James #14

“A Living Faith”
James #14
Pastor Ben Fleming
April 5th

Turn to James chp 5. Most Americans have gone to one of these. (PHOTO) (PHOTO) (PHOTO) --- you have gone to one because you thought you could find something you need or you have had one to get rid of stuff you do not want and you just do not want to throw it away in the trash. (BLANK) (PHOTO) Most of us have one of these out back to put our stuff in……(BLANK) >>>>> (PHOTO) When you get too much stuff for the one out back you have to go and rent one of these…….(BLANK) Have you ever had a problem with collecting too much stuff??? Why is it that another word for too much stuff, is junk? If you took an honest tour of your home, would you say you have more, I mean way more than you need? I believe that most of us would be guilty of that. Of course, I don’t want you to think that having stuff, or having wealth is wrong. Nowhere does the Bible ever condemn people who are wealthy, and neither does James.It is amazing that for 14 weeks we have been deep into the book of James. As you can see, James is perhaps the most practical book of the New Testament…….. Today, James leads us to focus on the issue of wealth and our attitude towards it. All of us in this room are wealthy --- you live in America. Compared to the rest of the world --- you and I are rich….. Let’s get things into perspective. In the middle of the worst recession since the great depression – I do not find it a coincidence that we are in the book of James which focuses so much on money, possessions and wealth. If we really do want to be biblically authentic we have to examine how we view, possessions and money. By the way, I asked you to give last month to Mito Bible Baptist Church in Japan and you gave $1300. Which was over and above your normal giving and if you notice - we even gave over the budget that you approved and this month I am asking some of you to give extra giving to the Community Pregnancy Center when you go to their banquet -----you will have to prepare what you are going to give on April 23rd. That is exactly what the Banquet is for. It is not just a free dinner. I hope that is clear to you??? When our stuff does not have a hold on us – we can become biblical givers. When our stuff does not master us --- we can be givers in spite of a recession. READ James 5..

In Luke 16:13, Jesus laid out a principle for us that we must pay attention to. He said, “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money or stuff.” And then because of that statement in Matthew Jesus said “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth or rust destroys.” I wonder how Jesus would react to all of the storage shed businesses all over our country????

Hopefully you are going to see how these words of Jesus tie right into the words of James in 5:2-3. Nothing clearly shows you the state of your heart than your view of money and your stuff. Many claim the name of Jesus – but their lifestyle shows that they serve their stuff and not God. If you have a grip on your money and stuff you cannot give. (HOLD UP A CLOSED HAND) You cannot demonstrate and exercise the spiritual discipline of giving. You are not free. I remember the freedom I felt in 1990 when I drove our mini van that we purchased in North Carolina when our family came back to the US from Africa and what freedom I felt from stuff as I brought my family to California with 10 suitcases – 2 bicycles – a doll high chair and a doll crib. We looked like the Beverly Hillbillies – but we were not hauling that much stuff west – we were free…… – at least until we got to California for the next 5 years………… Throughout this letter , James has been getting us to think about our attitude to the things of the world. We have looked at worldly wisdom, at accumulating things, at planning for tomorrow - when there is no tomorrow — and now James leads us to consider the hardship that comes into our lives when our sole purpose is the pursuit of things ……. I believe the pursuit of things is the reason this country is in the mess it is in. You know the saying, ‘the one who has the most toys wins.’ That is not true. One might have the most toys, but he or she who has toys and stuff but does not have Christ – looses….. Some have looked at these words of James and said that James is addressing non believers outside of the church….. but because he writes this in the second person… it indicates very bluntly and clearly that he is addressing the church. He rebukes God’s people . He is rebuking God’s people for 4 sins – and all of them concern money and possessions. Notice that before James tells them their sins – in verse one he says “come now, you rich, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you.” And then he lays out these sins. Sin #1

1. God’s people were uselessly hoarding their wealth. (vs.2 - 3) “Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have horded wealth in these last days.” When James said your wealth has rotted – he most likely was referring to hoarding food which would rot and in biblical times wealth was measured in clothing. How many garments you owned – how many robes and cloakes you owned. If you remember the story of Joseph in Genesis of the multi colored rob his father gave to him ------ it cost his father a lot of money. The reference to gold and silver was because they were not pure and contained other metals that would rust. James says that hoarding these things was sin. To hoard and have more than you need as a believer is a sin against God. On your outline………..

