What is your Start

Welcome to this week's message from the Church at Chelsea Westover.

Our core values are vibrant worship, intimate fellowship, fulfilling service, and clear biblical truth.

We pray that this message changes your life.

Let's tune in to today's message and see what God has in store for you.

Turn with me in your Bibles to James chapter 4.

James 4 · chapter mention

And as we begin to look at our second message in this series of working out our salvation.

Working out our salvation with fear and trembling.

And remember what we said.

We said that doesn't mean that we work for our salvation, but that our salvation works out in and through us after we've been saved.

So it's exciting to see that.

But how does that happen?

You know, I have a lot of people over the years now of over 32 years of ministry.

After they get saved, they say, What do I do next?

What's the next thing I do?

And so this is to teach us the application of what it means to work out our salvation.

It doesn't mean you work to be saved, it means you work because you are saved.

Can I get an amen?

You don't get better, hey, you don't get better to get saved, you get saved to get better.

And after you get saved, you work out that righteousness.

And that's it's called, as we said, the sanctification process.

So let's begin and let's look at James 4.

And we went through this book verse by verse.

And uh this is probably one of the most powerful sections of the whole book of James.

And remember when we were going through the book of James, we said that James was the Proverbs of the New Testament.

Just like Proverbs is our wisdom book in the Old Testament.

James is our wisdom book in the New Testament on how to live a dynamic Christian life.

And what he deals with in this section, verses 13 through 17, he deals with the war that is waged with humanism and materialism.

It really is.

Humanism being basically what is taught in most of our secular universities.

Humanism.

And what the basis of humanism is this, I'll keep it very plain and simple so you understand it.

That you, hey, can do anything you want to do.

Hey, nobody can tell you what to do, and that ultimately you could even possibly be your own God.

Now that's the synopsis of humanism.

No one tells you what to do.

You do what you want, how you want, when you want.

Sounds pretty familiar with at least half of America today.

Really does.

It's sad to see what's going on in our university systems on these college campuses.

But anyway, but where does that all come from?

From humanism.

And then the other battle is materialism, which we all fight.

So, with that said, let's look at verses 13 through 17.

James says, 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 great gain with our prophets.

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow, for what is your life?

It is even a vapor that appears for a little time, then vanishes away.

For that ye ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that, but you don't.

But now you rejoice in your boastings.

All such rejoicing is evil.

And therefore, to him that knoweth to do good and doeth to not, to him it's dead.

So what you have, you have a group of businessmen that said, hey, they come into the city and they play no dwelling, they're selling and making profits, playing the stock market.

I don't know.

Whatever, but those are going to conserve stone by to make money to go in the midst of this one, so that's been consulting God's death.

In reality, you've got to be consulting God, is this what you want?

God, hey, is this what God wants you to do?

Not what you want to do.

So, with that said, here are the words that I really believe that that's the key here.

And notice what he's talking about.

James confronts us and everyone else, as he did there at the church, in this one verse, verse 14, and it's a powerful verse.

For what is your life?

Now that's the question you've got to ask.

What's your life today?

What's my life today?

What is your life?

Then he goes on and he says, but it's even a vapor that appears for a little time, then it vanishes away.

Now, the what there is a word that really brings with the the meaning, what is your life?

In the original, the word what denotes the idea of your nature and your character.

So in reality, you could ask this what is your nature?

What is the character of your life?

That's what he's asking.

What is the character of your life?

Now, the practical man that most of us are, he answers his own question.

He says, it's just a vapor that appeared for a little time, then it vanishes away.

Now, hey, what the writer is seeking to convey is the fact that even though the vapor appears for just a little time, and it's kind of like early in the morning, a lot of times you can see the mist and the vapor rising up over the mountains, if you're up in the mountains, especially.

And next thing you know, it's there for a little while, and it's, oh, it's kind of you're sitting there drinking your coffee and you're just reading you, having your devotions and seeing that mist, and kind of like the clouds are over up on the mountain, and about an hour or later the sun comes out and it's gone.

Now, just because it's gone doesn't mean that it's gone forever.

It just means it's evaporated.

So he's given this beautiful illustration here, and he's given us a significant point.

Here's what he's saying: he's saying that the vapor in and of itself does not cease to exist.

And I thought about that.

Is that not is that not true about our life?

Think a minute, folks.

We're here for just a little time.

And I've been thinking about this all week, working on this message.

I can literally remember when I was a teenager.

It seems like it was just yesterday.

And then when I got married, and then when I was at open door early, right out of seminary, and I was at liberty those years.

I was thinking about, and and and and then it's almost like I went to sleep and I woke up and now I'm old.

I'm not old.

I'm not old.

But I meant, I meant, I I really do.

I can remember when Benji was running around in diapers.

And now Benji's up here playing and leading in worship.

And changing diapers.

Yeah, now he's changing diapers.

But I meant, I'm telling you, folks, it it goes by.

You know what I mean, some of you older folks, you know what I mean?

I mean, it really applies here.

Hey, we're just here and we're gone.

We're gone.

What a tremendous slap in the face here.

