James 5:1-6--Common Trials and Temptations (#3)

The Sin of Hoarding Wealth

James 5:1-6

L/W-(Thank you to Josh for leading worship and service and sharing/teaching the Word)

As we’ve worked through the book of James, we’ve learned

Who a bondservant of Christ is supposed to be (James 1:1 “James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.” )

How and what it means to have joy in trials/temptations (James 1:2-3 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.”

How and what it means to seek God’s wisdom and strength during times of trials/temptations (James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” )

The cause of these are and how to guard and protect ourselves—it is our own selfish/prideful desires (James 1:14 “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” )

Our faith must have feet (it must be demonstrated) (James 2:17 “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” )

What trials/temptations are common to all believers (James 3-5)

It means to depend on God and not one’s self (James 4:13-17)

Next three weeks, as we close out James--

We finish out another common trial/temptation to believers

Then a 2-part discussion on, again, James encouraging, exhorting and teaching us a step by step look at combating them

In our time in James,, there’s been many times of challenge, encouragement, and conviction (at least with me there has been). As we approach the conclusion and continue on through God’s Word, I’d like to take a moment to encourage and remind you of something. In the times of conviction, whether through James or any part of our study of God’s Word, we’ve been taught that its purpose is to draw you closer to God (this is 100% accurate and we should continue to see it as such; however, I’d like to share with you another perspective): Conviction is a picture of God’s grace and mercy. Conviction is mercy, in that God allows us, through the Holy Spirit, to see how we’ve wronged Him, to reveal our sin to us; it is at the same time grace, b/c He also provides us a way of escape—the cross. We come to realize it is mercy when we stop looking at conviction as God shaming and pushing you away, and see God as God fighting for you and pulling for you. When we see His mercy in this, we will also see His grace:

Why does He fight for you?

One—because He knows what sin has caused you and does not desire any one to be apart from him (2 Peter 3:8-9 “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

Two--Because you are precious in His sight . You are His creation—the pinnacle of what He’s created. It would go against His very nature not to fight for something (someone) who was/is created in His very image and likeness.

So as we wrap up this last look at common trials/temptations and we remember all of what the Bible, through James as taught us, I pray each of us, starting with myself, approach conviction with this understanding…and embrace the lessons of sanctification we have learned together

JAMES 5:1-6 (READ)

The topic of money is spoken about numerous times throughout Scripture and Jesus taught about it at length.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught His disciples not to lay up treasures on earth, “where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal,” rather to lay up treasures in heaven. He went on to say, in Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

He instructs the rich young ruler in Luke 18:18-23, that in order to follow him he must, ‘…sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.””

Jesus teaches us in Luke 9:23-24 that the cost of following Him should cause us to go bankrupt of ourselves and the things of this world, “Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.”

Jesus teaches about an unjust steward in Luke 16. At the conclusion of this parable in Luke 16:13, he says, ““No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”” Here, according to David Jeremiah, it is revealed that people serve money (mammon), “when their sole aim is to live as comfortably as possible, with little concern for the poor or disadvantaged.

James, in these first 6 verses of chapter 5, challenges us to look at another common trial and temptation which faces all believers (especially those who are wealthy); hoarding wealth; but note this, living in the country we live in, despite the climate—we live in the overflow compared to so many others. Those who are well-off, wealthy, or have much--have a tedious and ferocious temptation and warning: to hoard money/wealth and not help those in need (poor, destitute, the struggling, the homeless, etc.) It’s not sin to be wealthy—but there are strong and straightforward truths of Scripture that warn/condemn/judge those who withhold and hoard wealth and do not use it to reach those in need.

There are four points in today’s message, and before we start, we need to know what “weep” and “wail” (“howl”) mean, b/c each of these points today a Biblical call for exists. It’s a call and command to weep and wail (howl) to those living to make money their lord; to weep and wail over their divided and malignant hearts.

“Weep” --”to lament, sob bitterly”

Ancient times—term that described wailing for the dead or intense remorse

James is saying—the Bible is teaching—that hearts surrendered to the love and lordship of money ought to be so convicted to the core, that intense remorse is required

“Wail” (“howl”)—expression of extreme grief

In Scripture we find it only the O/T prophets and always in the context of judgment

James is saying—the Bible is teaching —that hearts surrendered to the love and lordship of money ought to be so grieved over how they’ve made money their lord, that repentance is the only response

The four reasons a person should weep and wail (howl) when it comes to wealth are:

I. (v.1) (FIRST) You should weep and wail (howl) If you are hoarding wealth

James 5:1 “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you!”

There’s no hidden meaning or application with this verse—its direct and straightforward. Hoarding money will bring misery

Notice what the Bible says about the miseries of hoarding/coveting/serving money: They are personal, they are plural, and they are coming (promised)

They are personal

Hoarding/coveting money directly effects the heart of the one hoarding

While displaying to others that their wealth is providing happiness, inside, this person is full of despair, hollowness, and sin

They are plural

What are some of these miseries?

