 We're in James four. We're gonna be looking at verses 13 through 17 and let me tell you it's not a nice passage Okay, we started out by saying that just so you're prepared Because what James is gonna do here is he's gonna be bringing a word of rebuke and you'll see it in a moment and so what I'm wanting to do is I'm wanting to just prepare us for his words because It's a word of rebuke that he's bringing to to those who are business people They're they're wealthy and and all and he's going to be speaking to the wealthy in a way that is we may say Well, it's not something that we as as just average people really need to be worried about because we're not really wealthy and I think that we need to remember that there are principles we find in scripture that are general principles for all of us and you may not be a multi-billionaire multi-millionaire or whatever, but There is a sense that the finances that we have and the plans that we make are still in the hands of the Lord and We may not be a multi-millionaire, but we are much much more blessed than sometimes we even realize And so there are things here that we can that we can apply to our own lives and and that's what I'm gonna try and do today I'm gonna look at these verses I'm gonna take you back over some of the things you've already seen because I want to highlight The importance of unity because we've been looking in chapter 4 at division Then you saw that in verse 1 and I've been touching that for the last couple of studies and that does lead into verse 13 So I want to remind you of a few things as we begin our study then we're gonna move into verse 13 and we'll go to verse 17 and That's how we'll look at this passage today So prepare yourself for the study realize that there is a lot of foundations I want to lay and then we'll get to the word its application and then we'll close So I'll begin reading here at verse 13 James chapter 4 Come now you who say Today or tomorrow we will go to such-and-such a city spend a year there buy and sell and make a profit Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow for what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away Instead you want to say if the Lord wills we shall live and do this or that But now you boast in your arrogance all such boasting is evil Therefore to him who knows to do good and does not do it to him it is sin So up until this point as mentioned a moment ago James has been dealing with division in the churches that he's writing to What is happening is the problems that they're encountering in the churches are undermining the unity of the fellowship and When unity is disrupted the church is not going to be able to fulfill its mission the church has a mission that we have and When the unity is is disrupted then that mission and we'll look at that in a moment is going to be disrupted We're not going to be able to fulfill it to the way that that God would intend Now when you look at your Bible, there are those today that will wonder why unity is so important Because I think sometimes when you use the word unity the people may misunderstand that word unity and and actually substitute the word uniformity Unity and uniformity are not the same thing obviously uniformity speaks of people who are are Basically just doing the same thing that other people are doing their uniform in their activities But it's more of an outward kind of thing And and when you have just uniformity, that's really that's really the foundation if you will for a cult Because cults very often are built on everybody looking the same acting the same saying the same thing and the Bible doesn't teach us to have Uniformity so much as the Bible encourages us to have unity and when you look at the Bible there are reasons for it I mean there are reasons why God says there were to be one that were to be one in the spirit that were to endeavor to Keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace there are there are reasons for that And let me give you three as I introduce this three basic reasons why unity is important One unity is important just in fact that Jesus Christ prayed that we would have it Jesus prayed that the church would have unity in In John in chapter 17 verse 20 Jesus said I do not pray for these alone But also for those who will believe in me through their word And then he goes on in his prayer to say that they all may be one as you father are in me And I in you so he says first I'm praying that they may be one So unity is important a unity of heart and spirit and endeavoring to move forward in the things of the Lord together is Very important because Jesus prayed for it and secondly Unity is a powerful witness to an unbelieving world in a world That doesn't think that working together necessarily is that important where every man for himself It's kind of the attitude that many have Unity is important because it declares something to the unbelieving world You see it's been said a unified church is one of the strongest evidences of the truth of the gospel Jesus again in the same prayer in John 17 verse 21 said this He said that they all may be one as you father are in me and I in you That they also may be one in us Then he goes on to say that the world may believe that you sent me And so one Jesus prayed for unity and to the purpose of that prayer is so that the world would believe That we may be one in him that the world may be one through him And so that's the second reason one He wants us to to live in unity therefore prayed for it to the unbelieving world can be Impacted by a unified church It's very