It's to chapter 5, verse 6.
That starts on page 1215 of the Red Church Bible.
That's James, chapter 4, verse 13.
Now listen, you who say,
Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city,
spend a year there, carry on business and make money.
Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.
What is your life?
You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
Instead, you ought to say,
If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.
As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes.
All such boasting is evil.
If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it,
it is sin for them.
Now listen, you rich people.
Weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you.
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 hoarded wealth in the last days.
Look, the wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields
are crying out against you.
The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.
You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence.
You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.
You have condemned and murdered the innocent one who was not opposing you.
Thank you, Sam.
Well, we've been looking at this short letter of James.
If you've missed any of the talks along the way from different people,
then you can just check out the church website
and you can catch up on any of the talks there.
Let's pray as we ask for God's help.
My dear brothers and sisters,
take note of this.
Everyone should be quick to listen.
Slow to speak
and slow to become angry.
Father, help us
to listen clearly to your word,
to your truth.
Not to listen to our own thoughts and imaginations,
but to listen clearly to what you are saying to us
through your word.
May it penetrate deep into our hearts
and cause us to run to our Redeemer,
the Lord Jesus Christ.
For your glory we ask these things.
Amen.
Well, one of the most beautiful things about church
is diversity.
This is what our welcome brochure says.
If you haven't got the term program,
you can get it on your way out.
But here's what it says.
We are a diverse group of people
of different backgrounds and ages.
Church is the people,
not the building.
And God's people are a family.
Brothers and sisters,
united through a common faith in Jesus.
You are very welcome to join with us.
Now, through the gospel,
people from different kinds of backgrounds
are united together.
And it's wonderful to see that in this church,
in this gathering,
different nationalities are here.
People speak different languages.
We have different cultures,
different experiences.
And through our faith in Christ,
we are united together as one.
But diversity also has the potential
to cause division, doesn't it?
The very fact that I'm different to you
and you're different to me
means that there will be times
we struggle to relate to each other.
One area of diversity that can cause division
is our economic status.
The haves and the have-nots.
Or as James has been teaching
through his letter,
the rich and the poor.
And as we read through James,
if you were to read through it briefly and quickly,
you will see that there's a problem.
The rich are looking down on the poor.
And the poor are grumbling about the rich.
And all of this has resulted in fights and quarrels.
Division,
if you remember from last week,
chapter 4, verse 1.
What causes the fights and quarrels among you?
Well, don't they come from your own desires
that battle within you?
You desire,
but you do not have.
So you kill,
you covet,
but you cannot get what you want.
So you quarrel and fight.
More than anything else,
our economic status has the potential
to cause great division.
So James has something very important to say to us.
Look at chapter 4, verse 13.
Now listen.
Pay attention.
Listen.
You who say,
today or tomorrow,
we will go to this or that city,
spend a year there,
carry on business,
and make money.
Or look at chapter 5, verse 1.
Now listen.
Pay attention.
Listen.
You rich people,
weep and wail because of the misery
that is coming on you.
Listen.
You who desire wealth.
Listen.
You who have wealth.
You see, the reality is,
in a church like ours,
as in any church, I guess,
there are those who have more,
and there will be those who have less.
Our economic status is different.
There are people who are employed or unemployed.
People who own their house.
Others rent their house.
Some have two cars.
Others have no car.
Some can afford holidays away.
Some have no holidays away.
Some are in their nice new clothes.
Some come in the same old clothes.
Those who don't have,
well, they can be bitter and want more.
And those who do have,
can be selfish and not give.
But here's the issue for all of us, I think,
as we look at this text this morning.
There is no sin in having wealth
or wanting to make money.
There's nothing wrong with wealth.
There's nothing wrong with wanting to make money.
It's how we acquire the wealth.
And it's the way in which we use it
that can be sinful.
How we get it and how we use it,
that is what can be sinful.
So this morning, as we look at this text together,
let's check our heart attitude
as we look at these two groups.
Those who desire wealth
and those who have wealth.
So first,
the desire for money.
Those who want wealth.
Chapter 4, verse 13.
Now listen.
Listen.
You who say.
Today or tomorrow,
we'll go to this or that city,
spend a year there,
carry on business,
and make money.
Now times may have changed.
We may be 2,000 years on
from the time James wrote this.
But really,
our human desires have not.
We want to make money.
We always want more money.
In fact,
it can control our whole life.
So,
our life goes something like this.
Our plans go,
I'll go to college.
I'm going to get a qualification.
