Facing The Future
Today we’re going to look at James chapter four – verses thirteen thru seventeen and see what James tells us about “Facing the Future”.
As Americans we are all concerned about the future. We ask: “What will gas prices be next week?” “Who will win the election?” “When will we get out of Iraq?” “Will I have enough money for my retirement?” And the list goes on and on. We ask question after question about the future. Did you know that James talks about the “How to Handle the Future?” He tells us that there are three common mistakes people make when it comes to facing the future. That is our topic for today: “Facing The Future”. Let’s look at what James has to say. He starts in verse thirteen by saying:
“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit.” James 4:13 (NKJV)
Verse thirteen starts out as a normal conversation – it’s something you may hear in a business office every day. Two fellows are talking and they say, “Let’s make plans about our economic security – about our future. Today or tomorrow – let’s go to say – Chicago. There we’ll start a new business – we’ll spend a year or two there – getting the business established before we move on the next city. We’ll make money. We’ll make a profit. We’ll build a company. We’ll build an empire.”
This sounds like good planning – doesn’t it? Sure it does! But here we find the first mistake:
I. Mistake One: Planning Without GOD
Did you notice that in the verse we read that there was no mention of God? The business men knew what they wanted. They wanted to make a profit – they wanted to make money. They knew how to get there – they had a plan. They knew what they needed to do. But they left God out of the planning. They had an attitude of self-sufficiency. The Bible encourages good planning. In fact Jesus said:
"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? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, ’This man began to build and was not able to finish.’” Luke 14:28-30 (NASV)
Jesus is telling us that planning is a good thing. In fact if you don’t plan well – you will be considered foolish. The book Proverbs says:
“Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run; hurry and scurry puts you further behind.” Proverbs 21:5 (MSG)
But the Bible also tells us that God needs to be in the center of our plans. Proverbs says:
“Commit your works to the LORD, And your plans will be established.” Proverbs 16:3 (NASV)
And:
“The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 (NASV)
James brings us back to the same conclusion when he says:
“You ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’” James 4:15 (NKJV)
God needs to be the center of our planning. Go ahead and circle the word “if” in verse fifteen. Murphy’s Law says: “If things can go wrong – they will.” Life is just one big if. Life is pretty if-fy. If you spell life out: “L – I – F – E” – what letters do you have right in the middle of the word? “I – F” – and that spells “if”. I don’t know what will happen tomorrow – neither do you. We are not the ones who know what the future holds. God is the One who knows what is around each bend. We must rely upon Him.
There are three ways I can respond to God’s will in my life:
A. I can show INDIFFERENCE to it
B. I can make REFERENCE to it – only talking about it now and then – or:
C. I can give PREFERENCE to it
More than anything else I want to give God my preference. I want to do what God wants me to do with my life. I hope you do too. Proverbs chapter sixteen verse one in the Message Bible says:
“Mortals make elaborate plans, but GOD has the last word.” Proverbs 16:1 (MSG)
Planning without God is the first mistake. The second mistake is:
II. Mistake Two: Taking Tomorrow For GRANTED
Look at what James tells us in verse fourteen:
“You do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” James 4:14 (NKJV)
When we are young – we don’t seem to be very concerned about old age or retirement. We say, “I’ve got the rest of my life to worry about that.” We go around with the attitude that tomorrow will take care of itself and that we have all the time in the world. There are two false assumptions with this type of thinking. The first false assumption is:
A. Life is always PREDICTABLE
Go ahead and circle the phrase, “You do not know what will happen tomorrow.” None of us knows what is going to happen tomorrow – let alone what could take place a year from now. All we can do is guess – and speculate about the future. Life is unpredictable. How many of us predicted the events of 9-11? A few years ago who would have thought that gas prices would ever reach almost four dollars a gallon or that our kids would carry a cel-phone in their pockets? No – we don’t know that much about the future. That brings us to the second false assumption:
B. Life on earth will last FOREVER
Go ahead and circle the word – “vapor” in verse fourteen.
Let me tell you – life is brief. The older I get the shorter it seems. The Greek word for “vapor” is “atmos”. It is from this word that we get the word – “atmosphere”. It can also mean – fog, mist or vapor. Your life is like a fog – it rolls in in the morning and by noon it is gone. How long are you going to live? How many days will you live on this earth? No one knows. I have conducted funerals for a person who was 103 and a 13 year old. Whatever the age – life seems short. Proverbs tells us:
“Never boast about tomorrow. You don’t know what will happen between now and then.” Proverbs 27:1 (GN)
You see – life is short.
The third mistake that people make is:
III. Mistake Three: Delaying doing GOOD
Look at what James tells us in verse seventeen:
“Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” James 4:17 (NKJV)
James is talking about procrastination. It’s putting off till tomorrow what you should be doing today. I heard a little poem other day it goes like this:
Procrastination is my sin,
It always causes me sorrow.
I know I ought to change my way,
In fact I think I will – tomorrow!
Have you ever heard, “Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today.” The procrastinator’s motto is: “Why do today what you can put off till tomorrow.”
We love to put things off. James tells us that this is a trap. To know the right thing to do is good – but unless you do it – it is useless – in fact – James says – it’s a sin if you don’t do it.
Let me ask you – if you were asked to tell me some sins – what would you say? Murder – adultery – cheating – lying – stealing. All of those are sins of commission. People are actively involved in those acts – in fact – many times they have to go out of the way to commit those sins. The sin of omission is different. With the sin of omission – it’s what you don’t do that is the sin. That’s what James is talking about in verse seventeen. Let’s read it again:
“Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” James 4:17 (NKJV)
This is the sin of omission. Procrastination is a subtle trap. We think we will get around to doing something – and we never do. We say, “Tomorrow I’ll …” or “One of these days …” or “Someday I’ll …” and it never gets done. The solution to this is:
Do it NOW!
Don’t put off till tomorrow the good – that you could be doing today. Proverbs says:
“Never walk away from someone who deserves help; your hand is God’s hand for that person. Don’t tell your neighbor, "Maybe some other time," or, "Try me tomorrow," when the money’s right there in your pocket.” Proverbs 3:27-28 (MSG)
Do you remember the story that Jesus told about the three fellows and the talents? The master had given one talent to one man, to another he gave five and to another he had given ten. After a while the master returned to see how things had been going. Two of the men, the one with two and five talents, both of them had doubled their coins. The one who received one talent had taken it and buried it in the ground. The master spoke with favor of the two men who doubled their money. But do you remember what he said to the man who buried the talent. He said, “At least you could have put the money in a bank account and gained interest. You wicked servant! You sat around and did nothing. You should have at least done something with the talent I gave you.” There are times when doing nothing is not the right thing to do. There are times when doing nothing is a sin.
Jim Elliot said: “He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep for that which he cannot lose.” It is always the right time to invest in God’s kingdom.
Did you know that right now – God is ready to invest in you? Listen to what Jesus has to say to you today:
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20 (NASV)
For some of you – today is your day to make a change in your life. Not tomorrow – not next week – but today. God is concerned about your future. He is concerned about where you will spend eternity. Do you know what the future holds for you? Do you know if you are right with God? Do you know where you are going after you leave this world? Do you know where you are going to spend eternity? God offers you a great Eternity Plan. Trust in Him – believe in Him – put you faith in Him. Don’t put off till tomorrow what needs to be done today. Invite Jesus into your heart. Invite Jesus into your life – today.