important that we as the church are having unity our mutual faith in Jesus is What has been referred to as the communion of the saints and we need to remember that the Holy Spirit Baptized us into the one body the one body of Christ and and because of that We have all been made to drink that one spirit and we work together again There are different ways to do what God called us to do not all of us Subscribed to the same outward kinds of appearances in terms of how we do what we do But in essence we are one and we're to be one in the essentials I'll show you some of the essentials in just a moment But there's another reason for us to be united and that is because we have a common enemy Satan's strategy as revealed in scripture is very clear It is to to divide us because in dividing us. He renders us ineffective In Mark chapter 3 verses 24 and 25 Jesus said if a kingdom is divided against itself that kingdom cannot stand and if a house is divided against itself that house cannot stand and so Jesus prayed that we would be unified it is a witness to the world that the world may be one And we are united against the enemy who would divide us and Undermine the work and its effectiveness. You see the church stands united in opposition to him and the church stands United in the phase of persecution, which he very often foments So we have to be aware of the schemes of the enemy and we have to understand that the enemy has a way of Attempting to undermine our unity. We're seeing that here in the book of James And that's why James in chapter 4 began by saying where do wars and fights come from among you and went on to say it came From within yourself. He's saying that this this unity this disunity that you're experiencing is really undermining the things that God has called you to do now This doesn't mean again that we're uniform in everything. It doesn't mean that we agree on Everything there are those who believe that the rapture which is Me and I would say most of us in this church the rapture is going to occur It's the next thing on the prophetic calendar. It's going to happen at any moment There are others who say no the rapture is going to occur at the end of the tribulation or in the middle of the tribulation and you know and when we're in heaven they'll explain to me how wrong they were but a Person can believe that the rapture occurs as I do I believe Bible that the Bible is very clear about this. It's going to occur before the tribulation and No, I'm not teaching on that right now, but the Bible is clear about that But somebody says no I Don't agree with that Well, we're still united in our common faith of Jesus Christ that person is still my brother or sister in the Lord We have a difference But if that person says Jesus Christ is not God in the flesh that person isn't saved in Ordered to be saved you believe that Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity that is an essential of the faith So the essentials are important those things that are not essential are things that we work in charity with a Person who has a different kind of view of that in 1627 a German theologian Who called himself Rupertus Maldinius? coined the phrase in essentials unity in Non-essentials liberty in all things charity and that's how we ought to live And so the unity of the Spirit is what we we strive to have now I mentioned a moment ago, and I'm gonna give you this this is all introductory to the passage We're gonna look at in a moment But you might be asking yourself well, what are these essentials that you're speaking about? Because there are things that are of great import for us to to hold fast to well these are some of the essentials Let me share with you things that are important that we hold fast to We hold fast the inerrancy and inspiration of the Scripture We hold fast to the virgin birth and deity of the Lord Jesus Christ We hold fast to the doctrine of substitutionary Atonement and salvation through grace and and faith We hold fast to the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ We hold fast to the fact that Jesus performed miracles and we hold fast to his soon return his second coming These are essentials these are things that you find in Scripture that are important that the word of God is the very word of God That that Mary was a virgin that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh that Jesus died on a cross for us as a Substitute and that by his grace through faith were saved We believe that Jesus Christ was not just a good teacher or a wonderful prophet An excellent man, but that he's God in the flesh who died on a cross was buried and we believe that he was Resurrected the third day. That's an essential we believe that Jesus Christ walked the earth and he performed miracles And we look forward to his soon return that Jesus Christ is coming again for us We believe that now somebody has been posting and others have been picking it up and Reposting it at all and it said Santa's not coming to town But Jesus is and I kind of like that because it's true You know that ain't coming but Jesus is and so that is something that we as believers hold firmly to those are essentials of the faith Especially the things that pertain to Christ his death on a cross is burial his resurrection the third day his physical bodily Resurrection those things are important. He's ascension into heaven. He is seated at the right hand of the father He sends the Holy Spirit to to indwell those who believe in him one day He'll come and draw us to himself take us to be with them. These are all things that are essentials