Reading: James chapter 4 verses 13-17.
Ill:
• IN a 24 hour period, if you’re an adult of average weight,
• Here is what you accomplish:
• Your heart beats 103,689 times
• Your blood travels 168,000,000 miles
• You breathe 23,040 times
• You inhale 438 cubic feet of air.
• You eat 3.25 pounds of food
• You drink 2.9 quarts of liquids
• You lose 7/8 pound of waste.
• You speak 4,800 words, including some unnecessary ones
• You move 750 muscles
• Your nails grow .000046 inch
• Your hair grows .01714 inch
• You exercise 7,000,000 (million) brain cells.
• No wonder you feel tired!
Ill:
Some nuggets of wisdom that someone thought up regarding the ‘day’:
• “A day is a span of time no one is wealthy enough to waste.”
• “The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.”
• “The day will happen whether or not you get up.”
• “It’s the little things in life that really count. “
• “He who provides for this life, but takes not care for eternity;
• Is wise for a moment but a fool for eternity.”
• “Know what's weird? Day by day, nothing seems to change.
• But pretty soon, everything's different.”
In this short paragraph James gives us some advice regarding living each day:
(1). The Folly of Counting on The Future (Vs. 13)
“Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”"
Ill:
• Like the old, old joke of the doctor;
• Who called one of his patients into his office to deliver some very important news.
• "I have received the results of your tests;
• And I have some bad news and some good news", said the doctor.
• "Let me have the good news first, doc", said the patient.
• The doctor took a deep breath and said, "You only have 24 hours to live."
• "What!", shouted the patient,
• "If that’s the good news what could the bad news possibly be?"
• The doctor replied, "I was supposed to tell you yesterday."
This phrase James uses in verse 13, “Now listen”;
• Only occurs here in the whole of the Bible.
• So in all 66 books, 1,189 chapters, 31,102 verses – this is it’s one & only inclusion!
• It’s a very pointed phrase that indicates the seriousness of what follows.
• James is saying, “Come now, pay attention!”
• “Stop strutting around like you have all the time in the world!”
• “I’ve got news for you, actually you don’t! No-one knows how much time they will have!”
Note: In the context for these verses;
• James is primarily talking to wealthy merchants.
• These merchants who travelled all over the ancient world,
• Buying and selling in the major trade centres of that day.
• Because of the extensive shipping involved,
• It could easily take a year or more to set up a business.
• Their big mistake was not that they engaged in business,
• We all need to do that to survive (to pay the bills and enjoy a lifestyle etc)
• Their big mistake is ‘Presumption’, they were counting on the future,
• Without any recognition of the God who controls the future.
Ill:
• They were like someone who goes house hunting, they buy a new bungalow;
• Buys themselves a new car, plan a six month cruise,
• We might say that they hall their retirement all planned out;
• Only to find they have no savings and no pension plan in operation;
• They may have made great plans but there is no foundation to those plans!
• Their scheming and planning are all in vain!
Notice:
• What James says about these business men – their plan on paper was very impressive!
• They had everything figured out or almost everything:
• When: “today or tomorrow”
• Where: “this or that city”
• How: “spend a year”
• What: “do business”
• Why: “to make money”
But notice that in all their planning, they left out the most important - the Who.
• God was nowhere in their plans.
• Like the rich farmer in the parable that Jesus told,
• Who wanted to tear down his barns so he could build bigger ones,
• These businessmen were not bringing God into the details of their life.
Key Point that James is making:
• Planning is important,
• But planning without involving God is presumption.
• The Bible makes it very clear that our whole existence is a gift from God.
• From the day of our birth until the day of our death we are blessed with the gift of life!
Ill:
• A middle-aged farmer wanted to be a preacher for years;
• But wasn’t sure if it was God’s will.
• One day, while he was working in the field, he decided to rest under a tree.
• As he looked up into the sky he saw that the clouds seemed to form into the letters P & C.
• As he thought about it, he realized that PC stood for Preach Christ!
• Immediately, he jumped up, sold his farm and went out to preach Christ.
• He was convinced that this was what God was leading him to do.
• Unfortunately, he turned out to be a dreadful preacher.
• After one of his sermons his wife whispered in his ear,
• “Do you think those letters P.C. could have been God telling you to Plant Corn!”
(2). The Frailty of Life (Vs. 14).
“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life?
You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
• These businessmen made no allowance for unforeseen circumstances;
• Because like most people they mistakenly thought they were going to be around forever.
We are given two very significant reasons why we should never presume upon the future:
(A). LIFE IS UNPREDICTABLE.
