A Witness From The Stock Market

APRIL 29, 2020 STUDY NOTES JAMES 5:1-3 BIBLE TEACHER: CLIFTON JONES A WITNESS FROM THE STOCK MARKET INTRODUCTION In the closing verses of chapter 4, James instructed us concerning our future-plans The goal of their planning was “gain,” Jas 4:13 Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: In chapter 4, James tells us to keep in mind how temporary life upon this earth really is And how important it is to live for God every day, be sure to live daily in the will of God In chapter 5, James tells us to keep in mind how temporary worldly wealth really is And how important it is to seek God’s will concerning the use of our earthly riches James is still speaking to the saved, it is unlikely that the lost would be reading what he had to say In verses 1-6, he speaks to the saved about those who are lost and have wealthy wicked ways The saved are encouraged to know that God knows what they are doing and will judge them for it He wants the saved to understand the truth of material riches and the truth of spiritual riches Christians are warned not to be influenced by the temptations of worldly wealth Such as Satan telling you to tell God what great things you could do for him if you were rich I wonder how many times God has been told, “Lord, if you will just let me win the lottery” In verses 7-11, James instructs Christians to be patient while living under worldly conditions We must place our faith in our living Savior today and hope in our Lord who will return to earth In James 5:1-6, James shows us the world that Christians will face until Christ returns The same thing that Paul shows us in, 2Ti 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. Paul tells us that days are going to be difficult because people are going to be difficult In James 5:7-11, Christians are instructed to maintain a Christian witness through it all Continue to serve Christ today even though you will face oppression and persecution Jesus is going to return to judge all evil, all things will be made right and righteousness will reign Throughout the ages, one of the most difficult areas of life has been the “life of money” The difficulty has been the rich living “with” their money and the poor living “without” it The controversies between the rich and the poor have been going on forever In the day of James there were very few that could be considered middle class in society There was a wide gap between the rich and the poor and a big difference in their daily lifestyle Jas 5:1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. “Go to now” is the same words used in 4:13 meaning “to listen up,” “you better get this” It is urgent that they hear what James has to say and properly respond to his words We must give attention to what is being said whether we consider ourselves to be are rich or not “You rich men” identifies those who have an abundance of material goods, more than they need James does not specifically identify the religious status of those he calls rich They are probably lost and outside of the church and oppressing the Christians The word “brethren” is not found in verses 1-6, but occurs 3 times in verses 7-11 The “brethren” are in-contrast to the ungodly rich who oppress the poor in verses 1-6 James has a warning for those he speaks of in verses 1-6, judgment awaits them Then in verses 7-11, he speaks to those who are saved concerning their attitude toward suffering The believers in verses 7-11 are waiting for the Return of Christ to reward them They are instructed how to live their daily life in expectation of the Return of Christ But Christians are to pay attention to what is said in verses 1-6 Christians are not exempt from the temptations associated with wealth Being rich was not the problem, James will explain what they are guilty of in verses 4-6 Scripture does not condemn being rich, it does not condemn the making of money Money is not the “root of all evil,” it is the “love of money” that is evil, 1Ti 6:10 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. God does not disapprove of those who have money, but those “who trust in their money,” Pro 11:28 He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch. Those who trust in their riches will fall like a plant that withers Wealth within itself is not sinful, the sin is attaining wealth in an evil way To be rich is not a sin, to become wealthy in the wrong way is a sin “Filthy lucre” is money that was acquired by shameful means or sinful ways To use wealth selfishly is a sin, planning the use of your wealth “without God” is the evil The warning of James is to those who are acquiring wealth at the expense of the poor James says the response of the wicked wealthy should be “weep and howl” weep and howl The word “weep” was used to describe the wailing that took place when someone died The weeping of those who experience a great personal loss, finding themselves in despair Their weeping should be the evidence that they were experiencing pain and grief It was also used to identify with intense shame and guilt The sin that they were guilty of should cause them to weep That should be the response of their despair, they should be sobbing bitterly They should be weeping now because that is what they are going to do one day James is telling them that one day they will weep when they realize what they have lost James also told them to “howl,” to intensify the scene of despair, so he selects a special term This is the only time the world translated “howl” is found in the NT The word is found in the Greek translation of the OT to express violent grief The violent grief which the world will experience in the coming “Day of the Lord,” Isa 13:6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. The day is coming when there will be loud cries that come from the great distress of soul The picture is that of uncontrollable grief, screaming because of intense grief James tells them why there will be such grief, James now states why they are to weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. James says. “there are “miseries,” plural, in store for you,” more than you can imagine There is going to come upon you overwhelming hardship, trouble, suffering, and distress “Woes” that are surely going to come upon you in the “last days” (see James 5:3) The days of the coming of the Lord (see James 5:7-8) The return of Christ is not a blessed hope for those without Christ Those who are “without Christ” are facing terrible troubles James speaks of those who have trusted in their earthly riches instead of Christ Their life has centered around their material wealth and worldly goods They will one day realize the loss of those riches James promises that their misery will come They will experience a wealth of woe, misery is fast approaching, it will overtake them When they face the coming judgment there will be nothing but misery and despair Judgment will fall upon each one personally according to their works James wants us to understand the true value of worldly wealth Jas 5:2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. James shows them that they face a present judgment and a future judgment The way they have attained their riches and the use of their riches will go against them He shows us different ways that earthly riches can vanish “Corrupted” means rotted, decayed, ruined, James probably has in mind their food If you had plenty of food you were considered wealthy, food