These are things that we agree on and those are the things that make for unity So James is correcting them James is correcting them because they fall in into the trap of division and he has already said this We've seen this that envy and strife have become commonplace and that those sins of envy and strife Have given way to and produced gossip and so there's gossip and he was speaking about that as we've gone through chapter 4 He said it's become commonplace there. They're speaking evil of one another and Gossip is destructive because it undermines the love of the Holy Spirit in the church We need to remember that believers are to be known by love a love that is lived out in harmony And again, it's a witness to the unbelieving world It's interesting when you begin to note what the book of Proverbs teaches concerning Gossip and division and all it's interesting when you read chapter 6 of the book of Proverbs because in chapter 6 of the book of Proverbs That chapter speaks of things that God hates it even says these are things that God hates and It begins by saying there is six these six things Yay, these seven are things that God hates and he says in Proverbs 6 verse 19 That God hates a false witness who speaks lies and one who sows discord among the brethren So James when you're saying where do wars and fights come from among you is simply repeating what scripture teaches That unity is something Jesus prayed for it's a witness to the world and It's a way of fighting against the enemy who's always trying to divide So instead of speaking evil the body of Christ is to preserve peace in the spirit of God And it's something that I am to do I endeavor to do that. It's my personal responsibility It's something I should be seeking to do Ephesians 4 says it like this I therefore in verses 1 through 3 I therefore the prison of the Lord beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called with all lowliness and gentleness with long suffering burying with one another in love endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace So Christians are commanded to pursue peace and the unity of the spirit were to endeavor that word endeavor means to intensely labor Were to endeavor to keep or to preserve unity and peace Unity of the spirit speaks of the unity of their sentiments our desires our Affections the bond of peace speaks of where the interests of all parties are held together by the Holy Spirit So gossip and slander destroys the unity and the peace of the spirit like it says in Proverbs 11 13 a talebearer Reveals secrets, but he was of a faithful spirit conceals the matter So a faithful friend doesn't spread secrets, but lovingly protects the person's reputation And so we've been going through chapter 4 and we concluded by remembering that only God can see the heart and therefore only God knows all the details We have a tendency of judging on outer appearance But God looks at the heart in first time in 16 7 the Lord does not see as man sees for man Looks at the outward appearance the Lord looks at the heart and so James is concluding chapter 4 By building on the theme of dependence Depending on God and so that's going to continue the exhortation to the worldly people who are there in the churches And he's addressing those who are abandoned to pleasure as well as those are seeking self-centered success so This chapter verses 13 chapter 4 verses 13 through 17 Well, this portion reveals the way people generally make plans Too often there's no thought of God no thought of his spirits leading and no thought of what is the ultimate best Men many simply plan out their lives as if God doesn't exist or that God is not involved And so his exhortation here that we'll be looking at now is a simple one Do not make plans without praying Our plans should be prayerfully made and our plans should be committed to the directions of the Lord He begins at verse 13 this way chapter 4 come now You who say today or tomorrow we will go to such-and-such a city spend a year there buy and sell and make a profit So this is a call to rich business people He's already been making statements to those who are rich in the church in the Preferential treatment that sometimes rich people were receiving so he's already been speaking to Riches and those who are rich, but this is a specific call to those who are rich business owners But it also applies to any materialist The ones being addressed are those who have no place for God in their plans Now when you look at verse 13, you might not notice this at first glance, but let me show you this and again I'm still developing a foundation for you look at verse 13. I want to show you something there He says come now. So, you know, he's dressing them drawing them to himself You who say so he tells us who he's speaking to you who say today or tomorrow We will go to such-and-such a city spend a year there buy and sell and make a profit This is how he's beginning this section. It's a call to rich business owners and As he's speaking what I'm going to show you right now is something that is well known by those in this church right now Who may own businesses you'll understand this because what he's giving to them is he's actually giving to them a plan of operation He has a start time Today or tomorrow He has a demographic We will go to such-and-such a city They have a timeline. We'll spend a year there. They have a business strategy. We will buy and sell They have a goal. We will make a profit if you're a business owner You know these things if you never went to economics if you never went to a school that