INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• What is one thing that we all possess no matter where we live, how are doing economically. So long as we are alive, we possess this blessing.
• Time. Time is something we cannot beg, borrow, or steal from others.
• Time is a blessing we all possess; the question is what will we do with the great blessing of time that we all possess?
• What are some things you can do with time?
• One can use it wisely, one can use it foolishly.
• One could use their time efficiently, or one could run out the clock and watch their time fade away.
• One could spend their time seeking to live out God’s will, or they could live foolishly.
• One could also waste their time.
• David Cassidy who was a heartthrob for many young ladies in the 1970’s from the show the Partridge family died on November 21, he was 67. He died from complications from dementia from what I have read.
• It has been reported in several places that David’s daughter Katie shared David’s last words.
• Here is a quote from Katie Cassidy.
• “Words can’t express the solace our family’s received from all the love & support during this trying time. My father’s last words were ‘So much wasted time,'” Cassidy’s daughter, “Arrow” star Katie Cassidy, tweeted Friday. “This will be a daily reminder for me to share my gratitude with those I love as to never waste another minute….thank you.” https://pagesix.com/2017/11/24/david-cassidys-daughter-katie-reveals-his-sad-last-words/
• When I read that quote, a blanket of sadness engulfed my heart. I would hope my last words would go nowhere close to that.
• It is a sad commentary on one’s life to feel like so much time is wasted.
• Today I want us to consider a passage in James 4:13-15.
• James was the brother of Jesus who became a pillar of the early Church.
• In the 4th chapter of his book, James Is seeking to get his readers to consider where they are with Jesus.
• He is offering ways in which one can ascertain whether they acknowledge and are really under the Lordship of Jesus.
• This the passage we will look at together, James is talking about how one chooses to live life.
• The key passage in this section that I built this message on is the thought found in later part of verse 14 in which James says, “For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes”
• This comment goes to the thought that the time we have is short and is a blessing.
• Ultimately each one of us will have to determine what we will do with the blessing of time we possess.
• Let’s start with verse 13.
• SLIDE #2
• James 4:13 (CSB) 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.”
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. Where does God fit?
• It is one thing to say we belong to Jesus, but is another thing to live that out in real life.
• James offers a real-life scenario where he speaks of a business person who is has made some plans for his immediate future.
• The phrase COME NOW is only used in this verse and James 5:1, the phrase is a vigorous form of address that serves to attract attention!
• Now, before we dig into the text, I do want to mention something important that some folks get sidetracked with.
• This section of text is not a condemnation of doing business, or seeking to make a profit. It is not even condemning the concept of desiring to do well financially.
• This passage is all about WHERE DOES GOD FIT INTO YOUR PLANS.
• In this message, I am equating LIFE with TIME because without one you do not have the other.
• The Jewish merchants were known to travel great distances in order to conduct business.
• This was possible because of the safety and the road system the Roman Empire provided during this time period.
• So back to the question of this first point.
• Where does God fit?
• James offers up a real-life scenario of business situation where the person in question is using their time without regard for God’s will with their time.
• The grammatical structure of this verse indicates someone who would do this habitually, not just a slip of the mind.
• What you see here is a conscience decision to use one’s time with no regard for God’s will.
• Notice the verse speaks of WHEN the person will travel, WHERE the person will travel, HOW LONG the person will travel, and WHY they will travel.
• This shows the plans are firm and full of confidence and expectations.
• Is it not easy to go through a day without giving any thought to WHERE DOES GOD FIT?
• Jesus told a story about a successful farmer who had an abundant harvest who ignored God in his life.
• SLIDE #4
• Luke 12:18–20 (CSB) — 18 I will do this,’ he said. ‘I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there. 19 Then I’ll say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.” ’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?’
• This parable seems like God is kind of mean to the farmer, but the point is the farmer ignored the one who helped make him prosperous!
• Where does God fit? Will you decide the spend the blessing of your time with no room for God and His will for your life?
