Genuine Faith (Rich and Poor)

Good Morning and thank you for being here this morning. If you are new with us today, I am glad you are here today. If you have any questions please find me after church or fill out a connection card with your contact information and I would love to get in contact with you. We have a couple of announcements today. We have an informational meeting today after church. A we transition to what God has for us we want to make sure everyone is informed as much as possible. We will discuss next steps and answer questions. It will be here in the sanctuary.

Announcements

Women's Potluck Brunch. Next Saturday at 10:00 am.

Small groups start up the second week of October

Prayers

God’s Direction for the Church

Those that are dealing with sickness and health issues.

Clara Barker - Hip Surgery Recovery

The Lost People in our lives.

Let us Pray

Introduction

We are continuing in James chapter 1 this morning, so go ahead and turn there while we recap where we are so far. James is writing to dispersed believers and he is giving them encouragement and teaching them how to deal with suffering in their lives. There was persecution going on and many of them were fleeing from this persecution. Obviously this would have led to some hardships and trials. James, when you read it in our bibles can look like bullet points of instruction. Instruction on trials and then on gaining wisdom and then instruction to the rich and poor. This really isn’t what James is trying to share with his readers. James is providing a progression of thought to deal with suffering.

He starts with a change in mindset with regards to the trials themselves. He give a purpose to them. They just don’t make life miserable they develop and grow the believer into maturity and endurance. Even to the point of lacking nothing. He says to consider them joy or to rejoice in them. This is not how a person naturally thinks about the hardships of life.

He then gives an example and the source of the wisdom, God. A believer needs to live with this mindset. He or she must see that they need to live in a wise way in order to deal with trials of life. To live in a way that uses the knowledge and experience that we have with common sense. This is the correct application of correct knowledge. But he gives a warning and a caveat, the person must have confidence that God will provide the wisdom that is needed to live correctly in these trials. We are not to be double-minded or divided between two loyalties. We must not hesitate in asking. When we do this God’s word says that he gives abundantly, without criticism.

James says a correct view of the world is required to live this life as a believer in this world. He continues with a specific example of how this wisdom is applied and the difference it makes in the trial experienced.

Let us stand as we read our scripture this morning.

James 1:2–12 (CSB)

2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord, 8 being double-minded and unstable in all his ways.

9 Let the brother of humble circumstances boast in his exaltation, 10 but let the rich boast in his humiliation because he will pass away like a flower of the field. 11 For the sun rises and, together with the scorching wind, dries up the grass; its flower falls off, and its beautiful appearance perishes. In the same way, the rich person will wither away while pursuing his activities.

12 Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

What does it mean to be rich or poor? James’ readers are warned about being double-minded or having divided loyalties. It would be hard to think of an area of our world that is less divisive than money. Wealth or the pursuit of is has been a sticking point and a stumbling block for a long time. There have always been the haves and the have nots. In our world today, the drive for wealth is tenacious. It has almost no boundaries, people will compromise almost any and every aspect of their lives to gain more. People will give up their families, their time, their health, their ethics, their morals. They will beg for it, steal for it, they will destroy for it, they will kill for it. It is so divisive. There are two types of people in our world, those that have little and want more and those who have a lot and want more. I am reminded of Ecclesiastes.

Ecclesiastes 5:10–12 (CSB)

10 The one who loves silver is never satisfied with silver, and whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with income. This too is futile. 11 When good things increase, the ones who consume them multiply; what, then, is the profit to the owner, except to gaze at them with his eyes? 12 The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich permits him no sleep.

Isn’t this still true? We live in a culture that is never satisfied. Never satisfied on any level. Even though people will drive towards wealth, Jesus says in Matthew that we will always have the poor in the world. This is true of our day and the time that James wrote this letter. The believers were being persecuted and leaving behind much of their wealth and possessions. Imagine being in the Ukraine today. Forced out of your home and leaving behind everything you own. To run for your life. To be instantly poor beyond anything you have ever experienced. This was a reality for many in the church. But James is going to flip conventional, man’s wisdom, on its head.

Encouragement to the Poor

James 1:9–10 (CSB)

9 Let the brother of humble circumstances boast in his exaltation, 10 but let the rich boast in his humiliation because he will pass away like a flower of the field.

The church had and always will have people in it of every economic class. James speaks first to the poor and then to the rich but he does not say that having money or not having money is the issue. The issue is not seeing the world with a Spirit filled world view. To see the world with God’s wisdom. It is not about having or not having but about what has value.

He starts with the poor. “Let the brother of humble circumstances boast in his exaltation.” He is talking to Christian men and women. Humble means a low or insignificant position. The poor. He tells them that they are to boast, to show off, in their exaltation or high position.

A believer who finds themselves in the low places of this world has much to boast about. And what do they have to boast about?

Matthew 5:3 (CSB)

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

When a person of humble circumstances looks out and says, I have nothing to give. I cannot make a big difference in this world. I am just trying to get from day to day. James is telling them they must look to what God has given them. Even though they they were despised and marginalized in this world, that Jesus died on the cross for them. That they were, maybe for the first time, put in the place of honor. That they were chosen by the loving God to be his children. To have the perspective of Ruth

Ruth 2:20 (CSB)

20 Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May the Lord bless him because he has not abandoned his kindness to the living or the dead.” Naomi continued, “The man is a close relative. He is one of our family redeemers.”

