Tomorrow Is In His Hands
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Good morning! Please keep your Bibles open to James 4.
How many of you have ever heard the expression, “Lord willing and the Creek don’t rise!”
It’s a simple expression my dad used to say to me to express his desire for a favorable outcome for a plan he had for this or that… generally something he attributed to having good luck, despite the phraseology of “Lord willing…”
How about this one:
“Failure to plan is knowingly planning to fail.”
Planning is important. My son has taken an interest in building some coffee tables for an upcoming market we are going to in September. I remind him that before we start building, we need to make plans, so we know what we are doing when it comes time to build.
How many of you have ever flown anywhere? There is a lot of preparation and planning that goes into that: You have to figure out your desired departure and return dates, figure out which flights get you where you need to be at a decent time, find the best price, book the flight, arrange transportation to the airport, get the time off work approved, book a hotel or figure out some other type of accommodations, figure out food - it’s a lot! And a lot of the time, we do this in order to get to where we are going and try to relax?! Go figure!
Imagine with me, for a second, that you go through all this, your plans are all set, you have your non-refundable tickets, you get to the airport, you’re waiting at the gate… when they announce that due to circumstances outside anyone’s control, your flight has been cancelled.
My wife used to travel for a living, taking perspective college students to Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona to look at the university and see if it would be a good fit for them. She knows all too well how precarious air travel can be - especially when flying with bunch of high school juniors and seniors. One little hiccup can derail all the plans we’ve made. And that’s okay! Life happens and we adapt - how we handle the change of plans is often used as a measure of our character - do we handle these things well? Are we able to adapt or does change weaken and frazzle our ability to proceed with what ever task we are working on?
Imagine for a second that the reason we were going to the airport was to go audition for the next season of America’s Got Talent or American Idol - some kind of big singing competition - and we told all our friends about it, how we were going to go audition and probably, at least make it to the second round, we’re going to be on t.v. and maybe even land some kind of record deal, even if we don’t win the whole competition. Listen closely - It doesn’t matter if we are the best singers in the world - if that flight gets cancelled, there’s no way to pass the first round of auditions, let alone advance to the next round - all due to circumstances outside of our control when that flight gets cancelled.
Our passage today deals with the attitude in which we make the plans because of the lack of humility and reliance on God who knows all the possible things that can happen - but for us, are completely outside of our purview or control.
Big Idea: Sovereignty over tomorrow belongs to God, and the humble heart God desires acknowledges that in every plan we make.
As we will discover, there are good ways to plan and to talk about our plans and there are ways that reveal sinful independence and hubris in our hearts. To mitigate this, we come to 3 main directives from our passage, and they are to…
Acknowledge Uncertainty (4:13-14)
Abandon Arrogance (4:16-17)
Anchor in God’s Will (4:15)
Acknowledge Uncertainty (4:13-14)
Acknowledge Uncertainty (4:13-14)
Read with me, starting in…
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.”
14 Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes.
James highlights for us here the fact that life is unpredictable and that we - despite our best possible efforts - are not the Lords of our own destiny. He begins this section by diagnosing the problem of human perspective - we are not all-knowing, we are not all places at once, we are not able to see the future - we are riding the wave of time like ships on the ocean. We can recognize signs of trouble or times of peace, but we never know if or when the waves will be too much for our ships.
James points out the limited ability and perspective of humanity in contrast to how we go about planning in our lives.
The big question that James wants us to ask here is: Who is *really* in charge?
God is often discussed in terms of his three most popular attributes - that He is
Omni-Present: In all places at the same time
Omnipotent: Has the power to do whatever he wants
Omniscient: He knows all things perfectly
If we were to take verse 14 and flip his statements around a little bit, they help make James’ point:
Who knows what tomorrow will bring?
Who knows what our lives will be?
That’s God! God knows these things perfectly because he is there and here all at once! God exists out of the confines of time, so he doesn’t experience it like we do. He knows and orchestrates what happens in our lives, even using bad things for our good - Romans 8:28 - and he is able to guide and direct us in the path that He wants us to take because He is a loving God who does want us to accurately reflect Him to a hurting and broken world.
1 Don’t boast about tomorrow, for you don’t know what a day might bring.
There is a popular sign that says, “Every twenty minute job is just a broken bolt away from becoming a three-day ordeal.” It’s a comical reminder that our best planning doesn’t count for every possible contingency - and sometimes, life happens! Unexpected things have a habit of creeping up when we least expect them to, so when we talk about these grand plans we’ve made and present them as fact, we neglect the God who is the God of History and the Lord of tomorrow. There needs to be a healthy respect in each of our lives for how fleeting, short and temporary life really is.
We don’t want to be like the rich fool in Luke 12:16-21
16 Then he told them a parable: “A rich man’s land was very productive.
17 He thought to himself, ‘What should I do, since I don’t have anywhere to store my crops?
18 I will do this,’ he said. ‘I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there.
19 Then I’ll say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.” ’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?’
21 “That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
In this parable, Jesus talks about a man who labors for today and doesn’t consider what the Lord would have for him - God’s indictment in verse 20 showcases the frivolity of storing up wealth on earth at the expense of storing up treasure in Heaven. According to this parable, emphasis and priority in life needs to be given to our eternal existence rather than merely our earthly existence.