Hearing is the solemn truth.

And we really need to examine it this morning, the full significance of what God is saying about our Christianity and our life, because we're not here long.

So let's look at three things this morning.

Number one, let's look at the duration of this life.

It's even a vapor that appeared for a little time, then vanishes away.

Now, in this world that we live today, it's all about the NOW, the now.

Live for the now.

We tend to forget, and I really believe this, we tend to forget that life has an appointed duration.

Do you realize that?

It really does.

In fact, look at what he says in Hebrews 9.27.

Powerful verse.

It is, now notice what he says, it, and it is, what's that word?

Appointed unto men once to what?

But after this, what?

The judgment.

To die, but after this, the judgment.

Sooner or later, life is gonna come to an end.

I don't care who we are or what we are.

This is the whole thrust of the text right here.

James tells us that life is gonna come to an end.

Remember when we were studying Ecclesiastes a couple of years ago, or year and a half ago?

Remember Ecclesiastes 3:1?

Ecclesiastes 3:1

What does he say?

Remember that?

Powerful statement.

Hey, Solomon said, To everything there is a season and a time.

To everything there's a season and a time.

Hey, to everything there's a purpose, a purpose under heaven.

Then he says in verse 2, hey, there's a time to be what?

Born, there's a time to die.

There's a time to plant and a time to pluck up.

In other words, there's that duration from the moment that we are born till we die, that God has a timely purpose for us.

And the tragedy that I see in most of our lives is we really miss what that, hey, hey, that purpose really is.

And the reason we do is because of, again, the attacks, the humanistic and materialistic attacks that we fight every day in our life, that draw us away from God and away from God's purpose in our lives.

So, with that say, let's look at two things.

When he says, Where is you know not what shall be on the mark?

He says, Hey, don't, in fact, here's what he says, don't get caught up in the now, but get caught up in the purpose.

Because we're so, so likely to get caught up in the now, what we want, when we want it, how we want it, how to get it, and how to keep it.

He said, but get caught up in what God wants for you.

It's not that you're gonna stay in this town for a year and sell and buy, but is this what God wants?

God may not even want you in that town, He may want you in another town.

Don't get caught up in the now.

Two things.

Number one, this is the whole thrust of the duration of your life.

Number one, life is short.

It's short, it's short.

You're not gonna be here long.

Making plans without understanding God is as though you know the future, and no one knows the future but God.

That is the key here.

In fact, as we appear in time, you know, I I was thinking four, four and a half years ago, almost five now, February be five, when we came here.

I've gotten to meet you, you've gotten to meet me, we've gotten to know each other, we've gotten to fellowship with each other, we've gotten to do a lot of things in common together.

Uh I see you, I know you, I love you, we're together.

And then some, after this past four and a half years, they've died and gone on to be with, hey, Jesus, boom.

And then I know many of you since I've been here, you've lost loved ones.

We we see each other, we get to know each other, we get to love each other, and then all of a sudden, boom, someone's taken from us.

And hopefully they're Christians.

And when they're taken, to be absent from the body means to be present with the Lord.

Amen.

But but it happens so quickly.

And I've done several funerals of some of your family.

So I know exactly, I I this is such a reality as I was putting this together.

And this happens every day, and yet foolishly, we live and we behave as if we're gonna live forever.

We're just going back to doing what we want to do instead of what God wants us to do sometimes.

Doesn't that grip your heart when you really start thinking about that?

The duration of our life.

I was looking, and uh, it was amazing because you don't know when you're gonna die.

Amen.

You just don't know.

I love what he says in Proverbs 27.1.

I don't know if I I think I have that up there for you too.

Proverbs 27.1, he says, Boast not thyself for tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

In other words, they were boasting.

They were boasting about what they're gonna do.

Oh, we're gonna sell and we're gonna buy and we're gonna gain, hey, much profit.

But then all of a sudden, the next verse in verse 14, he says, You don't know that because you're just like a vapor.

You could be here today and gone tomorrow.

You don't know.

What a powerful statement he's trying to make here.

These businessmen were making plans for a whole year when they could not even see ahead of tomorrow.

Powerful.

Notice the second thing.

Not only is life short, but it's very significant.

It is a vapor.

Now watch, here's the next phrase, that appeareth for a little time.

While you and I are here on this earth, we appear before men and women for what you, hey, for what we are worth to them.

Let me repeat that.

You and I, while we're on this earth, we appear before men and women, our family, our friends, our work arena, our church family, everybody, we appear for them for what we are worth to them.

You didn't get that.

Or maybe it hit you like that.

Because see, hey, humanist thinking is I appear for me, not for others.

But you and I are here for a reason.

We're here for others, not me.

Can I get a know me?

And that's where we miss it.

That's where these guys missed it.

It was all about them, not about what God wanted for them.

And notice what is so powerful when we talk about life is significant.

I really, hey, it's it short as our life is, it makes its own impact.

Do you realize as short as our life is, it makes its own impact?

Now here's a question I want to ask you.

What kind of impact are you making this morning?

What kind of impact are you making this morning on others?

