Pressure Points - November 9
Sermon Overview
Future Follies: Avoiding Planning Pitfalls When Life Gets Tough
When life puts us under pressure, we often make poor decisions about our future. The book of James addresses this very issue, speaking to Jewish Christians who were scattered throughout the Roman Empire due to persecution. These believers faced real hardships - some couldn't work, others struggled to put food on the table or clothes on their backs. Yet James had a specific warning for those among them who were well-off but had become dangerously self-centered in their planning.
Why We Struggle with Future Planning
Humans have always been fascinated with knowing and controlling the future. From ancient fortune tellers to modern-day predictions about economic markets, we desperately want to know what's coming next. This desire intensifies when we're under pressure, leading us to make hasty decisions without proper consideration.
The truth is simple: we don't know the future. While we should absolutely plan ahead - Scripture even tells us to learn from the ants who prepare for winter - there's a right way and a wrong way to go about it.
Three Major Planning Pitfalls to Avoid
Planning Without God
James addresses people who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." Notice what's missing from this statement - any acknowledgment of God's role in their plans.
Are You Being Self-Centered in Your Planning?
The first question to ask yourself when making plans is whether you're being self-centered. Everything you have comes from God as a blessing, and He blesses you so that you can be a blessing to others. When our planning revolves entirely around our own benefit, we've missed the point.
Scripture reminds us to "do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves." This doesn't mean we shouldn't plan for our future, but rather that our plans should consider how we can serve others and honor God.
Are You Seeking Godly Counsel?
Proverbs tells us to "prepare plans by consultation and make war by wise guidance." When we're under pressure, we tend to make quick decisions without seeking advice from others. But God desires us to surround ourselves with wise, godly people who can help us think through important decisions.
The best source of counsel is God Himself through His Word. The Psalmist wrote, "Your testimonies also are my delight; they are my counselors." When we know Scripture and surround ourselves with others who know Scripture, we're equipped to make decisions that align with God's will.
Presuming to Know the Future
James reminds us that "you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away."
Are You Self-Confident or God-Confident?
Particularly gifted people - those with intelligence, physical abilities, or other talents - are tempted to be confident in themselves rather than in God. While the Holy Spirit gives us courage and self-control, our confidence should ultimately rest in Him, not in our own abilities.
Even the Apostle Paul, despite his extraordinary gifts, regularly said "if the Lord wills" when making plans. Jesus Himself prayed, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Yet not my will, but yours be done."
Remember Life's Uncertainty and Brevity
Scripture repeatedly emphasizes how brief and uncertain life is. We're described as a vapor, a breath, a passing shadow. This isn't meant to discourage us but to remind us that our time is limited and precious. We shouldn't assume we have unlimited time to accomplish our goals or to obey God's calling on our lives.
Postponing Obedience
James concludes with a sobering statement: "Therefore, to the one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin."
Are You Deceiving Yourself?
We often think of sin only in terms of things we shouldn't do - lying, stealing, cheating. But sin also includes failing to do what we know we should do. This is particularly relevant for those who have been blessed with resources, talents, or opportunities.
If you live in North America, you're likely in the top 10% globally in terms of wealth and opportunity. The question isn't whether you're wealthy by local standards, but what you're doing with the blessings God has given you to bless others.
The Right Way to Plan
Instead of saying "we will do this or that," James suggests we should say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that." This isn't just about adding a religious phrase to our speech - it's about maintaining a heart posture that acknowledges God's sovereignty over our lives.
Planning is wise and biblical. But our plans should be:
This week, examine your current plans and future goals. Are they centered on yourself, or do they consider how God might want to use you to bless others? Take time to seek godly counsel from mature believers who know Scripture well. Most importantly, don't postpone obedience to what you already know God wants you to do.
Ask yourself these questions:
When life puts us under pressure, we often make poor decisions about our future. The book of James addresses this very issue, speaking to Jewish Christians who were scattered throughout the Roman Empire due to persecution. These believers faced real hardships - some couldn't work, others struggled to put food on the table or clothes on their backs. Yet James had a specific warning for those among them who were well-off but had become dangerously self-centered in their planning.
Why We Struggle with Future Planning
Humans have always been fascinated with knowing and controlling the future. From ancient fortune tellers to modern-day predictions about economic markets, we desperately want to know what's coming next. This desire intensifies when we're under pressure, leading us to make hasty decisions without proper consideration.
The truth is simple: we don't know the future. While we should absolutely plan ahead - Scripture even tells us to learn from the ants who prepare for winter - there's a right way and a wrong way to go about it.
Three Major Planning Pitfalls to Avoid
Planning Without God
James addresses people who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." Notice what's missing from this statement - any acknowledgment of God's role in their plans.
Are You Being Self-Centered in Your Planning?
The first question to ask yourself when making plans is whether you're being self-centered. Everything you have comes from God as a blessing, and He blesses you so that you can be a blessing to others. When our planning revolves entirely around our own benefit, we've missed the point.
Scripture reminds us to "do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves." This doesn't mean we shouldn't plan for our future, but rather that our plans should consider how we can serve others and honor God.
Are You Seeking Godly Counsel?
Proverbs tells us to "prepare plans by consultation and make war by wise guidance." When we're under pressure, we tend to make quick decisions without seeking advice from others. But God desires us to surround ourselves with wise, godly people who can help us think through important decisions.
The best source of counsel is God Himself through His Word. The Psalmist wrote, "Your testimonies also are my delight; they are my counselors." When we know Scripture and surround ourselves with others who know Scripture, we're equipped to make decisions that align with God's will.
Presuming to Know the Future
James reminds us that "you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away."
Are You Self-Confident or God-Confident?
Particularly gifted people - those with intelligence, physical abilities, or other talents - are tempted to be confident in themselves rather than in God. While the Holy Spirit gives us courage and self-control, our confidence should ultimately rest in Him, not in our own abilities.
Even the Apostle Paul, despite his extraordinary gifts, regularly said "if the Lord wills" when making plans. Jesus Himself prayed, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Yet not my will, but yours be done."
Remember Life's Uncertainty and Brevity
Scripture repeatedly emphasizes how brief and uncertain life is. We're described as a vapor, a breath, a passing shadow. This isn't meant to discourage us but to remind us that our time is limited and precious. We shouldn't assume we have unlimited time to accomplish our goals or to obey God's calling on our lives.
Postponing Obedience
James concludes with a sobering statement: "Therefore, to the one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin."
Are You Deceiving Yourself?
We often think of sin only in terms of things we shouldn't do - lying, stealing, cheating. But sin also includes failing to do what we know we should do. This is particularly relevant for those who have been blessed with resources, talents, or opportunities.
If you live in North America, you're likely in the top 10% globally in terms of wealth and opportunity. The question isn't whether you're wealthy by local standards, but what you're doing with the blessings God has given you to bless others.
The Right Way to Plan
Instead of saying "we will do this or that," James suggests we should say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that." This isn't just about adding a religious phrase to our speech - it's about maintaining a heart posture that acknowledges God's sovereignty over our lives.
Planning is wise and biblical. But our plans should be:
- Made with God's will in mind
- Informed by godly counsel
- Held with open hands
- Focused on serving others, not just ourselves
- Made with urgency, recognizing life's brevity
This week, examine your current plans and future goals. Are they centered on yourself, or do they consider how God might want to use you to bless others? Take time to seek godly counsel from mature believers who know Scripture well. Most importantly, don't postpone obedience to what you already know God wants you to do.
Ask yourself these questions:
- What has God been prompting me to do that I've been putting off?
- How can I use my current blessings and resources to serve others?
- Who are the godly counselors in my life, and when did I last seek their advice?
- Am I holding my plans with open hands, ready to adjust them according to God's will?
Devo 1 – Planning Without the Planner
Devotional
Have you ever made a major decision in a rush, only to realize later you forgot to consider what God might want? Life's pressures have a way of pushing us toward quick fixes and self-centered solutions. When deadlines loom and stress mounts, our natural tendency is to grab control and make plans that revolve entirely around our own comfort and benefit. But there's a better way. God invites us into a partnership where He provides wisdom and direction for our decisions. This doesn't mean we become passive or stop using our minds. Rather, it means we start our planning process by asking, "God, what do You want in this situation?" and "How can my decisions serve others and bring You glory?"
Think about the last major decision you made. Did you seek God's heart first, or did you default to what seemed most convenient for you? When we plan without considering God's perspective, we miss out on His perfect wisdom and the joy that comes from aligning our lives with His purposes. God doesn't want to be an afterthought in our planning—He wants to be the foundation.
Bible Verse
'Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.' - Proverbs 19:21
Reflection Question
What current decision or plan in your life needs to be surrendered to God's wisdom rather than your own understanding?
Quote
We have a tendency, as we plan, to make a number of mistakes. One of them is we end up planning without taking God into account.
Prayer
Father, forgive me for the times I've made plans without seeking Your heart first. Help me to remember that You are the source of all wisdom. Teach me to bring my decisions to You before I act, and give me the courage to choose Your way even when it's different from my own. Amen.
Have you ever made a major decision in a rush, only to realize later you forgot to consider what God might want? Life's pressures have a way of pushing us toward quick fixes and self-centered solutions. When deadlines loom and stress mounts, our natural tendency is to grab control and make plans that revolve entirely around our own comfort and benefit. But there's a better way. God invites us into a partnership where He provides wisdom and direction for our decisions. This doesn't mean we become passive or stop using our minds. Rather, it means we start our planning process by asking, "God, what do You want in this situation?" and "How can my decisions serve others and bring You glory?"
Think about the last major decision you made. Did you seek God's heart first, or did you default to what seemed most convenient for you? When we plan without considering God's perspective, we miss out on His perfect wisdom and the joy that comes from aligning our lives with His purposes. God doesn't want to be an afterthought in our planning—He wants to be the foundation.
Bible Verse
'Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.' - Proverbs 19:21
Reflection Question
What current decision or plan in your life needs to be surrendered to God's wisdom rather than your own understanding?
Quote
We have a tendency, as we plan, to make a number of mistakes. One of them is we end up planning without taking God into account.
Prayer
Father, forgive me for the times I've made plans without seeking Your heart first. Help me to remember that You are the source of all wisdom. Teach me to bring my decisions to You before I act, and give me the courage to choose Your way even when it's different from my own. Amen.
Devo 2 – The Wisdom of Godly Counsel
Devotional
None of us were meant to navigate life's big decisions alone. Yet pride often whispers that we should be able to figure things out by ourselves. We convince ourselves that asking for help is a sign of weakness, when actually, seeking godly counsel is a mark of wisdom. God has placed mature believers in our lives for a reason. These are people who know Scripture, who have walked with God through their own challenges, and who can help us see blind spots we might miss on our own. They're not there to make decisions for us, but to help us think through our choices with biblical wisdom.
When facing important decisions, consider reaching out to someone you respect spiritually. Share your situation honestly and ask them to help you see it through God's eyes. Listen to their questions, even if they challenge your initial thinking. Sometimes the most loving thing someone can do is help us slow down and consider angles we hadn't thought of.
Remember, even the wisest among us need wise counsel. It's not about lacking intelligence—it's about recognizing that God often speaks His wisdom through the community of believers He's placed around us.
Bible Verse
'Plans are established by seeking advice; so if you wage war, obtain guidance.' - Proverbs 20:18
Reflection Question
Who are the godly, wise people in your life that you could turn to for counsel when facing important decisions?
Quote
God's desire is that we would surround ourselves with wise godly men and women to keep us from foolishness.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for the wise people You've placed in my life. Help me to overcome pride and be willing to seek counsel when I need it. Give me discernment to recognize godly wisdom and the humility to receive it. Surround me with people who will point me toward You. Amen.
None of us were meant to navigate life's big decisions alone. Yet pride often whispers that we should be able to figure things out by ourselves. We convince ourselves that asking for help is a sign of weakness, when actually, seeking godly counsel is a mark of wisdom. God has placed mature believers in our lives for a reason. These are people who know Scripture, who have walked with God through their own challenges, and who can help us see blind spots we might miss on our own. They're not there to make decisions for us, but to help us think through our choices with biblical wisdom.
When facing important decisions, consider reaching out to someone you respect spiritually. Share your situation honestly and ask them to help you see it through God's eyes. Listen to their questions, even if they challenge your initial thinking. Sometimes the most loving thing someone can do is help us slow down and consider angles we hadn't thought of.
