The Time is now
The Time is now • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 7 viewsUsing our time well, because the days are evil
Notes
Transcript
Handout
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. 15 Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 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.
Now
What a year we have had in 2020.
Covid-19 hit the whole globe everybody's schedule was destroyed.
Many went from working at office having meetings talking face to face with clients to zooming at home wearing dress shirts and pajama pants at the same time.
It was a whole new way of life to get used to.
One of the most consistent questions I hear from people are “What day is it?” The Day mattered less, Time mattered less, Seconds mattered less this year.
some folks had a very productive year nothing dropped off for them, but for most of us productivity just dropped some of that was just because of Covid-19 through no fault their own.
But some folks fell into some mild & major depression. Losing focus, losing perspective, and losing purpose. Don’t feel bad I totally understand that. If I had to grade my own personal time usage I would give myself a C-.
Thank God for his Grace and Mercy I can get off the ground and get back into the game.
MBC our theme for the year is “Redeeming the Time in 2021” it may not rhyme and it’s not catchy but it’s needed.
Hopefully in some small way this two-part sermon will help to increase our productivity amidst unfavorable odds.
Then
James was written to primarily to Jewish folks scattered throughout Gentile Territory’s
James was written by the Brother of Jesus. James was the Pastor of the church at Jerusalem
James was martyred very early in the life of the church
James primary focus in the book of James was not verbal confession, but external fruit.
Always
Time is a gift not a promise; treat it as such!
I. Living by Presumption
I. Living by Presumption
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.”
(EXE)(v.13) “Come now, you who say” We need to remember that the letters of the NT were most often written to address problems that have been reported back to the Apostle. You will notice how this next portion of scripture starts off.
James was not at the church physically but he says “Come now, you who say” how would he know what people were saying unless someone in that local body told him via letter , or in person. This is important to realize that these letters in the NT are not just written without a purpose in mind.
(EXE)(v.13) “Today or Tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit” This particular statement represent the mindset and action of some members in this church, that James felt needed to be addressed. In order to understand the problem of this statement one must understand the conflicts, and problems in this church. This statement by itself does not seem sinful. There is great scriptural support for the importance of planning:
8 The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way, But the foolishness of fools is deceit.
6 Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise, 7 Which, having no chief, Officer or ruler, 8 Prepares her food in the summer And gathers her provision in the harvest.
28 “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 “Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him,
you will notice in these text that the bible encourages proper planning. In both those text from Proverbs there is a comparison made between the wise “who plan” and the foolish “who just live”.
In the final text it is Jesus saying: What person goes out to build a building without calculating the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Jesus is basically saying that only an “idiot” would start to build a building without planning.
(Exe-v.13)James tells us where you are going with this????…..What’s wrong with a businessman planning how he will spend his next year? In the business world they call that forecasting. That sounds like good business to me. Let’s look at the next verse to get some more clues as to what James is dealing with.
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.
(Exe-v.14)“Yet you don’t know what your life will be like tomorrow” this problem is starting to unravel a little bit. Sounds like what James is dealing with is what we call the sin of Presumption: What does it mean to presume?
a. Presumption: to expect or assure especially with confidence: to supposed to be true without proof: to take for granted…..Analogy (When I hear women say “I am going to be married by 30)
The Sin of Presumption is the sin of assuming that something is going to be given or granted based on who you are
-In this case the thing that is being presumed is “Time”
-Folks assumed that because they were living on Wednesday that they would be alive on Thursday
One of the attributes of God is “immutability” this means that God is “unchanging” Time is the closest thing in creation to help us understand this characteristic of God
Time is unchanging and consistent. It stops for no one, and it does not adjust to our needs and desires. It moves forward and methodically to its destination, and that is eternity, then it will end.
The Buddhist view time in a cyclical(circular) fashion, meaning that it goes in circle never to end. This fits their doctrine of reincarnation.
Christian view time in a linear manner, with a start and a stop. We believe that time is going on a journey that will end at some point. But while on its journey there is nothing that can stop it or slow it down.
It can’t be bought by Rich Folks and It can’t be stopped by the Powerful.
Sidenote: Theirs is new scientific discipline called Cryonics. This is a procedure where instead of being embalmed folks choose to be frozen upon their death, so that just in case in future times there might be an ability to beat death or cheat time. It cost about 200,000 so generally speaking only the rich are doing it.
The minute we were born time is taking us on a journey to death. During that journey there are some good times and some bad times. During the good times we wished we could stop time, and during the bad times we wished we could speed time up, but neither of those things happened time just continued at the same pace one like a runner in a Marathon
James gives us a little more information in (v.14)
James gives us a little more information in (v.14)
14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.
