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INCLUDE GOD IN YOUR PLAN
JAMES 4:13-17
Andres C. Guevara Jr.
April 10, 2022 SUN a.m.

Introduction:

  • All unsaved men are guilty of the sin of independence, that is leaving God out of their lives.
  • They planned their lives as if they were going to live forever and they forget of the reality that they are only dependent upon God for the very air that they breathe and everything else that they possessed in this earth.
  • James wrote in verse 15, “For what is your life? It is even as a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” That means there is no promise of a tomorrow.
  • Our passage was addressed to the “brethren” (James 1:2), so James is talking to the believers, because during that time there were some Christians that were leaving God out of their plans in life.
  • Verses 5 to 7 are the 5 verses that deal with the problem of leaving God out of their planning.
  • Notice James starts off by saying in verse 13 “Go to now,” which is translated “come now”. James requested special attention to the words he is saying because what he is saying is so much importance in their lives.
              First, we will notice:
I – IT IS WRONG TO EXCLUDE THE LORD
             A. The words of those who exclude the Lord  
                   1. The Business Statement-V.13
James 4:13 "Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:”
Santiago 4:13 “Halikayo ngayon, kayong nagsasabi, “Ngayon o bukas ay pupunta kami sa ganito o sa ganoong bayan, at kami ay mangangalakal doon ng isang taon at kikita.” FILIPINO VERSION
               a) Future plans without God           
                    1) Planning the Future Without God is foolish for God Controls Our Today’s. - v.13b “Today”
                    2) Planning the Future Without God is foolish for God Controls Our Tomorrows - v.13c “or tomorrow”
                    3) Planning the Future Without God is foolish for God Controls Our Travels – v. 13d “we will go into such a city”
                    4) Planning the Future Without God is foolish for God Controls Our Time - v.13e “and continue there a year”
             b) Financial prosperity without God
                   1) This person says that he is going to buy or sell. – v.13e “buy and sell”
                   2) This person says that he is going to get gain – v.13f “get gain”
  • To maintain financial prosperity without God is a false security
  • The business men in this passage decided that religion and business did not mix. So, the sacred was separated from the secular by these business men according to what James shows us.
  • The Lord needs to be in your plans. James believed in mixing religion in every department of man’s life which include business, marriage, school, personal life, and many more areas of our lives. The Lord must be the center and primary thing in our plans.
  • So, if we take a look over the plans of these business men, their plans are well laid out.
These people excel in the “planning department”:
1. The PROGRAM is well planned—v. 13b, v.13c “today or tomorrow”
2. The PLACE is well planned – v.13d “we will go in such a city
3. The PERIOD is well planned – v.13e “and continue there a year”
4. The PURPOSE is well planned – v.13e “and buy and sell”
5. The PROFIT is well planned– v.13f “and get gain”
  • However, these people derail in the “person department”. These people leave the only one person out that could cause all these plans to come to pass, if it was God’s will.
  • These people decided to planned by self and they planned for self. They planned without God, or excluded God.
                2. The Boastful spirit – v.16
James 4:16 “But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.”
Santiago 4:16 “Subalit ngayon ay nagmamalaki kayo sa inyong mga kayabangan. Ang lahat ng gayong pagmamalaki ay masama.” FILIPINO VERSION
  • Notice the warning of James in verse 16 “But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.”
- Their plan of these boastful businessmen was EXCITING to them, but their plan was EVIL to God.
  - Their plan of these boastful businessmen DELIGHTED them, but their plan DISAPPOINTED God.
An illustration of a business man leaving God out of his plans and his business is in – Luke 12:16-21
  • Listen to what this business man said: Luke 12:18-19 “And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.”
  • Listen to how God responds:  Luke 12:20 “But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?”
  • God stopped the plans of this businessman the very day he planned out his business for the future. We must be sensitive for God’s approval. Never leave God out of our plans.
B. The wrong of those who exclude the Lord
     1. The evil spirits rejoicing – v.16a
James 4:16a “But now ye rejoice in your boastings:”
Santiago 4:16a “Subalit ngayon ay nagmamalaki kayo sa inyong mga kayabangan.” FILIPINO VERSION
  • They boasted in their calculation concerning the continuance of life, health and prosperity.
  • Their pride was supreme
  • Remember the man proposes but God disposes
  • Man may orchestrate his plans, but God is able to override his plans.
     2. The explained sinful result – v.16b
James 4:16b "all such rejoicing is evil,"
Santiago 4:16b “Ang lahat ng gayong pagmamalaki ay masama.” FILIPINO VERSION
  • That is why James said, James 4:17 "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
Santiago 4:17 “Kaya't ang sinumang nakakaalam ng paggawa ng mabuti ngunit hindi ito ginagawa, ito ay kasalanan sa kanya.” FILIPINO VERSION
  • Then again James said, James 4:16b “all such rejoicing is evil.”
  • Remember, Satan is the Evil one, was one time an angel who loved to glory and boast, so God thrown him out of Heaven because of pride.
  • According to James, we sin when we live in our own way independent of God and glory about what we are going to do.
