Sermon Tone Analysis

One evening, a husband was balancing the checkbook, and after finishing he said to his wife: “You know the old saying, ‘money talks’?

Well, ours just said, ‘So long!’”

We all know that feeling, right?!

H. Ross Perot — “Remember, if you get real lucky… if you make a lot of money… if you go out and buy a lot of stuff — IT’S GONNA BREAK!”

“You got your biggest, fanciest, mansion in the world… It has air conditioning… It’s got a pool… The air conditioning is going to fail… The pumps are going to go out… Go to any Yacht basin, any place in the world… Nobody is smiling, and I’ll tell you why.

Something broke that morning.”

“The generator’s out; the microwave doesn’t work… THINGS DON’T MEAN HAPPINESS!” — ROSS PEROT

Brad Pitt once said in an interview in “Rolling Stone”: “Once you got everything, then you’re just left with yourself… it doesn’t help you sleep any better, and you don’t wake up any better because of it.”

The “American Dream” is just that… A “Dream!”

Material Wealth NEVER satisfies the soul!

We need to realize just how dangerous yearning for money and material wealth is to us spiritually.

Over and over again, the rich… the wealthy become the objects of scorn and condemnation in scripture…

Jesus said to the rich young ruler:

Why is this?!

Why does the Bible seem to speak so harshly to the rich?

Why does it condemn the pursuit of wealth?

It is NOT because it is a sin to be rich… nor is it saying that there is an automatic merit to being poor…

There is a spiritual danger we face in dealing with wealth.

Scripture tells us that God gives us — His People — the ability to gain wealth.

It is God who CHOOSES to show favor on us by granting “an abundant increase of wealth.”

Abraham is an example of this… so is Job!

But… Scripture also tells us that sometimes, poverty is the result of laziness.

Both issues are EQUALLY condemned!

Scripture tells us that Money is the “Root of all evil”, amen?

That applies to both sides!

Can I tell you this: The issue is not money.

It is the heart!

Money produces temptation.

In the poverty stricken… it can produce greed, envy, and lust, rooted in expectation… It reveals itself in the idea that the “rich” somehow owe us something… as though we are entitled to their wealth… and that produces “laziness.”

On the other side, money attacks people with a fierce temptation.

What do you think that is?

(Greed)

Pastor Jerry Cosper says: “It is usually the temptation to bank and hoard money instead of using it to meet the needs of the desperate and dying in the world.”

Let’s be clear… It is NOT a sin to be wealthy!

The Bible does not condemn ALL rich people… In fact, Jesus did not even condemn the Rich Young Ruler…

Scripture only condemns people who store up their wealth instead of using it to reach the lost… feed the hungry… clothe the naked… shelter the cold and homeless… nurse the sick… and in the process, share the good news of the Gospel with the world!

You see… It is not about whether we have wealth or not… it is about what we do with it!

We are NOT to put our trust in wealth, but in the God who gave it to us!

Jesus says:

Look at James:

James is not “calling out” the rich just because they are rich!

James calls them out because they are using their wealth inappropriately and selfishly.

Riches can be a blessing… or a curse!

It all depends on how we gain wealth… how we use wealth… and what our attitude towards wealth is…

The entire world can be classified into four categories:

— poor economically and poor spiritually (most of the world)

— rich economically and poor spiritually (“rich and famous” AND “Christians”)

— poor economically and rich spiritually (some people)

— rich economically and rich spiritually (the smallest group)

You see… the terms “rich” and “poor” are relative terms…

We might think that neither applies to us, or… we might think that only one does…

Most of us would probably say that we are “poor”… amen?

Let me tell you: We are mistaken!

You see — We think we are poor, but we probably cannot even think of a time that we were extremely hungry… starving… and literally could not do anything about it.

How many of you remember the story about the little girl who went to the school for the kids of the movie stars, movie producers, and Hollywood elite?

Do you remember the “project” they had to do?

They had to write a paper about poverty… Do you remember what she wrote?

“Once there was a poor little girl.

Her father was poor.

Her mother was poor.

Her governess (nanny) was poor.

Her butler and chauffeur were poor.

In fact, everybody in the house was very, very poor.”

Sometimes, we don’t understand what poor is… amen?

Let’s get back to James:

Who are these rich people that James is speaking to?

Some say that they are most likely non-Christians… James doesn’t call them “brethren” he simply calls them”you rich people”…

They say that the reason James suddenly turns from addressing the Church to addressing those outside the church is to warn Christians against trying to be like them....

But… How does that make any sense?

How is James somehow now talking to people who most likely are not even around to hear what he has to say?

Look at verse 6:

Why would James say this to non-Christians?

Why would they even care?

You see… James isn’t talking to a non-believing world… He is talking to the CHURCH!!!!

We are not supposed to put our trust in wealth… we are supposed to put our trust (our faith) in God!

The rich may SEEM comfortable and secure… they may have a lifestyle of luxury… but if they only “knew” the “misery” that lay ahead… they would “weep and wail”…

James 5:2–3 (NRSV)

2 Your riches have rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten.

3 Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you, and it will eat your flesh like fire.

You have laid up treasure for the last days.

Verse 5 gives an illustration of what is really happening to them:

Think about it…

Have you ever watched a pig eat?

The term “pigging out” is real!

They will happily gorge themselves on whatever you give them… They eat as though the food given to them was meant for their enjoyment, never once thinking that they are preparing themselves for their own demise!

Never realizing that they are fattening themselves for the day of slaughter!

Money will buy a lot of things… but it will never buy spiritual security!

In our world, wealth is defined by three categories: food/shelter, toys/clothing, and precious metals.

James adresses each…

— food/shelter will rot

— clothes and toys will fall apart

— precious metals will corrode and lose their luster…

But, there is a worse thing that happens…

James 5:3 (NRSV)

3 Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you, and it will eat your flesh like fire.

You have laid up treasure for the last days.

James says: “If we hoard money… the passion to hoard more and more will burn within us.”

The more we have the more we will want…

That passion for more will consume us… We will never be satisfied and fulfilled in life… Passion and lust for wealth will consume and destroy us!

And I am not talking about simple greed…