Christianity For Dummies: Money Talks
James 5:1-6
I. Introduction
A. Did ya'll hear about the groom who approached the pastor during the wedding rehearsal, with an unusual offer? "Look, I'll give you $100 if you'll change the wedding vows. When you get to the part where I'm supposed to promise to 'love, honor and obey' and 'be faithful to her forever,' I'd appreciate it if you'd just leave that out." He passed the minister a $100 bill and walked away satisfied. On the day of the wedding, when it came time for the groom's vows, the pastor looked the young man in the eye and said: "Will you promise to prostrate yourself before her, obey her every command and wish, serve her breakfast in bed every morning of your life, and swear eternally before God and your lovely wife that you will never ever even look at another woman, as long as you both shall live?" The groom gulped and looked around, and said in a tiny voice, "Yes," then leaned toward the pastor and hissed: "I thought we had a deal." The pastor put the $100 bill into the groom's hand and whispered: "She made me a better offer."
B. The moral of that story? Money TALKS! A popular comedian once said "If money talks, all it ever says to me is goodbye!" I'm certain many people today, possibly even some in this room, would echo that sentiment.
C. Yet money was not saying goodbye to a group of men James addressed in the 5th Chapter of his epistle. These men were rich, and their riches were sinful. They were using their wealth for selfish purposes and were persecuting the poor in the process. And yet as James warned, a time of horrible judgment was coming upon these rich men in which the money they hoped would save them would talk alright. In fact it would cry out, croaking like a raven, testifying against them on the Day of Judgment to the Lord God Omnipotent.
D. As we explore this time of horrible judgment, we will find that James lays out The Pronouncement of Judgment, The Depiction of Judgment, The Justification of Judgment and the Witnesses of Judgment.
II. Scripture Reading
A. Read James 5:1-6.
B. Pray - Father, money is a powerful detractant in our relationship with you. Open our eyes and hearts to how for unbelievers and believers alike money will talk on the day of judgment.
III. The Pronouncement of Judgment (Read and discuss v. 1)
A. Come now, you rich We must first answer the question Who are these rich that James is addressing?
- Rich Christians? Unlikely...why? #1 Not addressed as brethren (which James often does in his epistle); in fact he doesn't do so until 5:7 when they are told to be patient in light of what has just been said. #2 No call to repentance (as there is throughout this epistle in those passages in which it is clear brethren are being addressed)
- Rich Unbelievers? Dr. Moo = "unmistakably addressses non-Christians"; clear from the many biblical and extrabiblical traditions concerning unrighteous wealth that James uses. James tells these rich unbelievers...
B. Weep and howl Prophetic Language - frequently used by the prophets to describe the reaction of the wicked when the day of the Lord comes - read Isaiah 13:6, Amos 8:3.
- Weep = Greek "klaio," meaning to sob, wail aloud; expressing uncontainable audible grief Have you ever weeped to that point?
- Howl = Greek "ololuzo," onomatopoetic term meaning to howl, shriek; expressing feelings too intense for words; only use = prophets in OT and always in context of judgment Have you ever been this grief stricken? Why is James calling these rich unbelievers to weep and howl?
C. For the miseries that are coming upon you These are not earthly, temporal sufferings but condemnation and punishment that God will mete out on the day of judgment. Which begs the questions...
#1 Is it wrong for a Christian to be rich? No! The Bible nowhere condemns the rich for being rich. Some of the godliest people in the Bible were rich ( e.g. Job, Abraham, Joseph, David, Solomon, Barnabas, Philemon, Lydia) Money is NOT evil (cf. 1 Tim. 6:10).
#2 Why then are the rich being judged? Dr. Moo = In the NT condemnations of wealthy people are almost always attributed to a misuse of wealth. You then equals the unrighteous rich. Don't ignore the fact that wealth and unrighteous go together in Scripture like PB and jelly - wealth is a strong obstacle to salvation (cf. Matt. 19:23-24) and inclines one to forget God (cf. Deut. 8:13-14).
