Planning for Victory

Trying to go to India and plane being grounded. “We have a family reunion to attend! What do you expect us to do?” “I expect you to get of the plane. Your plans have changed.”

Anybody dealing with plans that have changed lately?

Now more than ever, we all know what it means for everything to change in one day. The Lord has much to teach us today.

The changing of plans disrupts our lives, emotional health, and can be VERY disappointing.

And yet, there are circumstances in life that don’t seem to care about how we feel about change.

What does God say about planning and how to handle an age when we don’t know how to make plans?

How can we still be victorious in Christ?

Read James 4:13-17

1. Man’s Will Is Never Concrete

“Come now” - A Greek phrase used here to gain the audience’s attention heading into a serious discussion.

Verse 13 brought a picture to Jame’s audience that they would recognize that spoke straight towards the culture.

The Jews were great traders in the ancient world, and in many ways the world gave them every opportunity to practice their commercial abilities.

This was an age of the founding of cities; and often, when cities were founded and their founders were looking for citizens to occupy them, citizenship was freely offered to the Jews.

For where the Jews came, money and trade followed.

This paints the picture of a Jewish family making plans for the success of their life and deciding where they would want to move and what social status that they can maintain to do so.

And yet, the future was so uncertain for the people even then.

Government changes

Environmental changes

Circumstantial changes

The biggest change is man in the flesh themselves.

We don’t know what tomorrow will be for man “is a vapor”.

Man is transitory. Everything man owns, even their earthly life will make the transition from life to death.

Just as life begins from nothing, life will eventually return to nothing.

I person who will live to be 100 is young when they are 75. A person who lives to be 35 is old when they are 30.

Why? We don’t get to decide our days and the length of them. We can only decide what the Lord will do with them.

Our will and plan next to God’s will and plan can become a problem if we are holding on to our plans tightly.

High school, college, work force (40 years), retirement, and death at an old age is a fine aspiration if you have control of your life.

But we don’t get to control our lives. We don’t know how long or short it is.

“Don’t boast about tomorrow, for you don’t know what a day brings”. - Prov 27:1

Life on earth is not concrete enough to wait in our service to the Lord.

We don’t focus on the transitory nature of this world. We live in the completeness brought about by living God’s Kingdom.

Think about this: Jesus Christ only lived to be 33 on this earth.

Life on earth is short. Eternity in Heaven is long. Where is our foundation?

2. God’s Will is a Firm Foundation.

“Instead” - James provides a different option for this world-oriented view expressed in verse 13.

The people should qualify all of their plans and hopes with reference to the will of God.

In other words, there is nothing wrong with a believer making plans for their life but ultimately submitting to only God’s purpose.

“The plans I have made may not be within God’s purpose.”

The humble way of viewing the way God can use an individual in the world.

“Boast in your arrogance” - Greek word alazoneia. A wanderer who offered cures and boasted of things that he was not able to do.

The future is not in the hands of man, and no one can arrogantly claim to have the power to decide it.

I have recently experienced an extreme life-change. Some of you have heard that I have now see “The Outlaw Josey Wales”. The man that has a tonic that can cure anything… Except tobacco stains.

Do we see people today claiming to have all of the answers to get us back on track?

“I’m ready for everything to go back to normal.”

How many times have you heard/said that statement?

We are learning what happens to people when everything changes. We haven’t faced this type of scheduling canceling dilemma in a very long time.

Disappointment is normal but what about despair when our “schedule” is affected?

Do we as the people of God realize the opportunity that we have in front of us? The world is desperately searching for an answer right now.

What answer is the church giving right now?

We cannot afford for the rest of the world to see our response as similar to everyone else’s.

Does God have to cancel everything in order for us to start paying attention?

We don’t get to hijack the plans of God and make them our own. We can either accept what He is bringing our way or we can live in constant confusion.

When man finds satisfaction from God and God alone, there is nothing that can break our fellowship with Him.

3. Truth brings freedom or continued bondage.

Most commentators and theologians translate verse 17 separately from 13-16. In other words, James is sharing a message within itself.

Chapter 4 end with a threat.

Anyone who knows that a thing is wrong and still continues to do it commits sin. James is basically saying: “You have been warned; the truth has been placed before your eyes”.

If the church was to continue to now live in the self-confident habit of seeking to live their own life without serving the Lord were walking sin.

“You aren’t in trouble because you didn’t know this time. But, now that you know, I am expecting you to abide by the rules.”

The days are gone when the church of the living God turns a blind eye to those in need.

We are to live humbly, with integrity, and reverence towards our Holy God. In the kingdom of God there are no first place winners, last placers, and people don’t get participation trophies.

The winners in the kingdom of God are men and women who are faithful to the mission that God has called upon their lives.

You’ve got decide what is better… Getting everything you planned for and not having God or getting whatever God has planned for you?

Exodus 33:1-4;12-17

Moses was wise enough to realize that getting what we ask for is the most dangerous thing that can ever happen to a person.

God is willing to offer us better than we deserve. He did so by extending love to mankind through His son Jesus Christ.

Do you want God’s will enough to give up your own will?