Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

is indirectly addressed to believers.

It is directly addressed to those who live for riches and die in their sin.

Yet by bringing up this subject of the abusive power of wealthy people, it highlights the great threat of judgment which will come upon those who oppose God.

is a strong warning to believers.

It is directly addressed to those who live on the earth in pleasure and luxury only to fatten their hearts for the day of slaughter.

By bringing up the subject of the abusive power of wealthy people, James highlights the great threat of judgment which will come upon all those who oppose God.

is indirectly addressed to believers.

It is directly addressed to those who live for riches and die in their sin.

Yet by bringing up this subject of the abusive power of wealthy people, it highlights the great threat of judgment which will come upon those who oppose God.

James is certainly speaking up for the disadvantaged.

He knew the Law of Moses.

God demanded impartiality and fair treatment of those who labor and of those who are poor.

For instance, God said in the Law that money should be lent by the wealthy to the poor without interest.

When you read this passage, the rich are not condemned and judged for being rich.

They are condemned and judged for hoarding that wealth.

We might fall into the same trap if we forget that money is actually opportunity for ministry.

“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.”

(, NKJV)

While we are not communists stirring the working class to rise up and revolt, we do proclaim that the wrath of God will come upon those who exploit workers and the poor.

If the wealthy disregard the needs of the suffering, God will judge.

“In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but in the revenue of the wicked is trouble.”

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Riches are a blessing from God.

The more we have, the more expansive our opportunity for ministry …the greater our responsibility.

James warns the rich to weep and howl for their miseries are coming upon them.

It makes us wonder if riches are a blessing or a curse?

God does bless the righteous with riches.

All of us have every need supplied for us by God.

But for those who make a god of wealth, it becomes a snare and a curse for them.

Such a person lays up treasure for himself, but he is not rich toward God ().

It is not a sin to be rich; is a sin to be rich like our next passage in James (read ).

The rich described in this passage should weep and howl because of their orientation toward their wealth.

The rich oriented are oriented in four ways on this earth.

They should weep and howl because of the miseries they are yet to face at the future judgment.

When they face this judgment, the opportunity for repentance will not be there for them.

God scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble ().

God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble ().

The rich man in our text has condemned and murdered the just man.

It may be that the just man does not resist the proud man ().

However, God resists the rich man in the end, because he is scornful and proud.

Here are the four orientations from the text:

The rich oriented in these four ways should weep and howl because of the miseries they are yet to face at the judgment.

When they face this judgment, the opportunity for repentance will not be there.

God scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble ().

God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble ().

The rich man in our text has condemned and murdered the just man.

It may be that the just man does not resist the proud man ().

However, God resists the rich man because he is scornful and proud.

They hoard wealth (5.1-3).

They steal wealth (5.4).

They bask in wealth (5.5).

They kill for wealth (5.6).

The rich hoard wealth (5.1-3).

The rich steal wealth (5.4).

The rich bask in wealth (5.5).

The rich kill for wealth (5.6).

Hoarding Wealth ()

A great reversal will take place at the future judgment.

Of course, it might even take place before the future judgment comes.

The rich who had more than they knew what to do with will suddenly find themselves striped not only of the wealth they hoarded, but also of any hope of escaping eternal judgment.

Believers who are impoverished need to remind themselves often of this great reversal.

A great reversal will take place at the judgment.

The rich who had more than he knew what to do with will suddenly find himself striped not only of the wealth he hoarded, but also of any hope of escaping eternal judgment.

Believers who are impoverished need to remind themselves often of this great reversal.

Paul wrote, "Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life" ().

Instead of hoarding wealth, the rich need to be ready to give and willing to share the wealth God entrusted to them.

They ought not store up or hoard wealth, but rather they ought to store up a good foundation for the time yet to come.

They must lay hold of an eternal quality of life by using temporal treasure to increase their eternal portfolio of good works and service toward others.

Wealth then becomes a tool for ministry for such a person.

If we have too much of it, it simply means we are not busy ministering with it.

Wealth is not to be hoarded, but given away and shared.

Miseries are coming upon those who hoard wealth and are outside of Christ.

Therefore, they should weep and howl.

"The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with [Babylon, the epitome of the worldly cities] will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city!

For in one hour your judgment has come.'

And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore" ().

Those who are selfishly rich and have hoarded rather than shared wealth have only judgment awaiting them in eternity.

James continues, "Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten" ().

Hoard wealth and it will rot.

Store away the finest clothing, and the moths will find it.

You cannot wear moth-eaten clothing.

You cannot use money that has rotted away.

Why do the rich hoard wealth?

It is because wealth offers them a false sense of security.

Jesus taught us that the deceitfulness of riches, this false sense of security because we hoard wealth, chokes the word out of our lives.

The word becomes unfruitful in its orientation toward us.

It's not that God's revelation is dull; it's that we who receive it are dull.

Riches are deceitful in this way, luring us away with their false whispers of security.

Jesus also taught that our desires for things choke out the word in the same way.

The riches and revelation are not the problem; we as the receivers of riches and revelation are the problem.

As Paul wrote, "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" ().

Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

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James put it this way: "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" ().

The startling phrase, "Eat your flesh like fire" speaks to the pain of eternal judgment to those who hoarded temporal wealth.

There is wailing and gnashing of teeth in the furnace fires of future judgment.