What, hey, what type of impact is Pastor Danny making on others, on you and others, on my family, my friends, my church, my community.

I asked my question, what does that really mean?

You're an influencer, I'm an influencer.

We know that.

Oh, we've uh we studied leadership 101 all the time.

Why?

You're an influencer, and you influence people either for good or bad.

You've heard that time and time again.

That's true.

Or you also can influence them to neutral.

That means, hey, if you do nothing, they do nothing.

In fact, you want to wonder how you, hey, hey, you know what I used to my I used to think about raising kids?

I used to think, I've got to set the example, I've got to, I've got to live it in front of them, and I do, and you do, it's a must.

But then I got to thinking too, but then I've got to make them live it.

That's called discipline.

Hello.

That's called discipline.

I mean, you can live it and not enforce it and just live it and not say anything, not hold people accountable, not be make them responsible, and they can end up being neutral or nothing or bad.

Amen.

So you gotta understand this.

And as I was thinking about that, I it really gripped my heart in terms of what?

Here's how we influence.

We influence with behavior.

Behavior is an influencer.

The behavior can be good, the behavior can be bad, or it can be nothing.

But behavior is an influencer.

Would you not agree with that?

You, by the way you live, are an influence.

You're writing a letter, you know this by now.

You're writing a letter, a chapter each day, by the deeds that you do, the words that you say, mean read what you write, distorted to true.

What is the gospel according to you?

You are our letter written in our hearts, known and read by all men, 2 Corinthians 3, 2.

Your living testimony.

Okay?

And then I thought about that.

I said, hey, our behavior is the influencer.

Okay?

So what kind of behavior should we be influencing?

God gave me two things, two S's.

It's simple.

Very simple.

We should influence in service and sacrifice.

That's good.

I'm stepping all over my toes.

In other words, we influence with the way we serve.

What did Jesus say?

He that is greatest among you shall what?

Shall be your what?

Servant.

The greatest shall be the servant.

Wow, does that not fit?

Our behavior should influence through our service.

He that is greatest among you shall be the greatest servant.

And then what about sacrifice?

How much do you sacrifice to serve?

How much do you go out of your way to serve?

Hello?

You okay out there?

I'm not.

I'm hurting.

Somebody hurt with me.

Say, oh, me with me.

Hey, David sell out, I will not offer up anything that does not cost me something to the Lord.

So our behavior is consisted of influence, and that influence is our service and our sacrifice toward others.

That is our testimony for all that God wants us to be.

That's powerful.

God taught me this this week, and I'm convicted.

I meant deeply.

How do they look at you as a servant?

How do they look at you in the area of sacrifice?

Students, what about you?

Some of our homes here.

We love you so much.

That really applies to us.

In all areas of all of our lives.

How does your parents see you as a servant?

How much have you sacrificed towards your parents?

Most of the time they've served and sacrificed for you.

My grandparents did.

My dad did.

But what about you?

Here's what he's trying to say.

It's not about us.

It's about others.

And our behavior and our influence is seen through our service and our sacrifice.

Now how do I know that?

What's this?

Romans 14 7, listen to.

What Paul says.

Read this with me, church.

Read it out loud.

This is a teaching session this morning.

Let's read it out loud.

Ready?

For none of us liveth to himself, and no man.

You say, hey, I'm going to go up on the mountain.

Have you ever been there and live my own self?

I don't care what's going on.

You know, just let the world go.

Go.

I'm going to get out of here.

I'm God.

You can't do that.

Not if you're a Christian.

Because you don't live for yourself.

You live for others.

Can I get an amen?

That's powerful, folks.

You live for others.

The apostle's words are tremendous.

None of us live to himself, and no man dies to himself.

The fact that the vapor ceases to appear does not mean that it ceases to exist.

We heard an illustration.

On the radio, we were listening.

We love Moody Radio Station.

I love Moody.

And we were, they were talking about this body they had found, and it was a sailor, and he had no one.

It was back in World War II.

And no one claimed the body.

So the word got out, and all of a sudden there was a group of high school students that decided that they would, hey, go over and they would be the pallbears, and they would do the funeral for this military person.

In national news.

And guess what?

There were six of them.

They were the only six there, but they were there.

They were doing something for somebody else that they didn't even know.

Now that's service, and that's sacrifice.

Wow.

Wow.

Hey, you want to be a church that really is God's church?

Well, we got an influence in service and sacrifice.

That should be our influence.

Yes.

Not complaining why you gotta do something, but thanking God you got something to do.

Can I get an amen?

That's why I hope God opens it up so we can be a service center here with clothing and food and just helping people.

That CCW is the place to come for help.

That's why we do the ice cream truck.

To be a blessing, to help, to serve.

It's so important.

So important.

As I was looking at this, for the believer.

Hey, listen to me now.

Don't miss this.

This is not the end, folks.

We're like a vapor.

And when we, hey, when that vapor no longer ceased to exist, we are either in heaven or hell.

In fact, hey, for us, when it's over, it's just beginning.

For an eternity.

And that's what he's talking about here.

He's talking about it.

And let me tell you what he's saying here.