Proverbs 23:4 - 5 “Do not wear yourself out to get rich: have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches and they are gone, for they will surely spout wings and fly off to the sky like and eagle.” Compared to the rest of the world --- because you are an American you are wealthy. It does not matter what you made last year – you are wealthy. You are unemployed – you are on social security – you make minimum wage --- you are wealthy. As an American it is in our nature to hoard. Compare with me the benefits of saving to the dangers of hoarding.
SLIDES
1… Saving demonstrates good stewardship of the resources provided by God.
2….Hoarding fosters a sense of earthly security and independence from God.
3….Saving makes a person able to respond to the needs of others
4…..Hoarding promotes a sense of superiority over others
5…..Saving assumes that God sometimes provides for people through other people
6……Hoarding assumes that what a person gains is only for that person’s benefit
7……Saving is responsible preparation for tomorrow
8……Hoarding is irresponsible indulgence for today
9……Saving promotes wise spending decisions
10…..Hoarding promotes impulsive spending decisions

How can we break hoarding?

Application:
* Stop buying what you do not need. Stop buying the latest and fastest. Stop buying movies. Stop buying the latest clothes – shop at a thrift store. Start saving. Go through your house and sale at a yard sale what you have not used in a year and give the money to missions.
* Make your life simpler. Get rid of stuff. Give it away to others. If you have two of one thing – give it away. Sin #1 God’s people were hoarding.. #2 sin…

2. God’s people were getting wealthy unjustly. (Vs.4) “Look. The wages you failed to pay the workman who mowed your fields are crying out against you.” During bible times – day laborers were an essential part of Israel’s agricultural economy. The way James wrote this suggests that the workers were not just having to wait on their wages to be paid to them but they were being paid less than what was promised. During bible times --- many of the people depended upon wages that they earned every day. They could not wait for a week or two weeks to get paid – it was a matter of eating or their family going hungry. The OT law said in Leviticus19:13 (ESV) “You shall not oppress your neighbor, or rob him.” and in Deuteronomy 24:14 -15 (ESV) “You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, you shall give him his wages on the same day before the sun sets, lest he cry against you to the Lord, and you be guilty of sin” So in the churches that James was writing to there were believers who were getting wealthy because they were not paying their workers. So – lets apply this to our lives. How do we get wealthy with stuff because we are not honest? How can we be just and righteous as believers when it comes to our wages and how we use money?

Application:
* Stop complaining and griping about work and not putting in a full 8 hour day and working to the glory of God even though you were paid for 8 hours. This is the same as getting wealthy unjustly.
* I cannot believe what I hearing today. If you have credit card debt – get rid of 30 -50% of it but to qualify you have to be 10k in debt. My daughter in law tells me of a friend who is making 60k but 60k in school debt – wants a new car – went out and bought one and then filed bankruptcy. This is the same as getting wealthy unjustly.
* Not paying taxes – taking payment under the table and not reporting it. This is the same as getting wealthy unjustly. James rebukes God’s people for getting wealthy unjustly. Sin #3
3. God’s people were selfishly spending their wealth. (vs.5) “You have lived on earth in luxury and self – indulgence.” In verse 5 James says that God’s people were using their money selfishly. James is not chastising God’s people for having wealth but for spending that wealth on themselves …….….solely. Remember the 2nd of the 10 commandments, we are commanded not to worship idols. Is money or the accumulation of money what you worship? More stuff? If it is, then money and stuff has become your idol. There is nothing wrong with investing your money or planning for college or retirement or vacations, but James is pointing out that when we are consumed by wealth, then we have gone over the edge. When James said that these believers were living a life of self – indulgence – he was referring to the pursuit of pleasure. It is the attitude that says, “I am going to do what I want to do with my money because I have worked hard and I deserve what I get and if I can get it then you have got to be kidding me --- why should I deprive myself of it?

Now do not get me wrong --- there is nothing wrong with a cruise or a vacation or a boat - but James is saying the pursuit of that is what is sin. But the problem with being able to afford all the things of pleasure………… is that with money ----- many many frequently close their eyes to the needs of others and the work of God ---- we fall into the trap of thinking that the things we want become so important to us that we honestly cannot see what needs there are in front of us and we do not see ourselves as selfish. The godly King Solomon battled self indulgence. Turn in your bible to the book of Eccl………………………… wait………p 472. It is right after Proverbs………

Ecclesiastes 2:4-10 “I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. I bought male and females slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well --- vs 10. I denied myself nothing my eyes desired. I refused my heart no pleasure. When I surveyed all that my hands had done…. Everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” ----- if the wisest man who ever lived battled self indulgence --- so do you and I. James says that God’s people were selfishly spending their wealth.
How do you know if you have the marks of self indulgence?

