Good
evening and welcome to the Panhandle. I know it's been a day or two
since I posted a blog, well okay a week or two or three. I'm not sure
why I haven't posted, I could say it is because I've been busy and
that's true. But the truth is I just haven't sat down to do it.
James
4:13-17 centered on the arrogance and pride involved in planning life
without God, and denouncing the worldliness of self-centeredness.
Now
here in chapter 5, James once more addresses the special problems of
the rich. He builds on his argument back in chapter 1, verses 9–11.
Like the teaching of Christ Jesus concerning the dangers of money and
wealth shared in His Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5–7), James warns
against the misuse of riches.
After
the Revolutionary War many leading preachers from the original
colonies migrated to Kentucky, where they pursued wealth and some
times left
active involvement in ministry. One of these was
Elijah Craig, who
moved to Kentucky from Virginia
in 1787.
He purchased one
thousand acres
of land, engaged in continuous land
speculation, established the first saw and
grist mill in Kentucky, and
built a paper
mill. An observer
wrote about
him that these business
activities "impaired his
ministerial usefulness."
Another
preacher who
left Virginia for Kentucky was
John Taylor. He,
too, became sidetracked from spiritual matters
after his move. He wrote
in his
personal journal
of the hard manual labor needed to make a successful living in
Kentucky: "We
had no time to pause
and think,
but go
right on to work."
After
two years
he
was able to
boast,
"I was
the richest man in the county
where I lived."
However,
he had
to admit
that "through the course of
this two years,
I preached
but
little."
Both
of these men had endured hardship, persecution, and had been
relatively poor in Virginia. Building up wealth had not been their
previous goal. In fact, one zealous minister in Virginia, Samuel
Harris, had refused to take a man to court for money owed to him,
money which he desperately needed. Harris's explanation was that he
"didn't
want to lose
time in a lawsuit
he could spend preaching saving
souls." For some
church leaders the new opportunity
to seek
material
goals served as an anesthetic on the
spiritual life.
Some
zealous ministers showed a preference for political power rather than
for spiritual power . James Garrard, a preacher who had moved to
Kentucky, left his preaching in 1796 to become governor of the state.
Historian Robert Semple sorrowfully wrote, "For the honours of
men he resigned the office of God. He relinquished the clerical robe
for the more splendid mantle of human power."
Semple also spoke
of another talented minister from the Roanoke Association in Virginia
who, "misled by ambition," set himself up as a candidate
for Congress. These words do not suggest that involvement in politics
signifies automatic spiritual decline. Semple's words suggest that in
the above instances a love for political power had replaced a pursuit
for spiritual power.
A
quest for wealth and power can consume all your energies.
James warns that the reckless rich are in danger of God's judgments,
because of their pride, fraudulent dealings, riotous living, and
cruelty (vs. 1-6).
Specifically, James warns those who are rich by world standards, but
bankrupt by God’s standards to repent before it’s too late (vs.
1-3). In vs.
4-6, he levels some
pretty serious charges against those same people.
Let
me say again that the possession of wealth is not evil. However
abusing wealth by selfish living and by harming others, especially
those who are dependent on you is and the choice to do this is yours
and yours alone.
1.
Warnings To The Rich (vs.
1-3)
James
5:1-3
1
Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that
is coming upon you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten
your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion
will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have
hoarded wealth in the last days.
Weep
- The
word used for “weep” is klaı́ō
(klī'-ō)
which is the same
word used to describe the weeping of Peter as he repented of his sin
following the denial of Christ Jesus (Luke 22:62).
Not
only will they weep, they will ololúzō
(aw-law-lü'-zō)
for the miseries which are to come upon them. The word means
literally to “howl” or “shriek.” Now this isn't like
hollering for somebody. This is like hitting your thumb with a hammer
kind of of howl. Or like the shrieks from a scary movie or terrifying
amusement park ride. I say like, because there really isn't anything
that quite compares.
Misery
is the strong word used by Paul in conjunction with destruction in
Romans 3:16, where he is talking about the “mighty” but
unrighteous. The rich who have misused their wealth for their own
will have an emotional outburst when they stand before God and it
will not be one of praise.
It
doesn’t matter how rich you are when you stand before God in that
final judgment, if you don’t know Christ Jesus as Lord and Saviour
you will cry in fear and pain. Because there will be no time left for
you to repent; you will be forever separated from God.
In
verse 2 and 3 those who don't know Christ Jesus have put their faith
in the wrong things. In
the ancient world wealth took three primary forms: Food
– Food can spoil; Expensive
clothing
– cloths can become worn-out or moth-eaten; Precious
metals
– precious metals can become corroded, lost or stolen.
James
says that the corrosion of gold and silver (wealth) can affect you in
two ways. First it can testify against you – producing evidence of
your greed and lack of concern for God and those around you. Secondly
it can consume your flesh like a fire – “the more you get the
more you want.” You can never get enough and soon your wealth or
the pursuit of it becomes your god. When wealth becomes your driving
force and God is left out you face another kind of fire – The
everlasting fires of eternal separation from God.
The
day of judgment; the closing scenes of this world. There are many who
think they are accumulating wealth that may be of use to them, but at
what cost? There are many who think that accumulating wealth will
secure them the reputation of being rich, but how long will that
reputation last? Every person who is rich should examine themselves
closely to see whether there is anything in the manner in which they
have gained their wealth, or in how they now hold on to it
displeasing to God. The answer to this examination will expose them
to the wealth or wrath of God in the last day.