Bondage/Afflictions

In binding yourself to money/wealth—you are in bondage to it, enslaved by it

to want more

to never having enough, or

to panic/worry/fear if there’s not enough

To make money your lord is sin—and sin’s effect is bondage/affliction

You are held by it

You operate by it

You find your worth in it

Emptiness

Making money your lord brings at the very most, temporal satisfaction—but like all things of this world

it will not last

it will not provide lasting satisfaction

it has no divine value

Loneliness

Purposelessness

Mind—either your mind is consumed with

how to make more

how to hold on to it

fear/worry/stress when there’s not enough

While it might bring worldly comfort, there’s a lack spiritual contentment (look at this oft-misapplied verse)

Philippians 4:10-13 “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

They are coming

It is an assured truth—the miseries that come in hoarding/coveting/treasuring wealth are not a “maybe” or a “might happen,” they are promised—not just in the next life—but also for the current one

The bottom line—riches/wealth which are hoarded are sure to fail you in some way and they will never satisfy you

II.(v.2-3) (SECOND) A person should weep and wail (howl) for thinking wealth is lasting

James 5:2-3 “Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.”

Again, note the straightforward language James is using

(Note three things)

“Riches are corrupted”—Corrupted--(sessepen)-this word means rotted and refers to things such as vegetation or building materials which

rot if they are not used/eaten

“Garments are moth-eaten”

“Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you.”

Gold/silver become cankered or rusted—and stand as a witness against you (gold cannot rust, so what does James mean?)

James means that if minerals lie unused, they become coated over with filth, tarnished, corroded, and eventually worn away

The whole point in what James is saying is this: (1) if vegetation and building materials are rotten, (2) if your stuff goes unused, and (3) if your riches go unused —they are useless—and eventually will become so rotten, moth-eaten, and covered in filth they are unusable and will be gone—and never be used for the good God intended them to be.

All they, and those like them, are contributing to this world are

things that rot, get eaten away, or waste away

leaving the world with things that age, corrupt, deteriorate, decay, and pass away forever

1 Timothy 6:7 “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.”

1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

III.(v.3) (THIRD) A person should weep and wail, b/c hoarding wealth will condemn you

James 5:3 “Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.”

Wealth can condemn people in three ways:

Wealth will stand as a witness against you. When? We know we will face judgment (judgment seat of Christ or the Great White Throne), but hoarding wealth is also stands as a witness against people today, in the now.

Remember what a witness does:

Witnesses testify to the truth of what they see, what they hear, and what they know

Hoarding wealth is a witness b/c it says, “I know what this person valued other than Christ and valued more than the poor and needy of this world.” And we are stand guilty—hence the language to weep and wail (howl)

So think about those are witnessing how you live:

Every person who is compassionate and concerned for poor and needy of this world see others living lavishly and in selfishness

Every poor and needy person sees the lavish and selfish lifestyle those who hoard wealth live

they see some of the rich care

they see some of the rich not care

All others in the world, even those who are rich and hoarding see it—yet they don’t care enough to change how they are living to obey what God has called those who have much to do

(MOST VITAL) God Himself sees—nothing is hidden from Him

Hebrews 4:13 “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”

Luke 8:17 “For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.”

Our wealth and hoarding serve as a witness against us---they testify against us, not for us

-------

Wealth will eat your flesh away as fire

Fire consumes things, anything that is burning, unless it is extinguished, or runs out of fuel will eventually be consumed. Unless water or another agent is put on it (dirt, chemical, etc) the fire eats and burns whatever is in it’s path until it is reduced to ashes

Fire is never satisfied until it’s extinguished or it’s fuel is removed (oxygen, flammable materials, etc)---it will only grow and grow in size and intensity

How true this is spiritually speaking/

Allowing the lust and passion of wealth to burn within you will consume you (if it hasn’t already), unless it is extinguished or it continues to burn until it destroys you.

Unless you allow God to remove the greed, lust, and coveting of money—those things (the love/lust/greed for wealth) will be what fuels the fire that will consume a person until they are destroyed now and potentially forever

1 Timothy 6:9-10 “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

People serve who or what they make their “lord.” Regardless of what their lips claim—how they live is reflection of what/who is their “lord”

WE MUST REMEMBER: As believers we are born again into an inheritance which is eternal and our lives should be consumed with pursuing those things which are of Christ and are eternal.

1 Peter 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,”

Wealth shall be store up against us in the last days

This refers to the judgment to come, when all men will stand before God and give an account

“Heaped up”/”Heaping together”—This is a picture of someone who

as they are working day by day, hour by hour to collect and hoard wealth, they are at the same time

heaping wrath against themselves in the day of God’s judgment

Treasures of earthly wealth—become treasures of wrath heaped up

Why? Because as the rich and wealthy hoard and collect, those who are poor/needy/destitute and in need go without

The language of the Bible is strong here: All throughout Scripture we learn God’s character of compassion is to the poor, the needy, the destitute, those who have nothing and are cast out:

IV.(v.4-6) A person should weep and wail--for the way they are living:

James 5:4-6 “Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.”

Four descriptions of how the rich live:

Some rich/wealthy: cheat, steal, and defraud workers

(Notice the verse)““Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.”

