SERMON OUTLINE:
(1). Priorities (vs 1-6)
(2). Patience (vs 7-12)
(3). Prayer (vs 13-18).
(4). Personal Concerns (vs 19-20).
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• Definitions matter.
• Do you know what these words mean?
• ABDICATE:
• To give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.
• ADULT:
• A person who has stopped growing at both ends and is now growing in the middle.
• ANTIQUE:
• An item your grandparents bought, your parents got rid of, and you’re buying again.
• AVOIDABLE: What a bullfighter tries to do.
• BALDERDASH: A rapidly receding hairline.
• BATHROOM:
• A room used by the entire family, believed by all except Mom to be self-cleaning.
• COFFEE: A person who is coughed upon.
• DERANGE: Where de buffalo roam.
• GROCERY LIST:
• What you spend half an hour writing, then forget to take with you to the store.
• OVERSTUFFED RECLINER: Mom’s nickname for Dad.
• POLYGON: A dead parrot.
• VEGETARIAN: Old Indian word for bad hunter.
• TRANSITION: now in this sermon I want to give you 4 key words;
• Please do not misunderstand them!
(1). Priorities (vs 1-6)
“Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on 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. 4 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. 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 the innocent one, who was not opposing you.”
Ill:
• While on a trip to Switzerland,
• An America businessman was watching a Swiss clockmaker;
• As he carved out the case of an ornate cuckoo clock.
• As the businessman watched the clockmaker carve out the case,
• He was astounded at his slow rate of progress.
• The businessman finally said,
• “My good man, you’ll never make much money that way.”
• “Sir,” the clockmaker replied,
• “I’m not making money, I’m making cuckoo clocks.”
• TRANSITION:
• That story illustrates the fact that people have different priorities.
• Now in this first section;
• The apostle James issues two very practical warnings to the wealthy:
• Now most of us would not consider ourselves wealthy,
• Quote: a famous comedian: "If ‘money talks’ all it ever says to me is good-bye"
• Because most of us would not consider ourselves wealthy,
• The temptation is to apply these verses to others and not ourselves;
• Now don’t do that!
• Because we (each person here) is extremely wealthy;
• On a world scale we are all very, very wealthy.
• i.e. We all have food, clothes, shelter, access to medicines and health services,
• And we all probably some money in the bank.
• (Or like ????????? stuffed under the mattress)
Ill:
• Oxfam notes that more than a billion people still live on less than 1 euro a day (84p);
• Not even enough for a cup of Costas coffee,
• (£2.25 a medium Americano or for we cconnoisseurs £2.50 for the paradise blend!)
Ill:
• Of course if you are not rich and you want to get rich;
• Let me tell you how to do it.
• Quote: John D. Rockefeller’s three simple rules for anyone who wants to become rich:
• One: Go to work early.
• Two: Stay at work late.
• Three: Find oil.
2 THINGS TO NOTE FROM THIS PASSAGE:
(1). A Warning against Hoarding Wealth (vs 1-3)
“Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on 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”.
Note:
• The apostle James is not speaking against careful planning.
• It is wise to save for a rainy day, or for retirement, or for unplanned emergencies.
• Numerous scriptures that encourage this.
• 1 Timothy chapter 5 verse 8 & 2 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 14.
• Matthew chapter 25 verse 27.
• BUT there is a big difference between saving and hording.
• Hording is ‘the excessive acquisition of possessions (and failure to use or discard them)’,
James is not speaking against saving but very much speaking against hoarding wealth:
• Hoarding wealth is leaving God out of the equation.
• It is the idea of acquiring as much as you can;
• It’s having the attitude of ‘it’s all mine – I can do with it what I want!’
Ill:
• Jesus only ever called one man a fool in the Bible;
• It was the farmer in Luke chapter 12 verses 13-21.
• Who tore down his barns to build bigger barns;
• He had more than enough but refused to think of anyone but himself.
• Jesus called him; “Fool”;
• Because when his life was taken from him – all his wealth achieved nothing!
James in this letter reminds us all:
• That God has blessed every one of us with finances.
• Each Christian must ask God how we are to use those finances;
• We need God’s wisdom to know how much to save;
• And how much to invest for his glory & the extension of his kingdom.
(2). A Warning against Stealing Wealth (vs 4)
“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”
God is not only concerned with what we’ve got but also how we got it.
• Don’t use dishonest means to rip people off.
• How you become wealthy matters to God.
• These rich people had held back the honest wages of the poor.
• The Bible speaks against this practice in many places.