taught you how to plant a business You know these things you know these things you know about start times demographic set timelines You know you know business strategy, you know goals. Those are something you're taught. You might find this interesting I won't belabor this but This is something that every person who starts something even a church would understand. I understand this I understand this because a church is an organized Organism, so it's organization within this church So I have a lot of fellowship that I can have with business people because in general We do very similar similar things. There is a start time So what did we do as a church for example? We prayed father. We want to be it's a start time We're going to begin our first Sunday, July 26 1981 There was a start time and then you have your demographics, you know Who do we want to reach? These are all things that you have now. I get every week on Facebook Every week I get invitations to attend seminars to teach me how to plant a church and build a church Every week I get these and it's always these younger guys with giant beards now. They go all the way down to their chest and And you know that cool and suave and and they're walking and they always have you in the selfie moments But they're saying hey you want I'd like to help you to build your church and I'm looking at this guy And I'm thinking how interesting you know Why? It's because he's gonna make money and they'll tell you we'll tell you how to Determine when and we'll tell you how and we can guarantee you this many people It's the same business strategy that James is warning about It's the same business strategy You know it's like this in the church world. There's a there's a start time We're gonna have our church launch what we've done is we've had and I won't belabor this too long Some of you may understand this others don't care, but let me say it quickly We're gonna have our launch time what we're gonna do is we're gonna have a meeting we're gonna meet for two months We're just gonna pray we're gonna seek out this and then we're gonna have our launch date Then we're gonna send all of these flyers We're gonna go out and we're gonna use Facebook and Instagram and all these other things and we're gonna let people know And that's basically what he's talking about. It's your start time. Then they'll talk about demographics They'll say who do you want to reach? Look in the neighborhood that you're in do you want to reach Hispanics? Do you want to reach African-Americans Asians you want to reach a general population? Who do you want to reach and they'll teach you about demographics? Your message will it fly will it fly with so-and-so? So you have demographics because there is a theory in church growth called the theory of heterogeneity Homogeneity homogeneity and the theory of homogeneity is simply you try and reach people who are like you So they teach you how to do demographic studies. I get these things all the time. They'll have a they'll have a timeline We're gonna see you have church growth And you're gonna see this happen over this in the first year. They'll always have a timeline They're gonna have a business strategy. This is how you're gonna go about doing it These are the things you need to do I I see this all the time and then you have a goal which is usually souls very often it's just bodies that are inside of the pew and That's what it is. Well James is speaking to corporate executive types. He's talking to business people He's saying listen, you've got these strategies worked out You you you know, you're going to start on a certain time You're gonna try and reach a certain clientele. You're gonna stay there for a certain length of time You've got a buy-and-sell kind of strategy that you're gonna work out and your goal is to make a profit So is there something wrong with this? Somebody would ask well wait a minute. Shouldn't we make these kinds of plans? Shouldn't we pursue them? Is it wrong to have research to to have strategies and plans and and a willingness to sacrifice for a goal? Is there something wrong with that and the answer to that question is is No, there's nothing wrong with that but for the Christian it is wrong when you plan without praying and that's what James is pointing out Plans and strategies are important for success obviously Somebody once said if you fail the plan you plan to fail But James isn't saying it's wrong to plan He's saying it is wrong to exclude God from your plans Because praying first is important because we don't control our own lives We don't have all the information and because we do not we seek God for guidance Remember Jesus and Matthew 6 verse 8 said your father knows the things you have need of before you ask him God's aware of things. I'm not aware of So before I go out and start something and do something and that's what James is pointing out I need to first speak to him prayer is the most important thing Believers should seek God first as you make it as you make your plans And as we lift our plans to him in prayer We follow the lead of the Holy Spirit in Proverbs 16 verse 3 It says commit your works to the Lord and your thoughts your plans will be established Proverbs 16 verse 9 a man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps Psalm 37 23 the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delights in his way And so we lift our plans to God and that's what he's saying to do Why well verse 14 answers the question you do not know what will happen tomorrow What is your life? It's even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. What