Sermon Series
How to Face Our Future! – Part 11
Easter-"Back to the Future"
Pastor Jerry
James 4:13-17
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Welcome to our Easter Celebration Service! I am so glad to be here to worship with you today and I am glad that you are here too!
In 1985, Stephen Spielberg produced a movie by the name,
“Back to the Future.” (Did any of you see that film?)
The power and the premise of the movie is that everything we do affects the future...and that premise is actually true.
So, let’s travel back in time to about 30 a.d. on a Sunday morning in early Spring. Jesus, a miracle worker and teacher, who many had hoped would be the Messiah or Savior of the Jewish people, had just been crucified and was dead.
Death, the final and ultimate end had come. The hopes and dreams of many were dashed.
So everyone thought.
But, in the background, God was moving,
He had a plan. Three days later an angel of God came down from heaven to tell the Good News of God’s plan. Jesus had risen. He invited the women to see where Jesus had been laid and to hurry and go tell the disciples what had happened.
Jesus was risen and God’s plan was being revealed. This was the Easter Plan! Jesus to rise from the dead! He did! And He’s Alive!
And because of what Jesus did on that first Easter, the changes He made over death, has had an eternal impact on what we do today.
We understand that
everything we do today will impact our future. Today…this Easter day…may be the most important day in your life! So, today, even as we look back to that first Easter, I want us more importantly to now focus our attention to the future...
BACK TO OUR FUTURE.
So let me ask you a question.
If you were suddenly thrown back in time and you were able to know what was going to happen before it happened, what would you do? If you could do your life all over again what would you do different?
In my opinion there are two areas where we are not supposed to live. One is the past and the other is the future.
We have to learn to live in the now. And that is exactly what James is saying to us in this passage today.
How do we live today so we will be ready to face our future?
In the scripture reading we find a story that deals with this issue and it tells the story of someone who was making plans for his future but he was going about it in the wrong way. So let’s try to learn from his mistakes.
- James says the first common mistake we make in living today is in leaving God out of our PLANNING FOR TOMMOROW.
Look at (v13):
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.” So this person had done all of it without even asking God for His opinion.
And that is pride at its highest level. There's not a single mention of God in this entire set of plans. Now this person is not really rebellious; he’s not fighting against God. There's nothing wrong with what he did.
It’s what he forgot to do. He forgot to include God. His attitude was one of self-sufficiency.
You can be a believer and forget God in your daily life. You know it's tragic to meet somebody who says,
"I don't believe in God. I don't believe He exists." But what’s more tragic is to find somebody who says,
"I believe God exists," but then acts like He doesn't. Don’t leave God out of your life or leave Him out of your planning.
That is mistake #1.
- The second mistake we make in living today is PRESUMING ABOUT TOMORROW.
That’s basically taking life for granted. (vs 14 &16)
"Why you don't even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes… As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil." There are a couple reasons we shouldn't presume about the future and assume that we've got tomorrow.
1) Life is unpredictable: "you don't even know". None of us know what's going to happen in future. Just last year who would have ever thought we would be going through a pandemic this past year? Life is so unpredictable. Don't worry about it,
but let it cause you to trust God more, to be more dependent on God.
2)
Life is brief:
“What is your life? You are a mist…" Who knows how long we're going to live? None of us do. We’re only one heartbeat away from eternity. I don't know how long I'm going to live (do you?) Don't worry or be afraid.
Live one day at a time." You have been given today. Don’t presume you have another day to live.
That is mistake #2.
- A third common mistake in living today is PUTTING OFF (until) TOMORROW DOING GOOD.
We delay what should be done today until tomorrow. We procrastinate. Here is how James words it (v 17)
“If anyone…knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” Sin is not only doing something wrong, it is the failure to do something right. Putting off what you need to do today by presuming you can do it tomorrow is a dangerous presumption. To think that
"One of these days I'm going to get serious about God. God says why are you waiting? You don't have any guarantee of tomorrow, none at all.
I
t is possible you can waste your life? Life is a gift. Never take it for granted. Don’t delay what should be done today until tomorrow.
That is mistake #3.
Luke 12 - Jesus told a story that illustrates what James is teaching in this passage of Scripture. He tells the story about a man who is very successful in life but he made a very foolish decision. He made the same mistakes that James is talking about in our scripture lesson – actually, this man makes all three mistakes. He planned without God. He presumed he had plenty of time. He put off doing the right thing. (v 16)
"Jesus told them a parable, (Luke 12).
This is the Easter question for you today: When your time is up, how will you face your future? There are three mistakes you could make with your answer. You could say,
“I haven’t made any plans.” (First mistake is to not prepare with God in a decision). Then you could answer,
“I want to think about it.” (The second mistake is thinking you have more time to decide). Finally you could respond,
“I know it would be a good thing to do.” (Third mistake is to know to do the right thing, but not do it—to delay what should be done today until tomorrow-James says that’s a sin).
How would God react to such answers? Wouldn’t He say, “Fool!”
God has already given you the correct answers right here in this message:
(1) First, Easter is God’s plan for you through His Son, Jesus for eternal life. (2) Second, God has given you today, the only day He’s guaranteed you have, to hear His Easter message. (3) Third, God says the right thing to do, is to receive His Easter’s Amazing Grace, TODAY, to delay would be a sin, that could cost you everything.
Back to the Future! Although there is no such thing as a time machine, you can look back into time and transform your present and future life.
Because of what Jesus did at Easter, He has given you that chance. But it’s your choice, and the choice is today!
A person who has witnessed the Easter resurrection and has grasped its meaning will not settle for what the world offers,
“simply…to eat, drink and be merry,” foolishly thinking there’s plenty of time. Instead, they will leap at the chance to live a changed life, a life of power, insight, and most of all, liberation from the world.
This message series has been to help us in “How to Face Our Future!”
Easter is about God’s Amazing Grace!
A couple of weeks ago, I was having lunch in an outdoor setting with a person and we were talking about issues of faith, and forgiveness, and God’s love. And after a period of time, a lady at another table called me over to her table (she had been listening to our discussion about God and problems we face) and she asked me,
“Do you think God saves a person by love or by mercy?” I thought for a moment and said,
“I don’t think God saves us by either, not love nor mercy, I believe God saves us by Grace.” She said,
“What is Grace?” I said,
“Grace is receiving something you don’t deserve (like being given salvation—salvation is God’s gift).” She then said,
“Well, what is mercy?” I responded,
“Mercy is not receiving something you do deserve (like not being punishment for your sin—forgiveness is God’s mercy).”
Just like in the movie
Back to the Future – once you have taken part in the past your life will be radically changed today and forever.
Look back today at Easter to see forward to your future. See the risen Christ – He is God’s Amazing Grace – and rejoice in the glorious future that awaits you today, tomorrow, and beyond all time
– if you receive His Son –His Amazing Gift—His Amazing Grace!
