Temporary Wealth

Temporary Wealth | James 5:1-6 If you have your bibles or devices, we will be in James 5:1-6 this morning. James is found after Hebrews and before the Peters towards the end of your bibles. I want to begin this morning by asking you a question [disclaimer - you don't have to answer audibly]: "Are you rich?" How would you respond? If you search online, there are calculators that will tell you how "rich" you are compared to the rest of the world. Here are some findings from 2018 that are quite interesting: If you make $60,000 a year, you are in the upper .2% of everyone in the world. If you make $50,000, you're in the upper .3%. If you make $40,000, you're in the upper .6%. Suppose we drop the figure down to $20,000 a year. That puts you in the upper 4%. That means you make more than 96% of the people in the world. Let's go down to $10,000 a year. That puts you in the upper 16%. You make more than 84% of the people in the world. The average American household has an annual income of around $65,000. This obviously varies greatly by region and by population group, but we can use it as a starting point. If you live in the United States, you should be glad because you're in the upper 1% of world income. [In other words,] we're rich. We may not feel rich (we probably don't), [especially when] we approach tax time in the US, we may feel pinched and squeezed and frustrated. But in absolute terms, we're rich. If you have a . . . Cell phone, computer, home, bed, closet full of clothes, car ... you're rich. Interesting data, isn't it? Fascinating stuff. In our passage today, James is going to address ... you guessed it, the rich. Join me in your bibles or on the screen as we read the first six verses of chapter five: 1 COME NOW, YOU RICH, WEEP AND HOWL FOR THE MISERIES THAT ARE COMING UPON YOU. 2 YOUR RICHES HAVE ROTTED AND YOUR GARMENTS ARE MOTH-EATEN. 3 YOUR GOLD AND SILVER HAVE CORRODED, AND THEIR CORROSION WILL BE EVIDENCE AGAINST YOU AND WILL EAT YOUR FLESH LIKE FIRE. YOU HAVE LAID UP TREASURE IN THE LAST DAYS. 4 BEHOLD, THE WAGES OF THE LABORERS WHO MOWED YOUR FIELDS, WHICH YOU KEPT BACK BY FRAUD, ARE CRYING OUT AGAINST YOU, AND THE CRIES OF THE HARVESTERS HAVE REACHED THE EARS OF THE LORD OF HOSTS. 5 YOU HAVE LIVED ON THE EARTH IN LUXURY AND IN SELF-INDULGENCE. YOU HAVE FATTENED YOUR HEARTS IN A DAY OF SLAUGHTER. 6 YOU HAVE CONDEMNED AND MURDERED THE RIGHTEOUS PERSON. HE DOES NOT RESIST YOU. Did I mention that today's passage was not about sunshine and butterflies? Last week, we briefly addressed the possibility that James used our text from last week as a possible illustration, rather than an actual event that he was addressing. I think it is fair to make that same judgement here. One reason is the use of the phrase "come now," which seems to connect these two sections. Another reason that I say that is because we must remember who James' audience was. To do that, let's go all the way back to James 1:1, where James states, JAMES, A SERVANT OF GOD AND OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, TO THE TWELVE TRIBES IN THE DISPERSION: GREETINGS. In the very next verse, James addresses the "brothers" or "brethren." This continues throughout the letter, 1:19, 2:1, 2:14, 3:1 and so forth. Seemingly, every time James shifts to the next topic, he re-addresses the intended audience, the brothers. In other words, this letter is written to the Jewish Christians of his day. When we got to our passage last week, and then again, this morning, he does not address the brothers, rather we see two bookends in 4:11 and 5:7 of when he addresses and then re-addresses the brothers. So, what does this mean? It could mean that, one, James is addressing a well-known social evil that occurred during the time of James. The other possibility, which I briefly touched on last week is that he may be using this as an illustration to the worldliness that these Christians were flirting with. It is also noteworthy that when we take this section along with James 2:1-13, it seems that these Christians had the propensity to favor wealth or wealthy people. John MacArthur says that James is addressing those people who "play church," which could be possible, as there are non-Christians that go to church. Why is this important? I think, as we've seen with this entire letter so far, James is allowing the reader(s) to understand what true faith is. Way back, when we opened our series, we determined that while James' letter didn't have a lot of doctrine, like we see with Paul's letters, for example, we see that he, "instead focuses on how that [known] doctrine ought to impact the way that his audience lived their lives on a daily basis." Which is "why we've titled this series "Faith Works" because [we have been focusing] on how our faith ought to impact the way that faith should work in our lives." So, regardless of if these last two sections were written for specific people, or an illustration to address some of the cultural norms of the times, there is still a lesson for us. Let's review that first by looking at our main idea: The Lord will judge the rich