Then I'm going to get myself a job.
Work for a few years.
Get some experience.
Then I'm going to move to London
or move to New York.
You can make great money
in these great big cities.
Then I'm going to come home
and, well,
I'll start up my own business
and the sky's the limit.
Or perhaps maybe you're a little bit older
and you're thinking,
well,
I've been working a while.
I need to do some more training,
upskill,
and get a better salary.
I'll get my mortgage paid off early,
cash in my shares,
move into a bigger house,
start drawing on my pension,
and,
what are your plans
for making money?
Well,
there's nothing wrong
with planning.
Nothing wrong
with making money.
It's wise and responsible.
In fact,
the scriptures warn
against those
who are lazy
and don't plan.
Listen to this
from Proverbs 10,
verse 4.
Lazy hands
make for poverty,
but diligent hands
bring wealth.
Here's another one,
Proverbs 21,
verse 4.
The plans of the diligent
lead to profit,
as surely as haste
leads to poverty.
You see,
it's good to plan out
and think about
how we are making money.
We need money to live.
We need money to buy things.
It's not wrong.
But,
if the desire for wealth,
if making money
becomes my one priority,
then we need to wake up.
Look at what James
has to say to us.
First,
we do not control the future.
Look at verse 14.
Why?
You do not even know
what will happen
tomorrow.
What are your plans
for making money tomorrow?
Well,
tomorrow,
you might wake up
with a pain in your head
and discover
you have a cancerous tumour.
Tomorrow,
your boss may tell you
that they need to make cuts
and, well,
you've been let go.
Tomorrow,
the housing market
may take a dive
and you'll discover
that you're living
with negative equity
and you can't pay off
your mortgage.
You're a fool
if you think
you know
what is going to happen
tomorrow
or that your plans
are never going
to be interrupted.
tomorrow,
your dreams
and desires
for wealth
can be shattered
in a moment.
We do not
control
the future.
And second,
we do not live
forever.
Look at the rest
of verse 14.
What is your life?
How do you think
about your life?
Well,
here's the answer.
You are a mist
that appears
for a little while
and then
vanishes.
I was reminded
of this again
as I listened
to the news
this week.
Did you see
what happened?
Those two young
athletic lads,
their lives
and careers
before them
take a swim
on a sunny day
in a quarry
and both drown.
Their life
snapped out.
A young father
providing
for seven
of his children
on the way
to the beach
turns a corner,
hits a tractor
and tragically
dies.
Or the innocent
loving grandfather
who goes off
to the gym
early one morning
and gets shot
in some other
gang-related attack.
Well,
we might escape
those things.
We might live
until we're 70,
80.
Who knows,
with medicine
today,
we might even
reach 90.
We may go
through life
enjoying great
health,
but sooner
or later
we will all
die.
Our plans
to make money,
our hopes
to enjoy
our wealth
will disappear
like a puff
of smoke.
End of verse 14,
you are a mist.
You're just
a vapor
that appears
for a little
while
and then
vanishes.
We do not
control the future.
We do not
live
forever.
So,
we need to
live with
God's
priorities
in mind.
Verse 15,
instead,
we ought
to say,
if it is
the Lord's
will,
we will
live
and do
this
or that.
Instead
of making
arrogant
statements
of what
I will do
and where
I will live
and when
I'm going
to move
and how
much I'm
going to
make in
life,
I humbly
acknowledge
that my
life is
in the
sovereign
hands
of my
creator
God,
the God
who gives
me life,
the God
who is
giving you
the breath
that you
breathe right
now,
the God
who orders
my life,
who rules
my life,
the God
who,
when he
decides,
will take
my life.
I am
not in
control of
my destiny.
I do
not live
on this
earth
forever.
And to
live any
other kind
of way,
well that's
to put
myself in
the place
of God.
Look at
verse 16.
As it
is,
you boast
in your
arrogant
schemes.
Of all
the things
we're going
to do
and all
the ways
we're going
to make
money,
all such
boasting
is evil.
If our
desire for
wealth,
if our
plans to
make money
is our
priority,
if my
sole goal
in life
is just
to be
rich,
it's an
evil
boasting.
It's
saying,
my will
be done,
my
kingdom
come.
Remember
what the
apostle Paul
reminded
Timothy,
and well,
he reminds
us through
God's
word.
For the
love of
money,
not money,
the love
of money,
is a
root of
all kinds
of evil.
Some
people,
eager for
money,
have wandered
from the
faith and
pierced
themselves with
many griefs.