This shows that there exist those who hoard/covet/lord money and defraud their servant/workers/employees in order to pad their wallets. How?

not paying just wages

not paying a full hour or days wage

not paying for all the work done

withholding more than they should

adding to the bill the laborer owes for supplies

adding weight to the scales

Proverbs 21:6 “Getting treasures by a lying tongue Is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death.”

Proverbs 22:16 “He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches, And he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty.”

Jeremiah 22:13 ““Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness And his chambers by injustice, Who uses his neighbor’s service without wages And gives him nothing for his work,”

Amos 8:4-7 “Hear this, you who swallow up the needy, And make the poor of the land fail, Saying: “When will the New Moon be past, That we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, That we may trade wheat? Making the ephah small and the shekel large, Falsifying the scales by deceit, That we may buy the poor for silver, And the needy for a pair of sandals— Even sell the bad wheat?” The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: “Surely I will never forget any of their works.”

This verse further shows what happens.

The cheated person cries out to God and God hears them

Note a name of God uses here: “Lord of Sabaoth”

“Lord of Sabaoth” means the Lord of hosts or Lord of armies

“Lord of Sabaoth” refers to the Lord’s omnipotence—His unlimited power to help the poor/disadvantage/the oppressed.

James is saying—the Bible is saying—God will execute judgment/wrath/upon those who oppress the poor/needy

Acts 5:1–12 NKJV

But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him. Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?” She said, “Yes, for so much.” Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things. And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch.

Some rich/wealthy: live selfishly in luxury and pleasures of this world:

(Notice the verse)“You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury”

The goal and aim of those who live this way is to live a life of self-seeking and self-gratification:

big houses

fancy cars

pursue immorality

recognition

fame/power

ego

Some rich/wealthy: make themselves fat for the day of slaughter

(Notice the verse) “you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter”

In comparison to other parts of the world, we live luxurious lives—and to hoard our wealth/to covet money is just adding weight to the coming day of judgment

Some rich/wealthy: condemn and kill the righteous—and the righteous do not resist them

(Notice the verse)--”You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.”

The one person who the rich/wealthy dislike the most—is the person who lives/preaches/proclaims self-denial—abandonment of self and worldly pleasures

The rich and wealthy reject the message of self-denial and sacrificial giving

In the world we live in today—the rich/wealthy go to such lengths as to persecute those living and pursuing Christ and the things of Christ. Why?

To them, to live such a way is foolish and doesn’t make sense—and we live in a world where people persecute, ridicule, and mock what doesn’t make sense.

1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

What are we to do—as believers who have a heart for the poor and needy?

Continue to reach out those in need—the poor, the homeless, the widow

Amidst the persecution and ridicule of people, we are to continue to live on mission to take the message of the gospel to the poor, needy, homeless, destitute, hopeless and use the resources God has gifted us with to do so

Matthew 5:11 ““Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.”

John 15:18-20 ““If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.”

(Worship Team)

There are numerous areas of Scripture that speak to the emptiness, void, and sin which hoarding and accumulating wealth bring. Of these, one of the greatest accounts can be found in Ecclesiastes. The author of Ecclesiastes is Solomon, son of King David, who was granted unique and divine wisdom from God—and God also blessed him with vastness of wealth.

But when read Ecclesiastes 2:1-11, we find what Solomon discovered about all of this wealth:

Ecclesiastes 2:4-8 “I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove. I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds.”

Solomon, in these verses, accumulated all that one might accumulate in the culture and society he was living in: What he said about all he had accumulated he wrote down for us:

Ecclesiastes 2:10 “Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, For my heart rejoiced in all my labor; And this was my reward from all my labor.”

What Solomon came to realize is seen in the next verse:

Ecclesiastes 2:11 “Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.”

All the accumulating, hoarding, collecting or wealth and riches could not fulfill the aching need in his heart—it was all in vain that he collected and amassed wealth and riches.

Solomon discovered another truth

Ecclesiastes 2:18-23, says all his hoarding and collecting will be left to another man, he can’t even take it with him:

Ecclesiastes 2:18 “Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me.”

Ecclesiastes 2:22-23 “For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun? For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.”

The remaining chapters and verses within Ecclesiastes speak to the truth that all things in this life are vain and produce vanity;

The only thing that matters is Jesus and one’s relationship with Him: In Him we know He provides all we need, beginning with salvation (rescue from sin) and then supplying all of our needs:

Philippians 4:19 “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Romans 8:32 “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”

So, for the unbeliever this morning: Are you finding your worth, value, and identity and satisfaction in wealth? Does your life hinge on how much you have or don’t have?

For the believer here this morning: Are you stewarding the resources God has given you? Have you lost sight of the fact that ALL things belong to God and that He’s provided you the mode and means to have the resources you have, and are you using them to reach those who are less fortunate and hopeless?

In the conference we were at last week, one of the speakers mentioned something to this effect (and this goes for both the unbeliever and believer alike): And this goes for any area of our lives—not just in money

Everything in this life falls short and pales in comparison to what truly matters most-- a relationship with Jesus!!