Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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In one of Charles Shultz’ /Peanuts /comic strips, Lucy and Linus are sitting in front of the television set when Lucy said to Linus, "Go get me a glass of water."
Linus replies, "Why should I do anything for you?
You never do anything for me."
"On your 75th birthday," Lucy promises, "I'll bake you a cake."
Linus gets up, heads to the kitchen and says, "Life is more pleasant when you have something to look forward to."
I think Linus is right.
We do like to look forward to the future.
That’s why so many of us want to know what's going to happen next: next year, next decade, next century.
People try all kinds of different things to forecast the future: astrology, palm reading, psychics with names like /Sister Julia/.
We want to know what we have to look forward to---or what we have to dread.
Does God have any advice for how to face the future?
As a matter of fact He does, and tonight I want us to hear His word in *James 4:13-17*.
This advice is couched in terms of avoiding 3 mistakes commonly made about facing the future.
From these mistakes I want to draw some positive ways to approach the future with faith instead of fear.
*PRAYER*
To begin with, James says
*1.
The first common mistake we make is PLANNING WITHOUT GOD (v.13,15-16)*
He illustrates this mistake with a typical conversation between two businessmen in *v.
13*.
What's wrong with this?
They’re just a couple of entrepreneurs, go-getters.
They have it all planned out.
When? /Today or tomorrow./
Where?
/This or that city./
How long?
/We'll spend a year there./
What? /We'll carry on business./
Why? /Make money./
What's wrong with this?
The Bible doesn't condemn making a legitimate profit.
The Bible commends planning.
*Proverbs 21:5* /The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty…/
These men plan everything: purpose, the place, the progress, all the bases covered.
What's wrong here?
What’s wrong is /there's not a single mention of God in their planning./
They know what they want, they knew how to get there, but they don't check with God first.
You see the problem is not /planning/—the problem is /presumption.
/
It's great to have dreams; it's great to have goals -- as long as you include God, as long as you pray about it.
There's nothing wrong with what they did-it's what they forgot to do.
/They forgot God.
/
People forget God all the time.
You can be a believer and forget God in your daily life.
People who love the Lord with all their heart but when it comes to planning their business or career or education they are practical atheists.
It's sad to meet somebody who says, "I don't believe in God."
It's sadder to find somebody who says/, "I believe He exists," but then they act like He doesn't exist./
You say, "I believe in God."
Does He have a say in your business?
"I don't believe in mixing business and religion."
All business is God's business if you're a believer.
Don't plan without God.
That's presumptuous.
Planning without God is practical atheism.
What's the solution/?
Include God in all your plans for the future.
/(*read v. 15*)
Circle the word /if/.
It’s a big word we don’t focus on enough.
I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, you don't either.
But I know planning without God is presumptuous.
The starting point in facing the future is to say, /God, what do *You* want me to do?
What do *You* want me *not* to do?/ Planning without prayer is presumptuous.
James says we should preface all our planning with the phrase, /"if the Lord wills"./
He's saying the whole attitude of our life should be /It's up to You, God.
Whatever *He* wants me to do is what I want to do./
A man is riding his motorcycle along a country road and stops to talk to a preacher standing in the churchyard.
As they talk, the rider tells the preacher he’s going into town to sell his motorcycle.
The preacher reminds him “You ought to say that you are going to town to sell your motorcycle if it be the Lord’s will.”
The man rolls his eyes, laughs, then roars off down the road.
Later that afternoon, the preacher is sitting on his front porch, and sees the motorcycle man stumbling and staggering up the road.
The knees of the man are torn open exposing bloody, skinned, and scratched up legs.
His arm is in a makeshift sling.
His shirt is half torn off his back, and his face was swollen black and blue.
His hair’s a mess, his forearms are bloody and covered with pieces of gravel.
“What in the world happened to you?” the preacher asks.
“After I left you, I was on my way to town to sell my motorcycle and a big storm came up.
I tried to outrun it, but as I was going around a curve, I hit some loose gravel and my motorcycle slid out from under me.
I skidded more than a hundred feet on the pavement.
I managed to get up, but the motorcycle was a total loss.”
“Somehow, I staggered to a nearby farmhouse.
As I walked to the door, a frightened woman pointed a shotgun at me.
I started running and she started shooting.
I ran through the briars and got all scratched up.
Finally, I came to a clearing and found a tree to shelter me from the rain.
As I stood there picking the buckshot out of my back, lightening struck the tree and knocked me out.”
“Well, where are you going now?” the preacher asks.
“I’m going home,” the man says, then he looks up and says, “/if it be the Lord’s will.”/
*Proverbs 16:9* In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.
James says it's OK to plan but include God in your plans.
Planning without God is the first mistake.
*2.
The second mistake is PRESUMING ABOUT TOMORROW.
(v.
14b,16)*
The women of the church were preparing to serve lunch after a funeral when they found a box of sandwiches filled with roast beef.
They went a little overboard exclaiming how delicious they looked.
Finally one woman said, "I had no idea so many of you were crazy about roast beef sandwiches.
The next funeral we serve, I'll bring some."
After a split second's pause, she added, "Unless, of course, the funeral is mine."
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It’s funny how you suddenly realize you are not guaranteed a tomorrow on this earth.
That’s why James tells us not to presume about the future for at least two reasons:
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