in eternity for how they handle their temporary wealth. First let's discuss, WHAT THIS PASSAGE IS NOT SAYING: * It is not "bad" to be rich. o Consider what we read in Proverbs 10:22; THE BLESSING OF THE LORD MAKES RICH, AND HE ADDS NO SORROW WITH IT. o James is speaking to what the rich do with what they have. So, WHAT WERE THE RICH DOING? * They were hoarding their wealth (vv. 2-3) * The NET Bible translation says the end of verse 3 could be rendered "hoarded up treasure for the last days" * We see that they hoarded their "riches," "garments" and their "gold and silver" o The riches here refer to all their possessions. Some have stated that it relates to their grain, which can rot away. o The garments are the overflowing closets that have just gone to waste. * There's a neat "life hack" out there that says to turn your hangers the opposite way in your closets, then when you wear that item, you turn your hanger back the other way. After a set period of time, if there are items that are left unturned, then you have not worn them, and they should be donated. * Truth be told, this is a "first world problem." In James' day, most people had only what was on their backs. o Regarding the gold and silver. * Technically speaking, gold and silver do not corrode. This statement by James is "paradoxical, emphasizing that even incorruptible commodities are destined to perish" * What this statement does is illustrate their utter worthlessness because it is only temporary. * In what way does hoarding benefit others? Next ... * They were holding back wages (4) * Here's another possible connection to the last section (4:13-17), where James spoke to the businessmen * As Jews, they would be very familiar with this passage from Deuteronomy 24: 14 "YOU SHALL NOT OPPRESS A HIRED WORKER WHO IS POOR AND NEEDY, WHETHER HE IS ONE OF YOUR BROTHERS OR ONE OF THE SOJOURNERS WHO ARE IN YOUR LAND WITHIN YOUR TOWNS. 15 YOU SHALL GIVE HIM HIS WAGES ON THE SAME DAY, BEFORE THE SUN SETS (FOR HE IS POOR AND COUNTS ON IT), LEST HE CRY AGAINST YOU TO THE LORD, AND YOU BE GUILTY OF SIN. * Notice the strong language from James here, they held back their wages fraudulently. o Someone shared recently about having to cut ties with a local business because they not only hired illegal immigrants to do some work for them, but they also didn't pay them what they earned, even going as far as to threaten reporting them to the authorities. This is a dishonest way of doing business, on multiple accounts. * Holding back wages from those who earned it only benefits self. Which leads to ... * They lived selfishly (5) * Just a few chapters ago, we read these words from James (2:15-16): 15 IF A BROTHER OR SISTER IS POORLY CLOTHED AND LACKING IN DAILY FOOD, 16 AND ONE OF YOU SAYS TO THEM, "GO IN PEACE, BE WARMED AND FILLED," WITHOUT GIVING THEM THE THINGS NEEDED FOR THE BODY, WHAT GOOD IS THAT? * There was an expectation, due to cultural norms, and due to their relationship as brothers (and sisters) to care for one another. Another call back to the beginning of chapter 2 where James accused some in the church of being partial. * This shows us that there are both poor and rich among the believers here. * This verse also calls to this idea of showing off their wealth. I think it was Dave Ramsey, the financial expert, who said that many millionaires drive a 4-year-old car that is completely paid off. * The picture we get here are those modern day celebrities who have multiple luxury vehicles, and homes, and flash their money around. Don't get me wrong, there are some good ones out there, but many are only out for themselves. That's the type of "rich" that James is addressing here. * Finally, James says that ... * They judged them unfairly (6) * This passage is alluding to the legal system. * The wealthy, like today, have a lot of influence and sometimes use that to their own advantage * Here, the "righteous" that James speaks of is the worker who was not paid and those being oppressed by the rich. o Others believe that James is speaking about Christ here, but I'm not sure if the context allows for that interpretation. * He is unable to resist because he simply does not have the influence, the power, or the resources to fight. In this section, James is giving us TWO TRUTHS ABOUT OUR WEALTH: * Our mishandling of our wealth will catch up to us o We see that James spends this entire section on this eminent judgement that awaits this type of rich person. We see this judgement way back in verse 1, where James says: COME NOW, YOU RICH, WEEP AND HOWL FOR THE MISERIES THAT ARE COMING UPON YOU. o Close inspection of this passage, we see that there are several witnesses that will come forward to testify to the poor treatment by the rich. * First witnesses are the riches themselves, as we see at the end of verse 3, where James states that they eat their flesh like fire. * Then, eventually, the laborers will no longer stay silent, they will cry out. o Next, we see that ... * It will all go away o Consider what the Psalmist says in Psalm 49: 16 BE NOT AFRAID WHEN A MAN BECOMES RICH, WHEN THE GLORY OF HIS HOUSE INCREASES. 