• Deuteronomy chapter 24 verse 14,
• Leviticus chapter 19 verse 13 & Proverbs chapter 13 verse 11.
In James day:
• These wealthy people were hiring men to do work,
• But they were not paying them for what they did.
• The Greek word translated “failed to pay” is actually a lot stronger than that:
• Literally, it means that “you have robbed or cheated those men.”
• The poor people could not afford to take these rich employees to court;
• And if they did, these rich people were able to control the courts of their day.
Question: Why would those who are already wealthy cheat or rob the poor?
Answer:
• I guess the answer is greed;
• We always want more than we have.
ill:
• ‘Fair trade’ products has brought to our attention this sort of thing.
• Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions,
• Local sustainability, & fair terms of trade for farmers & workers in the developing world.
• In other words rich companies make bigger and bigger profits;
• By paying their workers in the third world lower & lower wages.
• Fairtrade says “No!” this is wrong; “A fair days pay for a fair days work!”
• This way the company still make a huge profit but the workers also receive a fair wage.
Note: at the end of verse 4:
• James points out that the voices of those who have been cheated;
• “Have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty”.
• James wants his readers never to forget;
• That in our dealings with others.
• There is always one person watching with great interest,
• Ready to judge those who are cheating.
• Cheats may get away with it in this life;
• But one day they will get their comeuppance and with interest!
A simple application for today:
• If somebody does some work for you – and they have done it properly;
• Then pay them and pay them straight away.
ill:
• One of the big problem for self-employed businessmen today is unpaid invoices;
• Big companies who will not pay on time the money they owe the small businessman.
• Many a small business has failed due to the fact they have not been paid on time!
(2). Patience (vs 7-12)
“Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 9 Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear – not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. Otherwise you will be condemned.”
Ill:
• A friend of mine has a sign on his desk noticeboard;
• It says in big letters: “LORD GIVE ME PATIENCE”
• Then underneath those words in small letters it says; “but hurry!”
• Patience, like most Christian characteristics,
• Is one of those character traits that grows over time;
• It is never something we get given to us overnight.
• To help us hang on in there and be patient & endure?
• James gives us three examples of those who were patient and endured.
(Example 1): The Farmer. (vs 7-9)
“Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.
8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.
9 Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!”
Ill:
• For many years my wife Penny has had an allotment;
• It’s a bit extravagant as they charge £12.50 a year for the plot of land!
• But hey! Sometimes you just have to splash out!
• Our two children have always enjoyed growing things on the allotment,
• But they have discovered one key fact;
• You can’t hurry nature!
• Nature is slow - but it is very rewarding to those who wait.
• My children have learnt that:
• (1). You begin by preparing the ground.
• (2). You plant the seed.
• (3). You wait and you wait and you wait and you…etc.
• And then months later when you least expect it;
• Wow! There’s a strawberry or a cucumber or load of runner beans etc!
James uses the picture of a farmer to illustrate the necessity and reward for patience:
• When the farmer goes out to plant his seeds,
• He knows that he is going to have a long, long wait;
• Before he will get to see the fruit of his labour.
(2nd example). The Prophets (Vs 10).
“Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord”
• The prophets were of course God’s messengers;
• They spoke and preached “in the name of the Lord”;
• Yet they were persecuted and mistreated.
• The prophets were of course in the will of God!
• We might say, ‘right bang in the middle of God’s will.’
• This did not save them from persecution but was the very cause of it!
• Many of the prophets had to endure great trials and sufferings;
• Not just at the hands of unbelievers;
• But also at the hands of professed believers!
Question: Why did God allow it?
Answer: The testimony of a suffering saint is a powerful witness to those around us.
• ill: Corrie ten Boom.
• ill: Joni Erickson Tada.
• ill: Lady in our own fellowship dying slowly of cancer.
• Quote: Warren Wiersbe:
• “The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you”.
(3rd Example) Job (vs 11):
“As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”
• There can be no victories without battles;
• There can be no peaks without valleys.
• If you want the blessing;
• This verse says you must endure the hardships!
The encouragement of Job’s story is:
• He did not know the reason for his suffering;
• He did not realise that behind the scenes between God and Satan;
• Something else was happening.
• In other words there was a purpose and a meaning to Job’s suffering;
• He might not have understood why – but God did.
Quote:
"My life is but a weaving,
between my Lord and me;
I cannot choose the colours,
He worketh steadily.
Oft times He weaveth sorrow
and I in foolish pride,
Forget He sees the upper
and I the under side.