is your life? it's a vapor and They're planning no allowance has been made for unforeseen circumstances these business people believe that they're gonna live long enough to See their plans succeed. They think they're gonna make it to the city and and spend a year there and James is saying there's no guarantee that they're gonna live that long. We can't even control what will happen tomorrow Let alone 365 days from now Proverbs 27 one says do not boast about tomorrow for you do not know what a day may bring forth So we don't control the future. We don't know what God does. We can't take tomorrow for granted We may not see it I Began learning this lesson. I can tell you when I'll give you the date. I began learning this lesson February 2nd 1958 I Wasn't even a believer But I remember that date very well. I wonder if I have anybody here who was from around the Norwalk area I grew up in Norwalk. I know that I have some who are from the Norwalk area here because every once in a while They come and try and stab me Try and rob me But I grew up in Norwalk in the 50s. I Was in my room on Orin Day Road right there on the intersection of Orin Day Road in Gettysburg Drive and I was In my bedroom. My brother was in the bottom bunk. I was in the top. We had bunk beds and There was an explosion. It was in the evening an explosion It shook our house and I actually rolled and came off the bed and my mother came running in and I was on the top bunk my mother came running in and She was about to tell tell me offered You know, you're not supposed to be jumping off the bed and this and that has mama's do and I was February 8th. I was seven and But my dad and we had some guess over began to make some noise in the front room saved my life and I went into the front room and Stood at the door and I looked in the sky. I'll never forget this February 2nd 1958 And I was looking up in the sky and I saw a ball of fire in the sky and You could see flames Something on fire falling from the sky. You could see it right above us What had happened is a military plane a DC6 had Had an accident they flew into a patrol plane above the city of Norwalk and When they hit it exploded and as it exploded Things began to fall out of the sky and my dad and my uncle Pulled us back into the house Because things were falling all over and you know what happened the next day We walked around our neighborhood One of the engines from one of the planes had fallen onto a house about three blocks from us fell right in the front room and engine a planes engine fell on the house and Thank God that family was out at the at the drive-in or I'll say it have all been killed But a woman by the name of Edith Hernandez. She was 23 years old Mama of a couple of kids Edith heard the sound and went outside and was hit by debris falling from the plane and Was killed instantly and I remember that that happened just a few blocks from where I lived just up the street That happened and I'll never forget that it was on I believe it was Jersey Avenue Right by William W. Orr school where I went to elementary school. It's just up the street and it landed Some part hit this woman. We were all talking about it later on. She was 23 years old Stepped outside and in an instant was dead. That's when I began to learn even as a seven-year-old kid Tomorrow is promised to nobody 23 years old prompt promised to nobody nobody has a guarantee for tomorrow Nobody I don't want to bum you out. Why not? It's just true It's just a fact. That's why we live every day for the Lord in preparation to see him That's why we do that. You're not promised tomorrow and James is making that very clear to us you see Before you make your plans he's saying and he's speaking to those who learn to rely on their own Schemes and plans he's saying you've got to keep God the center of everything Just because you're successful now doesn't mean that the dollar will remain strong tomorrow You have to be aware of these things again every businessman knows that Today the stock market may be real high and you may be getting some dividends You've got a nineteen point seven percent rate on on your on your your bonds and all and you're you're growing Financing finances is great and then to borrow the stock market drops and you lose all of this money within Moments and that's what he's saying you don't have any way to rely on there's no So so if you if you're relying on your own plan strategies and designs He's saying no you have to take these things first and foremost To the Lord so he says at verse 14 you do not know what will happen tomorrow Then he asks the question. What is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away Again, I mentioned that I grew up in Norwalk and again There's a lot of young people in here wouldn't know this but Norwalk was dairy when I grew up There's a lot of dairy. It was like Chino We had early morning mist in it where I grew up my dad and his family Moved a move to Norwalk when he was a little boy they had a little farm a couple acres that they had and So my dad decided to remain in Norwalk and and bought a home in in Norwalk in 1951 So I grew up in Norwalk right across the street from me was was a field and just Three-quarters of a mile away from where I lived was pasture And so my friends and I even in junior high school would would go to this place by it There was a dairy called reliance a dairy and we would go and we'd climb on hay bales after Purchasing some chocolate milk and and some pies and things and we would sit on hay bales and and in the field Then that's what we