Ooh, this is so good.

And what we are in this lifetime determines what we will be throughout eternity.

I'm going to repeat that, then I'm going to give you the verse.

Go ahead and throw it up there.

Revelations 22, 11.

I made that statement here recently.

Sometimes, I don't know if I believe that.

I said, all right.

So what you are during this lifetime is what you'll be in eternity.

Look at what Jesus said in Revelations 20, the beloved John through Jesus said in Revelations 22, 11.

Talking about the end of time.

He that is unjust, let him be unjust still.

And he which is filthy, let him be filthy still.

And he that is righteous, let him be righteous still, and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

It does matter, folks.

Why do you think he commands us throughout, be holy in all manner of conversation?

For it is written, Be holy, for I am holy.

Let us purify ourselves, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

It's so important.

Let me tell you how important D.

L.

Moody thought it was.

D.

L.

Moody was so conscious of the significance of our life that he chose as one of his favorite verses.

Are you ready for this?

1 John 2, 17, which says, and I quote, what a powerful verse.

He that doeth the will of God abideth forever.

Wow.

See, it's not about doing our thing and going our way, it's about doing his thing and going his way.

That's a whole part.

That's a whole section of that little paragraph that jumps out at us and says, Whoa, it's not about you.

You making plans, it's about you getting in line with his plans.

Can I get an amen?

And then you become an influencer through, hey, hey, through your behavior, through your service, and through your sacrifice.

Powerful inside here.

Beautiful.

Beautiful.

See that you walk carefully, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5, 15 and 16, he tells us.

Can I get an amen?

Wow, that's good.

He says in Proverbs 3, 6, in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he'll direct your paths.

So, look at it again.

Then we'll go to the second part.

The duration of life.

It's short.

Say this with me.

Life is short but significant.

Ready?

Life is short but significant.

That's what you want to think.

Life is short but significant.

You want your life to be significant.

Do you know there's been people that's, hey, that's only lived to the early teens and early 20s that made such an impact of on people around them that there's been books written about them.

It's not how long you live, it's how significant you're living while you're living.

Amen.

I know people who live to be 90.

We don't even know who they are.

There was no significance in their life.

What about you?

What about me?

I want to make a difference.

Amen.

You know why we started this church?

Let me help you.

We started a church to make a difference.

God knows we don't need another church on the corner.

But we need a church that believes that we may be here for a short period of time, but we want to make a significant, hey, contribution.

Amen.

Now, if you want that, you're going to be here.

You know why?

It's going to take service and sacrifice.

And by the way, they'll drop by the flies real quick sometimes.

When you start talking about sacrificial giving, which you hear, and the way we're giving is unbelievable.

So I know, but I'm talking about why a lot of times you see people come, some go.

It's when a serving, there's accountability, there's service, there's sacrificing, and all that.

I would just want to come to church, have a great, beautiful, dynamic worship service, and I'm gonna go do what I want to do.

We've all been guilty of that.

I was for years when I was on the road.

Mega church, and I'm not condemning a mega church.

Please don't get me wrong.

You know, you just go in, do it, and then go.

I go do my thing.

And that's okay if you make it a significance.

Can I get an amen?

But he's he's really laying it.

So, duration.

Now let's look at the second thing.

Oh, it doesn't get any easier.

Now look at the danger of our life.

Now it's gonna really kind of peel the apple back a little bit.

He says in verse 13 and verse 17, go to now, ye that say today or tomorrow will go into such a city and continue their year and buy and sell and get gain.

Now look at verse 17.

To him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

Now, what so what is he saying here?

Look at it.

Man, this is good.

What he's saying is the supreme danger of your life and my life is to live a life without God.

That's our supreme danger.

And it's so easy to do in a day that is vaunted by humanism and vested by materialism.

We have so much today.

Can I get an amen?

It's easy to get caught up.

It really is.

And doing what we want and what we want.

It's so easy.

So James describes such behavior as two things.

Look at it.

He says, when we're caught up in this vaunted humanism and vested materialism, he says, number one, we're living selfishly.

Notice again, verse 13, go now, ye that say today or tomorrow, we will go into such a city and continue their year and buy and sell and get game.

When men and women take their time and talents into their own hands, they have dethroned God and enthroned themselves.

Hello.

I don't think you caught that.

Or maybe you did because you went, ooh.

I said, when you and I take our talents and our gifted, our giftedness and all that we have, and we do with it what we want instead of what God has blessed us with so that we can use it for his glory, we have dethroned God and enthroned ourselves.

Oh me.

Oh, oh.

Oh, how many times am I guilty of that?

But you know, we make it spiritual.

Oh, I know this will bless God.

How do you know?

Have you asked him?

Did he tell you to do it?

Did you even ask him to could you do it?

Or would it be his will?

No, man, I'm a hundred miles an hour.

Oh, if I need him, I'll ask him.

I mean, God's blessing me anyway.

Look what he's given me.

Look, that, that, that, that, that.

Oh man, I'm gonna stay here a year.

I'm gonna make a lot of profits.

And then we really spiritualize.

Oh, and by the way, that means I'll just give more to God.

