1. Over the past several years certain terminology and descriptions have been added to our vocabulary that distinguishes the generational differences in our society. One popular term that has been used over the past few years has been Baby Boomers. Now we are hearing about Baby Busters.  

2. George Barna has broken down the American population into five existing generations. He speaks of:

• Seniors: those that were born in 1926 and earlier

• Builders: those that were born between 1927 and 1945

• Boomers: those that were born between 1946 and 1964

• Busters: those born between 1965 and 1983

• Those that were born after 1984 to the present are yet to be named¹

3. When we talk about Baby Boomers we are talking about the generation that is sometimes called the “war babies”—the 76 million children who were born in the years after World War 1 and the Korean War. They are called Baby Boomers because there was such a hug boom in births beginning in 1946 compared to the birth figures prior to that time.  

4. When I think about Baby Boomers, I think of an article that appeared in Esquire, written by Robert George, editorial page writer of the New York Post, entitled, “The Worst Generation.” George wrote: “The Baby Boomers are the most self-centered, self-seeking, self-interested, self absorbed, self-indulgent, self-aggrandizing generation in American history.”  

5. As a Baby Boomer myself, sadly I must agree. My generation has largely lived for themselves. The Baby Boomer generation as a whole has made its priority what they could be, what they could do, where they could go and what they could get and have.  

6. When you read James 3:13-17, you would think that he is writing specifically to Baby Boomers. Yet, I am mindful that some of the characteristics of Baby Boomers are true of every generation, even those of James’ day.  

7. James speaks to us about how we approach life, how we assess life, and how we analyze life. Notice:  

1. A LIFE THAT FORGETS GOD!

1. In verse 13 James uses as an illustration the attitudes, aspirations and actions of certain merchants in his day. To introduce his illustration he uses a phrase that is found but one other place in the Bible. He say’s, “Go to now.” We might say, “Come now,” or “Now look here.” It is a phrase that usually implies disapproval and calls for one’s complete attention.

2. As I look at verse 13, it brings to my mind two questions:  

A. What Are The Goals Of My Life  

1. As we read verse 13 we see the goals of these merchants. Their goals is expressed in what they were saying: “Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there for a year, and buy and sell, and get gain.”  

2. David Jeremiah in his book on James describes their plans as a model business plan. What is their plan? They have established a date to initiate their plan—today or tomorrow. They have chosen the site or place to carry out their plan—such and such a city. They have laid out a time frame to accomplish their plan—continue there a year. They have identified and clarified their purpose—to buy and sell and get gain.

3. Or as Guy King says:

1. He chooses his time

2. He selects his spot

3. He limits his stay

4. He plans his doings

5. He reckons his profits²

4. Here is a couple of merchants making their plans and setting goals for the coming year. Obviously, these merchants are planners, ambitious and have specific objectives in their life. They know what they are doing; know where they are going, and what they want.  

5. I have always enjoyed reading the books of Ted Engstrom. In his book Strategy for Leadership he speaks of why organizations fail or falter. One reason he gives is that planning was inadequate or limited. No one would say that the plans of these merchants were inadequate or limited.  

6. The plans and goals of these merchants raise the question; what are our goals and plans for our life? What are we trying to accomplish in life and with our life? The businessman might ask, “What are my goals for my business?” The college student might ask, “What is my major and how will it equip me for the future?” Another might ask, “What is my career goal? What do I want to be and where do I want to go?” The young couple might ask, “When will be buy our first house?” Others might ask, “What are my financial or retirement goals?”  

7. Again, these merchants raise the question, “What are our goals and plans in life?” But they also raise another question, a very important question.  

B. Where Is God In My Life  

1. As I said earlier, the phrase “Go to now” is usually used when something is disapproved. Is James disapproving the setting of goals or planning in our life? Is he disapproving working and the desire to make money?  James is not disapproving their plans. What he is disapproving is that God is nowhere in their plans. James is reminding us of the folly of leaving God out of our plans.  

2. If there is any characteristic or trend of the Baby Boomer generation that is worthy of disapproval is this one thing. The Baby Boomer thinks in terms of, “What I am going to do.” “What I am going to be.” “What I am going to have.” It is, “I,I,I,” and “me, me, me” with no thoughts of God and what His plans may be. It is much like the merchants who were saying, “We will go.”  

3. It is not wrong to plan, but it is wrong to plan without God and considering His plans. It is not wrong to work, make money and have things. Yet it is wrong when things have us, instead of God. God is never to be divorced from who we are or what we do. If God and His plans cannot be a part of who we are then there must be a change in the course of our life. If God and His plans cannot be a part of what we do, then there must be a change in what we do. If God cannot be a part of what our goals and plans are, then our goals and plans need to be rearranged.  

4. God is have more than a part in our life. He is to be preeminent in our life. He is to have more than just Sunday in our life. He is to have Monday through Saturday in our life.  

5. What is James saying? He is saying that God is not to be left out of our today or tomorrow. God is not to be left out of whatever city we go into. God is not to be left out in the year ahead. God is not to be left out in our buying, selling, and getting gain. Whatever and whenever, God is to be the major factor in all our plans and goals.

