Turn, if you would, to James,
chapter 4. James, chapter 4. The name of the message is, The
Lord Willing. The Lord Willing. James, chapter
4. We look at verses 13. 217, the Lord willin'. Go to now ye that say today or
tomorrow we will go into such a city and continue there a year
and buy and sell and get gain. Whereas ye know not what shall
be on the morrow. So you don't know what's in store
tomorrow. For what is your life? It is
even a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth
away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live,
and do this or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings,
all such rejoicing as evil. Therefore to him that knoweth
to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. We as believers
always want to be aware that we live and we breathe every
single day according to the will of God. According to the will
of God. Now we don't think of that often
as we breathe each breath. But every breath that we take
in, is another breath that the Lord has given us. And think of the mercies that
we receive every day. Lamentation says those mercies
are new every morning, every morning. And they are all think
of this for we who believe they are all because of the Lord Jesus
Christ in him and through him. And that's how they come to us.
We receive mercy and we receive grace in and through the Lord
Jesus Christ. Now we know that God can take
us anytime to be with him, can't he? He can, anytime. And our scripture declares this
morning that our life is like a vapor. It's like a vapor. Remember a cold winter day and
you go out and you go, and that vapor comes out of our mouth,
right? And then what happens? We see the little mist and it's
gone. The Greek word is mist. That's
what our life is like, like a breath. Here today and gone tomorrow. What a picture the Lord has given
us, every one of us, of our time upon this earth. What a picture the Lord's given
us just in the breath that we breathe on a cold winter day. Our life is like a vapor. Now
it may seem long to us, but in light of eternity, it's
extremely short. It's extremely short. So here
before us, we have a caution against presumption. We have
a caution against presumption, boasting about tomorrow. Boasting
about tomorrow, look, it says, go to now, verse 13, go to now
ye that say today or tomorrow. We will go into such a city and
continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain, whereas,
you know, not what shall be on the moral for what is your life?
It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes
away. For that ye ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live
and do this or that. Here we have a caution about
boasting of tomorrow. In our lives, we fill our hearts
with happiness at the prospects of our plans or the things that
we've planned. Some things we plan out years
ahead. and others maybe just a few weeks or a few months planned
out. We plan out trips. And there's
nothing wrong with planning these things out. I'm not saying that.
There's nothing wrong with that. It's just we don't know if we
have tomorrow. We don't know. We have no idea. In the context here, people have grandiose plans and
they never say if the Lord will. And in never saying if the Lord
wills, and I'm not saying we have to say Lord will and after
everything, I'm not saying that. But we have to be conscious that
if the Lord wills us to have tomorrow, we will have tomorrow.
If not, we won't. We won't. So the time is short
for us. Now, folks of the world often
say this. They say we will have this and we will have that. And
we'll continue this year. And they have no thoughts of
God at all. No thoughts at all. no care for God, who he is. And they're really saying, well,
today or tomorrow, we will. We will do these things. Now,
the believer, we say, Lord, we're going to be able to do these
things. If God wills it, so we cannot presume from this text
here, we cannot presume what we will do tomorrow because we
we have no idea what tomorrow shall bring. And secondly, to put confidence
in what we will, right, to put confidence in what we will is
to put confidence in a vapor, to put confidence in a text.
See, and that's what, isn't that what free will workspace religion
does? They put confidence in themselves. They don't put confidence
in the Lord. And our rest and our trust is
in Christ and Him alone. Think of this, would you put
assurance in something that appears for a little time then vanishes
away? No. But people are doing that all
the time, aren't they? They put confidence in themselves
for their salvation. They put confidence in themselves
for whatever they're gonna do in life. But God's people say,
we say, no, Lord, will I not be able to do that? Our trust and our hope is in
Christ. So to put our confidence in something
that appears as a mist, the Greek word for vapor, would be to put
our trust in something that's fleeting. Praise God that we
don't trust in ourselves anymore, eh? That we trust in Christ and
Him alone and what He's done, what He's done. So our trust
is in if the Lord wills that to come to pass, in everything
in our life. If today we boast in we will,
then tomorrow if our plans come to pass, our boast will be in
we who will. Do you see the difference between
the believer and the world? The world constantly rests and
trusts in we. The believer rests and trusts
in the Lord. What will he do? What will he do? Words to remember. Look, it says,
if the Lord will, we shall live and do this or do that. We should always remember as
believers, we should always remember as believers who's in control.
