James 1:9-11 | NEW MEMBERS CLASS

9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

OPENING: JAMES MAKES TWO SEEMINGLY RIDICULOUS STATEMENTS BACK-TO-BACK.

Believers who are Poor should Take Pride in their High Position.

Those who are Rich should Take Pride in their Humiliation.

I. TO UNDERSTAND JAMES, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE BACKWARDS NATURE OF GOD’S ECONOMY.

Window into This Moment in History:

Believers had to Leave Their Homes in Jerusalem & Were Likely Economically Disadvantaged as a Result.

At This Time, Wealthy Landowners Were Exploiting the Poor Throughout the Empire.

Economic Tensions Would Provoke a War Against Rome & the Jewish Poor Would Kill Jewish Aristocrats.

The Wealthy Believers Were Likely Suffering Humiliation from Being Associated with Jesus.

James is Incredibly Counter-Cultural & so is God’s Economy.

The Lord Thinks Differently than Us. We Should Expect This.

I Should Expect That Someone Who is All-Knowing Would Think Differently Than Me.

If The Lord Thought Like Me, He Wouldn’t Be the Lord.

Perhaps God’s Economy Seems Backwards, Because He Values Different Things than We Do. (SPACE ANALOGY)

James Makes It Clear: Socio-Economic Status Does Not Matter to the Lord.

It is Not Wrong to Be Poor.

It is Not Wrong to Be Rich.

It May Matter to Everyone Around Us, But It Doesn’t Matter to Him.

The Lord Cares about What is in Your Heart, Not Your Bank Account.

In a World Fixated on Poor vs. Rich Dynamics (Rich Exploiting Poor/Poor Killing Rich)

James Refuses to Get Pulled Into the Fight:

He Addresses Not Your Income, But Your Heart & My Heart *PAUSE*

God’s Backwards Economy Shows us Much About the Lord’s Character: He Values Those Forgotten By Others.

He Cares About the Poor When Others Don’t.

He Cares about the Oppressed When Others Don’t.

He Cares about the Forgotten When Others Forget.

Transition: But, God’s Backwards Economy Means Nothing Without the Reality of Eternity.

II. TO UNDERSTAND JAMES, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE REALITY OF ETERNITY.

James Highlights Something We Already Know: Riches Fade Away.

He is Likely Referencing Isaiah 40:6-7: … All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass.

Nothing Earth-Shattering Here. We Know This. We Watch the News. Continue to Verse 8: The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

If We’re Going to Understand God’s Backwards Economy: Eternal Things are More Valuable Than Temporary Things.

If You Think About It: The Gospel Isn’t Good News If Eternity Isn’t Real.

The Hero of the Gospel is the Eternal God: Father, Son & Holy Spirit.

The Salvation Announced By the Gospel Message is Not a Temporary, But an Eternal Salvation.

The Joy of the Gospel is Not a Temporary Joy, But an Eternal Joy.

Eternity Makes Sense of God’s Backwards Economy.

The Poor Only Have Hope If Provision is Coming.

The Oppressed Only Have Hope If Freedom is Coming.

The Humiliated Only Have Hope if their Exaltation is Coming.

The Reality of Eternity Infuses Hope, Joy & Purpose into Our Lives Right Now.

Today Receives Great Value from the Reality of Eternity. *Not Advocating for Escapism*

Today is Tremendously Important, But Only Because Eternity Is.

Modern People Tend to De-Emphasize Eternity: We’re Too Sophisticated for that. (“YOLO”)

But Life Gains its True Value Only If Eternity is Real.

James (and the Bible) Won’t Make Sense Without Eternity.

III. TO UNDERSTAND JAMES, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF SPIRITUAL IDENTITY.

Focus in on the Phrase: “Take Pride in their High Position.”

“Taking Pride” is a Normal Human Thing.

We Take Pride in What We Delight In.

What God Thinks of You is Far More Important Than What Others Think of You.

If Your Boss Doesn’t Think Much of You, It Doesn’t Really Matter if God Thinks Much of You.

If God Accepts You, It Doesn’t Really Matter if Others Don’t.

Keep in Mind: James is Talking to Believers.

Those Who Trust in Christ.

Those Who Have Access By Faith to the Unending Riches of the Cross.

This is Important, Because We Have No “High Status” Apart from the Cross/Resurrection Event.

This is Why James Can Say the Poor Can Take Pride in Their “High Position.”

This is Why James Can Say the Rich Can Take Pride in Their “Humiliation”

James is Crazy Otherwise.

Imagine a Church Filled With People So Confident of God’s Acceptance of Them, They Didn’t Need Acceptance from the World.

CLOSING: LET’S TIE ALL THIS TOGETHER TO WHAT WE’RE ABOUT AS A CHURCH:

3 Key Questions for us to Ask as a Church:

Do We Live as People Who Delight in Our Spiritual Identity in Christ?

Do We Focus on Eternal Things?

Do We Live in a Way that is Consistent with God’s Backwards Economy?

Do Good is an Eternally Meaningful Pursuit.

Multiply Disciples is an Eternally Meaningful Pursuit.

The Worship of God is an Eternally Meaningful Pursuit.

We Want to See Communities Awakened to New Life in Christ.