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Part 10 James 5:1-6

James 5:1-6 1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 

James 5:1-6  3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 

James 5:1-6  4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 

James 5:1-6  5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.

Beatles Money can buy lots of things but not everything – money can buy you a house but not a home, buy you medicine but not health, buy you flattery not respect, buy you an entourage not true friends, a bed but not rest .etc.

The Warning Verses 1-2 11

James 5:1-2 1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten.  Here James is referring to the RICH – this is the ungodly group that is mistreating believers. You can be rich and be a Christian, you can be poor and be a Christian. In this context its referring to non Christian rich – who are doing evil - the purpose in calling out this warning is to comfort the mistreated Christians. However we cannot be too quick to dismiss the truths that are being expounded by James. We need to make sure we are not guilty of the sins of the rich non Christians either.

Matthew 6:19-21 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  Heart follows your treasure – Treasure isnt bad – Jesus is appealing to our desire for treasure – he just brings it to the reality that the only treasure worth having is eternal so work hard and smart to have your treasure in heaven. When we face God one judgement day – will he say look at all the treasure you have up here for you for all eternity, or you left all your treasure back on the old earth and its all destroyed.

Matthew 6:19-21  21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Heart follows your treasure – Treasure isnt bad – Jesus is appealing to our desire for treasure – he just brings it to the reality that the only treasure worth having is eternal so work hard and smart to have your treasure in heaven. When we face God one judgement day – will he say look at all the treasure you have up here for you for all eternity, or you left all your treasure back on the old earth and its all destroyed. You cant take your treasure with you but you can send it ahead!

The Evidence Verse 3-6 15

James 5:3-6  3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 

James 5:3-6  4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 

James 5:3-6  5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.

Hoarding and Defrauding Hoarding – have more than you need - its not bad to save – its good plan ahead and save for future expenses and situations, but hoarding is a desire to have stuff just to have stuff, or a lack of trusting God for future provisions. If you have $4000 saved for future car expenses or to buy a new car that is saving – if you have $4000 and there is no plan for it and if God asked you give it towards a need you wouldn’t give it, then you are hoarding.

Hoarding and Defrauding Fraud – is still a big problem today- if you are taking things that don’t belong to you – stop it! Now I hope none of you are committing any of these types of fraud or the fraud in this chapter where you are not properly paying your employees. Do you pay all your taxes? Grocery store doesn’t charge you everything you buy, do you go back in and pay for it?

Used extensively in Malachi, Isaiah, Zechariah, and Jeremiah Comfort for James’ listeners – nothing is getting past God. Used extensively in Malachi, Isaiah, Zechariah, and Jeremiah Sabaoth – means: armies or war

How should we live? 22

Proverbs 19:17 -Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed. 22:9 Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.

1 John 3:16-17 16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 

1 John 3:16-17  18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Ownership vs Stewardship

Ownership I don’t belong to the Lord Nothing I have belongs to God I deserve all that I have I don’t answer to anyone Possession is 9/10 of the LAW Its all about me, myself and I I worked hard, I get what I want

Stewardship I belong to the Lord Everything I have belongs to the Lord Everything I have is a gift from God I answer to God Humility – God is God and I am not God has blessed me – let me respond with thankfulness and gratitude God shared with me I need to share with Others God gives you 100% of what you have, he asks that you give a portion of that back to Him in service of others.

Matthew 7:12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Treat others like you want to be treated - if you would like your someone to wash your car – go wash theirs. If you would like someone to buy you lunch go buy lunch for someone else. Giving in Seminary to world vision. God wants us to love HIM – so what does HE do? he didn’t wait for us love HIM, he sent JESUS to redeem us and let us see what true sacrificial love looks like.

James 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. Not hoarding but giving – taking care of the less fortunate, not taking advantage of them.

Do you love money? Does thinking about money consume me? Am I jealous by others success? Do you define your success by what you have? Do you neglect your family in pursuit of money? Do you close your eyes to those in need?

Do you love money? Are you paralyzed by the fear of losing money? Are you prepared to borrow your way into bondage? Does God get your leftovers, rather than your first fruits?

1 Timothy 6 17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,

1 Timothy 6 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. You can love Money without having it!

Ephesians 4:28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. God is a gift giver ! Everything we have is a gift – George – “Oh Thank you! “

Starts with our thoughts! Sow a thought – reap an action Sow an action – reap a habit Sow a habit – reap a character Sow a character – reap a destiny

Part 10 James 5:1-6