Between the Dashes
James Chapter 4:13-17
James chapter 4:13-17
Introduction-
We are still working on the series “Faith that works”. I hope that you have been taking notes and putting these thoughts together as we look at practical living. Applying the Word of God to our lives. This morning looking at time. Our life span compared to eternity. Commentaries argue who James is talking to in this passage. Some say that he is talking to the unbelievers that wouldn’t listen to God., others say that he is continuing to talk to believers. I would like to say that it doesn’t matter. To the unbelievers, he is saying that the time is short and you are gone. To the believers, he is also saying that the time here on earth is short and we will be gone.
Illustration-
It is said one time during the great years of Mohamad Ali, he was on an airplane ready for takeoff and the stewardess mad an announcement to fasten their seat belts, after checking everyone, she told Mohamad Ali to fasten his seatbelt, “Superman don’t need to fasten seatbelt” to which the stewardess replied, “Superman doesn’t need airplane, fasten your seatbelt.”
To some this morning, you think that you will live forever. I one point, I thought that too. Now my body, tells me and shows me different.
The process goes something like this.
At Ten years old, you can’t wait to be a teenager of 13
At Thirteen years old, you can’t wait to get into high school (with some fear)
At fifteen years old, you can’t wait to drive.
At sixteen years old, you can’t wait to get out of high school.
At eighteen, fearful of college days, and get them behind you and get a job.
Twenty-one is the magic number, you can’t wait.
Then you can’t wait to get married.
Then to have kids
Then, not only a job, but the dream job.
Then, the freedom of the kids to be grown.
Then the blessing of grand kids that others have.
Then you can’t wait for retirement, to live on all that money that you paid in.
You get the point. In the midst of all that is a realization that you go from superman to the guy/gal that Aarp is now calling and sending you welcome letters. You went from lots of life ahead of you , to most of it behind you. I don’t mean to depress anyone this morning, but that is reality. If you are not careful, you spend your whole life wishing something ahead of you until one day everything is behind you and you wonder where all that time has gone. James is saying to all those that think you have forever, time will sneak up on you. We do not know what the future holds for you time wise. You are not promised tomorrow. In fact he says, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for awhile and then vanishes.” It is like a kettle on the stove heating up, a mist appears and then it vanishes in thin air. Your translation might say- your life is a moment, and then it disappears. It’s funny what the dictionary says about a moment. As a noun, a indefinitely short period of time- example “I’ll be with you in a moment.” That can be short or long, depending on someone’s definition of moment.. It can be present time or particular time, example “He/she is busy at the moment.” Another flame of reference, “His big moment came in the final game”. When we look at time, we have to look at it from God’s perspective. Our moment is between our birth (first breath) and our death (last breath) and we are not told what time period that is for each of us. Because each one of us is different. Today is unknown. Tomorrow is uncertain. Time is unsure.
Proverbs 27:1 “do not boost about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth” While many think they have life figured out, God says that there are mysteries we do not know and cannot figure out. Many have expected to have tomorrow, because they are living life to the fullest, expecting one day to go to church, one day to make their relationship right with God, one day to make relationships with certain people right here on earth. They expected and planed to have tomorrow, but tomorrow never came.
Illustration
You may tie your shoes this morning, and the undertaker may untie them tonight.
Illustration
I close my eyes, only for a moment, and the moments gone.
All my dreams, pass before my eyes a curiosity. Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind. Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea,
all we do, crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see,
dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind.
So don’t hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
it slips away, and all your money won’t another minute buy
dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind.
That’s not biblical, that is a song from the dinging group Kansas. Written during a period of time of rebelling, now those same age group are now facing retirement. Quickly time gets away from us.
Erma Bombeck
“Seize the moment” remember all those woman on the Titanic who waved off the desert cart. We laugh, that’s cute. Remember those people were on a ship that the builders said that God could not even sink. Remember, these people were on a ship that thought they were so invincible that they did not have enough life boats to save everyone. History is full of accounts of people who lived for the moment, until they ran out of moments.
All right, so how do we do that? How should we live our lives? James says (v5) “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” This is not a magic formula that you say. It is an attitude of how to live your life. James tells us not to make future plans and leave God out. Here we go.
I. Life is short
v14- Life is a mist, it is a vapor. Here today, gone tomorrow. We are living on borrowed time. God sets the amount of time. Everyone of us who is a little older realizes that time is going fast. It never stops, it never slows down. All of us that say that laughed at older people who said it before us and now here we are.
Illustration
I remember in high school, hitting a home run against Juneau High school in district playoff’s. the sound of the crowd cheering, remember running the bases pumped up, watching the ball clear the left centerfield fence, seems like ti was yesterday. That was 35 years ago . I am going to the reunion in July. That seems like yesterday. Some of you were not even alive when that happened in my life. We live in an age of drive by shootings, robberies, fast cars, crazy people, we do not know what tomorrow will bring. The wisest use of borrowed time is to use it wisely, make it count. Make sure God is in it. Planning your life without God is Russian Roulette. Everytime we do something without God, we ar looking for trouble. On Wednesday we talked at Bible study about those that are hung up on horoscopes, astrology, physic readings. They pay big money to people to tell them their future. No one knows the future except God. There is nothing wrong with making plans and being prepared. The Bible tells us to do that also. Being organized is a whole lot different than forgetting God when yo are making plans for your life.
III. Life is a gift from God
“God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. “ God did that for us In Him is life God promises abundant life as we surrender it to Him. John 10:10 “ the thief cometh not, but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly.” amen Amen Let me hear a amen Satan has lied to many and said life is thing It is not things , it is moments, God gives us those moments. That precious amount of time. The fulfillment comes under the direction of God almighty. We have a window of time- right now
Isaiah 40:6-8
“All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field, the grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of God endures forever” One day should God tarry, we will all die. “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this, the judgement”
Robert Harris
a convicted killer in 1991 going to the gas chamber quoted a line from a movie. “You can be a king or a street sweeper, but everyone dances with the grime reaper” You have to know how to live, so you will know how to die.
III Make life count and have meaning
Bible says: “What is man that you are mindful of him” God cares what is going on in your life. He has entrusted you to live it for Him. He demands that you make an impact while you are here on earth. William Barclay “Jesus did not say discuss me, he said “follow me.” We do not make terms with Christ, we surrender to Christ. We do not compromise with Christ, we submit to Christ.
Illustration
an older man was walking along the shore one day in the hot sun. As he walked he ws sweating profusely and seemed to be in a hurry. Every few steps, he would bend over , pick upi a starfish from the hot , burning sands and cast it back into the cool waves. One after another. As a young man came along, after watching this for awhile and told the man, you are wasting your time and energy. There are thousands of starfish on the sand. What difference can you possibly make? The old man seemed to ignore this younger man. He simply bend over picked up another starfish and threw it into the water. “Well, it makes a difference to that one, didn’t it”
closing;
I want you to know something this morning. There is not one of us here that can change the past or predict the future. Everyone of us here know, as long as we have breath, can change the future. We have to make a plan of action. God has to be in it.
First- make sure you have a right relationship with Jesus Christ. Make sure our lives include the Lord in our lives. Live everyday one at a time. To the fullest of the Lord.
Second- appreciate where you are at- stop trying to push to the future events and live for today. Life is a vapor, that appears only for a moment, which the Lord gives. Before it vanishes, take time to thank God for life and people before they are gone. Appreciate the moment.
Third- do not delay. We do not know about tomorrow, but we know who holds tomorrow. Make sure He holds your tomorrow. Forgetting God is a n eternal mistake. James the encourager says that a life aligned with God is a life that has purpose and will be a fulfilling life.
Altar Call