You see,
if I am a
Christian,
if I am
seeking to
follow the
Lord Jesus,
then I
should be
seeking God's
will,
God's
desires.
What is
God's
heartbeat?
Not what
do I
want.
Verse 17,
if anyone
then knows
the good
they ought
to do
and doesn't
do it,
it is sin
for them.
If you
know what
God's
will is,
what God's
word says,
and you
don't do
it,
and you
live your
own desires
about making
your own
plans of
how you're
going to
make money,
well,
that is
sin.
If I
am so
eager for
riches,
so busy
at work
that I
neglect time
with my
wife and
kids,
it's
sinful.
If I
desire
wealth so
much that
I haven't
got time
to meet
with God's
people,
it's
sinful.
If I'm
so busy
and so
preoccupied
about thinking
about money
and what
money I'm
going to
lose and
how I'm
going to
make ground
with it,
if I'm
so preoccupied
I haven't
got time
to listen
to God's
word or
talk to
God,
it's
sinful.
When the
desires for
wealth control
us and
consume us,
it's making
money our
God.
And James
is saying
to us,
we need
to change
our
priorities
and
quickly.
Verse
15,
instead we
ought to
say,
if it is
the Lord's
will,
we will
live and
do this
or that.
What does
God desire
of my
life?
So the
desire for
money,
those who
want
wealth.
But then
he moves
on to
talk about
the danger
of
riches,
those who
have
wealth.
Look at
chapter 5
verse 1.
Now
listen,
you rich
people,
weep and
wail because
of the
misery that
is coming
on you.
What sobering
words to be
reading.
If riches
is our
goal and
riches is
what we
get,
then in
a sense
that's all
we're going
to get.
Our
financial and
material
resources
will be
our
earthly
and
temporary
reward
and that
will be
it.
Rather than
eternal
riches,
rather than
enjoying the
beauty and
the fullness
of God's
eternal
kingdom,
we will
live for
an eternity
without
Christ.
That's
behind these
words here
in verse 1.
Weep and
wail.
It's the
one who's
standing before
God's
judgment with
nothing to
offer,
only a
wasted life
of living
for self.
You see,
what we
think about
wealth and
how we
use the
wealth that
God has
given to
us has
eternal
consequences.
wealth.
And James
is warning
those who
have wealth,
and by the
way, that's
all of us,
he's asking
us, are we
guilty of
misusing the
wealth that
God has
given us?
Well, let's
have a look,
shall we?
Let's see
and examine
how we are
using our
wealth.
first, am
I a
wasteful
hoarder?
I'm sure
you've seen
the TV
programs,
hoarders.
They haven't
room to
move in
their house
with the
pile of
stuff they
have
everywhere.
Well, here's
hoarders for
you, verse
2.
Your wealth
has rotted
and moths
have eaten
your clothes.
Your gold
and silver
are corroded.
The corrosion
will testify
against you
and eat
your flesh
like fire.
You have
hoarded
wealth
in the
last days.
I wonder
if someone
were to go
through your
house,
through your
possessions,
just free
reign to
rummage and
root,
what would
they find?
Designer
clothes in
your wardrobe
that you've
bought but
never wore?
The latest
techno gadget
that's still
in an
unopened
box?
Maybe
unused
furniture
that sits
collecting dust
in the attic?
Well, we're
all guilty,
aren't we?
We are, by
nature,
wasteful
hoarders.
We buy
things we
don't need.
We store
stuff we
never use.
We accumulate
books that
are not
read,
toys for
our children
that never
get played
with,
fitness
machines we
never use,
power tools
that never
get plugged
in.
Yes, I
buy those
bargains in
Aldi too.
There's
someone else
who does
too, or
somebody.
Just because
we can.
I've got
the money,
so I
spend the
money.
Why not?
I've earned
it, I've
worked for
it, it's
mine to
do as I
please.
All this
wasteful
hoarding
is actually
evidence against
us.
Look at the
end of
verse 3.
Their
corrosion
will testify
against you
and eat
your flesh
like fire.
it will
be evidence
that condemns
us in
judgment.
What have
we done
with all
that hoarding?
Well, here's
another one.
If that
wasn't
uncomfortable
enough for
us, what
about this?
Greedy
oppression.
Verse 4.
Look,
the wages
you fail to
pay the
workers who
mowed your
fields are
crying out
against you.
If you're
an employer,
do you
pay your
employees
fairly and
promptly?
We don't
need to
own a
company.
