds us that the relationships that we have on this earth, they're gifts. They're not guarantees. And our security is not found in our circumstances. Our security is found in our God above. Hebrews 13:14 — For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. God never promises permanence here. But he has promised us faithfulness. Deeper Comfort in God And here's a part that we sometimes miss. When God removes one comfort in our life, oftentimes it's so that we can find deeper comfort in another. Our comfort in familiarity is so often what we try to hang on to instead of our reliance on him. 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 — For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead. Transitions strip away the things that we lean on, that we find security on this earth on, so that we can learn to more fully depend on God. And when we do, when we do, we're going to find that he's enough. God's Faithful Presence One of the sweetest promises in Scriptures is not that seasons are going to stop. Changes in our life are going to stop. The promise is that God is not going to leave us in any of them. Hebrews 13:5 — Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” And that promise, it doesn't depend on stability. That promise doesn't depend on understanding. It simply tells us that God stays and that God is faithful. And this means that the season that you're going through, whatever it is that season, whether it's a season of joy, or it might be a season of pain, or it might be a season that is unstable or uncertain, long season, short season, in all those seasons, God remains the same. God remains faithful. And he is still sovereign. Psalm 103:19 (repeated for emphasis) — The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, And His kingdom rules over all, and he is still present. Psalm 145:18 — The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. 2 Timothy 2:13 — If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. Conclusion: Trust the Unchanging God And here's where that brings us. We do not need to know the next chapter to trust the author. We don't need to know the whole plan laid out. We don't have to have every answer or question resolved. The only thing that we need to know is that God has been faithful before, and he will be faithful again because seasons change. But God doesn't. Seasons change. People move, circumstances shift, but God remains in control, not only in the peaceful chapters, not only in the secure seasons, but also in the in-between areas, in the transitional ones. Psalm 138:8 — The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands. So we go through this life not with fear, not with faith, not with certainty about outcomes, but certainty in our confidence in God, because God is the God of beginnings and ends and everything in between. He is the God of every season. And that's enough. That's enough. And I'm hoping that whatever season that you might be going through in this life, you reflect on the seasons of the past, and you look forward to the seasons of the future. You might be going through a transitional season right now. Continue to trust in God, because He makes all things beautiful in His time. List of All Scriptures Used in the Lesson With Hyperlinks Here are the Scriptures referenced, quoted in the speaker's apparent version (closely aligning with NKJV phrasing), full NKJV, and Legacy Standard Version (LSV). Hyperlinks include adjacent verses for context where helpful. Ecclesiastes 3:1 — Speaker: There is an appointed time for everything, and there is a time for every event under heaven. NKJV: To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven. LSV: To everything is a season, and a time to every delight under the heavens. (Context: Eccl. 3:1-8 lists paired times.) Daniel 2:21 — Speaker: It is he who changes the times and the seasons. NKJV: And He changes the times and the seasons... LSV: And He is changing times and seasons... Isaiah 46:10 — Speaker: My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all my good pleasure. (Paraphrased closely.) NKJV: Declaring the end from the beginning... Saying, 'My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure.' LSV: Declaring from the beginning the latter end... Ecclesiastes 3:11 — Speaker: He has made everything appropriate in its time... God has set eternity in their heart... NKJV: He has made everything beautiful in its time... LSV: He has made everything beautiful in its season... Isaiah 55:8 — Speaker: For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways. NKJV: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. LSV: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” || A declaration of YHWH. Malachi 3:6 — Speaker: For I the Lord do not change... NKJV: “For I am the Lord, I do not change...” LSV: “For I [am] YHWH, I have not changed...” Proverbs 3:5 — Speaker: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. NKJV: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding. LSV: Trust to YHWH with all your heart... James 4:14 — Speaker: You do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You're just a vapor... NKJV: whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow... It is even a vapor... LSV: who do not know the thing of tomorrow... Psalm 103:19 — Speaker: The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his sovereignty rules over all. NKJV: The Lord has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all. LSV: YHWH has established His throne in the heavens... 1 Chronicles 29:15 — Speaker: For we are sojourners before you and tenants, as all our fathers were. NKJV: For we are aliens and pilgrims before You... LSV: for sojourners and settlers [are] we before You... Hebrews 13:14 — Speaker: For we do not have a lasting city... NKJV: For here we have no continuing city... LSV: for we have no continuing city here... 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 — Speaker: we were burdened excessively... so that we would not trust in ourselves... NKJV: For we do not want you to be ignorant... that we despaired even of life... LSV: For we do not wish you to be ignorant... Hebrews 13:5 — Speaker: I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you... NKJV: ...For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” LSV: ...for He has said, “I will never leave you, nor will I forsake you”... Psalm 145:18 — Speaker: The Lord is near to all who call upon him... NKJV: The Lord is near to all who call upon Him... LSV: YHWH [is] near to all calling Him... 2 Timothy 2:13 — Speaker: If we are faithless, he remains faithful... NKJV: If we are faithless, He remains faithful... LSV: if we are faithless—He remains faithful... Psalm 138:8 — Speaker: The Lord will accomplish what concerns me. NKJV: The Lord will perfect that which concerns me... LSV: YHWH perfects for me... Additional Scriptures for Study Related to themes of God's sovereignty over time, change, trust, and faithfulness: Ecclesiastes 3:11 (full, as above) — Context on eternity in hearts and God's hidden work. Psalm 90:12 — NKJV: So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Context: Ps. 90:1-12 on fleeting life.) Jeremiah 29:11 — NKJV: For I know the thoughts that I think toward you... thoughts of peace and not of evil... (Context: Jer. 29:10-14.) Romans 8:28 — NKJV: And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God... Philippians 1:6 — NKJV: being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it... Outline of the Lesson Introduction to the "In-Between" — Historical example (1783 post-Revolution); anxiety in transitions (Eccl. 3:1). Seasons of Life — Settled vs. transitional; personal example (daughter's marriage). Biblical View of Seasons — Appointed by God (Eccl. 3:1, Dan. 2:21, Isa. 46:10). God's Sovereignty and Appropriateness — Everything beautiful in its time (Eccl. 3:11); trust despite limited view (Isa. 55:8). God's Unchanging Nature — Anchor in change (Mal. 3:6). Trust and Humility in Transitions — Lean not on understanding (Prov. 3:5); life as vapor (James 4:14); sovereignty (Ps. 103:19). Impermanence and Sojourning — Aliens/pilgrims (1 Chron. 29:15); no lasting city (Heb. 13:14). Deeper Dependence on God — Stripping illusions (2 Cor. 1:8-9); never forsaken (Heb. 13:5). Faithful Presence — Near to callers (Ps. 145:18); remains faithful (2 Tim. 2:13). Conclusion — Trust the Author; God perfects what concerns us (Ps. 138:8).