James highlights that our time on this little blue dot is but a vapor. Abraham Lincoln was a brother in Christ who lived for 56 years before his assassination at the Ford’s Theater on April 15th, 1865. How long has he been in glory? 160 years, 3 months and 3 days. Brother Lincoln has been in Heaven a lot longer than he was on Earth - and before too horribly long, brothers and sisters in Christ who are not yet born - should Christ continue to tarry - will be able to say the same thing of us.
Life is, as James says, but a vapor - we appear for a little while and then vanish. But, it’s not enough to simply recognize the fleeting nature of life, but if we are to take this to James’ intended point, we need to…
Abandon Arrogance (4:16-17)
Abandon Arrogance (4:16-17)
Read with me again, skipping verse 15 for now, starting in…
16 But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
17 So it is sin to know the good and yet not do it.
In the back of James’ mind, he is preparing to deal specifically with the rich business owners and employers within the church - he addresses them directly in the passage that we will cover next week. This scenario he has built for us talks specifically about seizing a business opportunity to go do this or that in another city to make a profit. His attack isn’t against going and making a profit or even planning to go and make a profit - God uses businesses in people’s lives as instruments of his will all the time. His rebuke is specifically geared toward the sinful attitude of independence from the Lord and self-determination represented in the scenario he gave in verses 13 and 14. He is trying to define clearly what he is condemning here - it is not the planning, it is not the profit, it’s specifically the arrogance and boasting. He specifies that the boasts we make in our plans - when made without regard to the Lord - are made in arrogance and that such boasting is evil!
Boasting in our own prowess and ingenuity doesn’t come from a humble heart, but a proud heart - an independent heart: and not the kind of independence we should celebrate - when children become able to make it in this world with less and less assistance from their parents - but the kind of independence we are warned against, like when a husband and wife become so independent of each other that the value of the relationship begins to deteriorate.
The hard part about this passage is that it is recognizing an evil motivation of our hearts where we fail to see motivation at all. Making plans in our day and age is not only second nature, but it is somewhat automatic - it needs to be in the fast-paced world of today. Our society values productivity above all else and that has been engrained in us from our youth - that we need to be productive and look for opportunities to be productive. As such, planning has become second nature.
What we need to do is slow down and look to see if we are being presumptuously independent from God when we make our plans - if we are flippantly flaunting the neglect of our savior’s will when we discuss these plans with others.
In the same line of James’ argument, author A.W. Tozer said this:
Reverence and boasting cannot be found on the same platform.
A. W. Tozer
In other words, we either boast, or we give reverence to God - we cannot do both at the same time. If we are boasting, reverence for God - in that moment - is gone. We cannot boast and be faithful at the same time - it reveals evil and our sin nature when we boast.
Rather than boasting in our plans, we should take the example of the Apostle Paul, who said:
14 But as for me, I will never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The world has been crucified to me through the cross, and I to the world.
In speaking through the Prophet Jeremiah, God says this:
24 But the one who boasts should boast in this: that he understands and knows me— that I am the Lord, showing faithful love, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for I delight in these things. This is the Lord’s declaration.
As a business owner, one of my goals is to grow my cabinetry and furniture shop to be a successful venture in order that I may be able to focus more time and energy into the ministry and give something to my children that will survive me when I go be with the Lord. These passages today hit very close to home for me because one of the things that all business owners are reminded of is the importance of having a business plan - something you can present to potential investors or banks when seeking a loan. And the rule of thumb is that you make a plan and stick to it - aim high so if you miss, you’re still doing ok.
If I am to be completely honest, there are many, many times I am guilty of the evil, arrogant boasting that James is speaking of here. There is a machine I want to get for the shop, it’s called a CNC machine (which stands for Computer Number Control) and it would essentially be an automation tool to allow me to increase production by a factor of 10x. I think I have even mentioned this to a few of you in conversation, but I don’t know if I have ever framed this desire and plan in terms of whether or not God would allow it or if it was in line with God’s will - it was simply part of the business plan and, “by George, I’m gonna get one!” This does show an air of presumptuousness on my part. I have always tried to recognize that every client I am allowed to work with is a result of the very providence of God, but how often do I lean back and take credit for the business’ success?
The sin that James is referring to isn’t the planning, but it is planning **with ourselves in the place sovereignty that belongs to God alone.**
So, not only is it not enough to recognize the fleetingness of life, or to understand that such boasting is sinful and evil in the sight of God, but James gives us the path forward - how Christians are supposed to…
Anchor In God’s Will (4:15)
Anchor In God’s Will (4:15)
Let’s back up a little and read v. 15…
15 Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
Let’s be clear - James is not suggesting merely adding words to our plans and going on our merry way. He is, rather, reminding us of the tremendous need we have to humble ourselves before God and remember that He is the sovereign Lord of the universe and nothing happens without His permission. James has framed for us a scenario in which we perceive life to be independent from the Lord as illustrated through paths that are self-determined.