Basil the Great, a
Christian leader in Caesarea of Asia Minor in A.D.
368, thundered against wealthy hoarders of grain, who let it rot
rather than give it to the poor and starving. He wrote, “If you are
reduced to your last loaf of bread and a beggar appears at your door,
then take that loaf from your closet and lift your hands to Heaven,
and say this prayer: “O Lord, I have but this one loaf, which you
see before you; Hunger lies in wait for me, but I worship your
commandments more than all other things, and therefore this little I
have I give to my brother, who suffers from hunger.”
The
wealth in which one has so much prides may yet bring down the
vengeance of heaven; and on the day of judgment they will curse their
own madness and folly in wasting their time and efforts to amass
their fortune.
Again
being rich is not a sin. However to heap up treasure merely for the
sake of having treasure is at the very root of sin. Such an activity
leads to trusting in the treasure and not God for security and power.
It is the motivation of making that treasure your god.
I
guess the questions we each need to ask ourselves is, “What are my
priorities, how am I living out those priorities, and how am I
preparing for the future?"
But
store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor
rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where
your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew
6:20-21)
James
5:3-6
4
Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields
are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached
the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury
and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of
slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were
not opposing you.
2.
Charges Against The Rich (vs.
4-6)
In
verse 4 we see the sin of injustice.
In
the previous verses James accused the wealthy landowners hoarding
their property. James now states another form of their guilt, while
hoarding their property – they had withheld what was due from the
very laborers who had cultivated their fields, and to whose labor
they were indebted for what they had.
The
phrase "who have
reaped down your fields,"
is used to refer to labor in general. This particular thing is
specified, perhaps, because the reaping of the harvest seems to be
more immediately connected with the accumulation of property.
The
wealthy landowners thought they were getting away with something.
Holding the laborer’s wages until the end of harvest put them at
the mercy of the landowner. They had to live hand to mouth until they
got paid, they had to stay if they wanted to get paid, and they had
to do any kind of work the landowner wanted them too in order to get
paid. They laborers could try and take the rich man to court, but it
was almost guaranteed that he would lose because he was poor.
But
God heard the cries of the laborers, of the so called little guys, of
the middle class and poor.
The
term Sabaōth
is derived from a
Hebrew military term which is used here to denote the sovereignty of
God. Many people believe that they have succeeded in cheating others
and God, but James warns the rich that such a belief is pure
deception. Ultimately, the Lord rewards the righteous and punishes
the wicked. When you
don’t think anyone sees you, God sees you. You may think you are
getting away with something I can assure you, you are not. When you
don’t think you are being heard, God hears you. You may think you
are alone in facing your troubles, make no mistake you aren’t. God
is there with you all the time.
Fat
Cat or Fatten Oxen? (v. 5):
Self-indulgence –
it is one of the things to which the rich seem peculiarly addicted.
Their wealth is supposed to be of value, because it furnishes them
the means of doing good.
The
word translated "lived in pleasure” is trufaoo (trü-fä'-ō)
occurs only here in the New Testament. It means, to live delicately,
luxuriously, at ease. The word characterizes those who live for
enjoyment.
However
these people lived in ease and affluence on the labors of others;
they indulged in what gratified the taste, and pleased the ear and
the eye, while those who contributed their means were groaning under
oppression.
James
uses the word hearts here as equivalent to wealthy. These people
appeared to have been fattening themselves, like stall-fed beasts,
unknowingly for the day of slaughter. The sad thing is these people
seemed to have fattened themselves. They did not have anyone but
themselves to blame for their lifestyle and life choices.
Do
you know anyone who lives like that today, maybe you live like that?
How many people today
just as in James’s time live with one purpose in mind - their
extravagance instead of for God? They have become ungodly and live
only for the pleasures that can be derived from wealth or anything
except God. They trusted their wealth and worldly things instead of
God. They lived for the world instead of for God. The
sad thing is, the things that they have put their trust in are
leading them to the slaughter or total separation from God and they
are happy to go. How about you?
Legalized
Murder (v. 6)
The
ultimate manifestation of the rich who trust in their wealth rather
than in God is that they are never satisfied with what they have.
They must always have more.
So either through court or through simply starving a person or
persons the wealthy landowners could legally murder someone and keep
their wages or take their possessions.
As
a committed Christian the one who was done wrong refused to respond
with violence. They realized that violence would not help them do
anything effective about their plight. And obviously the courts were
not going to help either.
Unlike
the rich person, the Christian turned it over to God in prayer. That
should be the first thing we do, not a last resort.
Conclusion:
You have seen a
warning to the rich this morning. While James addressed these 1st
three verses in chapter 5 to the wealthy they apply to everyone. If
you prepare for eternity with the thing of this world and do not
repent you will weep and howl on that day you step into eternity.
Because on that day you will finally see the futility of chasing
wealth and power and all that this world has to offer instead of
repenting and living for the Lord.
Remember
Christ Jesus is not a last resort – He is the First Born, the Alpha
and the Omega – the First and the Last, the First Fruits of
those who are asleep, and the one who First Loved us. Also remember
this, it is Christ Jesus who will have the last word - and nothing
unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever
come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's
book of life. Rev 21:27 NASU
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