Highlands Fellowship The Book of James: Facing Your Future Transcript
Hey everybody and welcome to Highlands Fellowship. It's so good to have you with us whether you're in Bristol, Marion, here at our Abingdon campus, happen to be out in the chapel or in the country tent and one of our cafes, online or on TV. I want to say a big welcome to each and every one of you and I'm so glad that you're here. I hope that you had a wonderful time celebrating Independence Day. Yesterday marked a significant moment in the life of our nation and our country as we celebrated 250 years of history, heritage, and freedom.
It's a good thing for us to pause and to give thanks for the country that we live in, for the sacrifices that have been made and for the freedoms that we get to enjoy, that we often take for granted, especially the freedom of being able to gather like this, to worship openly and to be able to speak the name of Jesus Christ without fear. We do not take that for granted. We don't take it lightly. We recognize the religious freedoms that we have and it's not something to be assumed, but it's something that we receive with gratitude. And this morning, we want to do exactly that. We want to give thanks to God for what he's given to us, not only for the nation that we live in, but ultimately to the God who rules over every single nation.
Scripture reminds us in James chapter 1 verse 17 that every good and perfect gift is from above. That means even our freedom to worship is not something that we created or we secured on our own, but it's a gift from the hand of God. So we give him the glory today. We give God glory for allowing us to live in a time and in a place where we can freely open up his word, lift our voices and our hands to him, and worship Jesus Christ together. But with blessing always comes responsibility. And it is said, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be required."
As we reflect on the freedoms that we've been given, with the opportunity to enjoy those freedoms, it's right for us to ask a deeper question, not only what have we been given, the blessing of freedom, but also how are we living in response to that? We have been blessed with freedom. We really have. We have been entrusted with opportunity. We have been given access to God's word and the ability to live that out in our faith every single day in public. So the challenge today is simple, but it's serious.
Let's not take what we've been given for granted. Let's not drift into comfort or into complacency. Instead, let's use our freedom to worship more deeply, to serve more faithfully, and to follow Jesus more closely. So as we study God's word today, we give thanks to God for his goodness, for his faithfulness, for the country that we live in, but even more, we set our hearts on being faithful to him with all that we've been given. We want to be faithful.
Today we're going to be continuing our series on the book of James, where we're working our way slowly through this book as we're growing, developing, maturing in our faith, and really trying to develop this authentic faith that is lived out every single day. So if you have your Bible or Bible app, go ahead and open those up to James chapter 4, verses 13 through 17. That's where we're going to be spending our time together today. And we're going to see what James has to say about facing your future. And every one of us, every single one of us is moving toward the future.
Some of us are making plans for next week. Others are thinking about a new job, maybe retirement, school, marriage, ministry, raising a family. We spend a great deal of our lives looking forward, looking ahead, asking the question of what's next or what does the future hold? And planning isn't wrong. In fact, planning is wise.
Throughout scripture, we find examples of people who planned carefully, worked diligently, and really prepared themselves for what was ahead. The problem comes when we become more confident in our own plans than we are in God's leadership. And James addresses that very issue. He reminds us that while we may prepare for the future, only God knows the future. We're called to plan, but we are also called to trust.
So let's read what James has to say in James chapter 4 verses 13 through 17. This is what it says. 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. 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. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone then knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them.
At first glance, it may seem like James is criticizing people for making plans, but that's not his point. Notice the details in their plans. They have decided when they're going, today or tomorrow. They know where they're going, to this city or that city. They know how long they're planning on staying, a year. And they know what they're going to do. They're going to carry on business, and they know why they're going. They're doing it to make some money.
There's nothing inherently sinful about any of these things. The Bible never condemns hard work, never condemns wise planning, or even earning an honest living. In fact, scripture encourages diligence. It encourages good stewardship. It encourages thoughtful preparation. So what is James confronting? It's not their planning, but it's their presumption.
They have planned every detail of their future while leaving God completely out of the conversation. Their confidence isn't in the Lord, but it's in themselves. And James reminds us that the greatest mistake that we can make isn't having a plan, but it's making plans that don't acknowledge our dependence upon God. And as we walk through this passage, James points out three attitudes that honor God as we face the future. Really, these are three mistakes that we often make as we look to the future.
So the first one is this: Don't leave God out of your plans. When you read James' example closely, one thing stands out. It's that their plans include everything except God. Again, they've decided when they're leaving, where they're going, how long they'll stay, what they'll do, what they hope to gain from it. It's a well-thought-out business plan. But nowhere do they stop and ask, "What does God want?"
That's the issue that James is addressing. The Bible never discourages wise planning. In fact, planning is often presented as an act of wisdom. Jesus taught that no one builds a tower without first sitting down to examine the cost. Proverbs repeatedly commends diligence, commends preparation, and commends wise counsel. So James isn't condemning planning, but he is confronting self-reliance.
