Look Here
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Intro:
Introduce self
Highlight summer camp and camp fundraiser
Our parents generosity…
Helping us as a young broke married couple…
But not everyone is this way. What we’re getting ready to read is in direct opposition to generosity…
1 Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you.
What a fun way to start our morning right?
In chapter 5, James turns his attention to the rich. Now the bulk of this letter is addressed to the church but this section seems to characterize ungodly individuals. Although, even if these 6 verses are directed toward the unbelieving rich this isn’t a time to check out as the church. This is a chance to have a heart check by evaluating how we use our own money. And if you’re already saying “well I’m broke! so i can relax today…” nope there’s still something for you to learn today. Whether you’re a millionare, someone living paycheck to paycheck, or your in poverty. There’s a word for you today…
And just to add a different perspective for you to consider…
If you earn
$100,000 per year = top 1.5% in the world
$50,000 per year = top 5% in the world
$5,000 per year = top 48% in the world (more than 4.2 billion people)
Now the reality is… even with that being true you may still feel the financial pressures of the context you find yourself in today. Whether you feel wealthy or not, money is still relevant to your life.
Just think about the focal point of so many conversations…
When we’re trying to get to know someone we ask “What do you do for a living?”
When we ask how someone’s day went it the default answer is to talk about work.
When we mention the stress or strains in our life it’s tied to bills we need to pay.
Oftentimes the decisions we make are tied to financial implications.
And Scripture provides plenty of instruction on what to do with said money.
Including our passage for this morning…
James has a pointed message for the rich. But not just any kind of rich person…
He continues…
2 Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment. 4 For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
5 You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you.
Do you see how these rich people are characterized?
“The wealth you were COUNTING ON”
“Treasure you have HOARDED”
“The workers you have CHEATED”
They’ve satisfied all of their own desires.
James says “you have condemned and killed innocent people…”
So. Before we go anywhere please understand this. Wealth is not a bad thing. Being rich isn’t evil and it’s nothing to feel guilty about.
What James is characterizing is someone who is greedy. Greedy people who instead of turning to Christ have made money their idol. This love for money has caused dependence on it. So much so that the people being described have used their money in evil ways.
The first thing James tells us about these rich people is found in verses 2-3
2 Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment.
Their wealth isn’t rotting away. Their fancy clothes are are like moth-eaten rags. Their gold and silver isn’t sustaining them. And here’s the key in verse 3…
“The wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire.”
This is the mistake they made. And many of us make today.
They were COUNTING on this wealth.
How many of us have placed our dependence on the wrong thing? How many of us have allowed our wealth or the need for more money to captivate our minds and hour hearts.
As James is calling out the atrocities of these rich individuals he’s also highlighting the fact that these things don’t last! Wealth will never sustain you. Not only in this life here on earth but beyond that! We can’t carry our riches with us into eternity.
Jesus tells us in his Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6…
Don’t store up your treasures here on earth! They won’t last. Store your treasures in heaven.
James says on the back end of verse 3…
3 …This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment.
The people were hoarding their wealth. They had built up their treasure thinking that it would provide them with status. With satisfaction. With purpose. But James proclaims that the very treasure you hold so dearly to you heart will testify against you on the day of judgment!
Let’s not fall into this trap of placing our worth into temporary riches that are only bound to fail us.
Not only will it lead to destruction in our own life, but this kind of reliance on money impacts those around us.
James says in verse 4…
4 For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Not only are they depending on money and storing it up but they’re cheating others in the process. Because their wealth is at the core of who they are, they’ve resorted to stealing from the workers beneath them. All in an effort retain more money for themselves…
This is what it comes down to.
GREED
A misplaced identity can lead to a life dominated by greed.
What does greed look like?
Ex: promotion… is it that your family needs it? or you just need affirmation. Is this for the good of your family or the good of your ego?
Greed looks like overlooking opportunities that are a financial sacrifice for the sake of retaining money were unable to part ways with.
Maybe the Holy Spirit has convicted you to help someone in need. But your love for money won’t allow you to do so.
Maybe you’ve been directed to serve through a mission opportunity but that means time away from work. Which means less money.
Maybe you find yourself underpaying employees that you have because your love for money has clouded your mind making it difficult for you to see the value in the employees you have.
Sometimes under the guise of “providing a better life” we will sacrifice the spiritual health of our family….
We see division take place in families when money is withheld or stolen from people that we thought we could trust…
I’m sure many people don’t initially set out to be greedy. But if we’re unprepared. If our hearts haven’t been aligned with God’s heart. It’s easy to get carried away by an obsession with money. We all know that money is a big deal. It directly impacts our quality of life. It determines where we live. People often say “money talks” and it’s unfortunately true. If you have enough, you might just get your way.
When we’re dependent on money we are far more susceptible to making selfish decisions. We will compromise on ethics, character, dignity… in order to make more money.