Not till the loom is silent
and the shuttles cease to fly,
Shall God unroll the canvas
and explain the reason why.
The dark threads are as needful
in the Weaver's skilful hand,
As the threads of gold and silver,
in the pattern He has planned.”
James tells us the end purpose of Job’s suffering:
“You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about.
The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”
• Job discovered God to be ‘FULL’ – I like that – not just ‘some’ but ‘full’
• Question: ‘Full of what?’
• Answer: ‘Full of compassion and mercy’.
• Job experienced & discovered the character & blessing of God in a unique way
• In your own time check out Job chapter 42.
To summarise these three illustrations::
• Though it may not seem so now,
• Your present difficulty may actually be instrumental to your future happiness.
• If you don’t believe me – then James would say:
• Ask the farmer or the prophets or Job!
(3). Prayer (vs 13-18).
“ Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you ill? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.”
Ill:
• Story is told of a dad who was walking past his little daughter’s bedroom;
• And he heard her reciting the alphabet.
• It was bedtime and he expected to hear the girl saying her prayers;
• So he asked her what she was doing?
• She replied; “I didn’t know what to say,
• So I am giving God the letters and he can make his own words up!”
• TRANSITION: Many types of prayers are named in this section,
• i.e. Prayers for the sick.
• i.e. Prayer for forgiveness.
• i.e. Prayer for the nation,
• i.e. Even prayer about the weather!
Quote tongue twister:
"You can do more than pray, after you have prayed,
But you cannot do more than pray, until you have prayed".
• There is no need that God cannot meet;
• And no problem that prayer cannot solve!
Ill:
• I love the illustration he uses regarding Elijah the prophet of God.
• When we read about Elijah we think:
• He's in the big league.
• I'm still an amateur.
• He's a giant.
• And I'm a pig me, dwarf.
But look again at what the text says: "Elijah was a man .......
• Who was as a mighty prophet of God.
• Who was a powerful worker of miracles.
• Who was a model believer that none other could match.
• Who was very unique & special.
• NO! It says; “Elijah was JUST LIKE US".
• "Subject to like passions as we are" (K.J.).
• "Completely human like we are" (L.B.).
Question: But what did he do?
Answer:
• Verse 17: "He prayed earnestly”.
• Verse 18. "Again he prayed".
• He was a man who relied on his God:
• He was a man who drew power from his God:
Quote:
“Prayer is not a check request asking for things from God. It is a deposit slip – a way of depositing God’s character into our bankrupt souls.”
• Elijah was a man who relied on his God:
• Elijah was a man who drew power from his God:
(4). Personal Concerns (vs 19-20).
“My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”
This final piece of instruction from James;
• Is in many ways an extension of verses 14;
• Where we should pray for and care for a fellow believer;
• Who has “wandered from the truth.”
Ill:
• Philip Keller was a sheep farmer who wrote a book called,
• "A Shepherd Looks at the Twenty-third Psalm,"
• One of the things he says in that book is this;
• Sheep have no homing instincts.
• If lost a dog, horse, cat, or a bird can find its way home,
• But when a sheep gets lost, it’s a goner unless someone rescues it.
• TRANSITION: The Bible describes you and me as sheep.
• We too need to help one another, especially help those who wander off.
• The King James Bible has the word ‘convert’ in verse 19;
• The N.I.V. translates it better as, “bring that person back”
• It is not talking about conversion but restoration.
• The word implies a “reversal” of course, a 180-degree turnabout.
Whenever a Christian wanders away from the Lord:
• We should be concerned and pray and through loving friendship;
• Seek to win that person back to the Lord.
Note: The phrase in verse 20:
“…whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”
• This phrase “will save a soul from death”
• Is too often misunderstood as dealing with eternal salvation.
• However, in the language of the day, the word “soul” (psuche) meant “life”
• We would paraphrase it today by saying, “save them from a wasted life”
In conclusion:
• The final appeal of James is for each one of us;
• To be those who pray and those who seek the lost.
• We should be about bringing people to faith and helping them stay ‘in the faith’.
The apostle James said:
• As Christians we are to be “doers of the Word and not hearers only,”
• So we demonstrate the power of faith in our lives:
• i.e. when we have trials and troubles.
• i.e. when we have to endure testing times.
• i.e. when we have to show mercy and compassion to others.
• As we are “doers of the Word and not hearers only,”
• We will we be equipped for this much needed ministry.
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=oXbWjaDoP0uRR9h1YrBQ9VKrYE6RbLIA
