13 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”– 14 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. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. —James 4:13-17

A person of

I. Worldly response to the sovereignty of God 4:13-14, 16, 17

13 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”– 14 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. … 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. —James 4:13-14, 16, 17

• A. Presumption 4:13-14
  
  1. Illustrated – “Come now who say” 4:13
  2. Misunderstanding 4:14
     a. The complexity of life
     b. The brevity of life

• B. Description 4:16-17

  1. Arrogance – believe they are in control 4:16a

  2. Evil – imitators of Satan (Isaiah 14:13-14) 4:16b

     13 You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ —Isaiah 14:13-14

  3. Disobedient 4:17
     a. Acknowledge God’s sovereignty
     b. Choose to disregard

II. Godly response to the sovereignty of God 4:15, 17

15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” … 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. —James 4:15, 17

• A. Presented 4:15, 17
  
  1. It is to be a way of life – “to say” present tense 4:15
  2. It acknowledges God’s sovereignty and applies it 4:17

• B. Applied

  1. Our lives are to be lived as an act of worship Romans 12:1-2

     1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. —Romans 12:1-2

  2. It is a matter of heart service, not just eye service Ephesians 6:6

     6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, —Ephesians 6:6

  3. It is the way of blessing John 13:12-17

     12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. —John 13:12-17

Small Group Questions

1. What did God teach you through this passage and sermon? Share the work of God in your heart with the group.

2. What questions did this passage and sermon raise in your mind? This would be a great opportunity as a group to use the Ask a Pastor feature and that way we can address it either directly or in the messages in the future.

3. What does it mean to live in dependence on God, seeking Him in all things affecting daily life?

4. If living in dependence on God is the way of blessing for the believer, why do we struggle so much to live in this manner?

5. What areas of your life are the most difficult for you to live as an act of worship, and how can you correct these deficiencies?