17 FOR WHEN HE DIES HE WILL CARRY NOTHING AWAY; HIS GLORY WILL NOT GO DOWN AFTER HIM. o We've seen it in this passage already as well as in the text last week. o Author Herbert M. Carson said it this way: "Death is the final mockery of materialism. We brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out. If a man has lived to accumulate good, how indescribably tragic his dying!" This is why we said earlier: The Lord will judge the rich in eternity for how they handle their temporary wealth. While this passage isn't all sunshine and butterflies, there are some great principles and even some encouragement here. So, HOW DO WE APPLY THIS PASSAGE TODAY? * Consider how you spend your resources o This could be, as we've talked about today, your monetary wealth, but we can also apply this to your time, or your talents and abilities. o Ask yourself the following: * Am I honoring God with my resources? * Am I building up others with my resources? * Am I wasting my resources? * Consider what your possessions are really worth to you o It's hard for me not to think about the story of the rich young man from Matthew 19. If you're not familiar with the story, it goes like this. A rich young man, someone of great importance, approached Jesus and asked Him how he can have eternal life. Jesus, surprisingly answered him that he must keep all of the commandments. The man claimed that he did, so Jesus told him to sell all his belongs and give it to the poor, and to follow Jesus. The passage says that the man went away sorrowful because he had "great possessions." Jesus used this as a teaching moment and told His disciples: 23 AND JESUS SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES, "TRULY, I SAY TO YOU, ONLY WITH DIFFICULTY WILL A RICH PERSON ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. 24 AGAIN I TELL YOU, IT IS EASIER FOR A CAMEL TO GO THROUGH THE EYE OF A NEEDLE THAN FOR A RICH PERSON TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD." o Here is a hard question. Would you give it all up to follow the Lord? o Are your possessions more important to you than eternity with the Father? * Consider how you treat others o While I don't believe anyone here is like the man who withheld the wages of the laborers, we should always be mindful of how we treat others. o One of my favorite passages is Romans 12. This is where Paul shifts his heavy doctrine filled letter with some practical steps for living. Here are a few principles from Paul in that chapter: * 10 LOVE ONE ANOTHER WITH BROTHERLY AFFECTION. OUTDO ONE ANOTHER IN SHOWING HONOR. * 16 LIVE IN HARMONY WITH ONE ANOTHER. DO NOT BE HAUGHTY, BUT ASSOCIATE WITH THE LOWLY. * 18 IF POSSIBLE, SO FAR AS IT DEPENDS ON YOU, LIVE PEACEABLY WITH ALL. o Finally, here is some encouragement from this passage ... * Remember, the Lord will judge the wicked o Let's take another look at verse 4: BEHOLD, THE WAGES OF THE LABORERS WHO MOWED YOUR FIELDS, WHICH YOU KEPT BACK BY FRAUD, ARE CRYING OUT AGAINST YOU, AND THE CRIES OF THE HARVESTERS HAVE REACHED THE EARS OF THE LORD OF HOSTS. o The Lord of Hosts means that the Lord is the leader of heaven's armies. This Name of God paints the picture of Him leading His "host" against an enemy. In short, this means that the Lord will fight for you and for me. * James, in a powerful image, is reminding the oppressed that God Himself has heard their prayers and is ready to fight for them. * This is a strong warning against those who decide to stand up against God's people. * This means that this too, is temporary. Once again, I want to reiterate that money is not evil. Wealth is not evil. One more passage I want to draw your attention to. This comes from Paul's first letter to Timothy. As he wraps up his letter to Timothy, he warns him about false teachers and contentment with this warning: 10 FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY IS A ROOT OF ALL KINDS OF EVILS. IT IS THROUGH THIS CRAVING THAT SOME HAVE WANDERED AWAY FROM THE FAITH AND PIERCED THEMSELVES WITH MANY PANGS. (1 Timothy 6:10) Did you see it? The love of money is the root, not money itself. It's about how we see it and how we treat it. Later, Paul writes: 17 AS FOR THE RICH IN THIS PRESENT AGE, CHARGE THEM NOT TO BE HAUGHTY, NOR TO SET THEIR HOPES ON THE UNCERTAINTY OF RICHES, BUT ON GOD, WHO RICHLY PROVIDES US WITH EVERYTHING TO ENJOY. 18 THEY ARE TO DO GOOD, TO BE RICH IN GOOD WORKS, TO BE GENEROUS AND READY TO SHARE, 19 THUS STORING UP TREASURE FOR THEMSELVES AS A GOOD FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE, SO THAT THEY MAY TAKE HOLD OF THAT WHICH IS TRULY LIFE. (1 Timothy 6:17-19) I began our time together this morning sharing some statistics about you and me in comparison to the rest of the world. Against those standards, we are considered rich. So, when you leave here today, ask yourself how you can honor God with your riches. Ask yourself how you can serve others with your riches. Ask yourself how you view your riches in light of eternity. Ask God to give you a giving and a loving heart for your brothers and sisters. Will you do that today? Let's pray. 2