(EXE)(v.14) Notice James response “yet you don’t know what your life will be like tomorrow” this statement is packed with a lot of truth, although time is unchanging our lives are constantly changing on this journey, nothing is predictable.
One day we could be planning a wedding, the next day we could be burying a parent who had a heart attack at the bridal shower.
(EXE)(v.14) What James is saying is that: Time is consistent, but life is inconsistent. Sure planning is good, but expect the unexpected during your planning. Planning should always be open to the hand of God.
(EXE)(v.14) James then uses an illustrative picture to help us understand the futility (emptiness) of our life: “you are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away”
You are just a vapor! James is speaking about a water vapor
You are like the steam from a coffee pot or like your breath on a cold morning lets take a Look at Psalm 39:5-6:
5 “Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; Surely every man at his best is a mere breath. Selah. 6 “Surely every man walks about as a phantom; Surely they make an uproar for nothing; He amasses riches and does not know who will gather them.
You have made my days as handbreadths-the smallest measurement used in ancient times, which was the measure of four fingers put together, about 2.9 inches. The Psalmist says my life is equal to about this much
Every man at his best is a mere breath
16 But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.
(EXE)(v.16) “But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil” it is important to get a definition of boasting
To boast: to express an unusually high degree of confidence in someone or something being exceptionally noteworthy
in this case these Rich believers are so confident that they will have a year to go into a city make some deals and come back as millionaires. Their boasting is in their own ability. When they make the statement earlier about going into cities to make money there is no uncertainty in their mind. There is no fear that tomorrow wouldn't come for them
‘Pretentious pride’ may be rendered as ‘constantly talking about how great one is.’ This is the issue. James is addressing people who are supposed to be believers but have no respect for the greatness and sovereignty of God. They believe that the buck stops with them instead of the buck stopping with God.
“all such boasting is evil” James says “all such” boasting is evil…..James grammar seems to put boasting into two categories. Good Boasting & Bad Boasting
a. Man-Centered Boasting (James 4:16) is Sin. When one plan in such a way that they don’t take into account God’s sovereignty to change things at the drop of a dime he is essentially taking the place of God.
b. God-Centered Boasting
23 Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; 24 but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.
Application
Time is not something we own. It is something we borrow. Don’t live your life based on presumptions
The only thing guaranteed is that every second, minute, and hour we borrow is one step closer to the grave. Everyday given is a blessing from God.
Illustration
What happened to Time?
When as a child I laughed and wept, time crept.
When as a youth I dreamed and talked, time walked
When I became a full grown man, time ran
And later as I grew older, time flew
Soon I shall find while traveling on, time gone
Give Final Greeting and Wish Folks Have a Wonderful New Year
Give Final Greeting and Wish Folks Have a Wonderful New Year
Transition
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. 15 Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 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.
Review
We determined that Time is moving consistently towards eternity. It does not stop nor does it change direction. It cannot be bought out or affect by the whims of mankind
We learned that folks in the churches that James is writing too have become so complacent and confident in the next moment God had become an afterthought in their planning and plotting.
We learned that the length of our life is about the distance from our index finger to our pinky.
What is James calling for in these scriptures?
-What James is calling for is an attitude change that views each day as a gift, rather than a guarantee. In order to do that we must “Live by Faith”
II. Living by Faith
II. Living by Faith
15 Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
(EXE)(v.15) In the midst of a challenging conversation James in v.15 tells the believers what their attitude should be like concerning each day that they live on earth.
-When you view things as gifts or blessing you have a tendency to cherish them and take care of them. In this case James is trying to help us see that “Time” is the blessing.
(EXE)(v.15) “instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” James in this verse lets us know that he does not have a problem with: Planning, Purpose, Goals, and Reward. His problem is when those things happen outside the will of God.
What does James say our attitude should be? “If the Lord wills” which means if the Lord desires for us to get another day, then I will go to this city. Because the next day is not promise and the only sure moment is the day we live in; it is incumbent on us to maximize the time and moment that we are in.
In the text James tells us we should say “if the Lord wills” James does not mean we should say this every time we decided to do something, only that we should live with this as our attitude.
-I want you to mediate on that phrase a little bit “If the Lord wills”
What does that phrase mean in its essence?
-Let’s pull it apart a bit. When a person says “If the Lord wills”:
They are acknowledging a divine’s creator who is unbounded by time and is not constrained by the immutability of time itself.
The are acknowledging every moment of time is a gift given by the Lord
They are acknowledging the importance of planning in light of the unpredictability of each passing moment.
Several Scriptures help us understand this:
Proverbs 16:3-4
3 Commit your works to the Lord And your plans will be established. 4 The Lord has made everything for its own purpose, Even the wicked for the day of evil.