Now, my trouble when I get in trouble, when I get depressed
or when I get filled with anxiety is when I get my mind off the
Lord and on situations in the world or situations in my life,
and I can tailspin just like everyone else. When I get my
eyes off the Lord and I get my eyes upon the circumstances,
look out. My refuge, though, is the Word
of God. Whenever I get like that, I go
to the Word. I usually go to Psalms because
our dear brother David struggled with some things just like we
did. And you go there and you start to read scripture. And
the peace that passes all understand. Comforts our hearts. Comforts
our hearts, because we start to look to the Lord, start to
look to the Lord. So I always need to remember
who's in control, who's guiding all things according to his will,
according to his will and according to his purpose. Turn, if you
would, as Isaiah chapter 46. Words to remember, if the Lord
will, we shall live and do this or that. If the Lord wills. And the one who we remember who's
in control is the one who knows the end from the beginning. The
one who has our very eternal souls in his hands. The one who wills all things
according to his purpose, according to his purpose. Look at Isaiah
46 verses nine to 12 or 13. Remember the former things of
old for I am God. Now God states right there before
us who he is. He is God. He's God. The one true God. And there is
none else. I am God and there is none like
me. All these other gods that people
bow down to are figments of people's imaginations. This is the one
true God speaking here in scripture. He says, declaring the end from
the beginning. He already knows what's going
to come to pass. Now that brings me great comfort
because every day things unfold before my eyes. And I, you know,
sometimes we wonder what's going on. Look what's going on. God
already knows what's coming. He's declaring the end from the
beginning. And look at this, and from ancient
times, eternity, eternity, beloved, the things that are not yet done, saying, my counsel shall stand,
and I will do all my pleasure. If you're saved, it was God's
pleasure to save you. Isn't that wonderful? calling
the ravenous bird from the east, the man that executed my counsel
from a far country, he uses, think of this, he uses nations
and people to do whatever he's pleased. That's God. That's a sovereign God. Isn't
it wonderful? That's our Savior. He moves people, to go one way or another,
according to however his purpose will play out. My, what a God
we have. Yea, I have spoken it. Now, look
at here, we see the sure if God says it, it's going to happen.
The sureness of his decree or his decrees. Yea, I have spoken
it. I will also bring it to pass. Think of that. In light of God's
sheep being chosen in Christ from before the foundation of
the world. He spoke it. He gave us to Christ
and our salvation has come to pass in Christ. Sure. This is why we can have confidence
preaching the gospel not in anything of us. That's gospel preachers
We have no confidence in ourselves at all But we have confidence
preaching the Word of God knowing that it's going to go forth and
it's going to do whatever God has it to do to save to harden
to save Whatever his purposes and he will get every single
one of his shape Everyone It's wonderful I will also bring it
to pass. I have purposed it. I will also
do it. Now think of that in light of
all different things going on. Whatever he purposes comes to
pass. Hearken unto me, ye that are
far from righteousness. I bring near my righteousness.
It shall not be far off. And my salvation shall not tarry.
And I will place, look at this, look at this. We already know
who Zion is, don't we, from our study. In Psalm 48, Zion's church,
and I will place salvation in Zion. That's the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is only in Christ.
He's placed salvation in Zion for Israel, my glory. God's people
are spiritually Israel. Look at that. We know that we don't work things
together for the good, right? We just, we live in this world,
we move in this world, but God, he has everything work for good,
for his purpose, whatever his purpose is. According to his
perfect plan and his eternal purpose, things are all working
out. And He even works all things
according to His purpose for His people. In and through the
Lord Jesus Christ. God's purpose will be accomplished.
And this is comforting for we who are believers. It can never
be thwarted by man. God's purpose can... We saw that,
didn't we, in Isaiah? God's purpose can never be thwarted
by man. Let man shake their fist. Let
man do whatever they please. They can never thwart God. They've
tried to extinguish Christianity. Someone told me the other day,
well, they're going to extinguish Christianity. No, they never
will. There will always be a remnant. They will never extinguish Christianity.
Men have tried over the years. And that ruckus fell upon them
to their destruction. Our God is King. Our God is the
Lord. And his purpose shall be accomplished. He does, as he pleases, among
the inhabitants of the world and in heaven above, and and
we who believe, acknowledge and bow to his absolute sovereignty,
don't we in our lives saying that I will be done, that I will
be done whatever you. I will be done in heaven and
on earth, and God does all things according to his purpose. to
bring glory to his name. Turn, if you would, to Romans
chapter eight, Romans chapter eight. He does all things to
bring glory to his name. And it's all in and through the
Lord Jesus Christ. God's people glorify God in and
through Christ. You who are saved, do you not
glorify God for what he's done for you? It's amazing. Me, a sinner, he chose me. He
saved me. He purchased me on Calvary's
cross. A sinner by birth, nature, and
choice? Yes. Someone asked me how I know.
How do you know you're one of the elect? I know because I'm
saved. Because I'm born again by the Holy Spirit of God. It
ain't dependent upon me. It's based on what Christ has
done. People ask you those kind of questions because they believe
they saved themselves. Well, they're deceived. The Lord
saved me. The Lord moved in my heart. And
He does for all His people. Look at Romans chapter 8, verses
28 to 31. And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are called
according to His purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that
He might be the firstborn among many brethren. But look at that
verse 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. Verse 30, moreover whom He did predestinate, them
He also called. And whom He called, them He also
justified. And whom He justified, them He
also glorified. Look at this. What shall we then
say to these things? If God before us, who can be against us? If God before us, who can condemn
us? If God before us, can the law? No, it's been satisfied. Can
the justice of God? It's been satisfied. Now men can rail on us and say
whatever they want. What should we then say to these
things? Let them rail. If God be for us, who can be
against us? Our God is in full control, beloved,
and nothing, absolutely nothing catches our God by surprise.
Nothing. Nothing. He guides and directs the affairs
of man according to his sovereign will and purpose. Now God is
not the author of sin. All he has to do is leave men
alone. And we just eat up sin because
we're sinners from the top of our heads to the bottom of our
feet. It is only by the mercy of God that we are forgiven all
our sin. and that now we hate sin. I ask
you who believe, do you hate sin? We hate it, don't we? More in ourselves, as I've often
said, than anywhere else. But God did not leave us where
we were. And if he had of, we'd be no
different than anyone else out there. But he didn't leave us
where we were. He's redeemed us. He saved us
by his own precious blood And we who believe will praise his
mighty name forever, won't we? We praise his name here on earth,
and beloved, we're gonna praise his name in glory. We're gonna
praise his name. So let us never forget that the
Lord, he is almighty, and that our life is just a vapor. And
what peace we have knowing, though. Our life is just a vapor, but
think of this. What peace we have knowing that
this vapor is in the hands of the sovereign God. That brings us peace, doesn't
it? Our life's but a vapor, but our life is in the hands of our
sovereign, almighty God. Turn, if you would, to Psalm
31. Psalm 31. Psalm 31. Verses 14 to 17, look at this. Our life is but a vapor, but
it's in the hands of our sovereign God. Psalm 31, verses 14 to 17. But I trusted in Thee, O Lord.
I said, Thou art my God. My times are in Thy hand. Our life is in His hands, beloved.
The hands of the sovereign, almighty God. Deliver me from the hand
of mine enemies and from them that persecute me. And he does.
