Nothing But a Vapor

This sermon was delivered on Sunday, September 5, 2021, marking the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks and set against the backdrop of the U.S. military's withdrawal from Afghanistan. The pastor uses James 4:13-15 to raise a central question: who is the true master of our lives? Through painful historical events — the collapse of the Twin Towers, 650,000 COVID-19 deaths in the United States, and the Taliban's return to power after 20 years of war — the pastor demonstrates that human beings do not control their own destinies as they often assume.

The sermon develops three main biblical arguments. First, human life is extremely brief and full of hardship, illustrated through rich biblical imagery: life passes faster than a weaver's shuttle (Job 7:6-7), disappears like a cloud (Job 7:9-10), is like a shadow (Job 8:9; Psalm 144:4), and is but a vapor that appears for a moment and then vanishes (James 4:14). Second, human ability is severely limited — no one predicted the complete collapse of the Afghan military in eleven days, no one can control a global pandemic or natural disasters. Third, only God holds the future and the history of every person, illustrated by the stories of King Nebuchadnezzar being humbled for his pride (Daniel 4) and King Belshazzar being weighed and found wanting (Daniel 5).

The pastor directly refutes the popular notion that 'I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul' — quoted from William Ernest Henley's poem Invictus. He argues that this worldview is completely mistaken and contradicted by the reality of life. He also challenges the common tendency among believers to separate Sunday worship from Monday-to-Friday work life, insisting that God is Lord over every dimension of our existence, including business and career.

The conclusion of the sermon turns to Jesus Christ, the Ancient of Days — the One who has existed from eternity (Daniel 7), through whom all things were created (Colossians 1:16-17). He became flesh, lived a brief human life of 33 years, and died a painful and shameful death on the cross to atone for human sin. The profound contrast the pastor draws is this: the Ancient of Days accepted a fleeting life like a vapor so that all who trust in Him would receive eternal life in heaven — free from sorrow, sickness, and suffering.