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A Time for Every Purpose

Ecclesiastes 3 & James 4

Proverbs 16:9

“ The mind of man plans his way,

“ But the LORD directs his steps.

The Illusion of Control

• We fill calendars and sign contracts with confidence.

• We assume tomorrow will go exactly as planned.

• Habits strengthen this feeling: alarms, appointments, goals.

The Reality

• Every obituary and canceled plan proves life is uncertain.

• The problem is not having goals.

• The problem is speaking as if God is not in control.

Ecclesiastes

➜ Everything has a time set by God.

➜ No one chooses birth or death.

➜ These are limits no person can erase.

James

➜ Speaks to merchants who ignore these limits.

➜ They speak of future profits without mentioning the Lord.

➜ Confident pride pushes God out of His rightful place.

Thesis

“ Faith rejects proud, self-reliant planning that ignores God’s rule…

“ And instead places every plan under His will.

I. God’s Sovereign Control

Over All Seasons of Life

Psalm 31:15

“ My times are in Your hand;

“In Your Hand”

• “My times” = the whole course of life.

• God holds, guides, and governs them.

• Life is not drifting; it is held by a faithful hand.

Daniel 2:21

“ It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings…

History & Sovereignty

• God’s control is historical and personal.

• He rules nations, kings, and eras.

• If He rules nations, He rules our daily lives.

Ecclesiastes 3:1

“ There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—

Ecclesiastes 3:2

“ A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.

The Limits of Control

• We do not choose our birth or death.

• Farmers must wait for God’s seasons (James 5:7).

• Worry cannot add one hour to life (Matt 6:27).

Purposeful Pairs

➜ Kill and Heal

➜ Tear Down and Build Up

➜ Weep and Laugh

➜ Keep and Throw Away

Application: Timing

• There is a time to speak and a time to be silent.

• Do not rush to force outcomes in family or marriage.

• Submit to God’s timing to find peace.

II. The Danger of Arrogance

Self-Centered Planning

James 4:13

“ Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.”

Presumptuous Claims

Time: “Today or tomorrow”

Place: “Such and such a city”

Duration: “Spend a year”

Result: “Make a profit”

The “We Will” ignores God.

James 4:14

“ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

Proverbs 27:1

“ Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.

Life is a Vapor

• Boasting about tomorrow shows pride and forgetfulness.

• Do not delay obedience for “someday.”

• Teach your family that every day is a gift.

III. The Humble Alternative

Submission to God’s Will

James 4:15

“ Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”

Proverbs 19:21

“ Many plans are in a man’s heart, But the counsel of the LORD will stand.

James 4:16

“ But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.

Application

• Make “If the Lord Wills” a habit of speech and thought.

• Accept closed doors without anger.

• Remove proud boasting; give God the credit.

Conclusion

• Ecclesiastes: God holds the time.

• James: Condemns the arrogant “I will.”

• Faith: Submits with “If the Lord wills.”

The Invitation

Submit to the Master of Time

Hear • Believe • Repent • Confess • Baptism

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