D. Illustration: John Beukema tells this story - he moved to a new state, went to the DMV to get a new driver's license and was told he couldn't because his license was suspended...there was a problem he had to clear up in Massachusetts first. He owed an excise tax of $2 that with penalties and interest had grown to nearly $300. "The whole thing was embarassing. It wasn't so much the money that bothered me; it was knowing that I was on the wrong side of the law for all those years without even being aware of it."
D. Application: How shocking it will be for those who stand before the God of the universe one day and realize, for the first time, that he holds them accountable for all the wrongs they do. Scripture is clear (cf. Hebrews 9:27), judgment has been pronounced. We ALL will one day stand before God in judgment...believers at the Bema Seat of Christ, unbelievers at the Great White Throne. If you died tonight, which one will you stand at?
The Pronouncement of Judgment
IV. The Depiction of Judgment (Read and discuss v. 3b, 4c, 5b)
#1 will eat your flesh like fire Scripture frequently depicts God's judgment as fire. No more graphically than in Revelation 20:11-15 (read).
#2 reached the ears of the Lord of hosts Lord of hosts is a name for God used frequently in the OT, the commander of the armies of heaven (angels). As we read in Revelation 19:14, it pictures God as warrior going into battle against his enemies (read Rev. 19:14).
#3 fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter Here we have perhaps THE most vivid depiction of divine judgment against the unrighteous rich - likening them to fattened cattle ready to be slaughtered. This too in keeping with James is reminiscent of the OT prophets - read Isaiah 30:25, Jeremiah 12:3.
A. Illustration: How many of you like horror movies or TV shows? Ever watch American Horror Story? Wikipedia defines it as "an anthology series, each season is conceived as a self-contained miniseries, following a disparate set of characters and settings, and a storyline with its own 'beginning, middle, and end.'" There have been 3 seasons: Murder House, Asylum, Coven. Here we read what could easily be made into season 4: The Rich. The depiction of judgment that awaits the unrighteous rich plays out like a modern horror story - they have fattened themselves like cows ready for slaughter, God as a warrior commanding the armies of heaven will return, judge their unrighteous deeds and cast them for all eternity into the Lake of Fire.
B. Application: Why does James preach this message of denunciation of non-Christians in a letter addressed to the church? Calvin says James "has a regard to the faithful, that they, hearing of the miserable end of the rich, might not envy their fortune." Next time you think "Man, wish I was rich" think of Jesus' words - "only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven"; think of James' depiction of the horrifying day of judgment that awaits them!
The Pronouncement of Judgment
The Depiction of Judgment
V. The Justification of Judgment
A. Romans 3:19 says "Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God." James outlines four indictments that God will bring against the unrighteous rich; indictiments that will stop every mouth, hold the unrighteous rich accountable and justify God's judgment.
B. Indictment #1: Hoarding of Wealth (Read and discuss vv. 2-3)
- The first indictment James brings against his readers is that they have hoarded their wealth. Saving nor investing is condemnded in Scripture but hoarding is. James points out 3 classes of material goods they have hoarded: riches (understood as referencing crops), garments and gold/silver. These were the most common forms of weath in the ancient world.
- James in three statements points out the worthlessness of these worldly goods that the rich have so carefully assimilated: they have rotted, are moth-eaten, have corroded. Discuss the verbs are perfect tense - action already completed. How foolish to rely on material goods that are as good as rotted, moth-eaten and rusted. As such they offer no spiritual benefit in the present and no grounds for hope at the time of judgment. Even worse, such hoarding is wrong because it: 1) Demonstrates false priorities - cf. Matt. 6:19-21, 2) Deprives others of life - cf. Luke 12:33, "God has not appointed gold for rust, nor garments for moths; but, on the contrary, he has designed them as aids and helps to human life." (Calvin), 3) Disregards the coming judgment - cf. James 5:3c, Luke 12:20 (rich fool).
- Illustration & Application: People in the US possess 1.9 billion square feet of personal storage space. 1 in 11 homes rent self-storage space - 75% increase since 1995. Home size has increased from 1660 sq feet in 1973 to 2400 sq feet in 2004. American houses have gotten bigger, yet we still need to tack on almost 2 BILLION sq feet of extra space to store our stuff?! We may possess many things, but we own nothing! God is owner of all, we are His STEWARDS! Are you being a good steward or are you guilty of hoarding wealth?
