James series – “The Litmus Test for life”

James 4:13-17

¹³ Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

The first of the three carnal characteristics of presumptive pride is:

1. Self-Sufficient instead of Savior dependent – Vs 13-14

James begins by preaching to those of us who pursue plans based on self and not the Savior. Its here that we see people with plans to head to another city, start a business and make money. They had it all mapped out, Eric the entrepreneur with his to-do list in hand who like Santa Claus, has made his list and now he’s checking it twice. Demographic study of new business location—check. Market survey—check. Property location—check. Investor buy-in—check. Surveys, studies, inventories, investments, PowerPoint presentations—check, check, check. The plan was in place, all he had to do was implement it. All the business, leadership, and management books predict that he was going to make a killing, it’s a “can’t miss” proposition! Oh wait. Did Eric the entrepreneur forget anything? In the middle of all his studies, surveys and plans, Eric left out not just the most important part, but the most important person, he left out God. He forgot to seek the face of the One who created Him. He forgot to determine the will of the One who sustains him. How many times do we do that? You see not a lot has changed in the 2000 years since James first preached this message. Today we are still pridefully pursuing plans build around self instead of the Savior. So, let me ask you in all of the plans that you have laid out have you asked God what His plans are? There was nothing wrong with planning or going to a city, or on planning on staying there for a year. There was nothing wrong with planning on starting a business or even with planning on making a profit. So, what was the problem with his plans? He left God out. He thought he was going to do all that on his own. He forgot that without the Lord our plans are not just limited but that as Jesus said we will accomplish nothing. Plans that don’t pursue the heart of God are pointless. Planning for the future apart from the Father is futile. Here was a man who forgot that even if all of his business plans work, his life was limited. James describes the length of our life as nothing more than a vapor. It’s the perfect picture of our lives because from the moment a vapor appears it is in the process of evaporation. From the moment a person is born they are old enough to die. A vapor is always in the process of leaving, it is short lived like the brevity of life. As Psalm 39:5 clearly states, “You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.” Since life is so short why would we waste it on the pursuit of those things that will not last. Because many of us fail to face the reality that one day we will all die. Very soon, your family will be gathered around your bed to say their goodbyes. In that moment what will matter most? I have sat with many people in their last days and have yet to have someone say I wish I had worked more, or made more money. I believe that life is best lived by starting at the end and working your way back. By sitting on your death bed and pondering what matters most and then living life pursuing those things. Many people either don’t have a plan or their plan revolves around self. We need to be intentional and proactive not passive when it comes to planning because if you don’t have a plan you will be like a boat without a rudder, at the mercy of the current. Many of you are being pulled along by the currents of this culture because you are not proactively planning. A lack of planning leads to problems but so do plans that don’t pursuing the heart of God. Because we subject ourselves to selfishness, and are driven by the winds of our desires. Our hearts become bound to greed instead of being bonded to God. We made the goal wealth and missed the worship. This was a man who was living for money instead of the Master. How does that happen? Many well-meaning Christian parents are promoting self-sufficient presumptive pride by telling their kids to study hard so they can get a good job so they can get a good house. They are teaching their kids to make the goal getting and serving self instead of glorifying God. The reason for studying and work hard should be centered around God’s glory not ours. While there are some great things about growing up in this part of the country one of the dangers is that we can become so independent that we no longer depend on Christ. Self-sufficiency can cause us to start putting our trust in our abilities instead of in the Almighty. Where we worship our talents instead of using them to worship God. This man could have been the most successful businessman on earth, but does that really matter when his limited time is up. What matters is his obedience to the will of God. As you make your plans are you considering the Master’s plan? Are you considering God’s will and subjecting your plans to it? I don’t want my future plans to be based on this vapor of life that God has given me. Yes, we need to make plans for the future, but we need to subject our plans to God’s plan for us. None of us knows what’s going to happen tomorrow. Only God does. So doesn’t it only make sense that the One who not only knows the future but holds the future is the One on whom we base our plans? When we don’t, we’re showing presumptive pride and squandering the one treasure we will never get back, time. Don’t waste your life chasing wealth, or squander it seeking to please people or running after recognition. Base your plans on God’s Will not your wants. Don’t cling to your calendar let Christ be in charge. Because when we don’t submit to God’s plans it’s not long before we try to get God to agree and approve ours. But Christ isn’t going to submit to our selfish wants. Walking according to God’s Will means letting Christ be in change, which requires us to stop trying to be in control. It means being ok with Christ closing doors or stretching your faith. Because if we don’t we will start trusting in our plans instead of trusting in God’s provision.