My Life Many Years From Now

GRACE THROUGH FAITH COMMUNITY CHURCH

TEXT: James 4:13-17
THEME: Humility
TITLE: My Life Many Years From Now
PROPOSTIONAL STATEMENT: 3 Actions of Acknowledging God in our Plan

I. INTRODUCTION
This is for those who has plan in the future
• All of us here have plans in different aspects of our lives
o We plan for our family
o We plan for the future of our children
o We plan for our carreers, dreams
o We plan for our business
o We plan for the things we want to have – lap tops, cell phones, cars, house and lot,
• And there is a saying that I heard most of the time about planning – “If we fail to plan, we plan to fail”
• But the message of the Lord about plan is beyond the action of the plan but about attitude in planning
The text begins with the urgent call of attention – “Now Listen”
• The author tells us how serious is this thing
• There is a problem and if we do not notice the problem, it will lead us in sinning – look verse 17
• Remember that the book of James is all about who is the true disciples through his actions.
• And this text is the context of submission,
• It teaches us humility – how to submit to God’s will
o It begins with “your desires” in chapter 4:1
o Wrong motives for own pleasures in praying in verse 3
o In verse 7 it tells us to submit ourselves to God
o We can see the context in verse 6: God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble

II. BODY

A. Examining the Plan (v. 13)
• The Execution of the Plan
o The Pursuance of the execution of the plan “Today or Tomorrow”
o The Place where to execute the plan “We will go to this or that city”
o The Period when to the execution of the plan end “Spend a year ther”
o The Purpose of the plan “Carry on business and make money”
• The Evaluation of the Plan
o Man thinks that his plan will work
o Man thinks he has all resources to achieve the goal of his plan
o Man thinks that everything: place, period, purspose agree in our plan
o To sum up: He thinks that the certainty of his plan is in his hand and it is all about BOASTING
Now here is the problem in our plan that will lead us in sinning against God that we overlook: BOASTING
1) Strength – People rely in their own strength and God does not please with the strength of the man – Psalms 147:10-11
2) Wisdom – People rely in their own understanding. They thought they are wise – Isaiah 29:14-15
3) Accomplishment – People rely in their own accomplishment – Luke 12:17

B. The Reality of Who We are in God’s Sight (v.14)
• We do not know the future - When we plan as if we know what is ahead in us -
• We are limited
o In knowledge even the knowledge what comes ahead
o In our existence – we are like mist
C. The Recommendation When We Plan (v.15)
• It tells us what we should do when we plan.
• The clause “If the LORD’s will”
o The author wanted us to go back to the basic of Christian lives –to the will
o It tells us that an event in our lives will happen if it is the Lord’s will – Sovereignty
o It tells us to submit to God’s will and hope that what might happen in the future is God’s will
o Our dreams, our lives our future, our ambitions are in God’s hand and not in our hands.
o We are just expectator of what will happen tomorrow and not contoller

D. The Failure to Follow the Recommendation When We Plan (v.16)
• We are boastingl – the two actions of the same meaning are repeated because there is emphasis on that (Boast and Brag)
o Remember that James is talking to the Jews who are scattered among the nations (1:1)
o Boasting is sinning – All such boasting (explicitly and implicitly – direct or indirect) they are evil

Practical Application of Boasting in Basic Christian Living
1) When we do not pray
a. Before and after going to bed
b. Before and after eating
c. When we fail to pray on the things we must to pray like what happened i
i. Our society
ii. Our health
iii. Our neighbors’ needs
2) When we do not Study the Word of God
a. It is boasting as if we know His will
b. It is boasting as if we don’t need it
3) When we do not Attend Fellowship of the Believers
a. It is boasting as if we don’t need to have fellowship with God and with other believers
b. It is boasting as if it is not important in our Christian Life

E. Fail to Acknowledge God in Planning is Sin (v.17)
• When we fail to do what we know is good we are sinning
• Now we know that our plans most of it are based on what we have (strength, wisdom, accomplishment) we must change it. Before we acknowledge ourselves but know we must acknowledge God in our plans



F. Application – How do We Acknowledge God in Our Plan -3 Actions How We Acknowledge God in our Plans

1) Always Consult God as Couselor of your plans (v.13)



2) Always Commemorate God as Creator of your plans (v.14)



3) Always Consider God as Controller of your plans (v.15)




III. CONCLUSION

Remember that in everything we do put God first. If we failed to this, we are sinning and we do not want it
We have many plans in our lives. The Lord is urging us to acknowledge Him in our plans because He is the soverign God, all-wise and all-powerful God. Plans in our lives are always in God’s plan. Seek His will that we may plan according to His will. Consider God before, during and after the execution of the plan. He is our Lord and our plans must be in accordance in our Lord’s will. In our plans, we are still His servants.




For God’s Glory
03/27/11