* When you assume your wealth should always be used first to meet your needs……
* When you visualize your wealth as a protection or insulation between you and the world.
* When you waste – destroy or throw away what others could put to good use. ---- 4thly
* When you display a smugness or pride at the differences between what you have and others have.Sin #4

4. God’s people were ruthlessly doing anything to get wealthy. (vs. 6 ) “You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.” James now says that these believers were so unjust and money hungry they were even condemning and putting to death righteous men and women. To condemn others meant that they were passing sentence on them. The wicked rich in the church were taking others that they owed money to --- to court and judicially murdering the poor.

The rich were defrauding believers and taking them to court. Taking someone to court is a common occurrence even today. Never be deceived into thinking that human law determines right and wrong in God’s eyes. The law of man does not require charity or a concern for our neighbors. God’s law and God’s character demands a higher response from His children. We can fall into the trap of this 4th sin when we have the attitude – “it does not apply to me” ---- or “what can I do”? We are rich and wealthy and I say that because we are Americans. You are rich. I do not know of anyone in this room who lives in a mud hut and collects their drinking water from a stream that animals have access to. I do not know of anyone in this room who walked 1 hour to get to church. The apostle Paul gave words to God’s people who are rich. On your outline: look at that them with me.

1 Timothy 6: 17-19 (NASB) “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.”

STORY: Listen to what happened to a man whose heart – possessions and money was fully committed to God’s control and glory. He forfeited millions of dollars to do what he believed was right in the sight of God. So can you and I. (PHOTO) Chuck Colson --- founder of Prison Fellowship said, in 1985 “I was on the Bill Buckley television program, talking about restitution and criminal justice. (BLANK) A few days later I got a call from Jack Eckerd, (PHOTO) a businessman from Florida, the founder of the Eckerd Drug chain, the second largest drug chain in America – which is now Rite Aid. He saw me on television and asked me to come to Florida. He agreed Florida had a criminal justice crisis, would I come down and do something about it? And we did. We went around the State of Florida advocating criminal justice reforms, and everywhere we would go Jack Eckerd would introduce me to the crowds and say, "This is Chuck Colson, I met him on Bill Buckley’s television program. He’s born again, I’m not. I wish I were." Then he’d sit down. About a year went by and I kept pestering Jack Eckerd about faith in Jesus. Eventually one day he read some things including the story of Watergate and the Resurrection out of my book, Loving God, and decided that Jesus was, in fact, resurrected from the dead. He called me up to tell me he believed. When he got through telling me what he believed I said, "You’re born again!" He said, "Marvelous!" The first thing he did was to walk into one of his drugstores and walked down through the book shelves and he saw Playboy and Penthouse. He’d seen it there many times before, but it never bothered him before. Now he saw them with new eyes. He’d become a Christian. He went back to his office. He called in his president. He said, "Take Playboy and Penthouse out of my stores. The president said, "You can’t mean that, Mr. Eckerd. We make $3M a year on them." Eckerd said, "Take them out of my stores." And in 1,700 stores across America, those magazines were removed from the shelves, because a man had given his life to Christ. Colson called Jack Eckerd and asked "Did you do that because of your commitment to Christ?" He said, "Why else would I give away $3 M? The Lord wouldn’t let me off the hook." Isn’t that marvelous? God wouldn’t let me off the hook.And what happened after that is a wonderful sequel and a wonderful demonstration of what happens in our culture today. Jack Eckerd wrote a letter to all the other drugstore operators, all the other chains, and he said, "I’ve taken them out of my store, why don’t you take them out of yours?" Nobody answered him. So he wrote them more letters. Then Eckerd’s Drugs began to get floods of people coming in to buy things because they’d taken Playboy and Penthouse out. And so People’s Drug Store, and then Dart Drugs, and then Revco removed them from their shelves. While the pornography commission in Washington was debating what to do about pornography, across America, one by one, stores were removing them. And the 7-11 chairman, who sits on Jack Eckerd’s board, finally gave in, and 5,000 7-11 stores removed them. In 12 months, 11,000 retail outlets in America removed Playboy and Penthouse, not because somebody passed a law, but because God wouldn’t let one of His men off the hook. That’s what brings change. —Isn’t that an amazing story. Jack Eckerd risked losing $3M per year. That’s a great testimony about our faith in Christ and what we are compelled to do. In our lives we are to find our riches in a life with God. We are to be transformed more and more into the image of Christ. It is a daily event. It takes a great deal of discipline. Our wealth will ultimately come out of our relationship with God. When we have that intimacy, then we would not trade that for all the money in the world, because intimacy and communion with God is priceless. That is why the greatest comment that can be made to us is the one Jesus will tell us when we join Him in heaven, "Well done good and faithful servant."We need to have a loose of our grip on our possessions, and let God take over. Corrie Ten Boom once said, "I have learned not to hold on to things in this life too tightly because it hurts when God pries my fingers loose from them."

Let us pray: