Topical

Read {bib=James 5:1-6}.

Where is the source of our trust? Is it in Jesus Christ, or our stuff? In the United States, our standard of living is higher, generally 10 times higher, than most of the rest of the world. We may not consider ourselves rich, but we are very wealthy compared to the way that the majority of the people live in the world.

Children in the Sudan go to bed without a warm bed to lie in. Children in India, parts of China, and Somalia have a cup of rice per day and are happy to get it. People in this world are dying from lack of basic human needs, while here in the USA, even our poorest homeless are as well fed, comfortable, warm, and dry as they choose to be. No one is homeless in the USA for very long except by choice. 

How do we apply these verses of severe warning to ourselves in light of how and where we live? 

• Introduction
  1. Who is it to? – “Rich people”
  2. Are these people Christians? “No – he does not call them “brothers” and contrasts them in v 6 with “The Righteous Person.” The only people who can be righteous are those that have Christ’s righteousness imputed (given) to them.
• Why does he even address them since they are not Christians?
  1. They will hear about it – read it – etc (they may be visitors in the audience of the church, but not saved — they may be government officials who confiscate the letters — they may come later, such as even today, many read the Bible merely as a “reference” book.
  2. Example of an Imprecatory passage. Imprecatory means to called down God’s wrath upon the ungodly.
  3. So that Christians would not fall into the trap of envying their wealth.
• What are their sins?
  1. Hording wealth (being greedy – not being generous).
  2. Not paying what they owe to those they owe.
  3. Self-indulgence – following their own heart.
  4. Condemnation of the righteous
  5. Murder of the righteous
• What is the result of their ungodly behavior?
  1. The wealth they horded is corrupted and ruined – it is used as evidence against them in the court of God
  2. The ones they owe will be the eye witnesses against them in the court of God
  3. They are preparing themselves as ripe for God’s judgment when they are found guilty in the court of God
• Can people with wealth be Christians?
  1. Yes, many examples of this in the Bible (Job, Abraham, Solomon, etc.), but there are dangers.
  2. It is hard for a wealthy person to become a Christian – {bible}Matt 19:23 - 24{/bible} “And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
  3. Wealth leads to idolatry – Christians are called to put away idols {bible}ICor 10:1-14{/bible}, Ending with “… Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry”
• Application
  1. Are we rich? Yes.
  2. Are we at risk of idolatry? Yes.
     • What does modern – day idolatry look like? A definition of idolatry – “anything we will sin to get it or that we will sin if we don’t get” (Brodie McClain).
     • What does the kingdom of ME look like compared to the kingdom of God in your life?
     • Flee Idolatry
  3. Are we at risk of self-indulgence? What does that look like?
     • Lots of play time, but little time in the Word of God.
     • Getting mad when people violate the rules of the Kingdom of ME.
     • Do you keep back what you owe?
     • Do you hoard stuff or are you generous with your time – your stuff – your money – your attention - your kindness.
     • Repent of self-indulgence.
  4. Are you at risk of wealth keeping you from becoming a Christian?