It's possible to believe in God, and still make decisions as though everything depends on you, or I make decisions as though everything depends on me. We can pray on Sunday, but we can leave God out of our calendars and out of our lives on Monday. We can trust him with our eternity while refusing to trust him with our careers, with our finances, with our relationships, or even our future. And James reminds us that followers of Christ don't simply ask, "What do I want to do?" but they first ask, "Lord, what do you want me to do?"
That leads us to the solution. James chapter 4:15 says this, "Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'" And James isn't suggesting that we simply add the words "Lord willing" to every conversation. Those words can become little more than a religious expression if our hearts are not surrendered to God. But what he's doing is he's describing an attitude. Every plan that we make should be held with open hands.
We plan carefully, but we remain willing for God to redirect us as he sees fit. We make goals, but we submit those goals to his greater purpose. And the question is not whether we have a five-year plan. The question is whether God has permission in our lives to change it. Scripture gives us beautiful balance here.
Proverbs chapter 16 verse 3 says, "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans." And then in Proverbs chapter 16 verse 9, it reminds us, "In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps." God isn't asking us to stop planning. He's asking us to plan with humility, recognizing that he alone directs the steps that we take. And that changes the way we pray.
Instead of praying, "Lord, bless my plans," we should pray, "Lord, align my plans to match yours." And instead of asking God to fit into our agenda, we need to shape our agenda around God and allow him to shape it. That's the heart of James. That's what he's calling us to in this life. A life that seeks God's will before pursuing our own personal ambitions.
But James doesn't stop there. Even if we include God in our plans, there's another reality that we must never forget. We don't know what tomorrow holds. And that leads us to the second principle: Don't take tomorrow for granted. James continues in chapter 4 verses 14 and 16.
It says, "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." And then James says in verse 16, "As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil." James now gives us a second warning. The first was about leaving God out of our plans. The second is actually about assuming that we control tomorrow.
The reality is none of us know what tomorrow holds. We make plans for next month. We make plans for next year, maybe even 10 years from now, but the truth is we cannot guarantee even the next 24 hours, even the next couple hours. But James gives us two reminders that should produce humility in our lives, not fear. The first is this: Life is unpredictable.
James says, you don't even know what will happen tomorrow. And that statement is just as true today as it was when James first wrote it. Life can change in just a single phone call. A doctor's appointment. A job offer. An unexpected loss. Maybe a new opportunity. A relationship restored. Maybe even a door that suddenly closes. But none of us know what's going to take place tomorrow and what it will bring.
We can prepare wisely, but we cannot predict the future perfectly. Again, James isn't telling us to stop planning. He's reminding us not to place our confidence in our plans. The uncertainty of life isn't meant to make us anxious. It's meant to help us be more dependent upon God. And the more we realize how little we control, the more we learn to trust the one who is in complete control.
The second reminder that should actually produce humility in us, not fear, is that life is brief. James asks, what is your life? And then he answers his own question. You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Have you ever watched the morning fog disappear at sunrise? One moment it's there and before long it's just gone. James says that's what your life is like.
The Bible uses several pictures to describe the brevity of life or how short life really is, and it compares our days to grass that withers or flowers that fade or a passing shadow and a breath of air. Life is a gift, but it's also temporary on this earth. And that's not meant to discourage us, but it's meant to remind us that every single day is extremely valuable. Psalm chapter 90 verse 12 says, "Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom." When we remember that life is short, we actually begin to value what really matters and we spend less time chasing temporary things and more time investing in eternal ones.
That's why Proverbs chapter 27 verse 1 warns us, "Do not boast about tomorrow for you do not know what a day may bring." Planning is wise. Presumption is not. And there's a big difference between saying, "This is what I hope to do," and saying, "Nothing can change my plans." James calls that kind of confidence arrogance because it ignores the reality that our lives are completely dependent upon God.
So what's the solution here? Well, the solution is to live faithfully one day at a time. That's what God calls us to do. Jesus said in Matthew chapter 6 verse 34, "Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own." And Jesus isn't telling us to stop preparing for the future. He's telling us not to live in the future.
God gives us grace for today. He gives us strength for today. He gives us opportunities today. Tomorrow's in his hands, but today is something that we must steward and steward well. Someone wisely said that yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift. That's why we call it the present.
Too many people spend their lives waiting for the next season of life. When I finish school, or when I get married, or when the kids grow up, or when I retire. And all the while, they miss the opportunities that God has placed right in front of them today. The future matters. But today is where faith is lived. James says, plan wisely, trust God completely, but live faithfully today.
Just because the future is uncertain and unsure and brief, doesn't mean that we get all uptight and get paralyzed and panic and worry. It's the motivation that we need to trust God more. You put your trust in God. That's how you face the future. I'm sure you've heard somebody say this before, but I don't know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future. And that really matters.
David said, as he was crying out to the Lord in Psalm chapter 31 verse 15, "My future is in your hands." This is a big deal. Don't make the mistake of planning without God, and don't make the mistake of taking tomorrow for granted. Instead, include God in your planning and make the most of every single day, including today. Live life faithfully, one day at a time.
That leads us right to the final point that he gives. Even if we include God in our plans and live each day trusting him, there's still one more danger that we've got to avoid. That's number three: Don't delay what God is calling you to do. Sometimes we know exactly what God wants us to do and we simply put it off. That's where James ends this passage, James chapter 4 verse 17, where he says, "If anyone then knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them."
James is talking about the issue of procrastination. I'll get around to it. I intend on doing it. Have you ever met somebody who's always aiming to do something? And I just want to say, "When are you actually going to do it?" At first, that verse right there almost seems disconnected from everything that James has been saying. But it's actually the perfect conclusion when you think about it.
If we don't know what tomorrow holds, if life is brief, if our plans belong in God's hands, then the worst thing that we can do is delay our obedience to him. And we love to put things off. James says though that that is a trap. Just because you know the right thing to do doesn't mean that you're actually going to do it. And most of us think of sins as doing something wrong.
We think of lying, cheating, stealing, or hurting somebody else. And those are sins of commission, like we commit those sins. But another kind of sin that James reminds us of is the sin of omission. There's the sin of doing nothing. Like I can do nothing and still sin, because there are things that I ought to be doing.
It's possible to know exactly what God is asking of you and still fail to obey. And we can convince ourselves that good intentions are enough. I'll serve someday. I'll forgive when I'm ready. I'll share my faith when the timing feels a little bit better. I'll get serious about my relationship with God a little later on. I've got time still. But James says delayed obedience is still disobedience.
The opportunities that God has placed in your life today may not be there tomorrow. That's why Proverbs chapter 3 verse 27 through 28 says this, "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it's in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, come back tomorrow and I'll give it to you when you already have it with you." When God gives you an opportunity to do good, don't postpone it. You know, there are three things that you can do with your life. You can spend it, you can waste it, or you can invest it.
You can waste your life. And there are lots and lots and lots of ways to waste your life. Every day we see ad after ad after ad showing us a lot of ways to waste our time, our money, and our life. Or you can spend it. You can spend your life trying to acquire things and fame and pleasure. Or you can invest your life. And the best use of your life is to invest it in something that is going to outlast you.
Jim Elliot, who was an American missionary and also a martyr, said this. He said, "He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep for that which he cannot lose." What's going to last forever? The word of God and people. People will last in one of two places for all of eternity. Either in hell, eternally separated from God, or in heaven, in the presence of God for all of eternity.
And where I spend my time now may actually determine where others spend their eternity. Invest your life in things that will last. The word of God and people. That's how we make our lives count. And let me say this: whatever you intend to do for the Lord, do it now. Not next week, not next month, not next year.
Are you thinking about witnessing to a friend or inviting them to church? Do it now. Are you thinking about teaching a small group or maybe being involved in a small group? Do it now. Are you thinking about starting to give a percentage of your income to the Lord? Do it now. When the Holy Spirit prompts you to encourage someone, do it. When he calls you to forgive someone else, do it. Don't wait.
When he leads you to serve, do it then. When he opens a door for you to share your faith, step through that door. When he speaks to your heart, right then is the time to respond. Tomorrow is never promised. Jesus told a story that illustrates exactly what James is teaching. In Luke chapter 12 verses 16 through 20, scripture says, "And he told them this parable. The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.
He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones. And there I will store my surplus grain. And I'll say to myself, You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy. Eat, drink, and be merry.' But God said to him, 'You fool. This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'" Now, his problem wasn't that he planned ahead. His problem was that he planned as though God didn't matter.
He assumed that he had years and years ahead of him. He had prepared for his retirement. He had not prepared for his eternity. And that is exactly the warning that James is giving. Do not leave God out of your plans. Do not take tomorrow for granted and assume that you even have tomorrow. Don't delay doing what you know God has already called you to do.
So here's what I want to do. I want to ask you a few questions. And there's quite a few of them. But I think something will hit home today. What are your future plans? Have you set days and marked your calendar, scheduled appointments, and then prayed, "By the way, God, I want you to bless my life"? Listen, the person who acts as if God doesn't exist in their planning is no different than the person who doesn't believe that he even exists.
Does God have a say in your schedule? Or do you just go ahead and fill it up? Does God have priority in your planning? And we can talk about some specific things. Have you talked to God about how you're going to retire? Or have you just thought to yourself that you can do it just any way that you want? Have you talked to God about how you plan to go back to school to get that degree?
