Planning for tomorrow
James 4:13-17
Here we are on the first Sunday of the year 2000.
Never thought I’d get here. Born in 1943 - which is old to some of you and young to others.
Hasn’t been a long journey, but it has been a quick one.
New Year’s resolutions - nothing wrong with making them.
too far into the future to me.
I need new day’s resolutions. We serve God one day at a time, not one year at a time.
James 4:13-17 - "Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. 16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. 17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin."
I. An assumption we should not make - that we have tomorrow.
A. Scriptures to show the short time man has upon this earth.
1. Proverbs 27:1, Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
2. Psalms 39:4-6 - LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. {5} Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah. {6} Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches and knoweth not who shall gather them.
3. Psalms 103:15-18 - As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. {16} for the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. {17} But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children's children, {18} To such as keep His covenant, and to those that remember His commandments to do them
B. James 4:14 - Our life is like a vapor.
1. It is impossible to compare God's length of life to our length of life.
C. God lives without any measuring of time.
1. God made time so we could have a measure of our existence on the earth.
2. There will be many people that will die this year.
3. Some won’t know beforehand they are going to die.
4. Some will hear the doctors words before hand.
D. Some will be prepared for death.
1. Some will trust their religion.
2. Some will trust their "good" works.
3. Some will trust their baptism.
4. Some will trust their church membership.
5. Some will trust their giving tithes and offerings.
6. Some will trust their going to church services.
7. Some will trust their giving to charity.
8. Some will trust Christ.
II. It's not wrong to plan.
A. Verse 15, For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
1. This scripture makes it very plain that it is not a sin to plan our lives.
2. We ought to plan according to three things:
a. If the Lord wills,
b. we shall live,
c. we shall do this or that.
B. Things it's not wrong to plan for:
1. Tomorrow, but remember to pray that the Lord return today.
2. To pay back our debts (for cars, houses, and such). Our debtors probably want us to plan to pay them back!
3. Retirement. But don't plan to retire from God's service.
C. Verse 16, But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
1. It is wrong to rejoice in what we can do, and not boast in what God can do for us.
2. To rejoice in what God can and will do for us, when we put forth the effort is not evil.