All right, let's get after it. Grab your Bibles. James, chapter four. We're going to finish chapter four today and we'll put the verses on the screen. But it's always best if you got your bible in front of you, whether it's on your phone or a paper Bible. Hope you bring a pen, mark it up. But it's better if you're seeing it yourself. So let's get a running start into this text. I'm going to go back to Exodus running start here. But we won't work every book up into James. But in the Exodus, what happened just in the title? The Exodus. Right. God shows up to deliver his people, the Israelites, out of slavery in Egypt. And the way that he does, that was the understatement. Pretty impressive. There's more going on in those ten plagues. It's actually kind of an attack on these egyptian gods that God's showing up and he's showing out saying, I'm the real God, I'm in charge and I know how to save my people. And he rescues his people through these kind of miraculous plagues and then leads them out of Egypt. They plunder Egypt as well. Kind of takes some of the treasures with them. Pharaoh changes his mind kind of last minute, kind of tough guy when he's not dealing with the plagues. And so he's like, we're going to go get him. God miraculously parts the Red Sea. That's a big deal. I'm just going to go on record with that. That's a big deal. And the Israelites cross into the promised land safely. But you know, what was God's most kind of consistent warning to his people when they entered the promised land? Don't forget me. Really, I think you just did some pretty unforgettable stuff. How could you possibly forget God after all of that? Is that really a threat, that they would just forget God? But his most consistent warning to his people is like, you're going to forget me. You're going to go on with your life, you're going to get involved with other things, and you're going to forget me. In fact, here's one of them. This is in deuteronomy chapter. He says, when the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you with great and good cities that you did not build and houses full of good things you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant. And when you eat and are full, then take care. At least you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. It's like you're going to get in there, you're going to have all these comforts and conveniences and some prosperity. You're going to be enjoying vineyards you didn't plant, you're going to be living in cities you didn't build. And in that prosperity, you're going to forget me. And you think, really? Is that really a threat? Have you ever forgot somebody, parents, could we admit this? Have there ever been a situation where you forgot to pick your kid up? I'm with you. Any other brave souls that want to be honest? You forgot to pick your child up after practice or rehearsal? Have you ever been forgotten? Ever? Somebody ever forgets your birthday? You ever forget an anniversary? I'm not trying to start fight, but it happens. It's not like you don't care, but life happens and things are going on and you just kind of forget. Have you ever forgotten God? And you're like, I don't even know how to answer that question because what do you mean by that? Do I forget God exists? No, it's not like you're like, God God? Who's God again? No, you don't forget that. But do you forget God in a way that's like, he's not on the forefront of your decision making in life. He's not in your viewpoint when it comes to how you live. He's just kind of a back burner type issue. And really, I think this is the issue that James is pressing on these people. You're forgetting God because in a lot of ways it feels like we can be practical atheists. We're not atheists. We believe in God, but practically we live like he doesn't exist. We make decisions like he doesn't exist. He's not like impacting all of our life. And this is what James is going after. He's like, you say you have faith, but I don't see faith, like, affecting how you face trials, and I don't see faith affecting how you face temptation. I don't see faith directing how you handle the word of God. I don't see faith affecting how you treat people. I don't see faith giving you this wisdom from above. I think it's like this earthly wisdom. You have faith, but it seems like, and this is what he kind of, in the climax of his argument, it seems like your faith is dead. It's not impacting your life at all. It's not alive. It's not shaping who you are and how you live. So it can sometimes seem like there's a proclamation of faith, but maybe not a practical outflowing of faith. And I don't want to just make that presumption. So let me just ask it as a question. Right? If you're here and you're just like, I don't even know if I have faith. I had a friend invite me. It's like my third time here. I like the music. It's like, great. We're glad that you're here. Welcome back. But if you're here and you're just like, no, I do have faith. Let me ask this question. Is your faith shaping your everyday life? Or let me put it this way. How is your faith shaping your everyday life? And if you can't really answer that, is it dead? Is it dead, or is it alive? Is your faith alive? We lived in Arizona for a little bit, and when lived in Arizona, I'm going to brag, we had a swimming pool. We did. When you grew up in Iowa and you lived in Arizona and you have a pool, you're like, we are living large, but when you have a pool, you got to take care of it. And when I say we, I mean Marcy. Marcy took care of it, but you got to check the chemicals to see if it's right. And you have these test strips with, like, little colors on it when you dip it in. If the chemicals are right in the pool, then the colors match what they're supposed to in the bottle, and you dip it in the pool to kind of test it. Is the pool, right? Well, what if there were, like, test strips for our faith? They kind of get dipped into your life and just be like, is your faith alive? Like, if I kind of just dipped into your calendar, if we kind of just dipped into your bank account, kind of just dipped in and be like it, would it be evident? Like, yeah. Faith living their life by faith, trusting, prioritizing, like, does that exist? So is your faith alive? And James is kind of pressing in on this, so we're going to get after it. So, James, chapter four. We're going to finish chapter four. Let me give you a little recap before we jump into these verses. This is in a section on worldliness. But right before this, he's contrasting wisdom from above and earthly wisdom and saying, hey, I don't know if you're living your life with wisdom from above because he goes into this earthly wisdom. And then the section on worldliness of like, you're not getting along. You're not like. You seem to be functioning through a viewpoint of just this world type of living. You're not being shaped by a viewpoint that recognizes God and his sovereignty and his kingdom. You're just all in your business and you see it in your worldliness. Well, in chapter four here at the end, we're going to see an example of worldliness that once you hear it, you might be like, I don't think that's that big a deal, and that might be part of the problem. Okay, so we're going to get into this. We're starting at verse 13 and we're going to finish the chapter. You guys ready to go? All right, verse 13. Come now, you who say, let's stop there. This is kind of introducing an argument. You hear that language? Come now. It's kind of like, come on now. He's addressing somebody. He's kind of pushing back on in their lifestyle. He says, come now, you who say, you who say this, you who make this argument, you who think this way, like, come on, man. That's what he's saying. Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade to make a profit. You who say this, you who think this way, and he's like, okay, who is the you who says this? Who's his audience? And you might like, well, on a general level, it seems like he's talking with people who have some travel plans and some desires to make some money, right? You who say you're going to go into such and such a town and trade and make a profit. That's who's he talking to? So who says that? Who thinks that way? It's like, well, james, everybody thinks like that. Everybody makes plans to make a profit in their life. This is just kind of how the world works, how it functions. Like, you make a plan to make a profit, this is how you're making a living. So what's his problem? Well, on a deeper level, his audience is the church people that are scattered in persecution. Like, that's who he's writing to. So he's saying, listen, here's the problem. It's that church people think like everybody else, and that kind of thinking is common in the world. But there's a disconnect when it shows up in the church that your life is all about your plans and your prosperity. He says, the problem is you claim to be believers, but you've embraced a secular worldview life is about your plans, and your plans are about your prosperity. I don't think we would say it that way. But when you look into our lives, it seems like, yeah, your passions, your priorities, your energies, it's all about your own prosperity. It's all about you trying to better your situation. And you're kind of like, yeah, that's kind of the american dream. I didn't know that was wrong. It might be, in fact, it might be evil. James is going to get under this a little bit, and we have this pursuit of a lifestyle. We're not just trying to put food on the table. We're trying to get a better table, and next week, we're going to get into this more. But he says in verse five of chapter five, you have lived on the earth in luxury and in self indulgence. And you're like, that's kind of the goal, isn't it? Like, if we can kind of have a luxurious life and kind of selfishly, we don't want to be selfish, but we want to indulge. We want to enjoy. And James is critiquing that. And up here he's saying, like, yeah, you're making plans to make money, and your plans and your money making, it's all about you. And I think there's a problem with that. There's actually a faith problem in this. Now, the critique here, get this, okay. The critique here is not against making plans. Like the proverbs says, look at the ant. The ant stores up for the season. It's wise to make plans. So the critique here is not against making plans. The critique here is not even against making money. Some of you are like, which would be awkward when we're just asking for money, but that's not the problem. There's a deeper problem than that. The problem that's going on here is people who are completely consumed with their plans, who are all about their prosperity. That's what James is pushing back on. Your life is about you, and you think you're in charge, and you are all about yourself and you're not recognizing God. Can you relate to that? I bet you got plans. I bet you may have plans. Hey, this is what we're saving up for, and this is what we hope to accomplish, or this is where we plan to retire. And when we retire, we're going to do this. And you got plans, and you're not against God, right? You believe in God, and, you know, God's got his plans. He's doing his church thing. That's