  • Notice the again the words in verse 17 “Therefore, to him that knoweth to do good,” has reference to the children of God who knows that we are to always include God in all aspects of our lives, and if we don’t this after we know to do is sin.
  • The words in James 4:17 “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” is the sin of omission not sin of commission. This sin is omitting God out of your plans.
II – IT IS WISE THE INCLUDE THE LORD   
              A. Relating to the will of God in our plans – v.15a
James 4:15a “For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will,”
Santiago 4:15a “Sa halip ay dapat ninyong sabihin, “Kung loloobin ng Panginoon kami ay mabubuhay at gagawin namin ito o iyon.” FILIPINO VERSION
  • James said ye “ought”, that signifies our duty. The words ye “ought” means there is no option. Every Believers should always include God in their speech while planning in their life. Therefore, we ought to include God in our Home life, Social life, business life, Spiritual life, and personal life.
  • We should acknowledge our dependence upon God for our life.
  • George Truett said, “To know the will of God is the greatest knowledge! To do the will of God is the greatest achievement in life.”
  • We ought to say “if the Lord will,” in all our planning, hoping, doings.
B. Reason for the will of God in our plans – v.15b
James 4:15 "If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.”
Santiago 4:15b “Kung loloobin ng Panginoon kami ay mabubuhay at gagawin namin ito o iyon.” FILIPINO VERSION
                   1. The Life dependence in God’s will – v.15b
James 4:15b “If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.”
Santiago 4:15b “Kung loloobin ng Panginoon kami ay mabubuhay at gagawin namin ito o iyon.” FILIPINO VERSION
  • Notice James said “For that ye ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live”
  • Did you know the time that you spend on this earth and live is determined by God?
  • Listen to Job 14:5, 15 and Ecclesiastes 8:8
Job 14:5, 15 “Seeing his [man] days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass; 15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: …”
Ecclesiastes 8:8 “There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death:..”
  • Our dependence of life is in God’s will.
James 4:14 “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away..”                                            
Santiago 4:14 “Gayunman ay hindi ninyo nalalaman kung ano ang magaganap bukas. Ano ba ang inyong buhay? Kayo nga'y isang singaw na sa sandaling panahon ay lumilitaw, at pagkatapos ay naglalaho.” FILIPINO VERSION
  • Life is short. The Lord is speaking of the brevity or shortness of life.
    2. The Life doing in God’s will – v.15c
James 4:15 “If the Lord will, …and do this, or that.”
Santiago 4:15 “Sa halip ay dapat ninyong sabihin, “Kung loloobin ng Panginoon kami ay mabubuhay at gagawin namin ito o iyon.” FILIPINO VERSION
  • Did you know that God’s will determined your being able to do this or do that?                                           
C. Result of the will of God in our plans
    1. Living a biblical life – v.15c
  • If we live biblical lives, the Lord will be in our speech – v. 15 “if the Lord will, we shall live”
  • Notice the result of re-word by putting God’s will in the plans. – v.13
James 4:13 “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:”
Santiago 4:13 “Halikayo ngayon, kayong nagsasabi, “Ngayon o bukas ay pupunta kami sa ganito o sa ganoong bayan, at kami ay mangangalakal doon ng isang taon at kikita.” FILIPINO VERSION
Listen to Paul as he includes God in his plans:
     1. Paul said, I will come back, he promised the Christians at Ephesus - ”if it is God’s will”. – Acts 18:21
Acts 18:21 “But bade them farewell, saying,…but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.”
     2. Paul wrote to the church at Rome, as desires to come, - “by the will of God” – Romans 1:10
Romans 1:10 “Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.”
     3. Paul promised the Corinthians, I will come to you very soon - if the Lord is willing. – I Corinthians 4:19
I Corinthians 4:19 “But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.”
     4. Paul said, I hope to spend some time with you if the Lord permits. – I Corinthians 16:7
I Corinthians 16:7 “For I will not see you now by the way; but I trust to tarry a while with you, if the Lord permit.”

     2. Living a beneficial life

  • Paul is talking about the will of God that is good, acceptable, and perfect – Romans 12;2
Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
  • The results of wanting to be in God’s will, the planning of our lives will produce a beneficial life. Our lives will be beneficial to ourselves and to our Saviour.
  • If God alters our plans, the result is that we won’t fall apart, we will still be happy.
  • If God alters our plans, it will be for our best – Romans 8:28

Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

  • The God of peace will gives us Peace of God that comes as the result from being in God’s will.

Philippians 4:6-7 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

  • If we have plans, and those plans don’t turn out the way we planned, we know who changes our plans and that will cause us to trust God, instead of getting bitter at God. We must learn to trust God with our heart instead of leaning not into our own understanding.
Conclusion:
Don’t Forget to include God in your Plans.
James 4:15 “For that ye ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.”
To our unsaved Sinner friend, be sure to include God in your future destiny, when you leave this walk of life.
To our saved Brethren, since God is going to be in your future eternal home when you leave this walk of life, you need to include God in your plans now in this present world. It will be Biblical and Beneficial as you travel your life now.