6. As we look further at what James said, we are given a reason why we should not forget God in our life.  

2. A LIFE THAT FACES GOD!  

1. While we often think of today and tomorrow, James thinks even further ahead. He thinks of the life that is to come. He evaluates life in the light of eternity and what follows once this life is over.  

A. This Life Is Not Predictable  

1. He says in verse 14, “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow.” James is saying that we can make our plans and set our goals, but in reality, we don’t what tomorrow holds or what can happen in the future.  

2. There is nothing wrong with planning and preparing for tomorrow (provided you do not leave God out), yet we never know what curve life may throw us, or what things will happen, or how things may turn out. A person can be sailing calm seas today, but stormy seas tomorrow. There could be not a cloud in the sky today, but tomorrow skies could be dark. Tomorrow is not predictable. Life is not predictable.  

B. Life Is Not Permanent  

1. James asks in verse 14, “For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” James not only speaks of the uncertainty of life, but also of its brevity. James uses the illustration of the short life span of a mist. The word “vapour” is description of a mist. It is translated “smoke” in Acts 2:19. Like steam coming out of a teakettle on the stove, life at its longest is very brief.  

2. We do not know what tomorrow holds and furthermore, we don’t even know if we will be here tomorrow. That’s why Solomon said in Proverbs 27:1, “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” I plan on being around here tomorrow. I am sure that each of you has no plans to check out of life today. Yet, we have no guarantee that we have a tomorrow.  

3. Peter Marshall told the Arabic fable of a merchant in Baghdad that sent his servant to the market. When he returned it was obvious that he was deeply disturbed. He said to his master, “Down in the marketplace I was jostled by someone in the crowd. When I turned I saw that it was Death that jostled me. He looked at me and made a threatening gesture. Please lend me a horse that I might hasten to Samarra and hide there so Death cannot find me.” The merchant loaned him a horse and the servant galloped away as fast as he could. Later the merchant went to the marketplace and saw Death standing there in the crowd. He walked over to him and said, “Why did you frighten my servant this morning? Why did you make a threatening gesture?” Death replied, “That was not a threatening gesture. I was only startled and surprised. I was astonished to see him in Baghdad for I have an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.”  

4. Death has an appointment with each of us and we know not when. Again, we do not know what tomorrow holds and we don’t even know if we have a tomorrow. I believe that what James is driving at is that it is folly to leave God out of our life and one day we will have to face God. There is more to life than this life. There is the life to come and in that life we have an appointment to meet God.  

5. Since in the next life we will meet God, then this life ought to be lived with the thought of God.  

3. A LIFE THAT FOLLOWS GOD!  

1. Since we will meet God, we ought to live life according to God’s purposes and plans for our life. James says in verse 15, “For that ye ought to say, ‘If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.”  

A. Life That Is According To God’s Will  

1. James is telling us that what tomorrow holds is all up to God. He is the one in charge of our tomorrows. He is in charge with what happens and how things turn out. Furthermore, he is telling us that if there is a tomorrow, it is up to God. He is the one not only in control of what happens tomorrow but if we will see another tomorrow.  

B. Life That Is Acceptant Of God’s Will  

1. Our attitude ought to be, “If the Lord will.”  

2. I think about a story I read about a man who was riding his motorcycle along a country road. He stopped to talk to a preacher in a churchyard. The preacher asked where he was going. He told him that he was going to town to sell his motorcycle. The preacher said, “You ought to say, ‘I’m riding into town to sell my motorcycle if it be the Lord’s will.” The man rolled his eyes, laughed, and roared off toward town. He thought to himself, “Sell my motorcycle if it’s the Lord will? Lord’s will or not, I’m selling my motorcycle.” Later that afternoon the preacher saw the fellow coming down the road stumbling and staggering. His pants were torn exposing skinned knees. His arm was in a sling. His shirt was half torn off his back. His hair was a mess. His elbows and forearms were covered in blood. “What happened?” asked the preacher. The fellow replied, “After I left you I was on my way to town and a big storm came up. I tried to outrun it, but the rain began to fall like lumps of lead. As I was going around a big curve I hit some loose gravel and the motorcycle slid out from under me. I skidded more than a hundred feet on the pavement. I managed to get up, and walked to a nearby farmhouse. As I walked up to the door, a frightened woman pointed a shotgun in my direction. I started running and she started shooting. I ran through the brush and briars and got all scratched up. As I stood there picking buckshot from my backside, lightning struck a tree and fell on me.” The preacher looked at him and asked, “Where are you going now?” The man replied, “I’m going home…if it be the Lord’s will.”  

3. Since we will meet God one day, we should live according to His will.  

4. James says in verse 16, “But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.” Describing these merchants and all those who think like them, James describes them as boasters of what they were going to do. Since we do not know what tomorrow holds or even know if we have a tomorrow, such boasting is foolish, and even evil.  

5. Therefore James says in verse 17, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” Deferring to do the will of God is equally foolish.  

1. Baby Busters—The Disillusioned Generation, Northfield Publishing, 1992, 1994, pg.14
2. A Belief that Behaves—An Expositional Study of the Epistle of James