Are you giving now?

I had a guy tell me, he said, if I win the lawner, I'll give I'll give you church half of it.

I said, How much are you giving now?

He went, but I said, if you're not giving anything now, you're sure you're not gonna give me half a million dollars when you get a million.

He said, How do you know that?

I said, for where your treasure is, will your heart be also?

And I said, Your treasure's not here yet.

You ain't giving a dime.

Hello?

You said, Oh, that's ugly.

No, that's truth.

I'm talking to me.

I'm not talking to you.

Don't take it personally.

I'm talking to me.

Hello.

I'm just telling you, that's what the book says.

And that's what they're saying.

They're just going on how they're gonna make a lot of money, what they're gonna do.

They haven't asked God squat.

Pastor, it's cold.

I I bared the cold to get here.

Now you're skinning me like a whole.

No, I'm not.

I promise.

I'm skinning me.

Just for forget, hey, this is for me.

Y'all not even here.

I'm preaching to me.

I'm preaching to me.

Living selfishly.

Notice what he says.

Proverbs 27, 1.

The scripture clearly teaches here that we can't boast about tomorrow.

Look at what it.

We, hey, hey, he says, boast not tomorrow.

For we know not what a day may bring forth.

Folks, you can be dead and leave everything everything you got.

It's not going with you.

It's not going.

Hate to tell you, it's not going.

1 Timothy 6, 7 and 8.

I didn't put this in there.

Write it down.

It says, I brought nothing into the world, and it's sure I can take nothing out.

So let me be content with having food and clothing.

1 Timothy 6, 7 and 8.

Amen?

Hey, every one of us in here have clothing.

Every one of us have a little money.

Hey, we have a lot of us have hey, we have clothing, we have food.

How do you know?

We feed you every Sunday.

We have a good meal every Sunday.

Thank God for the kitchen crew.

Amen.

He says, be content.

How can you be content?

Let me tell you how you can be content.

And I'm and I'm not there.

Watch me.

I'm not there.

I'm learning with you.

I'm going with you.

I'm not there.

Not even close.

Let me tell you what it means to be content.

When you're having an influence on other people through your service and your sacrifice.

That's why probably about 98% of us aren't even close.

That's when you're content.

Don't care.

Because you're meeting the needs of others.

Is that not awesome?

How do you think these missionaries that give up everything?

And we're going to look at one.

We're going to look at, I got a great example here.

Oh, listen.

Yeah, you got to listen to this.

I was thinking about you, David, the lawyer.

You have you ever heard of Charles G.

Finney?

All right, you got to listen to this.

All these guys that I do, or when I was young in seminary, I was reading about all these tremendous men and women of God back in the early 1800s and some early 1900s.

Well, listen, Charles G.

Finney, a young lawyer, was sitting in a village office in the state of New York.

Finney, true story, I mean great man of God, great evangelist, ended up.

Had just come into the old squire's office.

The head guy over the uh office off at the over the law firm back then.

It was called the squire's office.

It was very early in the day, and he was all alone when, hey, the Lord began to deal with him.

He was a Christian.

Finney, what are you going to do when you finish your course?

He's about ready to graduate from law school.

Put out a shingle and practice law.

Then what?

Get rich?

Then what?

Retire?

Then what?

Die?

Then what?

And the words came tremblingly.

The judgment.

He ran for the woods a half a mile away.

All day he prayed and vowed that he would never leave until he had made his peace with God.

He saw himself at the judgment bar of God.

For four years he had studied law and now the vanity of a selfish life.

Never asked God what he wanted him to do.

Live for enjoyment and things of the world, the prestige, the power was made clear to him.

Then he came out of the woods that evening after a long struggle with the high purpose of living henceforth to the glory of God and of enjoying him forever.

From that moment, blessings untold filled his life, and God used him in a mighty way, not as a lawyer, but as a preacher, to bring thousands, thousands to conversion over 50 years of ministry.

What did God want him to do?

Wow.

Now that doesn't mean he didn't use his intellect and his skills that he had learned as a lawyer.

I believe that.

My own personal belief is, God, hey, you may unwillfully be out of the wheel being uh going through education and stuff and things that you ought not to be doing, but you, hey, hey, you meant it for evil or Satan meant it for evil, but God means it for good.

I call it the Genesis 20, uh Romans 8, 28, Genesis 50, 20.

God will still use what when you're astray and you're being educated in the secular and humanistic areas of life, he'll still take that and take the good of it and then turn it around so it can be a dynamic witness for his glory.

Amen.

He took me being a policeman and fireman, all that, when I was running from God.

And he's used it over the years to be a platform for me to witness and and and to use my skills that I learned in those areas of expertise of life.

So, hey, remember, we are bought with the price, therefore, glorify God in your body and your spirit, which are gods.

You gotta see this quickly.

This is so good.

You remember in Luke 12?

I may not read the whole thing, but you remember it.

Remember the parable of the rich fool?

You remember that?

Remember?

He said, Hey, look at what he said.

And he said unto them, Take heed, beware of covetousness.

All right?

He says, Why?

For a man's life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses.

That's powerful, folks.

And he spake then this parable, and hey, thought within himself, saying, verse 17, What shall I do because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

And he said, This will I do.

I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there will I, hey, bestow all my fruits and my goods, and I will say to my soul, soul that has much goods laid up for uh many years, take thy ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night, thy soul, shall be required of thee.

Then who shall those things be which thou hast provided?

So is he that layeth up treasures for himself and not right toward God.

His plans were not God's plans.

Notice the word I six times in those verses.

I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I.

Not God.

He wasn't seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these other things should be added unto you.

No.

Notice, he accumulated things, he didn't give things.

Verse 18.

He kept piling them up.

He wasn't giving them away.

Giving it shall be given unto you.

Good measures, pressed down, shaking together, and running over shall men give back unto you.

Luke 6, 38.

That's what it says.

Is that not good?

And then notice what else?

Verse 17, he trusted in his wealth.

Look at verse 19.

Hey, he trusted in his wealth.

Look at what he said.

And I will say to my soul, soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years.

In other words, my trust is not in God, it's in my stuff.

It's in my stuff.

Notice what else?

He was a pleasure seeker.

Oh, I have ease.

I eat, I drink, and I'm merry.

Listen, he that loves pleasure shall be a poor man, Proverbs 21, 17 says.

He was a pleasure seeker.

He trusted in his wealth.

What does he say?

When riches increase, set what?

Not your heart upon them.

Psalm 62, 10.

And then notice the last thing he said, hey, hey, your plans are not God's.

Hey, you're accumulating, you're storing up, you're not giving, you're not helping the cause of Christ.

You're trusting in your wealth, your things for power, your prestige, your political correctness, hey, your pleasure seeking.

It's all the lust of the flesh, lust.

And then what does he say?

Look at what he says in verse 20.

Thou fool.

Wow.

Mm-mm.

I think that speaks for itself.

That's it.

Boom, and gone.

So, living selfishly.

And the second thing, he was living sinfully.

To him, look at verse 17 in James 4.

That knoweth to do good and doeth it not to him, it is sin.

When self is that the sinner self dominates our life every time.

Remember what James said in chapter 1, when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin.

And when sin is, hey, and when sin is finished, it brings forth what?

Death.

Death.

That's exactly what he's talking about here.

That is exactly to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not to him, it is sin.

Paul puts it a little differently when he says, look at Romans 14, 23.

Listen to what he says.

Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

Wow.

Wow.

That's pretty easy, isn't it?

Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

Wait a minute.

So that means everything that we do, we ought to be consulting, hey, with God to make sure it's God's will for our life.

And isn't that exactly what he said in verse 15?

For that ye ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that.

If the Lord will, hey, I'm gonna buy this car.

Is it God's will?

Is it in your bank account?

Well, no, but I can charge it.

Go in debt?

Oh, that's really good.

The borrow serve it to the lender.

Hello?

We okay?

I know.

Hey, I don't like you ought to bend me this week.

I was trying to figure out how I was hoping it'd sleet us out where I wouldn't have to preach it.

I'd say, okay, skip that one next.

This is tough.

It's not tough.

This is this is one of those taking us to the woodshed.

But I that's I'm it, I'm it, I'm guilty.

But we got to hear the whole truth, nothing but the truth.

So help me God.

Can I get an amen?

I like what Paul said, because that which may be known of God, look at Romans 1.19.

Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has showed it unto them.

You know what he's talking about?

He's talking about in Romans 1.

That's where, hey, hey, talking about homosexuality, talking about all the ungodliness and what he's basically saying, the creature, hey, is, hey, the creative is serving the creature instead of the God that made them.

He's saying, even the most ungodliest still have truth.

They still have truth because that which may be known of God is manifest in them.

There's no such thing as a true atheist.

I witnessed to one for an hour and a half Friday.

One-on-one.

Guy moved into our bought the place up above our cabin.

His name's Richard.

Old car buff.

He builds them.

He's got an old 46-4.

Great.

So he knocks on my door.

He says, You going to the World Wheels?

I said, Absolutely.

He said, Can I go with you?

I said, Come on, I want you to go.

Susan had kind of twisted her ankles so she couldn't go.

That was it really, it really was.

No, it no, no, not that she hadn't a God appointment maybe for her to turn her ankle, but it was a God appointment for Richard to ride with me.

Now watch this.

I get in the car, I'm thinking.

I already started thinking when he told me that.

I said, all right, Lord, we know he's lost.

He's admitted it.

So I said, open the door for me to witness to this gentleman.

Give me a time to just share the gospel.

And I'm always usually kind of creative about how to do that.

We get in the car and we're going down over the mountain, headed to Chattanooga.

He said, Do you mind going by the bank?

So I'd get some money.

I said, Oh, absolutely.

Know exactly where to go.

So on there, he says, You know, I don't claim to be religious.

But I think people ought to treat each other right.

He, oh, the greatest among you shall be your servant.

Do unto he said that rule.

I said, Are you talking about the golden rule?

Yeah, that rule.

Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you, Matthew 7, 12.

