The Book of James 14: The Rich Man: Hoarding Wealth.

James 5:1–6 KJV 1900

1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. 4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. 5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. 6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.

I. A strong summons — weep and howl if you are hoarding — wealth. v.1

II. Summons 1: Weep and howl, for wealth is not lasting. v.2-3

Job 20:28 KJV 1900

28 The increase of his house shall depart, And his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.

Psalm 49:10 KJV 1900

10 For he seeth that wise men die, Likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, And leave their wealth to others.

Proverbs 23:5 KJV 1900

5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

Proverbs 27:24 KJV 1900

24 For riches are not for ever: And doth the crown endure to every generation?

Ecclesiastes 2:18 KJV 1900

18 Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

Jeremiah 17:11 KJV 1900

11 As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.

1 Timothy 6:7 KJV 1900

7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

III. Summons 2: Weep and howl, for hoarding wealth condemns you. v.3

Matthew 27:5 KJV 1900

5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

1 Timothy 6:9–10 KJV 1900

9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Ecclesiastes 5:10 KJV 1900

10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.

Habakkuk 2:9 KJV 1900

9 Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, That he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil!

Proverbs 15:27 KJV 1900

27 He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; But he that hateth gifts shall live.

Jeremiah 17:11 KJV 1900

11 As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.

A. Shall be a witness against you.

B. Shall eat you as fire.

C. Shall be stored up for judgements against you.

IV. Summons 3: Weep and howl for the way you are living. v.5-6

Proverbs 21:6 KJV 1900

6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue Is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.

Proverbs 22:16 KJV 1900

16 He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, And he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.

Jeremiah 17:11 KJV 1900

11 As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.

Jeremiah 22:13 KJV 1900

13 Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, And his chambers by wrong; That useth his neighbour’s service without wages, And giveth him not for his work;

Ezekiel 22:13 KJV 1900

13 Behold, therefore I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made, and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee.

A. Have cheated, stolen, and defrauded.

B. Have lived selfishly — in luxury.

C. Have fattened yourself for judgement.

D. Have condemned and killed the righteous.