Time after time after time he does that for us. Make thy face
to shine upon thy servant. Save me for thy mercy's sake.
Let me not be ashamed, O Lord, for I have called upon thee.
Let the wicked be ashamed and let them be silent in the grave. Beloved, let all our plans and
conduct be in submissive dependence upon our great sovereign God
and Lord. Now let us consider the offense
in we will. Look at verse 16 in James chapter
four. Actually, let's read from 15 to 17. For that ye ought to say, if
the Lord will, we shall live, and do this or that. But now
ye rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore
to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is
sin. But now you rejoice in your boastings.
People rejoice in we will. And it says all such rejoicing
is evil. Now this is something the world does all the time. All the time. Turn if you would
to Luke chapter 12. This is something the world does all the time.
The life of boasting. What they shall do and what they
shall not do. And we were all there at one
time in our ignorance. We did the same thing. I know
I did. In scripture, there's a very
clear picture of one who did this. And think of this, I've often
heard from people who work in hospitals, young people come
in the emergency room, 18, 20, thinking they have their whole
life ahead of them. God requires their soul. You never know. We never know
when we'll breathe our last breath. But the world, they go along
not caring. And when a young person dies
or somebody dies suddenly, they oftentimes think they had many,
many tomorrows. But it's the Lord who holds our
tomorrows. Look at this man in Luke chapter
12, look at this. Verses 16 to 21. He was one of
these who said, we will. Verse 16, and he spake a parable
unto them, saying, the ground of a certain rich man bought
forth plentiful. And he thought within himself,
what shall I do? Because I have no room where
to bestow my fruits. Note, what shall I do? What shall
I do? And then verse 18 says, and he
said, this will I do. I will pull down my barns and
build greater, and there will I bestow my fruits and my goods. Now notice, I will. Will I? Look at verse 19. And I will
say to my soul, soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years.
Oh, we're going to be fine for many years. Many years. Thou hast much goods laid up
for many years. Take thine thine ease, eat, drink and be merry. Nody has no thought for his soul.
No thought for his soul. No thought that the Lord might
take him suddenly. No thought. Look at verse 20 and 21. But
God said unto them, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be
required of thee. Then whose shall these things
be which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure
for himself and is not rich toward God. Here's presumption right
before us. And to put confidence in our
own will, or that we have tomorrow based upon what we do is evil. And the world does this all the
time. And I know I used to do this before the Lord saved me. So what pride is manifest here
before us in this rich man, there's no thoughts of God. And so it
is with those who are prideful. They will never seek God unless
God makes them willing. And we were all prideful and
we still struggle with pride. But we were there, but God has
humbled us, showing us our desperate need for Christ. Psalm 10, verses three and four
says this, for the wicked boasts of his heart's desire and blesses
the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth. The wicked, through the pride
of his countenance, will not seek after God. God is not in
all his thoughts. Was that not our state before
the Lord saved us? And as I said, we were once just
like them. We've had our pride abased, though. God's elect have
had their pride abased. Although we still struggle with
it. But we've been humbled before God. We've been shown who we
are and what we are. We've been shown our desperate
need for Christ. And it's only God who's made us to differ.
Isn't that amazing? It's by his mercy and by his
grace. that we say, Lord willing, I'll
be able to do that tomorrow. And then for the believer, when
we die, we see him face to face. Our faith becomes sight. And we know that it was the Lord's
will, all those things. We know when we get to heaven,
we know a lot more than we know now. My. It's incredible. There's one
Lord who governs over all one Lord who governs over all one
word. The scriptures who and God is
able to give his grace to the believer and to make the tongue
sing of grace and mercy in Christ Jesus, our Lord. So let we who
believe not seek after vainglory and let us not be presumptuous,
but let us rest in our savior and trust in our great king and
God. and rest in his sovereign rule, the fact that he's in full
control, that he's in full control. Because we who believe, have
we not experienced the power and wisdom of God in our lives?