Yeah, that.

For the next hour and 30 minutes, I went from Genesis to Revelations with the gospel, who Jesus is in every book, telling him what it means to be saved.

You know what he said?

Well, I'm definitely not an atheist anymore.

He said, but I'm probably still an agnostic.

I said, Well, we got you at least a first base.

Now I said, I want to challenge you to go read the book of John.

I don't read the Bible.

I said, Richard, you've been telling me a lot of what you think.

I've been telling you, what have I done?

He said, You've caught.

He said, How do you know that Bible?

I said, Well, I've studied it for 30 years.

I ought to know a little bit.

Like you building those cars.

How do you build that 46 Ford?

He said, I've done it all my life.

I said, okay.

I said, so why don't you do this?

I said, I've talked about Jesus.

Because he said, I really don't know about that Jesus.

I don't know if he's God.

I don't think he's God.

I said, that's good.

Most people that aren't non-believers don't.

I said, so let me challenge you, why don't you go read a book about him?

He said, what's the book?

I said, John.

There's 66 books in the Bible, and this one's in the New Testament.

It's the book of John, and it's all about Jesus.

Will you read it?

So when I come back, we can talk about it.

He said, okay, I'll read it.

I said, don't read it once, read it two or three times.

And remember that Jesus is the Messiah.

I don't know if I know, believe that.

I said, I didn't say you did.

You don't believe, you don't know what to believe because you hadn't read anything about him.

I said, I was there too.

So would you do that?

But here's what I'm saying, folks.

Is that not a great opportunity?

Listen, people all around us don't have a clue.

And we are to be significant, and we're not to be living sinfully.

We are to be living the will of God.

And then the last thing, and I'm through.

Not living selfishly, not living sinfully.

And you know, and after the car show, we stopped at the Waffle House to get a waffle.

He's still asking me questions.

Penetrating the word of God in the heart.

Boom.

Boom.

I'm going to lead him to Jesus when I get there next time.

I'm going to put him on, because I'm getting him, if I can get him to read the book of John, he'll be ready.

The word of get him ready.

Then I just have to help him over to.

In fact, I sold him, I said, stop on John 3.

Look at the guy named Nicodemus.

Except a man be born again, he shall not see the kingdom of God.

Well, I don't know if there is a kingdom of God.

I think what it what is is is.

I said, in other words, you think you just go back to dust.

He said, Yeah, that's what I think.

I said, well, so you think if you live good, help people and everything, you're okay?

Yeah.

He said, if somebody is up there, if I've done here, treated people like I like to be treated, I'm okay.

I said, you know, that's a great thought.

And I believe that too.

But what if there's more to it than that?

See, according to what you believe, I'm okay too.

Because I'm treating others like I'd like to be treated.

But what if there's a second part that I've shared to you about a heaven and a hell?

Well, how does that stack you up?

He said, that's not too good.

I said, just a thought.

Amen.

Think about that.

If you're here today or you're watching by computer, and you you think if you're, you know, you live, you only live here, you're here, uh, to do good and do as good as you can, and after you die, it's all over, it's over.

But I've lived a good life.

And if that's what you think really takes for your hereafter to be okay, if we all live good according to your definition, then we're okay.

But what if there's more to it than, hey, he's saying basically, and this is what I told him, that that vapor, after it disappears, it's all over.

I got news for you, it's just the beginning.

Amen.

There's a hereafter.

And let's close.

So then we've seen the duration, the danger.

Now let's look at the duty.

Verse 15.

You ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that.

If the supreme danger to you and me, right here, look at it, is that a living without the reference of the will of God to our life, then the supreme most important thing we can do, duty in our life, is to live the will of God for our lives.

Would you not agree with that?

That's the most important thing we can do.

It really is.

So that gives me two things that we need to do.

One, acknowledging God's will.

Verse 15 says, if the Lord will.

Whatever God wants for me to do.

Does God want me to go here?

Does God want me this job?

Does God want me this?

I'll never forget when David and Christie, when David got ready to leave Tuscaloosa, he was with Marson's cafeteria.

He had been with them over 15 years.

Gotten great promotions, and he had gotten a promotion to come to uh uh Tuscaloosa and join our church, and he joined our church.

I'll never forget when I visited him that first night, he said, the only thing I'm looking for in the church is a gym.

Because he is a basketball player.

I said, Well, we fixed it to build one quick.

And Chris said, Well, that's not all, David.

But I'll never forget, I'll never forget, when we were begging God to keep them there to help us build that church together, and we had gotten very close.

I'll never forget, I said, David, have you prayed about it?

He said, No, I really hadn't prayed about it because I just thought that's what I'm supposed to do.

I get promotions, I work hard, I'm faithful, I'm a he's a great Christian.

I just do what I'm supposed to do.

God promotes me, not man.

I said, that's true.

Absolutely true.

But have you prayed about it?

He said, no.

I said, would you pray about it?

And he didn't realize he was fighting a losing battle.

Christie was praying, we're praying, the old church is praying.

God said, leave them here.

Leave them here.

Help us build this church, help us reach this community with the gospel.