did. I mean there were fields and so every morning In certain times it would be real a lot of mist Because when you have pastures and all and when the Sun comes up, you know, you'll see the mist that is rising I grew up watching that I grew up seeing that but what James is saying is your life is like a vapor It's a mist. It appears for a little time vanishes away It's like picture look at the field if you were here in Chino, Ontario or whatever You'll see the fields and the field has the morning mist the morning mist that rises But when the Sun rises it just evaporates and it's gone or think about it when you go and you take a shower in a winter morning And and you turn on the hot shower and close the door so it warms up that room So you don't have to turn the heater on and so it's warm in there But what happens is though the mirrors begin to cloud over which makes you look a lot better But the mirrors begin to cloud over and so you have to take a blow dryer and dry it or take it Whatever way you go about it and you dry it off so you can do whatever business you need to do shave or comb your hair Or whatever. Well, we know that and that's what he's saying. He's saying as as Temporary as that is as transient as it is. It's just here for a moment and then it's gone He's saying you've got to understand that's your life That's that's your life You know when you're when you're young when you're a young person growing up you think time moves slowly Time moves slowly. I can hardly wait until I'm 13. I can hardly wait till I'm 16 Man one of these days. I'm going to be 18 Man, I'm 21 now and then you start holding I'm 29 and 364 days Because you hit 30 And it changes doesn't it your conception of time changes when you're a kid in its Christmas You know, you stay up late at night You just you're so anxious because there are Christmas presents under the tree and you don't want to go to sleep You don't want to go to sleep. You're just wanting tomorrow to come, right? But when you're old and you're laying in bed and the kids come in and start yelling Hey, you get up and you say shut up go to bed It's different, right? Time's different when you're young. It feels like it just goes so slow when you're old Man, it's passing by quickly. I can't believe it because I Might as well give away something. I was Driving here one day and I was thinking I'd like to have an illustration for something Some musical this or that. This is the truth. I never told you this. I'll tell you now and I was thinking I ought to That would be that would make sense if I shared that and then and then I started laughing to myself Because that's not true because I was thinking of some stupid song by a guy named tiny Tim that was almost I Don't even know how long ago That guy was out and I thought I started laughing. I said nobody knows who this guy is tiny Tim Tiptoe through the tulips and this and that now those of you who know you're old you're old But the young people like what is that see so but it's just yesterday It's just for me. It's just yesterday because time is Different now when you're young I can't highly wait When you get old You remember back Ten years 20 years 30 or whatever God should bless you to be able to and so we need to understand that that time in Many senses is kind of relative to your own age And so you need to understand that time really whether it's ten years or a hundred well according to Job verse 7 chapter 7 verse 7 Remember, oh God my life is but a breath in in comparison to eternity our Lives are a blip on the screen Psalm 90 verse 10 the days of our lives are 70 years and if I reason of strength they are 80 years Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow for it is soon cut off We fly away Psalm 90 verse 12 goes on to say so teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom It just goes by teach us to number our days. We want to be wise So James is reminding us of what scripture teaches is most important in Ecclesiastes in chapter 12 verses 6 and 7 Remember him before the silver cord is severed or the golden bowl is broken Before the pitcher is shattered at the spring or the wheel broken at the well and the dust returns to the ground it came from and The spirit returns to God who gave it he goes on in verses 13 and 14 in chapter 12 to say all Has been heard Here is the conclusion of the matter fear God keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man God will bring every deed into judgment Including every hidden thing whether it is good or evil James is saying To understand the future to understand the future is uncertain has benefits One of the benefits is it helps us to keep our trust in God because we consistently depend on him But also it helps us to value the present and each moment that we are blessed with Those of you who are getting a little older and those of you who are young If I had any advice to give out of this passage, and I'll do this quickly. I Would say this treasure your moments treasure your moments when you're when you're young And you get married First mistake. No when you're young and you're getting married And you have a baby should God bless you it can feel sometimes like your life stopped We used to have fun. We used to be kind of cool We used to go places do things Now I have this little anchor around my ankle My wife and then I have the kid too, you know And we can't do anything anymore we used to be kind cool and swap we used to go out It's been a Friday night and do what we want went to nice restaurants did what we want ate what we wanted And now we can't because we