• This next verse shows why living this way is not a wise way to go.
• SLIDE #5
• James 4:14 (CSB) 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.
• SLIDE #6
II. What are you seeking?
• Part of the folly of using trying to figure out how to use the blessing of the time you have without regard for God’s will is the fact that we do not know what tomorrow will bring.
• How can you know what your future will be if you cannot know what tomorrow will bring?
• It would seem foolish to plan the use of your time without consulting the one who knows.
• When I turned 15, if memory serves me correctly, I received my drivers permit.
• To get the learners permit I had to pass a written test, which I passed.
• Once I turned 16, I went for my full driver’s license.
• I do remember it was a Friday.
• The reason I remember that is that I made plans to take my girlfriend at the time to on a date to go see Pete’s Dragon at the theater.
• I made plans to grab a bite to eat, probably at McDonalds. ?
• Hey, I did not have a lot of money then!
• I had the whole thing planned, dad was going to let me take the LTD and I was going to have my first car date.
• There is a folly to making plans when you do not know what is going to happen in life.
• Do not get me wrong, we need to make plans, the question is, are we making plans without considering God’s role in our life?
• The parable Jesus told showed us that God had blesse the farmer in a big way, yet all the farmer could think of was himself.
• Does the plan you have for the time you have include God? And if it does what are you seeking?
• SLIDE #7
• Ephesians 2:10 (CSB) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.
• Paul reminds us what we need to think about.
• The second part of verse 14 tells us that For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes.
• This is why we have to make sure we are seeking the right things in life.
• We do not have a lot of time to waste.
• Jesus tells to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and basically God will take care of us.
• Have you ever done a project, one that you put a lot of time and effort into, only to find out you did it wrong?
• Then because you wasted time doing it wrong, you could not get the job done on time or you have to do a poor job?
• That is frustrating.
• We only have one life to live here, so we do not want to waste it chasing stuff that is not important.
• Oh, back to my license.
• See I made plans based on confidence that I would pass my driving test.
• I never gave any consideration to failing it because at 16, I was a PROFESSIONAL driver in my view.
• Well, the State Patrolman who administered my driving test did not agree with that assessment, so I failed my test.
• My mom ended up driving me and my date in the LTD to the movies and then coming to pick us up. ?
• Life is too short to mess is up be wasting time planning without God!
• Let’s look at verse 15.
• SLIDE #8
• James 4:15 (CSB) Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
• SLIDE #9
III. A better way to use your time.
• Throughout Paul’s letters he would always have a plan, but he would always say that if God wills it.
• His plans were always subject to God’s will for Him.
• James is offering a better way to plan how to use one’s blessing of time as opposed to the scenario in verse 13.
• The attitude of one who has given their life to Jesus will take wishes and His plans into account concerning the future.
• Listen, life is short, it is too short to be wasting time chasing stuff that in the end, will do nothing for you.
• Listen, God has given us a great gift, the gift time and the gift of salvation in Jesus.
• God always has our best in mind, so we can trust that when we seek His will, it will be a blessing for us.
• In my own life, I resisted His calling for me for a while, and during that time I was not at peace inside.
• When I accepted God’s call, it brought peace.
• And I am so thankful for being able to have an impact on the lives of so many people over these last 25 years of ministry.
• There’s been times where I would purchase something to put together, only to toss the instructions aside.
• Then after a time of fighting to get the thing together, I would pick up the instructions, and have to rebuild my project.
• BUT when I followed the instructions, the project was much easier.
CONCLUSION
• We do have instructions for life, they are found in God’s Word.
• They are instructions that if we choose to follow will allow us to make the most of the blessed gift of time God has given us.
• I do not know about you, but I do not want my final words to be SO MUCH WASTED TIME.
• Time, you have it, what will you do with it?
• Will you waste in on fruitless pursuits or will you make the most of it as you walk with the Lord?