And the rest is history.

Look around you.

Yes.

Yes, it did.

Coming back here.

Yes, it did.

Absolutely.

He turned the tables on me twenty-five years later.

But what we're saying is, what is God's will?

It was not my will to be in Chelsea.

Absolutely not.

Not on my radar.

You've heard that story.

Deedra, look at Deedra over there turning red.

I know I'm not going to Chelsea, huh?

God's, God's, and by the way, vision night, you've got to be sharing a little bit.

You and we'll talk about that.

But hey, hey, put you on the spot, yeah.

Well, I just hadn't a chance to get to you.

But watch, watch.

God's opened the door and done more in her ministry in four years than she had done the previous 15 years.

Because why?

She asked God.

I'll never forget what she was wanting about the house.

The lady looked at her and said, Hey, all it's gonna cost you a$500 check, and if you don't buy it, fine, you know.

I turned to her and said, Do you want me to write the check or are you gonna write it?

You just got your sign.

Amen.

God's will.

Acknowledging, acknowledging God's will.

That's what he's talking about.

What do you want me to do, God?

This one verse you got to put it down.

Psalms 143, verse 10.

Psalms 143:10

Teach me thy will, O God, for you are my God.

Your spirit is good.

Oh, I love this verse.

Lead me into the land of uprightness.

Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God.

Thy spirit is good.

Lead me into the land of uprightness.

What does he say in the Lord's Prayer?

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.

As in earth as it is in heaven.

Amen.

That's what we're talking about.

And then notice the second thing.

Then we've got to accomplish God's will.

Look at verse 15 again.

You ought to say, if the Lord will, then notice what the last phrase is.

We shall live, we shall do it.

We shall do it.

Now, watch.

God operates in three areas of personal experience, and we're through.

This is so good.

So how does he operate his will in our life?

Three areas.

Number one, salvation.

God's not willing that any should perish, but all should come to repentance.

Can I get an amen?

He wants everybody to be saved.

Look at what he says in 1 Timothy 2, 3, 4.

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.

Look, who will have what?

All men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Okay?

Then the second area that he wants his will fulfilled in our life, salvation, but then sanctification.

Look at what he says in 1 Thessalonians 4:3.

1 Thessalonians 4:3

For this is the will of God, even our sanctification, that we abstain from fornication.

What that means is that we live a moral pure life, that we be a living testimony, that we be that influence in our service and our sacrifice.

And then the third thing is our service.

Nothing in all the universe is more important than accomplishing God's watch.

Good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.

Can I get an amen?

Romans 12, 1 and 2.

That's it.

That's it, folks.

Look, that's it.

That's exactly what he's saying.

Salvation, sanctification, and service.

So we end with where we started.

What is your life?

Please don't miss this.

Hang with me as we conclude.

What is your life?

What is it?

It's a vapor?

Yes.

What is it?

Watch.

I want you to answer this with me.

What is your life?

Here's what I want.

And I think we just had tremendous truth taught to us.

Not because I'm the teacher, but because God, the Holy Spirit's the teacher in the Word.

Can I get an Amen?

So what is our life?

It is short and significant.

Can will you say that with me?

What is our life?

Short.

Make it significant.

Secondly, what is our life?

It can be wasted.

And it can be wasted because we are selfish and what?

Sinful.

Let's say that with me.

Our life can be wasted because we are selfish and sinful.

And then lastly, what is the duty of our life?

To acknowledge God's will and to accomplish God's will in our life.

Is that not good?

Is that not good, church?

Oh, thank you for being here this morning.

Watching, streaming.

And tell our church family they need to hear this message.

Need to hear it again.

I need to hear it again.

Because it's so powerful.

Life is short and significant.

We don't want it to be selfish and sinful.

And we want to acknowledge and accomplish God's will in our lives.

Every head bow, every eye close.

Lord Jesus, we thank you, we praise you, we exalt you to the highest, most rightful place you deserve.

If you're here this morning and you say, Pastor Danny, here's the invitation.

It's just us.

We got our little, we got our church family here this morning.

It's just us.

Here's the question we all need to ask.

Is God, is Christ the Lord of our life this morning?

Is Romans 12, 1 and 2 really, really in my life this morning?

Or am I living that selfish, sinful life that I know I shouldn't be doing?

Things in my life that need to be eradicated, need to be cut out?

You may be here this morning and you're not a Christian.

I never take that for granted watching online or here.

I want to invite you right now, if you're not sure, that if you're to die today, just like Richard knows he's not, he doesn't understand salvation.

But if you're not saved this morning, you're doubting your salvation, could you pray the same sinner's prayer that the thief on the cross prayed?

Would you pray this prayer with me?

Dear Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner and I can't save myself, but right now, Lord Jesus, I'm asking you to come into my heart, my life, and save me.

Thank you, Lord, for saving me.

Thanks again for tuning into this week's message.

We pray that your life has been changed.

If you would like to find out more about us, visit us on our webpage at thechurch at cw.com.

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Send us an email at office at the church at CW dot com.

We hope you have a wonderful day, and again, God bless you.