(EXE)(v.3) “Commit your works to the Lord” To commit means to give over. Whatever endeavor you engage in ought to be done within the context of God’s perfect will for your life.
-To live by Faith is to understand who runs the show, and to give him the respect that is due his name, and to live each day like the next one is not promised.
-When we hear that overused quote “Live everyday like your last” we kind of just gloss over it because we have heard it so much, but there is some biblical truth to the statement.
-Dear Saints I am talking to myself right now. God was given us a short time on this earth to accomplish his will. There will be plenty of time to relax is heaven. We have to stop putting off ministry ideas, we have to stop putting off gospel conversation God has convicted us of, We have to stop putting off higher education, or trainings we need to finish, you have to stop putting off getting involved in ministry your Gift are needed in the body.
III. Living in the moment
III. Living in the moment
17 Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.
(EXE)(v.17) “Therefore” Saints we need to deal with this conjunction. As always I will remind you the “Therefore” conjunction is a connector, which means in order to understand the subsequent statement we need to go back. In this case we only need to go back to (v.13). The last Chapter of James reads like the book of Proverbs. It jumps around into multiple subject matters dropping nuggets of wisdom related to each subject matters.
(EXE)(v.17) “Therefore, to one who know the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin” we need to do a little work on what James is describing here. There are two ways in which we can sin:
Sins of commission: is a sin we take action to commit, whether in thought, word, or deed. A sin of commission can be intentional or unintentional. These are sins where you actively engage in ex. Lying, Murder, or Adultery.
Sins of omission: are those in which we knew we should have done something good, but refused. ex. apathy(watching evil and not doing anything) deceit(failure to reveal information that would indict you)
-The Church has generally done well as it relates to calling out sins of commission: Stealing, Lying, Fornication, Drinking, and Lust
-But the Church has been horrible about “Sins of Omission” these are subtle. Let’s take a look at the situation in James:
17 Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.
(EXE)(v.17) What was going on? It seems as if some of the recipients of this letter were neglecting things that could be accomplished in the right things, godly things, wise things for the purpose of their own wealth.
(EXE)(v.17) “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin” This type of sin displeased God just like sins of commission. When we know the right thing to do “Study, Evangelize, Pray, Spend time with our family, Take Vacation and Rest”
-Christian have typically been defined by what we don’t do rather than what we do. James tells us Biblical Christianity is two-fold:
a. What we don’t do
b. What we do
-Let’s take a look at an example from this book:
14 What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. 18 But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” 19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
(EXE)(v.14-16) James starts off with a rhetorical question. The question essentially calls into question someone who has made a profession of faith, but is perpetually guilty of the “Sin of Omission” remember the sin of Omission:This is failure to do right when the opportunity arises.
(EXE)(v.15-16) Notice this scenario James gives: One of your brothers or sister in Christ comes to you in need of clothing and daily food(bare minimum) and you turn away or fail to do what’s right. The whole of the book of James is about the “Sin of Omission”.
-The Thesis of the book of James can be summarized in (v.17)
17 Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.
Application
There are several reasons Christians fail to act in their own commitments in the Worship to God, and in their service to neighbor
Laziness-We just never muster up the energy to make any significant impact on the kingdom. The Lazy says “I will get to it tomorrow”
Apathy-These folks aren’t necessarily lazy they just don’t care. Kingdom business is not high on their priority list so they make any eternal deposits. The Apathetic says “I am busy”
Fear-These are folks who live very sheltered, controlled lives and they live in a constant Fear of coming out their cocoon to Impact the Kingdom. The Fearful says “What’s it going to cost me”
Discouraged-These are folks who have sinned greatly or failed consistently, so they have allowed their failures & sins to keep them from Redeeming the times. The Discourage says “I am unusable”
The Result:
The Result:
None of them make use of their time wisely because nor maximize their impact because They: 1. Will get to it tomorrow 2. To Busy 3. To worried 4. To broken
Gen. William Nelson, a Union general in the Civil War, was consumed with the battles in Kentucky when a brawl ended up in his being shot, mortally, in the chest. He had faced many battles, but the fatal blow came while he was relaxing with his men. As such, he was caught fully unprepared. As men ran up the stairs to help him, the general had just one phrase, "Send for a clergyman; I wish to be baptized." He never had time as an adolescent or young man. He never had time as a private or after he became a general. And his wound did not stop or slow down the war. Everything around him was left virtually unchanged--except for the general's priorities. With only minutes left before he entered eternity, the one thing he cared about was preparing for eternity. He wanted to be baptized. Thirty minutes later he was dead.
Christian Times, October 3, 1994, p. 26.
Open the doors of the church
Open the doors of the church
Giving Scripture
35 “In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
16 And most certainly, the mystery of godliness is great: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.