When someone
comes to
do work in
your house
or you
need to
have your
car fixed,
do you
pay them
everything
that should
be paid
and ought
to be
paid?
And if
they happen
to under
charge you
or they've
missed
something,
do you
remind them
and say,
actually,
I should
be paying
you a bit
more?
Or do you
just keep
quiet and
go,
saved a few
more pennies
there?
Of course,
we never
like to
think of
ourselves
as greedy
oppressors.
That's the
corporate world,
isn't it?
Well,
think about
the food
we buy
or the
fashion
labels we
wear.
Coffee and
bananas have
fair trade
stickers on
them for a
reason.
You see,
when we
opt for a
cheaper
coffee,
well,
we're
exploiting
the producer.
We're happy
to get it
for 50
cents less
without a
single thought
of a farmer
who only gets
two dollars
a day.
Or think
about the
clothes that
we're wearing.
maybe wearing
right now.
Designer
clothes,
fashion
labels.
We can
pay 100
euros for
a pair
of shoes,
150 for
a top,
no bother.
But think
of the
exploitation
that takes
place in
the sweat
jobs that
produce them.
If we
continue to
buy from
companies that
use child
labour,
their cries
will sound
our
judgment.
Look at
the end of
verse 4.
the cries
of the
harvesters
have reached
the ears
of the
Lord
Almighty.
When we
misuse
our money
for our
own self,
well,
the cries
are crying
out.
Verse 6.
You have
condemned
and murdered
the innocent
one who
is not
opposing you.
You say,
just because
of things I
buy,
I haven't
killed
anyone.
man.
Well,
maybe not
directly,
but indirectly,
the way we
use our
money,
the knock-on
effects it
has down
the line,
poor working
conditions,
means that
people do
die.
What does
these words
have to say
to us who
live in
our affluent
West?
wasteful
hoarders,
greedy
oppressors,
selfish
extravagance.
Verse 5.
You have
lived on
earth in
luxury and
self-indulgence.
You have
fattened
yourselves in
the day of
slaughter.
While we
indulge
ourselves and
fatten
ourselves up
with things
we don't
need to
eat,
others die.
We spend
what we
have on
luxuries,
not
necessities.
We justify
our wants
while ignoring
others'
needs.
things.
Well, let
me share
with you
something
personal,
something that
I'm ashamed
of,
something that
is sinful.
When I
was in
Ghana
recently,
I bought
this small
wooden
carving as
a gift.
Clearly,
the lady who
was selling
it didn't
have much
money.
Obviously,
she was in
great need.
nevertheless,
I asked how
much it
was,
and then I
immediately
offered less.
I walked
away very
proud that
I had
haggled the
price down.
When I
got home,
I discovered
that during
my trip I
had lost
a 50
euro note.
It annoyed
me for
days.
I wondered
where I
had lost
it,
going through
all the
different
places.
Could it
have been
here,
could it
have been
there,
I searched
my bags
over and
over again,
I checked
my money
belt at
least five
times,
turned it
inside out,
no 50
euro note.
I was
desperately
concerned
for my
money that
I had
lost.
And then I
realised that
I had not
given that
poor lady
a second
thought.
I am
guilty
of selfish
extravagance,
greedy
oppression,
wasteful
hoarding.
James
is serious
in his
warning to
those who
are rich,
to those
who have
wealth.
Craig
Blomberg,
an author,
writer,
drives the
point home.
Follow on
the screen.
this is what
he says,
if a person
claims to
be a
Christian,
is aware
of the
acute
physical
needs of
desperately
poor
believers
at home
or abroad,
is in
any position
to help,
but never
does a
single thing
except to
wish them
well,
that person's
inaction
disproves
his or
her
profession
of
faith.
Challenging,
eh?
True
faith,
you see,
is seen
by generous
giving,
not wasteful
hoarding.
In
seeking
justice,
not greedy
oppression.
Through
self-sacrifice,
not selfish
extravagance.
You see,
when it
comes to
giving of
all the
resources
and the
financial
wealth
we have,
when it
comes to
giving and
spending,
the question
should be
this,
and follow
this clearly,
the question
should be,
how much
can I
spend,
not how
much
should I
spend,
or should
I give
rather?
In other
words,
what can
I spend
out of
my giving?
Because
everything
that I
have has
been given
by God,
belongs to
him,
it's not
mine,
so I
need to
ask,
what can I
spend out
of my
giving?