was of great value in that day They were hoarding food and allowing it to rot and then it was of use to no one Now no one is-able to eat the food you had left over, it is now of no value He says, your abundant wealth is no longer any good, it has become worthless James is also showing them that ultimately it will be that way, wealth will be worthless Clothing was also considered an item of wealth, “garments” refers to the outer garments Jesus spoke of a rich man and identified his clothing as evidence of his riches, Luk 16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: His underwear was more expensive than the outer garments of other people Today it is not so much the amount of clothing that one has that identifies wealth But it is the amount that was paid for the clothing that identifies the wealthy The rich were guilty of putting away their garments, leaving them to the moths James actually-says, “you have put away your garments to feed the moths” You have allowed moths to eat your clothes, moth-eaten rags that are in a worthless state That is a picture of “uncertain riches,” worthless will be the final value of “your” riches Jesus warned us about the corruption of earthly treasures, Mat 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: All earthly treasures are subject to loss of value such as motheaten cloth and rusty metal Heavenly treasures are an eternal investment and never lose their value, Mat 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: Paul has good advice for us, Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. The mind that is set on earthly treasures will have no time to think about heavenly treasures The heart of the Christian should be set upon Christ, Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. “Your affection” is the uniting of your mind and heart, both concentrated upon Christ A guide to follow is close your eyes to what you can see today And while your eyes are closed pray and seek what you know you will see one day Jas 5:3 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. James’ point is the temporary value of earthly riches compared to heavenly treasures In due time, one way or another, all earthly treasure will be of no value Peter used gold as a symbol of worldly wealth and compared it to our faith, 1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Gold can be destroyed, it can be gone, or become of no value to you Genuine faith can go through fiery trials which will only prove its eternal value Faith that has passed the test of trials and troubles will be praised one day It is of such value that it will be honored, highly esteemed, respected, one day Genuine faith will one day experience “glory” Our faith will be praised, honored, glorified, and rewarded when Christ returns Peter had already assured us of our heavenly inheritance, 1Pe 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, What a contrast to what James is telling us when he speaks of the loss of earthly riches He said “your” gold and silver will one day be a witness against “you” The present judgment and the future judgment will be personal The wealth that they “lived for” will become their “personal judgment” Not only will it be a witness against them personally, he said, it shall eat “your” flesh The ruin of their wealth is a picture of the ruin of their life Wealth today is still measured by the amount of gold and silver that one has Gold and silver are among the riches that are-considered to be indestructible “Gold and silver” won’t rot like food and moths don’t eat it up But the day will come when their earthly riches will be as useless as corroded jewels The day when all worldly wealth will be worthless, earthly riches will be without value That day is known as the “Day of Wrath,” Pro 11:4 Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death. Notice the difference between “riches” and “righteousness” “Riches” will be profitless to save and “righteousness” will be eternal Isaiah speaks of the wealth of man in the day of God’s wrath, Isa 2:20 In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; Isa 2:21 To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. There will be no glory in earthly riches, glory will be unto the Lord Man will flee in fear to the rocks leaving his riches behind when the Lord returns Man’s wealth will not deliver him in that day, Eze 7:19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity. Their riches will become a horror unto them and will in no way be a help to them Earthly riches can not only be tarnished and eaten away, they can tarnish your life and eat it away Jesus said, “a world of wealth is not equal to the value of your soul,” Mat 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? James not only tells us how worthless the wealth of man can become He also says that wealth can become a witness against you--and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, The corrosion will testify against you, it will be the proof that you have been selfish When man saves riches for his own personal use, it will become a witness against him The hoarding of wealth will be a witness for the prosecution Their selfish riches, the rotted food, the motheaten clothes, the corroded jewels All will be presented as evidence against them in the day of judgment Paul said that it will be the treasures of the heart that will be judged, Rom 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Rom 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds: Selfish riches that become worthless riches will serve as evidence against them Now James says that it will also serve as executioner and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Riches that will consume like fire eating them away The day will come when you will turn from them as if they were fire But James also has in mind a present judgment, it is an experience of the “flesh” Money that goes into the heart for selfish use is a miserable life, Psa 62:10 Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them. Covetousness will eat away the character of your life Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. You have hoarded wealth that will witness against you in the “Last Days” Jesus will close out this age at the time of His Second Coming There will be a future judgment, the wicked wealthy will stand before God and answer to Him James will tell us in verse 9, “behold, the judge standeth before the door.” CONCLUSION James told those who had become wealthy in an evil way to “weep and howl” He told them why they will be so miserable, “for your miseries that shall come upon you“ He shows them that there is no security found within their earthly riches Paul spoke of the “uncertainty of riches,” 1Ti 6:17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; Christians are not to hoard their worldly riches their wealth is to be used as a witness for God Christians are instructed to use material goods for God’s Glory Christians are to share generously with those who are in need, Eph 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Today your confidence must be “In Christ” and not in the stock market The truth of the stock market will tell you that it is foolish to live for the things of this world Even though you might have earthly riches, you still need Jesus every hour Listen to the song, agree with the words, be sure they take place in your life I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR