God's Opportunities 6 - James 4:13-17

Seek God’s Plans TODAY!

Text:James 4:13-17

Introduction

James speaks of two topics in chapter 4; was with God & the will of God. It is easy to see how these two are related. When you who are believers are careless about God’s will rob peace from those you love and bring about trouble.

Examples: Lot/Sodom; David/adultery/family/kingdom; Jonah/sailors.

Question — What makes you so hesitant to read further and pray deeper to have a fuller understanding of God’s will for your life?

Illustration — Too many Christians look on the will of God as bitter medicine they must take, instead of seeing it as the gracious evidence of the love of God.

“I would give my life to the Lord, but I’m afraid,” a perplexed teenager told me at a church youth conference.

“What are you afraid of?” I asked.

“I’m afraid God will ask me to do something dangerous!”

“The dangerous life is not in the will of God,” I replied, “but out of the will of God. The safest place in the world is right where God wants you.” Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 370.

Question — From where does God’s will come from? HIS HEART! His will is always an expression of His heart.

1) Indifferent To God’s Will

James was addressing some wealthy merchants in the assemble. When they should have been focused on the Lord’s will, they discussed and even boasted about their plans. It seems as if they had not interest in seeking God’s will for their life or praying about current/upcoming decisions.

A. Life is complex (v13)

Think of all that is involved in life: today, tomorrow, buying, selling, getting gain, losing, going here, going there. Life is made up of people and places, activities and goals, days and years; and each of us must make many crucial decisions day after day. Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 371.

Among the complexity, to what purpose is this all happening? Without the will of God, everything becomes aimless at best.

What makes your flesh happy today, won’t tomorrow.

What you enjoy today, you will get tired of it.

What you like to wear today, will be out of style soon.

Without God’s will, you are on a hamster will.

Jesus being your Savior and seeking His will allows life to begin to make sense.

You can recognize an objective goal of both the physical and spiritual part of life.

You no longer live in a threatening world, bur in your FATHER’S WORLD!

B. Life is uncertain

Proverbs 27:1 “1 Boast not thyself of to morrow; For thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”

James is not condemning taking the time to plan for the future, but rather the attitude behind it.

Notice the phrase “we will...”

Example: Luke 12:19–20 “19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?”

You need to admit that life will always be uncertain you, but it is never uncertain to God!

Confidence comes when you are in God’s will.

The fact God leads us from His heart, brings us assurance of the good that will meet us there.

C. Life is short

Notice this theme throughout scripture:

Job 7:6 “6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, And are spent without hope.”

Job 7:9 “9 As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: So he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.”

Job 9:25 “25 Now my days are swifter than a post: They flee away, they see no good.”

Job 9:26 “26 They are passed away as the swift ships: As the eagle that hasteth to the prey.”

Job 14:1–2 “1 Man that is born of a woman Is of few days, and full of trouble. 2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: He fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.”

Question — Who believes life is short?

Can’t afford to simply “spend our life away.”

Never want too “waste our life.”

We must INVEST OUR LIFE!

Turn to: Isaiah 55:1-7 “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, And he that hath no money; Come ye, buy, and eat; Yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? And your labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, And let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, Even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, A leader and commander to the people. Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, And nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee Because of the Lord thy God, And for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, Call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts: And let him return unto the Lord, and he wil…”

Listen…quick minimizing every opportunity to get God’s Word in your heart.

Illustration: Like turning off the GPS while traveling to somewhere you’ve never driven before.

D. Man is weak

To boast about your future is to make yourself God; that is sin!

You my friend can neither see the future or control it.

Quote: “Man proposes but God disposes.” (Thomas Kempis)

Proverbs 16:33 “33 The lot is cast into the lap; But the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.”

Illustration — To ignore the will of God would be like entering Mammoth Cave without a guide!

2) Rejecting God’s Will (v17)

Attitude — I can take it or leave it.

To reject God’s will is to invite God’s punishment into your life.

God’s will is not a formula for misery.

Luke 12:47–48 “47 And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.”

God, in His infinite knowledge, will pursue you with a loving chastisement when you disobey His will.

Chastisement is hard! Yet, how comforting to know that our Father will always treat us as His dear children.

KNOW THIS…disobedience may not seem serious know, but wait until the Lord returns! — Colossians 3:22–25 “22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: 23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.”

3) Receiving God’s Will (v17)

A. Like food and open doors

John 4:34 “34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.”

Paul didn’t write any of his letters without his audience hearing about God’s will.

Romans 1:10 “10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.”

1 Corinthians 4:19 “19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.”

1 Corinthians 16:7 “7 For I will not see you now by the way; but I trust to tarry a while with you, if the Lord permit.”

It wasn’t a chain but an open door for Paul.

B. It works for you

Like working with the laws of the universe.

Work against them, they work against you.

Engineer obeying the laws.

Building planes.

God has a general will for us all, as well as specifics designed only for you.

You and I have the same pattern to follow, yet at the same time they are different.

Illustration: The relationship between you and God’s will is like the relationship between all your body parts. When one is not functioning properly, the others compensate until the one is back up and running smoothly.

C. It needs to be discovered

God is only going to reveal it to those who are ready and willing to obey.

Listen to what Paul said — Romans 12:2 “2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Quote: We learn to determine the will of God by working at it. The more we obey, the easier it is to discover what God wants us to do. (Warren Wiersbe)

Illustration: Has anything ever become second nature to you? How did that happen? You did something enough to know what worked and what didn’t.

After you “prove what is good,” God opens to you the next step for you life.”

D. Have the right motive

Some people operate completely out of compulsion; out of necessity, not out of joy.

Example: For a while, Jonah obeyed simply to avoid more chastisement.

Enriched joy is experienced when the “right motive” becomes involved.

Let me leave you with some motivations to desire God’s will TODAY:

Deeper fellowship with Jesus.

You get to know God’s truth.

Prayers are answered in your lifetime.

Eternal qualities develop from your life.

Reward awaits you!

Conclusion

What is your approach to the life you live?

Are living with assurance about your eternal home?

Are you simply “busy” for the Lord or obedience to His will for your life?

What kind of motivation are you serving with?

Are you hesitant and afraid to step out and test what you feel is God’s will?