Your Life, God's Plan

Introduction

This morning we are continuing out study in the book of James.

Last week we ended with verse 12 of James 4.

James 4:12 NIV

There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

James reminds us that God is the Lawgiver and the Judge. As such, He makes the rules and is large and in charge!

In our passage today, James is going to build on this idea. So as we begin this morning, I want you to think about how you would answer this question:

Who’s plan are you following?

There are really two choices.

We can follow our plan for our lives, which is driven by our wants and desires, or by what the world parades before us.

We can follow God’s plan for our lives.

As you might imagine, James would say that anything other than God’s plan for our lives is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic (James 3:15).

James 3:15 NIV

Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

Let’s see how James builds on this idea. If you have your Bibles, I want to encourage you to turn with me to James chapter 4, and we’ll begin reading with verse 13.

The Danger of Self-Reliance

In the verses right before verse 13, James has been talking about the issues that cause division between brothers and sisters. Specifically, covetousness. Covetousness leads to a disregard for where God has us.

Now James moves to the next danger in his list.

James 4:13 NIV

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.”

Self-Reliance

James describes a person who makes plans independently of God (v. 13).

James 4:14 NIV

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.

This person makes plans without knowing what tomorrow holds (v. 14a).

Rhetorical question: What is your life? (v. 14b).

The assumed answer: a mist (Gk vapor, smoke, steam, exhalation) that appears for a moment, and then is gone (v. 14b). This illustration seems to have the vapor or whiff of smoke that happens when you blow out a candle.

Include God

James 4:15 NIV

Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

James tells us that we MUST include God in our plans (v. 15). Seeking to know God’s will so we can align our desires with His desires.

Failure to Include God is Arrogance!

James 4:16 NIV

As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.

James ties verses 13-15 altogether by reminding us that when we don’t align our plans with God’s plans we display our arrogance against God! (v. 16a).

All such boasting is evil (Gk. wicked, bad, evildoer, painful, sinful, immoral, worthless, miserable, malicious, burdensome, hurtful) (v. 16b).

Definition of Sin

James 4:17 NIV

If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

James gives us a clear and concise definition of sin. Sin is knowing the good we ought to do and fail to do it! It doesn’t matter why I fail to do good, it is still sin! (cf. Lk 12:47, Jn 9:41).

In Luke 12:47, Jesus told his disciples that they had to pick whom (or what) they would serve. But choosing wrong can cause bad consequences.

Luke 12:47 NIV

“The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows.

John has the same idea, but says it a bit different in John 9:41

John 9:41 NIV

Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

Knowing the good that we should be doing, and refusing to do it IS the very definition of sin.

Think about the implication! To know how God wants us to love, and what He wants us to do and refuse to do it is the epitome of arrogance!

So What

One of the things that wonder is if all the stress, depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders that we see in America today might be caused because we, as a people, refuse to follow God.

In his book, Understanding People, Larry Crabb says that “Ever non-organically caused psychological disturbance is caused by man’s steadfast determination to live their life apart from God and still make it work.”

Think about it, if “sin” is not doing what we know we should be doing, then we are flirting with danger.

John Owen, the old English Puritans that lived in the 1600’s put is this way:

The indulgence of one sin opens the door to further sins. The indulgence of one sin diverts the soul from the use of those means by which all other sins should be resisted.

John Owen (Puritan Divine and Statesman)

I think Owen’s is right. Push one domino over and all the other dominoes begin to fall.

Throughout the passages in James that we’ve been looking at the past several weeks, James has been telling his readers, bluntly, that we are either following God as one of His children; or we are following after the world’s way of life—serving the world, and ultimately the demonic forces.

We need to remember that the enemy’s forces (the demonic) seek to:

Steal

Kill

And Destroy

Satan, that great deceiver, and accuser seeks to:

Steal us away from God.

Kill the effectiveness of our testimony for the Jesus.

And destroy us by the sin that easily entangles us (Hebrews 12:1).

So the challenge for today is the same challenge that Joshua gave the children of Israel.

When he was old and about to die, he gathered the entire nation of Israel together to renew the covenant of God with them.

His farewell speech is recorded for us in Joshua 24. After giving them a bit of a history lesson, Joshua gives this challenge, and it is the same challenge that I would give you today (with some slight modifications). In Joshua 24 we read:

Joshua 24:14–15 NIV

“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Today, I would say to you:

“Now fear YAHWEH with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods of this world, the ones you worshiped before you met Jesus! The gods of sin, self, and Satan.

And Serve Jesus and Jesus alone!

But if, serving Jesus seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves whom you will serve: wealth and prosperity; fame; power and prestige; or whatever else the world has to offer.

I cannot answer for you, but I can say, as for me! I will serve the Lord Jesus! And I will surrender all to Him today, tomorrow, and every day the rest of my life!

I love the old hymn called, “I Surrender All.” This morning, I’d like to close with that hymn. In the pew rack in front of you is a hymnal. I want to encourage you to take it out and turn to 596. Once there, I want us to SING together the first two verses of that wonderful hymn. As we do, pay particular attention to the third line of the second verse. I want to encourage you to make this your prayer to Jesus this morning as we join together to Surrender All. Let’s stand and sing together.

All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live.

I surrender all, I surrender all. All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender, Humbly at His feet I bow, Worldly pleasures all forsaken; Take me, Jesus, take me now.

I surrender all, I surrender all. All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.

How about you? Will you surr

[PRAYER]