Rarely would we ever say something to the effect of, “I’m going to do this plan or that plan and I don’t care if it’s what God wants me to do…” It happens - that’s called sin! But most of the time, we don’t even factor the Lord into it - we make plans and carry them out simply because it is what we want to do. Some call this kind of flippancy “functional atheism - living like God doesn’t exist.
British Theologian and Preacher, Charles Spurgeon put it this way:
Opposition to divine sovereignty is essentially atheism.
Charles Spurgeon
Rather than opposing God’s sovereignty, James is urging us to press into the sovereignty of God, recognizing that He alone has mastery over tomorrow. If we are to make plans, we should make them in accordance with the will of God. Sometimes we don’t know exactly what that looks like, and that’s why James says, “…if God wills…”
It recognizes that God is neither constrained or obligated by our plans, but we rather eagerly await what he will do in our lives. If the plans we make are allowed by God to proceed, we not only ask Him to bless those plans, but we consult him when making them!
Not consulting God and relying on ourselves when planning anything is like taking a color-blind friend to help pick out paint! No, we would rather take an interior designer - someone with expertise and experience to help us make informed decisions. Asking God for wisdom, guidance discernment and direction is what he wants from us! The more we involve Him in our plans and submit to Him in humility, the more and more we will see God at work in our lives!
James is saying that we need to humbly submit our lives and plans to the Lord! We need to recognize his Lordship over our lives and walk with Him daily, every step!
3 Commit your activities to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
In other words - submit to the Lord and see how his direction for you shapes your plans as they become more and more a reflection of His will and purpose in your life.
Another aspect that can be overlooked in this passage is that James assigns our continued existence to the will of God…
15 Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
“…If the Lord will, we will live….”
My kids like to watch this guy who makes funny videos pointing out random things that make people think. One of the things he said is, “We all only have two minutes left to live, but every time we take a breath, the clock restarts.” Deep - isn’t it?
All joking aside, we need to remember the Lord as not only the Lord of our lives, but also the keeper of our days.
16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.
5 Since a person’s days are determined and the number of his months depends on you, and since you have set limits he cannot pass,
God knows and ordains every day we live and breathe - he has sovereignty over the span of our lives. Whether we are young and looking at time as open opportunity, or we are older, looking back on the time we’ve had as memories, and looking forward to going home to be with Jesus - He knows exactly when that will happen.
The psalmist knew this, and asked God to reveal that information to him to keep him humble:
4 “Lord, make me aware of my end and the number of my days so that I will know how short-lived I am.
God’s sovereignty should be reflected in His people’s devotion to Him. If we are calling Him “LORD,” we should make our plans relying on His providence, grace and guidance and be okay no matter what the outcome is. Faith doesn’t mean we will always making the right choice, but wisdom says that “God is in control, and I am okay with what ever he decides to do.”
Conclusion
Conclusion
9 A person’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps.
Planning is a necessary part of living in a modern society. Even if we lived off grid, there is still a certain amount of planning that is necessary to get our various bills paid and to put food on the table. Planning, in and of itself, is not sinful, but rather a necessary part of being an adult and a responsible person - can we all agree on that?
The problems James is exposing are attitudes of the heart that fane independence from God through a sort of practical atheism where we live like he doesn’t exist, or even the hubris to act with such self-determination that the idea of anything getting in the way of our plans simply doesn’t compute.
Today, James reminded us of the importance of remembering who hold tomorrow, to recognize presumptuousness as sin in our lives and to reframe our thoughts and plans with a humility that exalts Christ in our lives and honors him to those around us.
God doesn’t merely want us to add a caveat to our plans by adding “If God wills…” to the end, but rather, he wants us to plan with the understanding that some things are out of our control, but fully in his and to be okay with whatever the outcome is because we know that God is in control of all things - good or bad.
Practically speaking, James’ entire argument can be boiled down to what is said in
8 Mankind, he has told each of you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.
We are to walk with God in humility, dependence, and respect for him as not only our friend, but as the sovereign Lord and maker of the universe. He knows tomorrow and is with us all the way. He knows that we have sinned and still choses to love us and bless us with rich, unimaginable grace in Christ.
One plan that we should all be focused on is our eternal destiny. Are we planning to go to heaven or simply hoping not to go to hell? If we know Christ and have truly made him our Lord and savior, we can boast about God’s grace all day long and rejoice in what he has done for us in his own goodness and kindness - but the second we think that we have been saved because of something we have done, we jump back into hubris with both feet! We cannot do anything to save ourselves - it is by grace through faith that we are saved! Without faith, there is no grace!
6 Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
If you don’t have a set plan to go to heaven someday, let me implore you today, understand that Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection is not for the perfect, but for sinners like all of us who desparately need his love, mercy, forgiveness and grace to restore us to God. Our sin has broken that relationship and only Christ can mend it back together - and he has told us that it was his desire to do so because it was what God willed!
Even when he prayed that God would let the cup of suffering and shame pass, he said, nevertheless, not my will, but your will be done. Come to Jesus today, cast your cares and burdens on him and experience the joy of freedom in his name. Make your plans in submission to him, holding on to him more tightly that what you’re planning to so that if something changes, your source of strength remains unchanged.