When we look back, can we not look back and go, my goodness,
look what the Lord did. Look what he did. And I encourage you sometimes
to reflect back and to see what the Lord's done in your life.
It'll leave you in awe. It'll leave you in absolute awe.
I had no care for God. He found me. And I know it's so for you who believe. He found us. He rescued us. He redeemed us at Calvary's cross
2,000 years ago. And we had no clue until he revealed
himself. And it was his love for us. He
went to the cross willingly because he loves us with an everlasting
love. My, so we can look back and see
his sovereign rule in our lives. And his will, I guarantee if
you start to look back at what he's done, you will see time
after time after time after time him moving in your life. He direct
you. Think of this. Did he not direct
you to where you could hear the gospel? Did he not move you? I've heard
several, I've talked to several of you and heard how the Lord
moved you to this area so that you could come here and hear
the gospel. That's incredible. That's absolutely incredible.
And he does it all the time. He does it all the time. So let
us consider this last point here, the will of the Father. The will
of the Father. And let us remember the uncertainty of our will,
right? Because the text says, for what is your life? It is
even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes
away. So the uncertainty of our will, right? And our will is
bound to our nature, of course. But let's look at the certainty
of God's will. Turn, if you would, to Isaiah
45. Isaiah 45. certainty of the Father's will
the certainly certainty of the of the will of God Isaiah 45
verses 1 to 13 look at this Thus saith the Lord to his anointed
to Cyrus whose right hand I have holden to subdue nations before
him look at that And I will loose the lines of Kings to open before
him the two lips left gates, and the gates shall not be shut.
I will go before thee and make the crooked places straight.
I will break in pieces the gates of brass and cut and sunder the
bars of iron. And I will give thee the treasure
of darkness and the hidden riches of secret places that thou mayest
know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the
God of Israel. For Jacob, my servant's sake,
and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name.
I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. Thou
hast not known that was us. They may know from the rise of
the sun and from the West that there is none beside me, I am
the Lord and there is none else. I have formed the light and create
darkness. I make peace and create evil. I, the Lord, do all these
things. Drop down, ye heavens from above,
and let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open, and let them
bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together.
I, the Lord, have created it. Woe unto him that striveth with
his Maker. Let the pot sheds strive with
the pot sheds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that
fashioned it, What makest thou or thy work? He hath no hands.
Woe unto him that saith unto his father. What begettest thou
or to this woman? What hast thou bought forth?
Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker.
Ask me of things to come concerning my sons and concerning the work
of my hands. Command ye me. I have made the
earth and created man upon it. I, even my hands, have stretched
out the heavens, and all their hosts have I commanded. He's
in full control. His will will come to pass. I
have raised him up in righteousness and I will direct all his ways. He shall build my city and he
shall let my captives go. Not for a price, nor for nor
reward, say the Lord of hosts. What does the what does the Lord's
people? His blood, his blood bought. Wash saints. Say, we bow our knee, don't we?
We bow our knee to the sovereignty of God. We bow our knee to God's
will and purpose in our life. And the cry of the born-again,
blood-washed believer is, Lord, if it's your will.
And their cry is actually summed up in Isaiah 12 too, which says
this, Behold, God is my salvation. God is my salvation. I will trust
and not be afraid. For the Lord Jehovah, the self-existent
one, is my strength and my song. He also has become my salvation. The Lord Jehovah is my salvation. Is he yours? Rejoice. Rejoice. The Lord is King. Gracious Heavenly
Father, we come before Thy throne so thankful for Your goodness
and mercy towards us all the time. And, O Lord, may we reflect
back, even before we were saved, how You had mercy upon us. O Lord Jesus, You have loved
Your people with an everlasting love and You loved us so much
that You went to Calvary's cross and bled and died and redeemed
our eternal souls with the shedding of your own precious blood. May
we marvel in the love that you have for us this day, and may
we leave this place rejoicing, rejoicing that the Lord is King. In Jesus' name, amen.