When our goal is wealth the casualty will be our relationships. Those around us who get in the way or become a tool in our mission to gain more money.
The reality is…
2. Greed isn’t a fruit in the life of a Christian.
James says to the people…
5 You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter.
This does not characterize the life of a Christ follower seeking after the will of God in their life. We’ve been called to crucify our flesh. To put to death earthly things.
Greed isn’t a fruit. Love is. You can’t be full of greed and expect to love others well.
Hope! How can we have hope in God when our hope has been placed in our financial status?
Joy! Man how can we have joy if we’re obsessed with gaining more wealth? Always left unsatisfied…
So what does this mean for us as followers of Jesus?
This should be a reminder of how we ought to live. How we use our money matters.
Yes, we’re called to be good stewards of our money but being a good steward of what we have is far different from hoarding possessions.
Being a good steward is not an excuse for being selfish with our money.
Instead, we’re called to be generous.
In chapter 1 of James, he states that true religion looks like
27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
This isn’t possible if we’re greedy. Caring for those in need requires attention, effort, time, AND oftentimes money.
What better way to show Jesus to the people around us? We as Christians should be known as generous. As good bosses worth working for because you value your employees. We should be known as someone that can trusted to do right by others whether they deserve it or not.
Now, those of you who are nodding your head because you call yourself “broke” and you’re saying “these rich people need to listen!”The same is true for you. Did you know you can still be greedy with less money?
If you find yourself cheating others. Unwilling to pay back a debt you owe to someone, you are no better. You’re so dependent on the little money that you have, you’re willing to damage relationships because of it!
So why do we do this?
It’s because we want to be in control.
It may be that we don’t trust God with our life… Being proactive and driven isn’t the issue. God calls us to be hard workers. But what and who we’re dependent on matters.
The end of James tells us how terrible these rich people are…
6 You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you.
I’d venture to say that the reason these rich people were doing these terrible wicked things with their money was due to an identity issue. Their wealth was everything to them. Their worth. Their identity was in their monetary status. And you may be saying… well I haven’t killed anyone. But. You have may done so in your heart by placing money over people. Maybe even over your own family.
Reality is…
3. A love for money will never satisfy but a love for Jesus will provide everything that we need.
There’s nothing inheritantly evil about money. money isn’t the root of all evil. The love of money is.
You’ll find people like Job. A man blessed with a tremendous amount of wealth.
Or King Solomon who had plenty of riches.
Wealth isn’t the issue. But our heart posture oftentimes is.
If you have money that’s fine but money can’t have you.
In Jesus’s sermon on the mount he makes it clear that we can’t serve two masters. You’re bound to hate one and be devoted to the other.
You cannot serve God and money. And you’re fooling yourself if you think that it’s possible to do so.
Money is a terrible master but a great servant…
Money can be used for good. For helping the widows, the orphans, any in need. It can be a tool for spreading the Gospel..
But if money is our master it will dominate our life and..
It’s never enough. You might be saying “If i could just get this salary I’d be set!” But if our priorities are misaligned it won’t ever be enough. 100k won’t be enough. a million won’t be enough. It will never satisfy.
Jim Carrey, a famous actor with all the accolades once said
“I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it's not the answer.”
What’s missing from that statement is a solution. The answer. It’s not wealth or fame. It isn’t status.
Our fulfillment and satisfaction can only be found in Jesus. Jesus makes it clear when he declares in
John that he is “The way, truth, and life.”
are you looking for direction? for truth? for life? Its found in Jesus
He says “i am the true vine”
having money as our lifeline will fail us. We can’t afford to be disconnected from Jesus.
He says “I am the bread of life”
We’re so obsesses with “getting that bread. I gotta get that bread. Get that money in my bag.”
Stop placing your worth in temporary satisfaction. You’re gonna be hungry again! You’re gonna need more!
Jesus declares that he is capable of satisfying you.
He says “I am the resurrection and the life”
Jesus resurrected from the dead! He defeated death and sin so that we could have life in him.
So why run to money for answers? Why be ruled by something that is bound to run out. Bound to fail us.
If you find yourself identifying with the rich in this passage please know this doesn’t have to continue to be your reality. The harsh truth is that if you continue down this road rejecting Jesus and tearing others down in the process you’ll face the consequences for that. But you have an opportunity to repent. To turn away from your sin. From you dependence on material possessions and embrace Jesus instead.
What do we do?
I believe the best thing we can do is to ask for the Lord’s help. Pray that the Holy Spirit would convict us and provide direction in how we ought to use the resources God has provided us with. And to take it even further, ask God to realign our hearts. So a few questions we can bring to the Lord.
1.Where has your identity been placed? Is it in money or in God?
2. How can you continue or begin to be generous with what you’ve been given?
3. Who or what do you find satisfaction in?