have to buy diapers we have to buy clothes and now it's Christmas Now you have a second and a third and a fourth and those of you know what who have that know what I'm talking about Before you know what the budget seems to be only on the children and the things that and and and if you buy something for yourself You feel guilty and all of that So you might get to the point of saying you know what I I almost resent this. I Want to get out. I want to do things. I want to and it feels like my life is just slipping away from me Let me tell you something those are the moments in life that you'll treasure later on They are They're the things that you'll look at it should God give you a grandchild You'll look at that grandchild and you'll think of the baby Baby's mother or daddy and you'll look at him and you'll say I remember When my baby used to do that I remember when they learned to crawl my granddaughter Oliver right now Olivia's she's trying to learn to crawl but what she's doing is instead of going forward She's pushing herself backwards, you know, it was real tribute to me You know and so you sit there watch her and she doesn't know how to speak yet So she you walk in the room to yell hey, that's what she does. Hey, what are they? No, she'll go. Hey That's what she does. It's really funny, you know treasure those moments treasure them because I find myself looking and remembering my my Joseph or my Corinne or my David my Anna And I think oh, where did time go? It went so fast treasure your moments. Don't resent those moments enjoy them Treasure them in your heart like Mary when she speaks of her in Jesus. She said she treasured She she she kept these things in her heart and she pondered them. That's what you do you look and you remember and and then then they have babies and Then the babies little bratty and the and the kids will look at you and say you you put up with me dad And I was like this and then you say yeah, because I prayed that God would give you a brat the way you were to me So my prayers have been answered treasure your moments Because your life is a vapor One of these days and I don't again. This is fact. This is truth not to bum you out Listen to an older traveler You'll be sitting in your house one day wondering where all the noise is Where all the life is We're all the things that used to do Where are they and you buy yourself just sitting watching a game and you're thinking it'd be nice to see the kids It'd be nice to hear them or you'll see a picture of them when they were small You'll look at it and you go where did the time go? Where did the time go? I remember I used to tell my son don't use my razor Because he he'd shave his legs and I'd say no I said that's so gross Don't do that son what is your life It's but a vapor You go about Trying to make money Making your plans. Oh, I'm gonna go to such-and-such a city. I'm gonna stay there a year. I'm gonna buy I'm gonna sell I'm gonna make a profit. I'm gonna you don't even know what tomorrow brings. So enjoy today Worrying about tomorrow Jesus said today has enough worries to take care of itself Instead of getting caught up. What are we gonna how we gonna enjoy life flow with it doesn't mean you don't plan Doesn't mean that you don't make sure you make wise investment I'm not saying that James is not saying that but he's saying is don't plan without God Because God can lead you to do things that you wouldn't have even considered Pray you see I got saved one day and and after I got saved I went into the army I got out of the army I began to Go to Bible college and when I went to Bible college I began a Bible study at my parents house and and a year later and 73 and 74 a year later My brother Frank gets saved and he needs discipleship. I lived in Norwalk. I'm driving to Ontario I drive to Ontario for a Bible study when I drive to the Bible study My brother begins to invite friends from his work a young woman comes walking in Marie who eventually becomes my wife So we get married we move to Norwalk We actually Roland Roland Heights for a year then we moved to Norwalk. I begin to minister It's doing Bible studies in my home in Norwalk And then we eventually move out to to Claremont. We actually started administering Claremont I buy a house in Ontario in Ontario on doing Bible studies before you know it I started a Bible study that that grows into a church that occupies the city of Ontario and from Ontario in 92 we move over here these were all things that God had Already in store for me. I didn't know that that day when I was in that Jesus Jesus Worship kind of a event that Mary not the music event I didn't know that God's plans for me was to pastor a church to be here in the city of Ontario for me this Rather, Ontario and then Chino for me the city of Chino was a place that was the wages of sin the wages of sin is Chino So the idea of coming here. Are you kidding me? I'm an LA County guy Going to San Bernardino County. Are you kidding me? What do they have there besides cows and flies? You know, and that's the way we That's how I thought Lo and behold the Lord says no, I have plans for you What are his plans for you? What are his plans for you? He's got plans for you designs for you. He's got works for you But you take your ideas and you pray them through and that's how this church Started and that's how life is you don't make plans without consulting him You have to do it first and we need to be submitted to the will of the Lord now closing very quickly He had said in verse 15 you ought to say if the Lord wills we shall live and do this or that But