January 28, 2018 – James 4:11-17 – Pastor Zeke Mack

Pastor Zeke continued through our series in James, giving us a proper perspective on our view of others and our plans.

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Main Points & Outline

Premise: We must humble ourselves by prioritizing God in the way we view others and plan our lives.

1. We must not judge others (v 11-12)
   1. Important question: Who are you to judge your neighbor?
   2. Our behavior:
      1. Our tendency, given our knowledge of God, is to judge others.
   3. Who God is:
      1. God is both the legislative and executive branch. He makes and enforces the Law.
2. We must submit our plans to God (v 13-17)
   1. Important question: What is your life?
   2. Our behavior:
      1. Our tendency is to forget about God and eternity in our day to day lives.
   3. Who God is:
      1. God has a plan for your life. Plan accordingly.

Scripture: James 4:11-17

¹¹ Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. ¹² There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

¹³ Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—¹⁴ yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. (ESV)