awesome. The gates of hell can't prevail against it. We're going to spread the gospel to the end of the earth. That's great. And God's doing his thing, and I'm doing my thing, and yay, God. Let's just go. You don't see that as a problem? It seems to be fairly normal. What's wrong with that? But what if the best way to describe that is it's evil? Because that's a word that he's about to use. Let's keep reading, though, because you're looking at me like, I shouldn't have come today, but you did. So here we go. Verse 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. It's like you don't know what tomorrow, like, you're making plans. You don't know what tomorrow is going to bring. You don't know what this afternoon is going to bring. Like, in the next hour or five minutes, you can get a phone call that completely changes your life forever. You do not know what tomorrow brings. And he says, you are a mist that appears for a little time and vanishes. He's like, let me give you some perspective, okay? Your life is just a dot on the timeline of eternity, and it's here today and gone tomorrow. It is so quick, it is so short. He's trying to give him this perspective. Like, for example, if you're staying at a hotel for three days, to me, that's a long stay in hotel. If you're staying at a hotel for three days and, like, day one, you're saying, I think we need to remodel. That'd be kind of silly, right? You're just like, we need a bigger tv. These countertops will just not do. Like, let's remodel. That would be foolish because you recognize the temporary stay that you have in that hotel, and one, it's not yours. James is saying, like, do you not realize how temporary your life is? Why are you so invested in this life here on earth? You know, it doesn't even really belong to you anyways, right? And you know it's going to be gone in an instant, right? So why are you so invested? This is foolish. And this isn't, like, new to James. This is biblical worldview 101. This life is not about this life. This life is short. There is a kingdom of God that is eternal. This is what we're called to live for. In fact, let me show you a few verses that talk about this. Proverbs 27 one do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. Like you are so not in control. Here's another one. Psalm 39, behold, you have made my days. A few hand breaths and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath, Salah. It just means like, pause and think about that for a little bit. Surely man goes about as a shadow. Surely for nothing they're in turmoil. Man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather. You're making your life all about this accumulation of wealth. You don't know who's going to drive your car when you're gone or who's going to live in your house or who's going to have your job. Like we're just consumed at the wrong things if we don't see the temporariness of life. Here's a longer section that you're familiar with. This is Matthew six. Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life. He's talking about your life here on earth. What you will eat, what you will drink, nor about your body and what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air. They neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not more valuable than they? And which of you, by being anxious, can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you so anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They are neither toil nor spin. And yet, I tell you, even Solomon, all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, owe you of little faith? And this is where James gets in, because James is pushing in on people's faith. He's like, you got a dead faith. It's ultimately a faith problem. Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, what shall we eat? Or what shall we drink? Or what shall we wear? For the gentiles are those without faith, those that don't believe in God. They seek after these things. They seek after these earthly things. What you wear, where you live, your status, that's what's consuming them. But your heavenly father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Don't be so consumed about this life type of stuff. That's foolishness. Seek first God's kingdom. He knows how to take care of you. So why is it, even though, that we can profess a faith in God and in eternity and in his everlasting kingdom, and yet seem to be so invested and passionate about this life here on earth, is that a faith problem? Is that an oau little faith issue? There's a parable that I think this text of ours really speaks to. In fact, I think James may be even drawing from it. But this is in Luke, chapter twelve. You guys are familiar with this? He said, someone in the crowd said to him, teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me like the inheritance of the jew. But he said to him, man who made me a judge. That's not how he says it. I don't know how he says it. He seems annoyed. Says, man who made me a judge or arbitrator over you? And he said to them, take care and be on your guard against all covetousness. For one's life does not consist of the abundance of his possessions. Like, you need to watch out. You're getting too in love with this kind of earthly stuff. Check yourself. And he told them a parable saying, the land of a rich man produced plentiful. And he thought to himself, what shall I do? For I have nowhere to store my crops. And he said, I will do this. I will tear down my barns and build larger ones. And there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul. Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years. Relax, eat, drink and be merry. Now wait right here. If we were to just stop right here, we'd be like, this is like the poster child. Like, he had a successful business. He grew his business, he grew his property. Like, this is what we're all shooting for. Except this is what Jesus said. But God said to him, you're an idiot. This is my paraphrase, you fool. Now, he's not a fool because he had a successful business. He's not a fool because he did good as a farmer. He's not a fool because he made money. What made him a fool this night your soul is required of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be? So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich towards God. What made him a fool? He thought this life was about this life. He thought this life was about his own comfort and prosperity. And he was not rich towards God. He was a fool because he remodeled a hotel room. He didn't see the temporariness of life. And he lived all for this life, and then he died. That's why he got called out. And this is James critique. He's saying, you're going to make plans and you're going to do this, and you're going to go into such and such a town, and you're going to trade and you're going to make profit, and you're going to do this, all this for you, and you're just going to kind of build your portfolio, and you're going to do you, and then you're going to die, and you're an idiot. Your foolishness is going to be exposed. No, you don't get it now, because now everybody looks at you like you're killing it. You won't see it until you see how short life is. You don't get it until life comes to an end. And it's regret. See, pride goes to regret really quick. And James is saying, do you know how short life is? You're just like a mist that appears for a little time and it vanishes. So he's pressing on. You claim to believe in God, but in all practical purposes, you've forgotten God. And he's like, no, we haven't forgotten God. He's like, yeah, you have. You made your life about you, and it's not about you. You've forgotten God. You make life about things. Life isn't ultimately about. It's not about bigger barns. It's not about your own prosperity. It's not about your own comfort. I mean, those things aren't necessarily wrong, but it's not about that. Or you can put it this way, you're living your life out of context. You know what I mean by that? Like, when you read something in scripture, it has a context, and you find meaning of that in its context. Like, what's the words around this? What's the chapter? What's James talking about so that we can better understand what he's saying? There's a context to your life. One of the things that I enjoy is to flip channels on the tv. It's not about what's on, it's about what else is on, right? And I'll just jump into a movie mid movie because it's like, oh, that's a cool fight scene. Let's just watch this. Marcy hates it. She's like, you can't start a movie in the middle of a movie. What's this movie about? I don't know. Who's the good guy? I don't know, where's the fight scene? Like, who should I root for? Let's root for a good fight. Let's just watch this. But it's like it has a context, and you can't just jump into the middle and enjoy. And when you're born into this world, life didn't just start at your conception. It's been going on for a while, and it will continue on after you. You are jumping into a story that's unfolding. And if you don't know that story, you will live your life out of context. You will make your 80 years or whatever. You get all about you. But when you have context, it's like it ain't all about you. This is God's story, and it's been going on for a while. You're not even a major character, but you're a major character in your own story. And you're so tempted to make this life about you. And that causes us to live life out of context. So how should we live? Well, we should live our life in context by faith. And faith says God is real. He exists, and he has plans that are unfolding. And I find my meaning and purpose within his story. Now, I want us to see that in the text. So let's keep looking. Verse 15. Instead, you ought to say, so there's a contrast that's happening. He says, come on now, you who say this or you who think this way? And then he gets down here. He says, instead you ought to say, or you ought to think this way. Now I want you to underline. Instead, James is making a contrast. He's saying, some people think and act this way, but instead of that, I want you to think and act this way. Who all thinks and acts this way? The world. Everybody makes plans about making a profit and their prosperity. That's very normal. As a Christian, you should think differently. You should have a different idea of success. You should have a different idea of what life is about. So instead of acting like the world, you should act like this. Instead you ought to say, or you ought to think, if the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that. Now, what is this or that? What he was referring to before? You can go in different towns and you can trade and you can make a profit. That's not wrong. But the attitude in which you bring to it is right or wrong. Like, do you recognize God's sovereignty in that? Now, notice he's being really general. It's like, I'm going to go into such and such a town. I'm going to do this or that. It's not specific, and it's not specific on purpose, because the point is not a specific action, but an attitude or a perspective. You can make plans with the right attitude, and you can make money with the right perspective. So what is the attitude and what is