• We don’t even know what will happen tonight,
• Much less next week or next year!
• The truth is that no one can predict the future.
Ill:
• Count on it! Life is just one big if.
• Notice that right in the middle of LIFE are the letters ‘IF’”.
• Any way you look at it, life is pretty if-y.
• Maybe that is why Solomon the wisest man who ever lived
• Penned these words (Proverbs chapter 27 verse 1)
• “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.”
(B). LIFE IS UNMEASURABLE.
• Our lives are like a mist; “that appears for a little while and then vanishes”.
• The Greek word used, is the word ‘atmos’, from which we get the word “atmosphere,”
Ill:
• Atmosphere is that invisible layer of water vapour that encircles our planet.
• Our lives are like a mist in the grand scheme of things. [Ill: Spray an aerosol can]
Ill:
The Bible talks about human life using a variety of descriptive pictures:
• The wind. Job 7:7
• A shadow. 1 Chronicles 29:5
• The width of a hand. Psalm 39:5
• A weaver’s web. Isaiah 38:12
• A breath. James 4:4
Quote:
• Think about this…
• A lightening bolt lasts 45 to 55 microseconds.
• The average running shoe worn by the average runner on an average surface;
• Will last 350 to 500 miles.
• A hard pencil can write up to 30,000 words or draw a line more than 30 miles long.
• Most ballpoint pens will draw a line 4,000 to 7,500 feet long.
• Leather combat boots have a wartime life span of six months,
• A peacetime life span of eight months.
• A 100-watt incandescent bulb will last about 750 hours;
• A 25-watt bulb, 2,500 hours.
• The number of times a light bulb is turned on and off has little to do with its life-span.
• The teenager says tomorrow can’t get here fast enough;
• The senior says tomorrows here already!
• In Malawi (next months Harvest Service) life lasts on average 29years.
• For most of us 70years.
• For others longer;
• For some far less!
(3). Today’s Faith prepares us For Tomorrow (Vs 15-16)
“Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil”.
• Our faith tomorrow is only as good as it is today!
• We must major on faith today so that faith will be adequate for tomorrow!
Ill:
I don’t want to panic you;
• But there are only 108 days left till Christmas!
• Some shops are already displaying their Christmas stock!
• At some stage we will all make plans and purchases in advance;
• So that on the day we can enjoy the occasion with confidence.
• There is a spiritual parallel to that illustration;
• The faith we build today will help us face the uncertain future with confidence!
Wise are those who involve God in their lives TODAY!
• No amount of money, influence, power or planning can guarantee tomorrow.
• Only God can grant us another sunrise or even another breath.
Ill:
That is why James says:
• Instead of saying, “I’m going to do this and that and make this much money here and there,”
• We should say, “If God wills it for my life and provides the opportunity, I will go there.”
• It is not a case of repeating the words ‘God willing’ or ‘D.V.’ after every sentence.
• But it is a case of living in that type of attitude.
• A recognition that God is God;
• Life is a gift from God!
• James is challenging us here to demonstrate an attitude of submission to God,
• To acknowledge that all of our life is to be lived out;
• In recognition of the fact that God is sovereign and in charge of everything.
• He commands the future and He OUGHT to run my life.
(4). The Fervency of Today’s Obedience (Vs 17)
“So then, if you know the good you ought to do and don't do it, you sin”.
Question: Did you know that you can sin by doing nothing?
Answer:
Ill:
Someone has put it this way…
“Procrastination is my sin,
It brings me nothing but sorrow,
I know that I should stop it
So I will…tomorrow.”
• Have you noticed…when you procrastinate doing the right thing,
• You end up doing the wrong thing.
• Knowing what should be done obligates a person to do it.
• The point is: Delayed obedience is disobedience.
Ill:
• Every parent knows that delayed obedience is really disobedience.
• If you tell your teenage kids; “It’s your turn to go and do the washing up”;
• And they reply, “Sure dad, we’ll do it in two days,”
• That’s not obedience, in fact, that is disobedience!
James is reminding his readers:
• That we ought to obey while we have the opportunity to obey!
• In life we have situations or come across people that will not come our way again.
Ill:
• Our English word opportunity comes from the Latin and means “toward the port.”
• It suggests a ship taking advantage of the wind and tide to arrive safely in the harbour.
• The brevity of life is a strong argument,
• For making the best use of the opportunities God gives us.
Ill:
• Special offer in the shops.
• It’s here today but not tomorrow (unless your Allied Carpets)
Quote:
“Only one life, will soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last!”
