September 2, 2018
Morning Service

Last week in chapter 4 James basically gave us a list of what a life of humility following Jesus would look like.  As you remember he is writing primarily to the first generation of Christians who had no example to follow like we do.  They were just figuring it out as they walked down their path of life that ends in the presence of Jesus.  We are all like them in our journey as well.  God is dealing with us in the same manner; one day at a time and even one step at a time.  He calls us to submit to Him, resist the devil, draw near to Him, cleanse our hearts, mourn for our sin, be humbled, and not to judge others daily.  When trials emerge look at these areas in your life and see if you are missing the mark somewhere.  These things bring to us a life that is filled with joy, peace, love, contentment and purpose.  James continues his great teaching now as he looks at the attitude we make plans with.

James 4:13-16 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city and spend a year there, and we will trade and will make a profit,” (14)  whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? For it is even a vapor, which appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.  (15)  Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”  (16)  But now you boast in your presumptions. All such boasting is evil.

·        There are a couple of points I want to make in this scripture.  The first being about planning.  It is good to make plans for your future; we can even say it is vital that we do.  Our time and money are both finite and if we don’t use them wisely with careful planning they will slip quickly through our fingers.  The point James is making here is that our plans need to include God or we could be terribly disappointed.  We must recognize that our future is in His hands and His plans may not always be ours.  It is good to make plans but leave room for God to change them accepting His will to be done in our lives.

·        Are you a planner?  I am and I don’t like it when things don’t go according to my plan.  I find it difficult when the plan breaks down to adjust and move on.  I am getting better at it though because all my plans seem to fall apart.  My plans often fail because some unforeseen thing pops up and throws things off.  In our planning we have to be flexible to change and be willing to adjust the plan as needed.  However, to make plans without involving or consulting God shows arrogance and James even calls it evil.  This is another part of our life that we often think we can control and leave God out of.  Jesus told a parable that shows this point very well.  It is often called the “Parable of the rich fool.”

 

Luke 12:16-21  And He spoke a parable to them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully.  (17)  And he thought within himself, saying, “What shall I do, because I have no room in which to store my fruits?”  (18)  And he said, “I will do this. I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and I will store all my fruits and my goods there.  (19)  And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat drink and be merry.”  (20)  But God said to him, “Fool! This night your soul shall be required of you, then whose will those things be which you have prepared?”  (21)  So is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.

·        The foolish farmer did not even consider what God would have him to do with his bounty.  He planned for himself a life of leisure and comfort and left no room for God to intervene and did not ask for His guidance.  His focus was upon himself and what was best for him; that worldly self-seeking wisdom we have just talked about.

·        Part of our “submitting to God” is that we leave room in our plans for God to make changes.  We must be willing to yield our plans (our will) to His as James suggests that we should say “If the Lord wills.”  It is that yielding, submissive and humble attitude towards God that we need to cultivate in our lives.  God is in control and our heart, mind, body, soul and plans should belong to Him.  It becomes a matter of trust.  Do you trust your plans or His?  As we look in the future for the next year, five years or even 10 we may have plans of what we would like things to go.  God may have a radically different plan and it may start tomorrow.  The problem, or we could call it a blessing, is that we do not know our future.  We don’t know what tomorrow holds, but God does.  That brings me to my second point.

 

(14)  who do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? For it is even a vapor, which appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. 

·        Our life is a vapor here for a time and then it is gone.  It has been called the dash that is on your grave stone between when you are born and when you pass away.  Life is indeed very fragile and none of us are promised tomorrow.  I was reminded of that this week as I attended a funeral for my cousin David who was only 57 years young.  He was diagnosed with cancer just six short months ago and now he is gone.  Today is the day the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it.  Time is a precious put your priorities in order today.  Jesus said this in the Sermon on the Mount:

Matthew 6:33-34  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.  (34)  Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

·        Why do we consistently either worry or plan about tomorrow and forget to live today?  Tomorrow’s troubles will come soon enough, but today’s blessings are for today only.  Jesus here encourages us to get our priorities straight (God first) and then trust Him for the rest.  It is then that we can rest and be free to live a life that honors our Savior.  God is in control of my future so I can be fully present in the moment and enjoy this day He has blessed me with.  The key to that kind of life is to “seek first the kingdom of God.”

·        Looking back at the list from last week, are there things you are putting off until tomorrow to deal with?  Are you waiting to totally submit to God, resist the devil, draw near to God, cleanse your life, confront your sin, humble yourself, or quit judging?  Or are you putting off the decision to step out by faith and accept Jesus as your Savior?  Why?  A life full of joy, peace and contentment awaits and now is the time to act.  Paul quotes Isaiah as he tells the church at Corinth this:

2 Corinthians 6:2 For He says, "In an acceptable time I heard you, and in a day of salvation, I helped you;" Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.

·        Today is the only chance you have been promised to accept the invitation given to you from our Lord and Savior.  Tomorrow may never come.  We all are good at procrastinating things that we should do today and put them off until tomorrow.  If the Holy Spirit is speaking to your heart today to stand up and make a change don’t put it off; answer the call today.  James tells us our life is short and our plans need to include God.  Paul told the Ephesians this:

Ephesians 5:14-17  Therefore he says, "Awake, sleeping ones! And arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light."  (15)  See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, (16) redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  (17)  Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

·        Life is too short to walk through it asleep.  Paul calls us to “Wake up” and live in the wisdom God gives us redeeming the time as it is quickly slipping away.  Where is your time used?  Are you always mindful of His presence in your life and quick to yield to His Will?  Or are you forgetful and continue to do the things that you want to do and place God on the back burner?  I want to close with the final powerful scripture of this chapter.

 

  James 4:17 Therefore to him who knows to do good, and does not do it, to him it is sin.

·        To know what the right thing to do and not do is sin.

 

Heavenly Father we pray that our hearts will belong to You and that would then allow that all our plans would include You and be subject to any changes You feel best for us.