Remember, even the wisest among us need wise counsel. It's not about lacking intelligence—it's about recognizing that God often speaks His wisdom through the community of believers He's placed around us.
Bible Verse
'Plans are established by seeking advice; so if you wage war, obtain guidance.' - Proverbs 20:18
Reflection Question
Who are the godly, wise people in your life that you could turn to for counsel when facing important decisions?
Quote
God's desire is that we would surround ourselves with wise godly men and women to keep us from foolishness.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for the wise people You've placed in my life. Help me to overcome pride and be willing to seek counsel when I need it. Give me discernment to recognize godly wisdom and the humility to receive it. Surround me with people who will point me toward You. Amen.
Devo 3 – Holding Plans with Open Hands
Devotional
"If the Lord wills" might sound like an old-fashioned phrase, but it represents a profound truth about how we should approach our future. Even the Apostle Paul, one of the most driven and purposeful people in Scripture, regularly acknowledged that his plans were subject to God's will. This doesn't mean we become passive or stop making plans altogether. God gave us minds to think and plan ahead. But it does mean we hold our plans with open hands, ready to adjust when God shows us a different path.
Life is uncertain, and tomorrow is not guaranteed to any of us. When we make plans while acknowledging God's sovereignty, we find a beautiful balance between responsibility and trust. We do our part in planning and preparing, but we rest in the knowledge that God is ultimately in control.
This takes pressure off our shoulders and puts it where it belongs—in God's capable hands. Consider your current plans and dreams. Are you gripping them so tightly that you'd be devastated if they changed? Or are you holding them with the open-handed trust that says, "God, I believe this is the direction You're leading, but I'm willing to adjust if You show me otherwise"?
Bible Verse
'In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.' - Proverbs 16:9
Reflection Question
What plans or dreams are you holding too tightly, and how can you begin to hold them with more open hands before God?
Quote
You make your plans, but you make them with an open hand.
Prayer
God, I confess that sometimes I grip my plans so tightly that I forget You're in control. Help me to plan wisely while trusting You completely. Give me the faith to say 'if the Lord wills' and mean it. I surrender my future to Your perfect will. Amen.
"If the Lord wills" might sound like an old-fashioned phrase, but it represents a profound truth about how we should approach our future. Even the Apostle Paul, one of the most driven and purposeful people in Scripture, regularly acknowledged that his plans were subject to God's will. This doesn't mean we become passive or stop making plans altogether. God gave us minds to think and plan ahead. But it does mean we hold our plans with open hands, ready to adjust when God shows us a different path.
Life is uncertain, and tomorrow is not guaranteed to any of us. When we make plans while acknowledging God's sovereignty, we find a beautiful balance between responsibility and trust. We do our part in planning and preparing, but we rest in the knowledge that God is ultimately in control.
This takes pressure off our shoulders and puts it where it belongs—in God's capable hands. Consider your current plans and dreams. Are you gripping them so tightly that you'd be devastated if they changed? Or are you holding them with the open-handed trust that says, "God, I believe this is the direction You're leading, but I'm willing to adjust if You show me otherwise"?
Bible Verse
'In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.' - Proverbs 16:9
Reflection Question
What plans or dreams are you holding too tightly, and how can you begin to hold them with more open hands before God?
Quote
You make your plans, but you make them with an open hand.
Prayer
God, I confess that sometimes I grip my plans so tightly that I forget You're in control. Help me to plan wisely while trusting You completely. Give me the faith to say 'if the Lord wills' and mean it. I surrender my future to Your perfect will. Amen.
Devo 4 – The Urgency of Today
Devotional
"I'll do it tomorrow." How many times have we said those words about something we know God wants us to do? We postpone acts of obedience, thinking we have unlimited time to respond to God's promptings. But James reminds us that postponing obedience is actually sin. Life is brief—like a vapor or mist that appears for a moment and then vanishes.
This isn't meant to discourage us, but to create a holy urgency about the time we've been given. Every day is a gift, and every moment is an opportunity to live out God's purposes. Perhaps God has been nudging you to have a difficult conversation, to serve in a specific way, to be more generous, or to step out in faith.
Maybe you've been putting it off, thinking you'll have more courage, more time, or better circumstances later. But what if later never comes? Today is the day God has given you. Today is when His grace is available.
Today is when you can choose obedience over procrastination. The blessing you've been given—whether it's resources, talents, or opportunities—isn't meant to be hoarded for someday. It's meant to be used now to bless others and glorify God.
Bible Verse
'I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.' - 2 Corinthians 6:2
Reflection Question
What has God been prompting you to do that you've been postponing, and what would it look like to take the first step today?
Quote
Now is the time to call on me. Now is the acceptable time. Now is the day. Now is the time to decide. I'm going to do what God has instructed me to do.
Prayer
Father, forgive me for the times I've postponed obedience to Your voice. Help me to recognize the urgency of today and the brevity of life. Give me courage to act on what You've already shown me, and help me to use the time You've given me for Your glory. Amen.
"I'll do it tomorrow." How many times have we said those words about something we know God wants us to do? We postpone acts of obedience, thinking we have unlimited time to respond to God's promptings. But James reminds us that postponing obedience is actually sin. Life is brief—like a vapor or mist that appears for a moment and then vanishes.
This isn't meant to discourage us, but to create a holy urgency about the time we've been given. Every day is a gift, and every moment is an opportunity to live out God's purposes. Perhaps God has been nudging you to have a difficult conversation, to serve in a specific way, to be more generous, or to step out in faith.
Maybe you've been putting it off, thinking you'll have more courage, more time, or better circumstances later. But what if later never comes? Today is the day God has given you. Today is when His grace is available.
Today is when you can choose obedience over procrastination. The blessing you've been given—whether it's resources, talents, or opportunities—isn't meant to be hoarded for someday. It's meant to be used now to bless others and glorify God.
Bible Verse
'I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.' - 2 Corinthians 6:2
Reflection Question
What has God been prompting you to do that you've been postponing, and what would it look like to take the first step today?
Quote
Now is the time to call on me. Now is the acceptable time. Now is the day. Now is the time to decide. I'm going to do what God has instructed me to do.
Prayer
Father, forgive me for the times I've postponed obedience to Your voice. Help me to recognize the urgency of today and the brevity of life. Give me courage to act on what You've already shown me, and help me to use the time You've given me for Your glory. Amen.
Devo 5 – The Greatest Plan of All
Devotional
As we conclude this journey of learning to plan with God's heart in mind, we must remember the greatest plan ever conceived—God's plan of salvation. Before time began, God knew we would need rescue from our sin and separation from Him. In His perfect timing, He sent Jesus to pay the price we couldn't pay.
This wasn't a backup plan or a quick fix. This was God's deliberate, loving response to humanity's greatest need. Jesus said it is finished on the cross because the plan was complete—full payment made, the way to God opened wide. But here's the beautiful truth: while God's plan of salvation is complete, it requires our response.
Knowing about Jesus doesn't save anyone—trusting in Jesus saves. The gift has been offered, but it must be received. As you move forward in making plans that honor God, remember that the most important decision you'll ever make is what to do with Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him, but everyone can come. If you've never trusted Jesus as your Savior, today is the perfect day to make that life-changing decision. And if you already know Jesus, let His love motivate every plan you make, knowing that you've been blessed to be a blessing to others.
Bible Verse
'For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.' - John 3:16
Reflection Question
How does understanding God's ultimate plan of salvation through Jesus change the way you approach your own planning and decision-making?
Quote
Jesus paid it all. He said, it is finished. He paid for the sins of the entire world. But not everybody saved. Knowing about Jesus doesn't save anybody. Trusting Jesus saves.
Prayer
Thank You, God, for Your perfect plan of salvation through Jesus. Help me to live each day with gratitude for what You've done and with purpose in how I use the life You've given me. May all my plans flow from a heart that knows Your love and wants to share it with others. In Jesus' name, Amen.
As we conclude this journey of learning to plan with God's heart in mind, we must remember the greatest plan ever conceived—God's plan of salvation. Before time began, God knew we would need rescue from our sin and separation from Him. In His perfect timing, He sent Jesus to pay the price we couldn't pay.
This wasn't a backup plan or a quick fix. This was God's deliberate, loving response to humanity's greatest need. Jesus said it is finished on the cross because the plan was complete—full payment made, the way to God opened wide. But here's the beautiful truth: while God's plan of salvation is complete, it requires our response.
Knowing about Jesus doesn't save anyone—trusting in Jesus saves. The gift has been offered, but it must be received. As you move forward in making plans that honor God, remember that the most important decision you'll ever make is what to do with Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him, but everyone can come. If you've never trusted Jesus as your Savior, today is the perfect day to make that life-changing decision. And if you already know Jesus, let His love motivate every plan you make, knowing that you've been blessed to be a blessing to others.
Bible Verse
'For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.' - John 3:16
Reflection Question
How does understanding God's ultimate plan of salvation through Jesus change the way you approach your own planning and decision-making?
Quote
Jesus paid it all. He said, it is finished. He paid for the sins of the entire world. But not everybody saved. Knowing about Jesus doesn't save anybody. Trusting Jesus saves.
Prayer
Thank You, God, for Your perfect plan of salvation through Jesus. Help me to live each day with gratitude for what You've done and with purpose in how I use the life You've given me. May all my plans flow from a heart that knows Your love and wants to share it with others. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Transcript
Scattered Church and Rising Pressure
Good morning. I'm Barkef Osigian. I'm one of the pastors here. If you're new to us, just want to tell you how grateful we are that you chose to be with us this morning. We have uh I don't know, has anybody eaten this weekend? My wife went on some retreat or something and I'm me and Chick-fil-A got along really really tight this weekend. I'm looking forward to her coming back. But look, she'll be so proud. things kind of match, don't you feel like? So, I'm uh we're going to be doing fine this morning. Uh we have been in the book of James for some time now. And remember with me that James is a half-brother of Jesus. He is the leader of the church in Jerusalem now. And there has been a persecution has taken place taking place. Steven has been martyred by the unbelieving religious rulers and all but the uh apostles themselves have left Jerusalem. So, these Christians who are of Jewish blood are spread throughout the Roman Empire and they're under pressure. They can't do business. They can't work with those unbelieving Jewish brethren. Sometimes it's family members themselves. And they've had to move out of Jerusalem. So now they're uh in temporary locations, if you will. And some of them are struggling in very real ways. They're struggling. They're short on groceries. Some of them are short on clothing. And James is speaking today. We're going to find out specifically to those who are actually well off even though they're part of the dispersion. and he's going to give them a warning that they have a tendency to be self-centered in a thought process, especially while they're under pressure. We're entitled this series pressure points. And we're going to find out that there's something that happens when we find ourselves under pressure. We don't make good decisions too often. And so, he's going to have this discussion with those who are really being self-centered while their brethren are struggling. And so, it's kind of a warning passage for you and for me that we want to remember how well off we are and are those around us in our sphere of influence who aren't so well off. And we don't want to be self-centered and our planning forward and our looking to the future. Now, we should look to the future, but we want to be careful about how we do it.
Good morning. I'm Barkef Osigian. I'm one of the pastors here. If you're new to us, just want to tell you how grateful we are that you chose to be with us this morning. We have uh I don't know, has anybody eaten this weekend? My wife went on some retreat or something and I'm me and Chick-fil-A got along really really tight this weekend. I'm looking forward to her coming back. But look, she'll be so proud. things kind of match, don't you feel like? So, I'm uh we're going to be doing fine this morning. Uh we have been in the book of James for some time now. And remember with me that James is a half-brother of Jesus. He is the leader of the church in Jerusalem now. And there has been a persecution has taken place taking place. Steven has been martyred by the unbelieving religious rulers and all but the uh apostles themselves have left Jerusalem. So, these Christians who are of Jewish blood are spread throughout the Roman Empire and they're under pressure. They can't do business. They can't work with those unbelieving Jewish brethren. Sometimes it's family members themselves. And they've had to move out of Jerusalem. So now they're uh in temporary locations, if you will. And some of them are struggling in very real ways. They're struggling. They're short on groceries. Some of them are short on clothing. And James is speaking today. We're going to find out specifically to those who are actually well off even though they're part of the dispersion. and he's going to give them a warning that they have a tendency to be self-centered in a thought process, especially while they're under pressure. We're entitled this series pressure points. And we're going to find out that there's something that happens when we find ourselves under pressure. We don't make good decisions too often. And so, he's going to have this discussion with those who are really being self-centered while their brethren are struggling. And so, it's kind of a warning passage for you and for me that we want to remember how well off we are and are those around us in our sphere of influence who aren't so well off. And we don't want to be self-centered and our planning forward and our looking to the future. Now, we should look to the future, but we want to be careful about how we do it.
