MOMENTUM – Part 11 – The Everlasting Arms
We are going to see three important things in the text today –
- 4:13-17 – Christ is sovereign over our plans
- 5:1-6 – Christ is sovereign over our resources
- 5:7-11 – Christ is sovereign over our life
Christ is sovereign over our plans: 4:13-17
Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’ –yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’ As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” (4:13-17).
Planning is a great thing – what James is saying however – is that we have this tendency to skip asking what God would have us do – and INSTEAD we grasp ahold of what WE think is going to be best for our life. What WE think is going to bring us fulfillment – what WE believe will bring us joy.
We are limited in our knowledge and ability – But this knowledge shouldn’t be depressing – but freeing – even though we are tiny – Christ knows intimately the plans that he has for you.
- this God who made everything in all its splendor is intimately acquainted to what he has for you – He is sovereign over his plan for your life
- Proverbs says that man plans his way – The Lord establishes his steps
- and what he longs for us to do – and what James is saying – is come to him and say Lord – whatever you want from me I will do – make my plans for my life match your plans for my life.
Christ is Sovereign over our Resources: 5:1-6
“Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.” (James 5:1-6)
- In this section – he turns his attention to people who have a closed fist over their resources and their wealth.
- Specifically in this context – these people were known for two things
- for hoarding and being stingy with their wealth, not looking for the needs of others – but keeping their riches for themselves alone
- Cheating their employees of their income and not paying them
I was reading another pastor this week – and he really summed this up well – when it comes to our resources – we are either – really consumed by ownership – or we are humbled by stewardship.
When we view ourselves as owners – what it does is that it lulls us into believing that I am self-made – I am powerful – I am the one who pulls myself up by my own bootstraps – I am the one who is worthy. I am the one who is in control – This stuff is mine.
Stewardship is the opposite – when we view ourselves as stewards of our resources – we are acknowledging what Scripture says – that EVERYTHING belongs to God – I belong to God – the breath I breathe belongs to God – the land my feet are on belongs to God – he made everything – so everything that I possess – is ultimately his – and he has given it to me – for not only me to enjoy – for he has – but also to bless other people – and build his kingdom.
Christ is sovereign over our Life: 5:7-12
“Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. (James 5:7-11)