It’s been said that Chevrolet should have never stopped making the 1963 pickup because there was nothing wrong with it. Why did they stop making it? There have been innovations and changes since then—and we could argue whether those changes were for the better or not. Maybe we could argue that if Chevy had continued making the ’63 then they wouldn’t be in the trouble they are in now.

Business majors would argue that it’d be insane for Chevy to have kept making the same vehicle years after year, with no changes. If for no other reason than that we live in a culture that expects change—not just in our cars but in our boats and houses and even comic books. From a marketing standpoint, you have to change some or you will be left in the dust.

That leaves us faced with a bit of a conundrum as a church, doesn’t it? God doesn’t change. The gospel doesn’t change. Salvation doesn’t change.

And sometimes we don’t want our churches to change. We want the songs we sang years ago, but we don’t want to go all the way back and start singing Gregorian chants again. We want pews because that’s the kind of seating we associate with church, but we don’t want to go back to the days when they sat on the floor or even stood all the way through the service.

We want the youth to participate in the kinds of things the youth did in church when we were the youth, but at some point we realize that today’s youths like to put their own stamp on things the way we did as youths.

We see a church that seems to be growing by being all flash and no substance, but is it to our credit if we are Biblically-pure but aren’t reaching anyone? We are commanded to reach out, remember?

So, for this Memorial Day Weekend, I want to look at a parable from elsewhere in the Bible.

James 4:13-17
Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.’ As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins. (NIV)

Think about the other parables we’ve read through together. The ten virgins waiting for the groom to come celebrate his wedding. The vineyard that was left in the hands of greedy workers (and then given to other workers). The parable of the sower.

In all of these, I have encouraged us (starting with me) to examine ourselves. What sort of soil am I? Am I ready for Christ’s return (or prepared to wait as long as it takes)? Am I faithful with the section of the vineyard God has entrusted to me?

Now, take a look at the scenario James just set up. We can all identify with this, to one extent or another.

Late July, Martha and the boys and I are going to take a vacation. We’re going to go to Durango, Colorado, where we have rented a cabin for a week. We’ll do some hiking, ride some horses, play around in the mountains. We even have our road planned out. We’ll go up over Wolf Creek Pass, then we’ll come back another way.

James cautions us, though. How do we know we will be here when the time comes that we have scheduled for our vacation?

Notice: James does not tell us not to make plans. What does he tell us?

Put All Plans in the Hands of the Lord

If you’ve been reading the newsletter, you’ve noticed that we (NPCC) are coming up on our 50th anniversary in 2011. With that in mind, we’ve started making some plans for some much needed renovations and improvements we would like to do to the building.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, so long as we are constantly aware that God is ultimately in charge.

Because … what are some questions we are not capable of answering?

Will we (NPCC) be here next year? In 10 years? Will the world be here in 10 years?

We’ve talked about these renovations because while we know a building won’t save anyone, we also know it can be stumbling block. As with all buildings, this one needs some work done to/on it. And we asked ourselves what shape this building would be in in five years if we don’t make the repairs and upgrades (and how much more expensive they might be in five years and who would be here to work on them in 5 years)?

So, if the Lord wills, we will be presenting our plans to the congregation and we’ll have a congregational meeting June 28th to discuss these plans. If this is in God’s will, by March 19, 2011, this building—and especially this room—will look very different!

As important as the questions of where we will be in years to come (if Christ hasn’t returned by then) are somewhat important, but not as important as another question:

Why are we here now?

Look back there at the last sentence in that passage from James: Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.
On many Sunday mornings, I have put out a plea for us all to look around, see who isn’t here, then give them a call during the week or go by and see them. Ever been doing something on a day in the middle of the week and thought to yourself, “So-And-So wasn’t in church on Sunday. I ought to give her a call and check up on her.” But then, you got distracted by whatever it was you were doing (and it might be important stuff—like driving, or filling out your tax forms) and you never did make the call.

I know I have. And I’ve regretted it. But then I would tell myself that while I should have called, it wasn’t like I was really doing anything wrong by not calling.

James might take issue with me and say, “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.” It’s not a mistake. It’s a sin.
At this point in the sermon, we could (and maybe should) all be feeling pretty low. After all, there’s lots of good in this world that goes undone, isn’t there?

Look at something Paul wrote:

2 Corinthians 10:3
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. (NIV)

Huh? What does that have to do with what you were just saying, Sam?

Let me give you another scripture that might help:

1 Corinthians 2:12
We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. (NIV)

Uh … no. That doesn’t help at all.

Time Belongs to God

See, how many of us, the excuse that we have used for not making that phone call, not doing that good thing we know we should have done, was that we just didn’t have the time?

In fact, we might have even said out loud to someone, “I just don’t have the time.”

When I think about it, I don’t have any time. God is the creator and owner of time. He just loans me a portion.

When we pray the Lord’s prayer, we pray, “Give us today our daily bread”, right? But most of us don’t really know what it’s like to go hungry. We maybe miss a meal every now and then, or in the days before a payday we might have to eat a lot of PB&J, but most of us aren’t really familiar with starving, so this verse doesn’t really resonate with us.

Maybe we’ve reading it wrong. Think of it this way: who does Scripture say is the “bread of life”? Jesus, right? So our prayer, then, is, “Jesus, give me all of you I need for this day.”

Paul said we don’t wage war as the world does. Our world wages battle against time by filling up our lives with calendars and planners and notes to self on our cell phone. Those can all be great tools, but really, we should wage our “war on time” by turning every minute over to God. Got a lunch appointment for next Tuesday? As you’re marking it in your planner, pray, “God, this is your lunch. If you want me to be there, you’ll get me there and I’ll give you the glory for it.”

When we understand that the world is God’s—and time itself belongs to him—then we understand, Paul says, the nature of the free gifts and can fully appreciate them! What happens if we try to fight the battle of time by the world’s standards? We get pretty beaten down, don’t we? And, eventually, we lose.

2 Timothy 1:7-10
We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel . (NIV)

On Memorial Day we typically look back, which is good. And we remember those who have died, which is also good.

On this Memorial Day, though, I want us to also remember what Paul said: death is destroyed. And with no fear of death, imagine what we could do! If we just turned all our time, all our plans, over to God … what a day to remember this would be!!

What do I DO with this?
• Turn it all over to God
• Do the good he’s called you to do
• Live victoriously