Have you talked to God about how you plan to get married or to get divorced or to date or to remain single? Do you think that he's interested in those kinds of things? I'm telling you, he is. Have you talked to God about your job? Maybe a career change that you're considering. Your investments, even the way that you spend your money and your resources. James is saying that none of us have any right to just plan our lives as if God doesn't even exist. We can't leave him out of our plans. We must consult him.
Do you have a tendency to take tomorrow for granted? Say things like, "Well, there'll always be another day to spend time with my kids. Right now we're just trying to make ends meet. And once we reach a certain economic level, then I'm going to spend more time with my kids. Then I'm going to spend more time with my husband or my wife, my family." We say those things. If we don't say them out loud, we think them in our mind.
Is there somebody that you need to forgive? Is there a conversation that you've been avoiding? Is there an act of obedience that you've been postponing? Has God been calling you to serve or to give or to reconcile a relationship, to take a step of faith, but you've been just waiting for the right time? Well, James would say, "Don't wait." The right time to obey God is always today.
And if you've never trusted Christ as your Lord and Savior, this passage has a message for you as well. The greatest mistake isn't simply failing to plan. It's living your life without knowing the one who holds the future. The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians chapter 6 in the second part of verse 2, "Now is the time of God's favor. Now is the day of salvation." Notice he doesn't say tomorrow. He says, "Today."
None of us knows what tomorrow will bring. But every one of us has this moment right now. This moment to trust Christ. This moment to surrender our lives to him. This moment to place our future into his hands. God has a plan for your life. And God really wants to work in and through you.
You are not here by accident. You aren't created just to breathe and take up space, to get up in the morning, go to work, come home, watch some YouTube, go to bed, retire, and die. There's so much more to life than that. Your life truly starts when you give your heart and life over to Jesus Christ and you commit yourself to him. He becomes the Lord of your life. And when he does, I promise you he will direct you in the way that you ought to go.
Guys, as we've walked through James chapter 4 verses 13 through 17, we've discovered three truths that can really change the way that we face the future. Don't leave God out of your plans. Don't take tomorrow for granted. And don't delay what God is calling you to do today. The future is uncertain. But the God who holds the future is not. So make your plans. Dream big dreams. Work hard. Prepare wisely. But above everything else, walk closely with Jesus Christ. Because the safest place to face an uncertain future is right in the center of God's will.
Would you pray with me today? God, we thank you for how you reassure us in your word about what's going to take place in the future. You don't say that the future's going to be perfect. You don't tell us that it will be certain. We can't predict it. But you tell us that troubles and trials and tribulations, those types of things will come. But the way that we face it is to walk closely with you. If we make our own plans, and then just ask you to bless them, then we are out of order. God, help us to go to you first.
Say, "God, what is it that you desire for me to do with my life?" And as we submit to your plan, I think our plans will then align with what it is you desire for us to do with our lives. And one of the things I think about fairly often is just about how short life truly is. It seems like the older I get, the faster time moves. As I watch my kids grow, I realize that time is passing quickly. We don't really have a whole lot of time to waste.
There are many things that we can spend our lives on, but if we truly want to invest our lives into something that matters, and that will outlast us, I believe that's the kingdom of God. There's really nothing in this life outside of your word and the people you've created that will last through all of eternity. So help us to focus on what truly matters. Your word and people. To invest our lives in that to where the things that we do here could help determine where somebody spends eternity. And my prayer is that you, the people around you, would spend eternity in heaven in the presence of our good God.
Maybe today you've recognized that if you were to die right now, you would not spend eternity in the presence of God, but you would spend eternity in hell separated from God forever. And you recognize that today. We read in scripture that right now is the time of salvation. Right now is the time of God's favor. So don't delay that decision. Right now is the time where you can give your heart and life over to Jesus Christ and you say, "God, I believe that you sent your son Jesus Christ to this earth to die on the cross, to take the punishment for my sins, that he was buried and that he rose again on the third day defeating death and hell and having victory over sin so that my sins could be washed away and I could live in freedom following after you for the rest of my life and on into eternity."
I recognize that my life is no longer my own. It was bought with the price, the shedding of your blood to cover my sins and I want to follow you with everything in me. If you've made that prayer today and you've believed it in your heart, welcome to the family of God. We want to surround you with care and love and continue to invest in you as you invest in others to where we can see the kingdom of God grow and expand and that heaven would be crowded because we were willing to share our faith and we didn't delay, but we were obedient to the calling of God on our lives. God, we love you. We praise you. We thank you for days like these where we can dig into your word and understand a little bit more about who you are and how you love us. In Jesus' name we pray and everybody said, amen.