now you boast in your arrogance all such boasting is evil Therefore it to him who knows to do good and does not do it to him. It is sin So some of his readers didn't submit to the will of God for the lives They would thoughtlessly brag about what they were doing where they were going how their plans were succeeding how they were getting rich So James revokes this attitude he speaks of their arrogance when he says you boast in your arrogance that speaks of your proud Pretention it speaks of a proud confidence in your own knowledge He's saying you make your plans you boast about the success You see rich businessmen were proud about their ability to predict the future So he's saying you glory in your self-sufficient conduct you brag and you live independently of God and all such boasting is Evil why because it glorifies man it disregards God therefore verse 17 To him who knows to do good and does not do it It is sin to do good and not do it is sin There are sins of commission There are sins of omission a sin of commission speaks of breaking a commandment Thou shalt not lie or steal or swear. He shouldn't be getting drunk. Don't be violent Don't commit sexual sin. These are called sins of commission But there is the sin of omission and this is what James is speaking about Knowing to do right but refusing to do what is right to know what is right and refusing to do what James says is sin You're resisting what God commands and in doing so you're sinning Obeying God reveals faith and loving him it results in a deeper walk with him It's like what Jesus said in John 14 21 he who has my commandments and keeps him It is he who loves me and he who loves me will be loved by my father. I will love him and manifest myself to him So he's saying do good Jesus said let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father Who's in heaven? We're taught to do good and the good works that we that we do perform our Works that the Lord has has instructed us through his his word and its spirit has encouraged us to do I was listening to the news and This I found interesting that the average person they were saying on the news the average person does five good deeds a month 31 days and They did five good things Five good deeds a month At least five. There's actually six. I found a six one and so when asked what do you mean that you're doing good deeds? Well, this is their idea of doing good good deeds the number one answer giving someone directions A second is holding the holding the door for someone to walk in then you have if I have if I'm in a line and I have You know a cart full of items and someone has fewer items I do a good deed by letting them cut in before me another one is they help someone cross the street Then there are those who are donating to a charity while checking out at a register or doing a chore or errand for a family member Or a friend these are good deeds that they're doing but they say that they do at least six of these in a month Where to be known by doing good? God has actually ordained that there are good works that we should be walking in Ephesians 2 8 through 10 and So that's the life of a believer. That's what we're supposed to do I mentioned to you that we had our ladies Christmas bizarre I didn't mention to you that we had we had over a hundred people here Serving serving we couldn't do the things that we do here in this church If we didn't have people who are willing to come on a Saturday when it's raining and to do all the work That was necessary for our women to be able to come and friends to be blessed See that's doing good the children's ministry the ushers the people in the parking lots the people in the worship teams The people who teach a home studies that there's so many those are called good works And so he's saying to us he's saying that if you know to do good and you don't do it It's a sin a sin of omission. So we'll close with the idea of this What is it that the Lord tells us he talks to me I'm sure he talks to you What is he saying? I want you to do this and you're saying no somebody else can What is it because you know he is every believer If you're walking in the spirit The Lord is speaking to your heart to do things and he's saying When you know to do good and you don't do it It's a sin that's called a sin of omission So I'm not trying to lay a heavy trip on you Because I do believe that God is laying in the heart of somebody here to give me a Ferrari But no, no, I'm just I'm playing with you Corvette, but um No, what is he laying on your heart to do and do it? Watch what God will do He wants to meet you in a special way in John 14 verse 21 he who has my commandments and keeps them it is he who loves me He who loves me will be loved by my father I will love him and manifest myself to him you want to experience God Obey him When he says to you do this do it You will be amazed At how God shows up And you just go wow If I hadn't done that I would not have seen this And I can tell you and I say that Because it's true My life is that Where I try to obey and he shows up and that's how my faith over these years Has continued this month. I celebrate 49 years of walking with Jesus christ and over 49 years He shows up He always shows up And always on time And for me I simply have to learn to hear his voice and act Because if you know to do good, what is it the lord is saying to you that you know you should do and you're not doing You know to do good And you don't do it it's sin So what do we do lord? I'm gonna do what you say Because I don't want to be in sin. I want to be walking closely to you