Once
again,
as we
look into
God's word,
as James
1 reminds
us,
it's like
looking into
a mirror,
it reflects
back on
us,
revealing
us what
our hearts
are really
like,
and showing
us our
desperate
need of
Christ.
So the
desire for
money,
the danger
of riches,
which leads
us to
something
encouraging
for us
all,
that the
poor and
rich,
we all
need
Christ.
You see,
whatever
economic
status we
may think
we are
in,
we all
need
Christ.
Here's
what James
says to
those who
desire
wealth,
and those
who have
wealth,
those who
would say,
I need
money,
and those
who say,
well,
no,
I have
money.
He's
already
told us
about it.
Go back
to chapter
1,
verse 9
and 10.
James
chapter 1,
verses 9
and 10.
Believers
in humble
circumstances,
those who
don't have,
those who
struggle,
financially,
believers
in humble
circumstances
ought to
take pride
in their
high position.
But the
rich,
those who
have,
well,
they should
take pride
in their
humiliation,
since they
will pass
away like
a wild
flower.
Look,
he's saying,
if your
economic
status means
you don't
have much,
or that
you have
needs and
you struggle
to pay
your rent
or you
struggle to
meet your
bills.
Verse 9,
believers in
humble
circumstances,
well,
take pride
in your
high position.
He's saying,
remember the
gospel.
Remember what
Christ has
done for
you.
you may
financially
struggle,
but through
Christ and
in Christ
and through
faith in
him,
you are
spiritually
rich.
You don't
need to have
great wealth
to make it
in life,
to be
someone.
In
Christ you
have made
it,
you are
someone.
You belong
to Christ.
You are
his.
and through
him you
have received
great blessing,
forgiveness of
all of your
sins,
the presence
of the
Holy Spirit,
his peace
upon you,
and an
eternal
inheritance,
the kingdom
of heaven
itself,
the new
heavens and
the new
earth that
can never
be taken
from you.
believers in
humble
circumstances,
take pride
in your
high position.
Don't
grumble at
the rich
and make
money your
goal and
your priority.
Rejoice
that you
have every
spiritual
blessing in
Christ.
If you
are in
Christ,
you will
never be
lost,
but you
are his
forever.
On the
other hand,
if your
economic status
means that
you have
plenty and
well you're
in great
wealth,
look at
verse 10.
But the
rich should
take pride
in their
humiliation,
since they
will pass
away like
a wild
flower.
Again,
he's
directing us
saying,
remember the
gospel,
remember
Christ.
You may
buy all
you want,
but you
cannot buy
what you
most need,
God's
grace and
mercy.
You may
have savings
and wealth
for your
entire life,
but remember
this,
verse 10,
you will
fade away
like a
flower.
You can
have shares
and pensions,
but without
Christ's
intervention in
your life,
you are
spiritually
bankrupt.
You have
nothing.
You are
nothing without
Christ.
Don't pride
yourself in
how well you've
done financially,
about how
secure your
future is.
Humbly see
what great
needs you have
spiritually.
Whoever we
are,
whatever our
economic
status may
be,
we all
need
Christ.
And when
we come
to Christ,
the low
are lifted
up, the
higher
taken down
and,
well, we
become one.
There's an
equal playing
field before
the cross.
Brothers and
sisters in
Christ united
together, not
one above the
other, not
one thinking
better than
the other.
With Christ,
I can say,
I have
everything.
Without
Christ, I
have nothing.
everything.
How do you
think about
your economic
status today?
Are you
desiring
money?
Wanting
wealth?
Or are you
in danger for
the riches you
have and your
misuse of
wealth?
We all
need to go
to Christ,
for with
Christ I
have everything.
nothing.
Without
Christ, I
have nothing.
Let's pray
together.
Let's pray.
You can look on
the screen for
our prayer as
we reflect
on what we've
been thinking
through.
Keep
falsehood and
lies far
from me.
Give me
neither poverty
nor riches,
but give me
only my
daily bread.
Otherwise,
I may have
too much and
disown you and
say, who is
the Lord?
Or I may
become poor
and steal
and so
dishonor the
name of my
God.
Father, would
you keep us
running to
Christ, for
he is our
all and our
everything, only
he can truly
satisfy.
And would you
help us in
our plenty
to give to
those who are
most in
need,
generously,
sacrificiously,
lovingly,
just as
you poured
out your
love to
us.
Help us,
Father, we
pray, in
Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, if
we believe
Christ is
everything, we
will want to
sing this
song, Christ
is my
reward and
all of my
devotion.