Forecasting the Future and Getting It Wrong
Dr. David Jeremiah writes, "Many non-Christians are still laughing at Edward Winslet, who wrote 88 Reasons Why the rapture will be in 1988." This book distributed to almost every patch in America predicted that the rapture which we do believe in would take place on September 11th, 12th or 13th of 1988. Just pick one. You go on and say on those three days of September 11th, 12th and 13th of 1988, Trinity Broadcast Network, a Christian network, changed its regular programming and ran selected videotapes telling non-believing viewers what to do if their loved ones were suddenly gone. Self-proclaimed prophets like Winslet create a great deal of interest. More than three million copies of his book were distributed. This reaffirms for us man's continual quest to want to know and plot out his future.
Dr. David Jeremiah writes, "Many non-Christians are still laughing at Edward Winslet, who wrote 88 Reasons Why the rapture will be in 1988." This book distributed to almost every patch in America predicted that the rapture which we do believe in would take place on September 11th, 12th or 13th of 1988. Just pick one. You go on and say on those three days of September 11th, 12th and 13th of 1988, Trinity Broadcast Network, a Christian network, changed its regular programming and ran selected videotapes telling non-believing viewers what to do if their loved ones were suddenly gone. Self-proclaimed prophets like Winslet create a great deal of interest. More than three million copies of his book were distributed. This reaffirms for us man's continual quest to want to know and plot out his future.
The truth of the matter is we don't know the future. We really don't. Now, we know there's going to come in a time when there is going to be a rapture when Jesus is going to return. And all those who have placed their faith and trust in Christ alone as savior and those who have gone to the grave before them who have also placed their faith and trust in Christ as our savior all will be with Jesus in heaven. He will literally take us from this planet. But we don't know the day or the hour. And as we plan our lives, we must realize that we just we just don't know what the future may hold. Now we want to be wise. We want to plan. We should plan. St. Augustine is famous for saying, "God will not suffer man to have knowledge of things to come. For if he had foreign knowledge of his personal future and it was prosperous, he would become careless. And if he had personal knowledge of his adversities, he would be senseless. You know, I don't want to know the bad stuff coming around the corner. Do you?"
But the fact of the matter is we have a tendency as we plan to make a number of mistakes. One of them is we end up planning without paying God into account. One of them is we tend to plan as if we know the future. And one of them is we tend to postpone our obedience to our savior. that we should plan ahead. The scripture makes that very clear that we should make plans. In fact, in Luke chapter 14, Jesus is speaking and he says this, "For which one of you when he wants to build a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, "This man began to build and was not able to finish." Now, there's a number of us that go on a mission trip to Bise. It's coming up before you know it. Gentlemen, check your emails. But I've noticed every time we go to Bise and we do construction and we're helping these uh mission organizations to do construction for the work that they're doing, but we'll pass many a house that is completely unfinished. Well, that's exactly the picture he's saying here. They made a plan. They started building, but they didn't plan well. In fact, Proverbs tells us this in Proverbs 6 6-8. Take a lesson from the ants, your lazy bones. Ain't that great? Learn from their ways and become wise, though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work. They labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. So, God's not telling us not to plan ahead. He's not telling us to look to the future and make a plan. That's not what he's saying. But there's a way to go about it. And he's warning those who clearly are going about it in the wrong way. So, we're going to read this passage just a few verses. We're in James 4 13-1 17 and then we'll see what we can learn glean together from this lesson. Come now you who say today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city and spend a year there and engage in busyness I mean in business and make a profit, yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You're just a vapor that appears for a while and then vanishes away.
Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that." But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Therefore, to the one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.
James 4:13–17 Read and Framed
So, let's break this down. I've entitled this message future follies or planning pitfalls. Let's see if we can't avoid some of the planning pitfalls. Number one, we don't want to be planning without God. Look what he says in that first verse again. Come now, you say today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit. Dr. Ron Blue writes about this this character that James is highlighting for us. He's putting himself in the mindset of those that he's warning about the way they think about life. He says this, this man is self-assured in his travel plans. We will go to this or that city. He's self-confident in his time schedule, spend a year there and self-centered in his trade relationships, carrying on business and make money. You know, one of the questions we can ask ourselves if we're making plans, as we're looking toward the future, as we're okay, God, I you plan, failing to plan is planning to fail. You've heard this before. So, we should plan forward. Here's the question you can ask yourself. Am I being self-centered in my planning? It's the first question you want to ask yourself as you're planning forward. Here's what James says. Now, remember this is chapter 4. And just a few verses before we get to 13, we hear in verse three, you ask and you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives so that you may spend it on your pleasures. Come now you who say today or tomorrow we go to such and such a city and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit. It's very clear. You say your mindset is off. It's not wrong to make a plan. It's the way you're going about making your plan. It's all about you.
So, let's break this down. I've entitled this message future follies or planning pitfalls. Let's see if we can't avoid some of the planning pitfalls. Number one, we don't want to be planning without God. Look what he says in that first verse again. Come now, you say today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit. Dr. Ron Blue writes about this this character that James is highlighting for us. He's putting himself in the mindset of those that he's warning about the way they think about life. He says this, this man is self-assured in his travel plans. We will go to this or that city. He's self-confident in his time schedule, spend a year there and self-centered in his trade relationships, carrying on business and make money. You know, one of the questions we can ask ourselves if we're making plans, as we're looking toward the future, as we're okay, God, I you plan, failing to plan is planning to fail. You've heard this before. So, we should plan forward. Here's the question you can ask yourself. Am I being self-centered in my planning? It's the first question you want to ask yourself as you're planning forward. Here's what James says. Now, remember this is chapter 4. And just a few verses before we get to 13, we hear in verse three, you ask and you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives so that you may spend it on your pleasures. Come now you who say today or tomorrow we go to such and such a city and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit. It's very clear. You say your mindset is off. It's not wrong to make a plan. It's the way you're going about making your plan. It's all about you.
Everything you have comes from God. It's all a blessing. And he's blessed you that you would be a blessing to others. So, I say, "Okay, now wait a minute. Don't be selfish. Don't be self-centered. In fact, here's what Philippians chapter 2 says, verse three and following, speaking to believers. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind, regard one another as more important than yourselves. Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. So, as you're planning for it, hey, is it just all about me? Is that being that all I have in mind? What about me, God? What you got from me? When God's every intent is to use you to be a blessing to others, to represent him well as part of his forever family.
Proverbs 28:2, the New Century Version, 28:22, says this, "Selfish people are in a hurry to get rich and do not realize they soon will be poor." When will they be poor? When they're standing before our Lord and Savior, they'll be poor. You can't take it with you. I don't think you other than the Egyptians, you never see a hearse followed by a U-Haul. He said, 'Look, one day you're going to be poor. You're going to be standing before the Lord, and he's going to ask you, 'What did you do with all those blessings I gave you?
You might ask yourself this question. Am I seeking godly counsel? You got plans to make. You're under pressure. Best time ever to seek godly counsel. Here's what Proverbs 2018 says. Prepare plans by consultation and make war by wise guidance. Literally, the idea is seeking wise advice. Now, too often when we're under pressure, we just make quick decisions. We don't stop and say, "Now, wait a minute. I need to think about this. Who do who do I know that I can talk to that I can trust that the counsel they give me will be godly counsel? Who do you have?
Back in uh September of 1990, I had the opportunity to plant this church. a number of young couples that wanted to go through this process. And uh there came to a point in about three years that I had no elders. And so, I called Northwest Bible who I used to go to that church when I was in seminary, and I knew they had 40 elders. How rude. And so, I called over there and said, "Hey, look, I don't have any elders. I know you have 40. Can you loan me one? The guy by the name of Odom Sherman met me for lunch. And for well over two decades, we met weekly for lunch. And I'd tell him the hard stuff that was going on and to get godly advice from him. And then we would go to the car afterwards and sit in his car and we'd pray. Pray for all of his family. We would pray for all of my family. We would pray for the church. There was a moment when um we were living in Ulis when the church decided we're going to move to Capel and Susie and I uh were on our fourth child. In fact, when we moved, he was two weeks old. But I, you know, it just stirred on me that hey, I can't be living in Ulis if the church is in Capel. And I had saved a little money on, you know, on my meager salary and through those earlier days of working before I went to seminary and um I went to ODM and I said, Odum, look, I think I think we're on a move from Ulis to Capel, but in order to do that, I'm going have to drain my savings uh for a down payment. Now, I couldn’t move here. Now, if I no matter what, I could move here. But back then, even back then, I would have to drain my savings for a down payment to move into the house. And I said, I just I don't know. And he said, Barkef, if God's called you to Capel, you need to live in Capel. Make the move. Gods got you. Have you ever had to make a hard decision? Do you have anybody that you can go to? We have this thing we call quarter three strands. And the idea is just that every adult would have two other adults that they meet with on some regular. You can have more, but at least two other adults that you meet with on some regular basis. If you're a guy, two other guys. If you're a gal, two other gals that know what's going on in your life and can pray with you and for you and your family. And you're going to pray for them. Do you have that? God's desires that you would have that. These are the ones who going to help us be sure not to make a plan without God in the mix.
You know, the best place to get godly advice, God. That's the best place to get godly advice. Here's what the psalmist says in Psalm 16:7. I will bless the Lord who has counseled me. Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night. Now, how does the mind instruct him in the night? It's because he's been in God's word. In fact, here's what Psalm 119:24 says. your Lord, your testimonies also are my delight. They are my counselors. See, we're supposed to be in the word of God. We're supposed to know the word of God. We're supposed to have surround ourselves with other people who know the word of God, who have been transformed by the renewing of their minds that we might think God's thoughts after him. And when you're under pressure and big decisions need to be made, what a beautiful thing to know the word of God and to have others surrounding you who know the word of God that you can go to. God, let me not be foolish in my decisions.
You know, in a lot of leadership books that want to stamp it with a Christian idea, they'll quote Proverbs 29:18 from the King James version. Here's what it says. Where there is no vision, the people perish. And the idea is we need some really smart guy or really smart gal who has ability to have vision of what the future ought to look like and what the company ought to be doing or where the nation ought to go. But that's not at all what it's talking about. By vision, he means the very word of God. Says it even in the passage, where there is no vision, the people perish, but he that keeps the law, happy is he. What's the law? It's the Old Testament word of God. Here's how one translation puts it. Without revelation, which is a correct translation of the word vision, without revelation, people run wild. But one who listens to instruction will be happy. God's desire is that you would understand that this is where we get the vision. It's a very revelation of God. You want to know what your future, what should be in your future, this ought to be in your present and your future. This is what's going to help you make wise decisions as you plan forward as you should. The very word of God. Proverbs 19:21 puts it this way. Many plans are in a man's heart, but the counsel of the Lord will stand. That's what's going to stand. And you're saying, Lord, what would you have me to do? Lord, I'm going to go to my counselors who know you well. The abundance of counselor is victory. So, I'm going to find Look, we have nine lay elders and this dude. Why do you think we have nine lay elders? Cuz I'm so stupid. I need at least nine men surrounding me to make sure I'm not making dumb decisions. I get one vote. That's all I get.
God's desire is that we would surround ourselves with wise godly men and women to keep us from foolishness. We're looking at future follies, planning pitfalls, planning without God. Am I being self-centered in my planning? Am I seeking godly counsel?
Presuming on Tomorrow and God’s Will
Second thing is presuming to know the future. We don't want to presume to know the future. Look what he says in verses 14 and 15. Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You're just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that." Here's a question for you. Am I self-confident? Is all my confidence in me? You know, particularly gifted people with a lot of gray matter or physical prowess are very tempted to be confident in themselves. That's not what I want. That's not what God wants for you. Now, don't get me wrong. We do have a spirit, a Holy Spirit that gives us courage and self-control. In fact, here's what Paul says to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:7. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. Some translations say power and love and good judgment. But where's the good judgment come from? the Holy Spirit who has been gifted to you as you align yourself with the word that the Holy Spirit inspired. Paul puts it this way. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. He's not operating in his own confidence, his own self-confidence. He's recognized, I've got to operate in the power of the Holy Spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Look, I'm not operating. And he was extremely gifted. He said, "No, I have to trust the Holy Spirit in this."
In fact, we see Paul regularly says, "If the Lord wills," in Acts chapter 18 verse 21, speaking to the Ephesians, "I will return to you again if God wills." In 1 Corinthians 4:19, but I will come to you soon if the Lord wills. 1 Corinthians 16:7, "For I do not wish to see you just now in passing." In other words, I don't want to just come through for a moment. I want to stay for all for I hope to remain with you for some time if the Lord permits. Even Jesus said, "Father, if you're willing, remove this cup from me. Yet not my will, but yours be done."
We're talking about planning pitfalls. The idea of being under pressure and suddenly making a plan, planning without God, presuming to know the future. Oh, I got this. In the process, we find ourselves in the midst of foolishness and the consequences thereof. In the same passage, he tells us that we should never forget the uncertainty of life. You do not know what your life holds. You don't. In Proverbs 21 27:1, it says this, "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth."
A year ago, my son in Indonesia and his bride were having their second child. And two weeks after the child, they wanted us to wait till after the child came and then go see him two weeks later. So, we made this great plan. And they've been having a hard time. They're living a Spartan life to now have two have a one-year-old and a two-week old. And we're going to go see him. And our plan was, we made a plan. We're going to bless them. We're going to get over there and we're going to take them on a vacation that they could never have afford on their own. We're going to take them to Bali and we're going to just take care of them. Let them have a lot of fun. We'll watch the kids, and everything will be great. So, we make this long trek over there. Great plan. What's wrong with that plan? You got to bring up with the plan. I don't have wrong with that. It's a good plan. I'm a grandfather. Give me a break. I'm going. First night there, the two-week old as a major event and they have to leave in the middle of the night on a motorcycle to go to a hospital that I know not where it is in a city I've never been in before, which is two days journey to get to. And they get on this little bike, mom and dad and infant, and they leave the one-year-old with me and Susie. You never know. You don't know what tomorrow holds. You make your plans, but you make them with an open hand. We were on our knees. Believe me, we're on our knees. But God is good. You don't know what tomorrow holds. Never forget as you make your plan the uncertainty of life. God, I'm asking you for counsel. I'm surrounding myself with godly counsel. Should I plan for the future? You bet. Go to the ant. See how he plans. And God recommends, "Hey, you ought to be like the ant. You ought to plan forward for winter. You ought to plan forward for bad stuff that's coming. Because you live this life, bad stuff comes, but don't do it thinking you know the future."
He also says, "Never forget the brevity of life." Look in verse 14. Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor. Some translations say mist or smoke that appears. This word appears comes from the word what we get the word phantom. Just something that shows up and disappears. It appears for a little while and then vanishes. Now the scripture is uh really presses hard on this. You're a vapor. You're just a mist. You're here for a moment. What are you going to do with the time that God has given you? Is it all about you? Or is it about God using you for his kingdom purposes? By the way, the scripture just presses this point home over and over again. Psalm 39:5, New Living Translation. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you, Lord, at best. Each of us is but a breath. Psalm 144 verse4, man is like a mere breath. His days are like a passing shadow. 1 Chronicles 29:15, our days on the earth are like a shadow. You want to make sure that you don't fall into planning pitfalls. Don't think that you have all the time in the world because you do not. What are you going to do with the moments that have been given to you? How are you going to bless others with the blessing with which you have been blessed?
Postponed Obedience and Hidden Sin
We're looking at planning pitfalls, planning without God, presuming to know the future. Here's this this last one. It says, "Postponing obedience." Look what it says in verses 16 and following. But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Therefore, to the one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. Now you might want to ask yourself, am I deceiving myself? You know, we have a tendency to think forward to, okay, I what I don't I don't want to lie, steal, or chill or steal. I'm going to I'm going to make sure I don't do that. But do we realize that sin includes not only the idea of sins of commission, but sins of omission? There's certain things God has given you to do. And its sin to know what to do to choose not to do it. Now, in this case, he's talking about those wealthy refugees. That's exactly what they are. They're wealthy refugees who are worried all about themselves, having bigger this, bigger that, when their fellow brothers and sisters literally are short on groceries, short on clothing. Saying, "Wake up. Wake up." You do realize if you live in North America the chances are very strong that you are on the 10 the top 10% of those who have earnings material things a good life. You might think well they must be in 1%. That's okay. You're in the top 10%. What are you doing with the stuff God has blessed you with that you too would be a blessing? Here's what Proverbs 3:es 27 and following say. Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, "Go and come back and tomorrow I will give it when you have it with you." The New Living Translation says this in Proverbs 11:24. It is possible to give freely and become wealthier, but those who are stingy will lose everything.
We're looking at planning pitfalls, planning without God, presuming to know the future. Here's this this last one. It says, "Postponing obedience." Look what it says in verses 16 and following. But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Therefore, to the one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. Now you might want to ask yourself, am I deceiving myself? You know, we have a tendency to think forward to, okay, I what I don't I don't want to lie, steal, or chill or steal. I'm going to I'm going to make sure I don't do that. But do we realize that sin includes not only the idea of sins of commission, but sins of omission? There's certain things God has given you to do. And its sin to know what to do to choose not to do it. Now, in this case, he's talking about those wealthy refugees. That's exactly what they are. They're wealthy refugees who are worried all about themselves, having bigger this, bigger that, when their fellow brothers and sisters literally are short on groceries, short on clothing. Saying, "Wake up. Wake up." You do realize if you live in North America the chances are very strong that you are on the 10 the top 10% of those who have earnings material things a good life. You might think well they must be in 1%. That's okay. You're in the top 10%. What are you doing with the stuff God has blessed you with that you too would be a blessing? Here's what Proverbs 3:es 27 and following say. Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, "Go and come back and tomorrow I will give it when you have it with you." The New Living Translation says this in Proverbs 11:24. It is possible to give freely and become wealthier, but those who are stingy will lose everything.