the perspective that we're called to? If the Lord wills like this, open handed, like, I'm not ultimately in control here. I'm a servant of the Lord, because what did he say previously? Submit yourself, therefore, to God. That was further back in chapter four. Like, we come to God and saying, you're king, not me. You're in charge, not me. Your plans are higher than my plans. Your ways are better than my ways. So I'm going to make some plans, but I'm going to hold them like this because I know you call audibles, and I know that my plans don't always line up. And when you kind of turn the ship, it's like, that's where I go. But when you say, if the Lord wills, there's a recognition of God's sovereignty over all things, like, you're really in control. Not my world, your world. And you recognize God's will. He has a will. He has a plan that's unfolding. Your kingdom come. Your will be done. I'm your servant. And, guys, this is a humbling truth. Like, when you think about it, it's a humbling truth. And James shoots it straight. He's like, what is your life? Seriously, what is your life? You're a vapor. How many of you know the first name of your great great grandpa? Few of us. That's, like, just a few generations away. And you're related to the person and you don't even know them. Who's going to know your name in a few generations? You're not that big a deal. But, I mean, in a freeing way, that's what James said. What is your life? You don't know what tomorrow will bring. You're a mist. It's here today. It's gone tomorrow. So you make plans, right? You make plans. You're going to do this, and you're going to do that. You're going to trade, and you're going to retire at this age, and you're going to move to this place. It's like, sure. And then life happens. Then you get sick, then you lose a job, and then it changes. Or it's like, I'm never going to get married. Then you meet someone, right? Can we just recognize how not in control you are? Here's a passage that's good to remember. This is proverbs 16 nine. The heart of a man plans his ways, but the Lord establishes his steps. I love that passage. Well, what is it? It's like the heart of a man plans his ways, but the Lord establishes a step. The Lord is in charge. He's kind of saying, yeah, you go ahead and make your plans. You're going to go to such and such a town, and you're going to trade and you're going to make a profit. He's like, yes, you are. Yes, you are. It's exactly what you're going to do. It's like, come on. Do you know how not in control you are? Life is fragile. You can get a phone call this afternoon that changes your life forever. Life is fragile and God is sovereign. Like, he's over it all. And he has plans. He has a will that's unfolding. And if you don't get that, like, just as pastoral as I can be, if you don't get that, you will be wrecked with worry and fear and anxiety and anger. When your plans don't work out, you will be so frustrated because I made these plans and it didn't work out the way I planned. And you feel not being in control, and you can start to get frustrated and you believe in God because you get mad at him. Have you forgotten about me? How could you let this happen? I thought I've done everything right. Why aren't you blessing my plans? Why aren't you getting on board with my plans? And I get it. Everybody makes plans. And it's not wrong to plan, but the spirit of autonomy that I'm in charge of my life, as normal as it seems. It's evil. It's evil. Look at verse 16 as it is. You boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is what evil? Boasting in his arrogance is referring to the attitude he represents in the beginning of this section. You who say that you're going to go into this in town and you're going to trade and you're going to make a profit, there's a lot of confidence in there. We will go into such and such town. We will spend a year there. We will trade, we will make a profit. I know how this is going to go. James, that's evil. And you're like, no, that's normal. I know, and it's evil. That's the normal mindset that we have. But it's right out of Genesis three, this kind of desire for autonomy. I don't need God. I don't need to fit in his system or his rules. I make my rules. I want this detachment. I want my freedom. That's what's driving this. And James is trying to help us see, like, yeah, there's deeper, more evil roots to this kind of normal expression. And we've seen this before. Right at the end of chapter three, he's saying, hey, this earthly wisdom, it's selfish ambition. It's earthly, it's unspiritual. And then what does he say? It's demonic. There's a thread here that goes deeper. And then you get in chapter four, it's like, yeah, you got your own passions that wage war within you that's causing conflict. Then he says, oh, don't be friends with the world because that's being an enemy with God. And then who are you supposed to resist? The devil? Because there's like, hey, there's deeper evil connected to this. And then here he's saying, hey, yeah, you're just making plans, right? You're just making plans to make a profit. But you know what's behind that? It's evil. That's a strong word that James is using to say. It's this mindset that is opposed to the authority of God. And we miss it. We miss it. We need a bigger view of sin, because sometimes I think, we think sin is just immoral acts. If I lie, if I cheat, if I steal. But sin is deeper than that. I mean, sin is forgetting God. When Paul says, for all have sin and fall short of the glory of God, he's saying, you're failing to glorify God as you should. Like James said, you're failing to let God rule your life. You're failing to recognize the sovereignty and respect and worship due him. And separation from God is a consequence of sin, but it's also the root of it. Like, you're wanting separation from God. I want my freedom. I want freedom. I want my autonomy. James is saying it's evil. He flushes out. This is at the last verse of our section, verse 17. Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him, it is what sin. And he's given us a bigger view of sin. It's deeper than just immoral actions. Like, there's a deeper root to sin here. You think of sins of commission and think of sins of omission, like sins you commit, acts you do, but also sins of omission are like the good things. You don't do that you ought to do. And James is saying, you know that God is sovereign. You know that he's in control. You know that he has plans, and you're not living like it. You think you're in charge of your life. You think this life is about you. That's evil. So that's really the kind of challenge or question James poses on his audience. So I want to just kind of pose that same question to us. If you have faith, if you are somebody that says, I have faith in Jesus Christ, are you living like you really believe in God? Do you live your life day in and day out? Like you really believe that God is real, that you really believe that Jesus will return? That you really believe that you can store up treasures in heaven, that you really believe that this life is temporary and the next life is eternal? Like, do you really live like that? And if not, maybe your faith is dead. That's what James is saying. And I know we can push back with the sin issue and be like, well, I haven't murdered anybody and I haven't stolen anything and I didn't lie and I did my taxes on time or whatever James is saying. I know, but you've done worse than that. You forgot God. Like, you go about your life unaware of God. You think you're in charge. So here's the challenge. Don't be practical, atheist. Don't claim to believe in God and then act like you're in control of your life. Don't claim to believe in God and then act like life is about you. And you know what the allure was for the Israelites to forget God. Prosperity. Do you remember that text? He's like, you're going to get in this land that I'm going to give you, and you're going to live in cities that you didn't build and you're going to drink from wells you didn't dig, and you're going to enjoy fruit from vineyards you didn't plant, and you're going to have the comforts and convenience. And in your comfort and your convenience, that's where you forget God. And guys, we live in America. It's the candyland of comfort and convenience. And we don't understand the spiritual danger of this, that we can kind of get this attitude of, I'm good. My security is in my bank account and my job, my belonging is in my, like, I have enjoyment. Like we can just get this posture that we don't really need God. In fact, I'll just go there. I don't think it's on the screen. But revelation three, this is the church of Laodicea, says, I know your works. You are neither cold nor hot. With that, you were either cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, he's talking to a church here. You say, I am rich. I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you're a wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. It's like you make me sick. And you want to know what makes God sick? When he looks at his people, his church people, and they've gotten this posture that they don't really need God. We got this. Their prosperity made them comfortable. Their prosperity made them lose this dependence and hunger for God. And you know what? Our vision as a church is not that. That we want to come this, like, comfortable, come into church, grab your coffee, drop your kids off, come in here, have a good time, never get challenged, and just kind of, like. Just kind of lose this hunger and dependence for God, that we wouldn't just get comfortable in our convenience and our prosperity. And, guys, it's a threat to us. It's a danger to us. Like, we could so easily slip into that and be like, how can we forget God? Yeah, but you're going to go into a land and you're going to enjoy things that you never did, you didn't work for, and you're going to have all this prosperity, and in the convenience and comforts of life, you're going to get spiritually lazy. We need a smaller view of ourselves and a bigger view of God. And that's really the core of the wisdom that James is calling us to, that you would have a smaller view of yourself, that you'd know how short life is, and you'd have a bigger view of God, that you'd know how sovereign he is. That's what the wisdom is about. He's calling us to. In fact, let me show it to you in a couple other passage. Just. This is proverbs one seven. You guys know this. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge or the beginning of wisdom. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. It's like you want to know where wisdom begins. A big view of God. Here's another one. This is psalm 90. So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of what wisdom. I know how fleeting life is, and I know how big God is. That's the beginning of wisdom. That's, like, the ingredients of wisdom. God is big. I'm small, because in that vantage point, I live for God, I worship God, I serve God, his will over my will. But in comfort and prosperity, you start to feel like I'm a pretty big deal, right? I got a good bank account, I got a good retirement plan, I got good friends. Life is good, things are going pretty well, and I get to be a big deal, and then God gets to be a little bit smaller. And then in this position, you make plans for your own prosperity, and you don't have to consult God. You don't have to say if the Lord wills and if, no, I got this. And it happens slowly and it's a threat. James is trying to help. These first century believers have a faith that impacts all of their life, a faith that keeps the reality of God in front of them at all times. It's what a faith that is alive does. It's active, it's guiding your life. You can think of it like this. Faith keeps life in context. Faith keeps life in context. It's this viewpoint or constant reminder. God is real. His plans are real. His plans are unfolding. This life is about him. Faith teaches you that if you don't have faith, you make life about you. If you don't have faith, you make life about you. If you don't have faith, you forget God. So have you forgotten God? Not in a sense of like God who, but in a way that he's not front and center, driving the choices of your life, the decisions of your life, the emotions of your life that you've taken on this posture of autonomy, and you don't realize how evil that is. It happens. It happens to God's people. You see it in the Israelites. It happens to church people. You see it in Laodicea. It happens. In fact, here's Jeremiah two. He's pointed out, this is God talking. He says, can a virgin or a young woman forget her ornaments or a bride, her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me. Days without number. That's God's saying, how could my people forget me? But it happened, and it still happens. And in the comforts and convenience of life, you no longer hunger and thirst for God. And it's slow and it's deceptive. And when we forget God, we begin to make life about ourselves. And when we make life about ourselves, we make a mess of life. And in a mess of life, we make bad conclusions, because in the mess of life, we start to feel like God. Have you forgotten me? How could you let this happen? Where were you? My plans didn't come out like, I thought I was supposed to prosper. I thought you were with me. Like, what's going on? Why have you forgotten me? And God's like, no, you forgot me. You're in this mess because you forgot me. But I never forget you. In fact, look at Isaiah 49. But Zion or Israel, God's people said, the Lord has forsaken me. My lord has forgotten me. Was that true? Did God forget his people? No, but they're in a mess. And why are they in a mess? Because they forgot God. And they're making this conclusion that God forgot them. But here's how God answers. Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget. Yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. What do you think that's pointing to church? The cross of Jesus Christ, where he has holes in his hands to say, I never forgot you. I have remained faithful to you. In your forgetting, I have pursued you and I have rescued you. The greatest motivation for us not forgetting God is knowing that even in our wandering, he has never forgotten us and church, we need to keep God's love for us in front of us. You don't know how important that is. So God had this concern that when he rescued the Israelites, they're going to go in this promised land, and guess what? You're going to forget me. So you know what he did? He gave him some commands. And one of the commands is you need to have some parties. And one of the parties was Passover. Every year you need to get a lamb and kill it and have your neighbor over and eat the fat portions and remember how I love you. Remember how I saved you. Remember that. I know how to take care of my people. You need to remember that. Well, about 1500 years later, which is a long time, so you might feel forgotten. Jesus is celebrating Passover with his disciples. And in that meal he says, you know this is about me, right? Like, you know, I'm the sacrifice that my blood is going to be shed for your ultimate freedom. And every week we celebrate communion as a reminder. Don't forget God. And you're like, how could I forget God? It happens. You get caught up in life and pretty soon you make life about things life's not about. And every week we come back to this cracker and juice that represents Christ's body and blood. We say, don't forget what life is about. And when you celebrate communion, you're saying, oh, it's not about me. It's about God and his unfolding plan of redemption that I can have confidence in, because Jesus came. Jesus died. He rose. His plan is happening. It's not about me. It's about God. And his plan involves my redemption and my forgiveness so that my life shouldn't be lived for me, but for the one who died for me. Amen. Like church, let's not forget God and don't act like that can't happen. Cling to the cross of Jesus Christ. Don't make life about yourself. Have an attitude. If the Lord wills, Shaw makes some plans, but I'm his servant, and his ways are higher than my ways, and I so want to follow him no matter what. Amen. All right, let's pray. Father, we can go about normal life sometimes forgetting how evil normal can be, that we can make decisions and plans like we're really in charge. And we don't recognize your sovereign control over every aspect of our life. And we just want to open handedly hold our lives up to you as an offering that we'll go and follow you wherever and whatever you have. Trust in you. And we can do that because you gave your life for an offering for us. We can trust in your care and your love and provision. I pray that we would serve you as an act of worship and remember you every day. Amen.