Ruth was poor poor. She had absolutely nothing of material value to offer. She humbly asks why have i found favor. We should ask the same of God. How did I find favor? Why was I chosen as a vessel of mercy? Peter adds to this discussion with

1 Peter 1:3–7 (CSB)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. 5 You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials 7 so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

They have been given a new life. A spiritual life. One that is growing independent of the physical one. They they have a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus and have an inheritance in heaven one that is of ultimate value and will never be taken away. James is telling the poor to focus on what God has given them verses what hasn’t been given to them. This is an adjustment of attitude, a practice of thankfulness. As Peter said it doesn’t mean that trials and suffering will go away but that in the suffering there is hope that this world, this little blip of time will end and eternity will will be so much greater.

The Attitude of the Rich

James moves on to address the rich person

James 1:9–10 (CSB)

9 Let the brother of humble circumstances boast in his exaltation, 10 but let the rich boast in his humiliation because he will pass away like a flower of the field.

The rich are supposed to boast in his humiliation. Why? Because he will pass away like a flower in the field. The bible uses the imagery of withering grass in scripture to describe things at are temporary of fleeting.

The bible is full of so much scripture on wealth and money. In all of it, it doesn’t say that money itself is evil. It is the attitude, pursuit, and the temptation of it that is at the heart of scripture towards money and wealth. As Paul put it to Timothy

1 Timothy 6:6–10 (CSB)

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. 8 If we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. 9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

It is the love of money that is a root of all kinds of evil. It is a draw upon the sinful heart of man. We live arguably in the most prosperous nation the world has ever seen. The wealth of this country is staggering if you really get down to it. Ignoring all political arguments about government and how they use money, the reality is that we live in a country that had enough resources for the average person to come out of covid more wealthy than going in. In a world wide wealth study from Credit Suisse for 2021, the average american increased their wealth by 9.1%. I ran across a statistic that was eye opening to me. The average wealth of an american in 2020 was $486,930. Now most of us would think this number is way more than what they have but it is the average american. With house prices alone many have this much in their home. What was staggering was looking at other countries averages. Then next closest was Europe at $174K. Over $300K less. Then china at $67K, then it continues to go down to Africa at a mere $7K. The World average was just under $80K.

No matter how you look at it wealth is a part of our country and with that comes the temptations and traps of money.

What are some of the traps of money.

One is fleeting satisfaction.

Ecclesiastes 5:10–12 (CSB)

The never ending pursuit of more and more. Look at celebrities, and athletes, and many others, no matter how much they have they always want more.

Another is a false sense of security

Proverbs 18:11 (CSB)

11 The wealth of the rich is his fortified city; in his imagination it is like a high wall.

Wealth gets into a person’s head and tells them everything is going to be ok. That we are safe and all will be good. But it is all in our head. Where we have time to do what we really need to do. Like the parable where the rich man has so much that he tears down his bard just to make a bigger one to store everything he has acquired and when he is done. God tells him that his life will be taken that very night and who will get what he stored up.

There are many others but they all boil down to turning a persons focus and worship of God to the worship of material wealth.

James tell the rich person that they should boast in their humiliation. That the christian will realize with the Spirit of God that all that he has in the end has no value. The high status the world puts on them for being wealthy will disappear in the end. They will boast because they can see reality. That the wealth that God has provided them in this world is temporary and that in the end he is just a steward of those resources and that in the end he will be not be rewarded for how much he acquired but what they did with what they were given by God, whether much or little. Paul sums it up this way to Timothy

1 Timothy 6:17–19 (CSB)

17 Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy. 18 Instruct them to do what is good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and willing to share, 19 storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of what is truly life.

The rich believer has had the blinders removed and they boast that they do good works for God. That true treasure is not in this world but the next.

The gospel is the great equalizer to the wisdom of our world. James says both rich and poor sit at the same table as Jesus. They take the same communion. Jesus died the same for both. Loved them both the same and saved them both the same. They have found the most valuable thing a person can find in this world, Jesus.

James will come back to the rich and the poor more as we go through his book but he ends his thoughts on trials with

James 1:12 (CSB)

12 Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

Blessed is the one who endures trials. They will receive the prize of life that God promised.

Conclusion

What does this mean to us? The first thing is that we must seek the bible for what has value. What is actually something of worth? We have to realize that rich and poor is relative. It is something we define in our own minds. I had a very wise coworker one time who would turn around and spout out tidbits of wisdom. He one said “Kyle, a person’s expenses will always grow to meet their income. The man who can figure out how to be content with what he has is the richest man around.” we live in a world that makes it hard to see what we really have.

Romania story

As a group of believers, as a church we need to open our eyes to the amazing value of the gospel. They when we come together and go out into the world we are not defined by what we have but what we have been given. We have the saving grace of Jesus Christ. We need to sit down with prayer and ask God to open our eyes. Have been snared by wealth? Are we complacent and content in out lives? Are we chasing after the wrong things? Are we building treasure of heaven or treasure of this world?

Do we live a life like Jeremiah says:

Jeremiah 9:23–24 (CSB)

23 “ ‘This is what the Lord says: The wise person should not boast in his wisdom; the strong should not boast in his strength; the wealthy should not boast in his wealth.

24 But the one who boasts should boast in this: that he understands and knows me—that I am the Lord, showing faithful love, justice, and righteousness on the earth,

for I delight in these things. This is the Lord’s declaration.

We are nothing, he is everything. We are only what he has done in us and through us. We are brothers and sister sitting under the saving grace of God.

So what are your next steps?

Do you want to know more about Jesus? Is he drawing you near to him? I would love to tell you more about my savior.

Maybe you are not baptized and want to know more about that? Fill out a connection card or better come and talk to me I would love to walk you through it?

Are you looking to join this church to be a part of the church God has put here in Spokane Valley. Lets talk.

As we sing this last song of worship, listen to the Holy Spirit. Sing to your savior, sit and pray to your savior. Listen and respond today. For we do not know what tomorrow will bring.

Let us pray.

Romans 15:5–6 CSB

5 Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.

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