You know, we don't uh we don't press home on money around here. We only touch it when it's actually in the text, which is one of the reasons that you want to go to a church where they preach through the scripture and don't just have hobby horses from time to time. But this scripture is very, very clear. Listen, you've been blessed to be a blessing. When you plan, don't be self-centered, selfish in your planning. Ask God, "How would you use me and my stuff for your kingdom purposes?"
Am I being self-centered in my planning? Am I self-confident rather than confidence in the Lord? Am I deceiving myself, thinking as long as I'm not doing this stuff, everything's fine? Here's what the writer of Hebrews is writing to a similar audience as James. He's writing to believing Jews who are being tempted to go backwards in their faith. They belong to Jesus forever more through simple faith, but they're being tempted culturally to go back to worshiping in the way that they used to worship before they fully understood that Jesus had completed all the sacrifice that ever needed to be completed. He was the final and sufficient sacrifice for sins. But they were tempted to go backwards. He's saying, "Don't go backwards." And here's what he says. Today, when you hear his voice, how do they hear his voice? Well, they heard the preaching and the teaching directly from the word of God. Today, when you hear God's voice, don't harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me, the Lord, in the wilderness. By the way, uh Paul's writing to the Corinthians and says something very similar to what the Hebrew writer is saying to that dispersed Jewish population of believers. And here's what he says. He says, "At the acceptable time, I listened to you." Second Corinthians 6:2, "And on the day of salvation, I helped you. Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation." Now, when he says the word salvation, he's not talking about eternal salvation. He's talking about deliverance from your current circumstances. Now is the time to call on me. Now is the acceptable time. Now is the day. Now is the time to decide, I'm going to do what God has instructed me to do. Not so that I'll earn my salvation. You can earn your salvation. but that I might bring him glory and represent him well in the here and the now.
Generosity, Wealth, And Kingdom Purpose
What does God put on your heart to do that you are postponing deceiving yourself that I can do it tomorrow when today is that day. Now uh I went to a funeral of a good friend, another older mentor last Saturday. His last name is BGEOA. Now you know that's a Cajun name. He was my first elder. meaning long ago in a galaxy far away, Baton Rouge, I was a youth pastor and there was an elder assigned to the youth pastor and he was assigned to me and he was a wonderful man and he was extremely generous and we'd always have the youth over at his house and they would feed us and feed us and feed us and he encouraged me. In fact, when it was time for me to go to seminary, I didn't even know to ask for any help. I was just working my way through seminary. He came to me before I left and he said, "I'm going to support you monthly and such and so amount." And I said, "Oh, you can't do that." And he said, "Oh, yes, I can." And he was the first one who ever supported me financially in ministry. Well, he uh he's got two sons. Both were in my youth group and one's an attorney and one's a minister. What a mix. The minister actually did the message, and it was incredible. Got a chance to remember stories of this man's godly life and his generosity. And it was kind of a kind of a little reunion of a bunch of us who were all together serving back then. But I got to hear a story by one of my friends. So, one of our friends had gone in early and here's a situation. He uh he had had failing health, and he had diabetes and they finally got to the point where they had the hospital bed in his living room where people could come and visit him. And he got so frail he didn't want to keep traveling to get dialysis. And he finally told his family, he said, 'Guys, I'm not going to do this anymore. And uh so he stopped doing dialysis. And they told him, 'Well, this you only have, you know, a week to two weeks and it's going to take you. And he said, I know it's okay. And he had been an altar boy many moons ago. And there was a funeral home that he had done many services where he was the altar boy for the funeral. And he was telling his sons, he said, "Look, I don't want to burden you with my funeral. So, I'm going to prepare my funeral for you, and I wanted to be at this particular place where I'd done so many other funerals because I want them to hear the gospel, whoever happens to be there." And so, the person who was assigned to his particular case came to his home to talk about the arrangements. And when he walked in, he said, "I'm the deceased." Now, why could he be so jovial about the fact that his days were numbered very tightly because he knew that he knew that he knew where he was going.
Today, Not Tomorrow: Responding To God
Now, in a room this large, although many of you have been here for many years, surely there are some here who have yet to place their faith, their trust in Christ alone as savior. And I want you to know, let today be your day. Jesus said, "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life." Jesus said, "Truly, truly I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and does not come into judgment but has passed from death to life. Ephesians 2:8:9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift from God, not as a result to works that no man should boast. The gift has been offered, would you embrace it?"
In 1829, there was a guy by the name of George Wilson. And George Wilson had some problems. He was going bankrupt. And decided to take matters into his own hands, planning his future. Decided to rob a mail wagon. Didn't intend to, but in the process ended up killing someone. He was a caught. He was arrested. He was tried. And he was convicted for murder. Well, he had friends in high places, and they knew that this was an aberration of his life. This is not the man he normally was. That he was made some foolish decisions, and he ended up causing the death of an individual. So, they went to the highest order to get a pardon. They went to Andrew Jackson, the president of the United States. They pled for George Wilson. And Andrew Jackson was persuaded, and he wrote out a pardon for George Wilson and signed it and had sent it by courier to the sheriff who was waiting to hang him. The sheriff gets it. He says, "George Wilson, this is your lucky day. I have a pardon with your name on it signed by President Andrew Jackson." Wilson said, "I do not accept." The sheriff didn't know what to do with it. So, it went back to the court, and it went all the way up to the Supreme Court and Chief Justice Marshall said, "Who would ever suppose that anyone would reject a pardon? But if they do, the pardon is nothing but a piece of paper. George Wilson must be hanged." And George Wilson was hanged with a pardon with his name on it signed by the president on the desk of the sheriff.
Jesus paid it all. He said it is finished. He paid for the sins of the entire world. But not everybody's saved. Knowing about Jesus doesn't save anybody. trusting Jesus saves. Would you believe Jesus? If you need to, I implore you, go and investigate the evidence for the truth that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontious Pilot, was crucified, dead, and buried, and was raised on the third day. and continues through his apostles and through those of us who have learned from the word of God to speak the truth. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. And no one comes to the father except by him, but everyone can come.
Would you pray with me?