JAMES: PRACTICAL FAITH - The Dangers of Pride (James 4:13-17 NIV) 6-15-25
INTRODUCTION
The joy of perseverance to maturity
True religion
Equality in the church
Faith and works
Taming the tongue
Sowing seeds of peace
Trusting God
Humble thyself
Perfect submission
James 4:13-17 NIV
“Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”
James 4:13-17 NIV
Remember
James 4:11-12 NIV
“Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?”
James 4:11-12 NIV
I. PUFFED UP PRIDE
Shine Thomas tells this story.
Muhammad Ali, the great boxer was never known for being a kind person. Once he was on an airplane and he often said, “I'm the greatest.” The airhostesses looked at him and saw he didn't have his seatbelt fastened. She said to him, “Mr. Ali, you'll have to fasten your seatbelt.” Ali responded, “Superman don't need seatbelt.” The hostess then replied, “Superman don't need airplane either.”
Shine Thomas, Sermon Central, November 9, 2018.
James 4:13-14 NIV
“Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
James 4:13-14 NIV
A. Modern day prophets
1. Making plans
2. Unable to see the future
B. Unfortunate reality
1. Can't control tomorrow
2. Short-lived
Paul W. Powell once observed: “Pride is so subtle that if we aren’t careful we’ll be proud of our humility. When this happens our goodness becomes badness. Our virtues become vices. We can easily become like the Sunday School teacher who, having told the story of the Pharisee and the publican, said, ‘Children, let’s bow our heads and thank God we are not like the Pharisee!’”
Today in the Word, September 23, 1995, p. 30.
II. PROPER PERSPECTIVE
James 4:15 NIV
“Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.””
James 4:15 NIV
A. "IF" it's God's will
1. God’s general will - The Word (covers most issues)
2. God’s specific will - revelation
Jimmy is a professional fisherman. He makes his living fishing on the BASS (Bass Angler Sportsman Society) circuit. He is also a devout Christian and belongs to the FBC Keys, Oklahoma.
In 2003, BASS made a ruling that to be eligible for the fisherman of the year award ($100,000), you had to wear the patch and decal of a prominent sponsor--Busch Beer!
Jimmy Houston refused to do it, thereby forfeiting his chance at the $100,000. A fellow Christian fisherman on the circuit asked him, "Jimmy, have you prayed about that?" Jimmy replied, "I don’t have to pray about it. There is no decision for me to make. God has already made the decision in His Word when He said not to do anything that would damage our testimony as Christians."
He didn’t use these words, but Jimmy was saying to this fisherman, "This is not a part of God’s specific will, it’s a part of God’s general will. God’s Word clearly tells me what God’s will would be in this matter."
Once we understand that the majority of God’s will is revealed in the Word, and that the small part that is His specific will can only be discerned using principles taught in the Word, we can make a statement about knowing God’s will. The knowledge of God’s will and the knowledge of God’s Word are, for all practical purposes, one and the same! You cannot know God’s will without knowing His Word, and you cannot know God’s Word without discovering His will!
SBC Life, June 2003, pp 12.
B. "We will" do this or that
III. PERSONAL PERFORMANCE
Sometimes we need to just do what we are told to do because that is what is needed. Do what you are told!
A man limps into a hospital to have his foot X-rayed and is asked to wait for the results. Some time later an orderly appears and hands the man a large pill. As he’s handed the pill, a mother with a small child in need of immediate attention enters and the orderly disappears with the new patient.
The man with the foot problem hobbles over to get a glass of water, swallows the pill, and sits down to wait. Some time later the orderly reappears bringing a bucket of water to the man with the limp.
"Okay," he said, "Let’s drop the pill in this bucket and soak your foot for a while."
Our own behaviors can circumvent the very cure we need.
Sermon Central, May 12, 2011.
James 4:16-17 NIV
“As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”
James 4:16-17 NIV
A. We must act according to God's will
B. Not doing the will of God is like doing something that is against God's will
CONCLUSION
TOMORROW
He was going to be all that a mortal should be
Tomorrow
No one would be better than he
Tomorrow
Each morning he stacked up the letters he would write
Tomorrow
It was too bad indeed he was too busy to see Bill, but he promised to do it
Tomorrow
The greatest of workers this man would have been
Tomorrow
The world would have known him had he ever seen
Tomorrow
But the fact is he died and faded from view, and all
that was left when living was through Was a mountain of things he intended to do
Tomorrow.
David Parks, Sermon Central, September 18, 2006.
We must not be puffed up with pride. We must have the proper perspective - if it is God’s will we will do it. We must personally perform the good we ought to do.
INVITATION
It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word. You may want to follow Jesus. You may want to proclaim your faith. You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things). Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church. If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now. If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.
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