C. Indictment #2: Defrauding of Workers (Read and discuss v. 4)
- The second indictment James brings against his readers is that they have defrauded their workers. 1st century Palestine was much like 21st century third world countries in which most people were truly dependent on DAILY bread. Jesus' parable about the workers in the vineyard (cf. Matt. 20:1-16) is significant in that the workers expect their pay at the end of the day. Indeed this was commanded in the law: read Deut. 24:14-15, Leviticus 19:13. Such warnings are also found in Malachi 3:5 and Jeremiah 22:13. Thus, during a time without credit cards, welfare, WIC and food stamps, no daily pay = life was in jeopardy!
- James was convinced, however, that the rich would not get away with their sin. In a vivid image reminiscent of Cain's blood crying out to God (cf. Gen. 4:10), James personifies the wages of the laborers as crying out to God making Him aware of the rich's sin and pleading for vindication (cf. Psalm 34:15). This word cries is Greek "krazo," an onomatopoetic term meaning to croak as a raven. These cries have reached the ears of a God that is holy, powerful, and determined to judge those who infringe his commandments!
- Illustration & Application: Most people in this room are unlikely to be defrauding workers but what about robbing God as Malachi points out? In 2000, the total Christian income in the U.S. was $5.2 trillion, half of the world's total Christian income. And we are squandering those resources, defrauding others of blessings...per member giving as % of income = 3.3% (1933), 2.6% (2000); 17% claim to tithe, 3% actually do; 16% give NO money to church! Are you robbing God, thus defrauding others, in tithes and contributions?
D. Indictment #3: Indulgence of Lifestyle (Read and discuss v. 5)
- The third indictment James brings against his readers is that they have pursued a luxurious and self-indulgent lifestyle. This word luxury or pleasure means to indulge in dainty living - dainty living in 1st century associated with public baths decked out in ornate furnishings, marble, etc. One from Rome is pictured on Power Point. This word wonton or self-indulgence means to live rioutously, in unneeded surplus. Elsewhere in Scripture (Amos 6:4, Ezekiel 16:49, 1 Tim. 5:6) it is used to condemn those for their "prosperous ease" and for not aiding "the poor and needy." Read Amos 6:4.
- We also should be reminded of Jesus' words in Luke 6:24 "Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation" and his story of the rich man in Luke 16:25 who "feasted sumptuously every day" and received just that, consolation in this life yet anguish in the next.
- Illustration & Application: Discuss story on K-Love of glow ice cream (jellyfish protein) at $250/scoop; NFL jerseys - throw back, breast CA, etc. We may not be buying $250/scoop ice cream or supporting the NFL with tickets, etc but we should evaluate our expenditures periodically (checkbook, income tax return). Discuss Radical. Are you radical in your giving or getting?
E. Indictment #4: Oppression of Righteous (Read and discuss v. 6)
- The fourth and final indictment James brings against his readers is that they have oppressed the righteous. Who is this righteous man? The poor and needy who trusts in God for his deliverance. What does James mean the rich have condemned and murdered these righteous people? Condemned is a judicial term. It suggests the rich are using, indeed perverting, legal processes to accumulate property and gain wealth. Such had long been practiced in Israel and widely condemned by the prophets - read Amos 2:6, Micah 2:2. Indeed earlier in James we read the rich were doing just that - dragging the poor into court (cf. 2:6). Yet as James points out He does not resist you.
- Illustration & Application: Brothers and sisters this very thing James speaks of has played out in our own country within the past few weeks! Discuss Affluenza - read definition on Power Point slide and tell of case of Texas teen. This strain of Affluenza is the confluence of two pathogens: Greed and Sloth. The culture in which it grows is one in which parents "buy love" and are besties with their kids NOT parents as well as one in which the next generation expects more than their parents RIGHT NOW and yet wants their parents (or Uncle Sam) to get it for them! It's highly contagious - beware!!!
The Pronouncement of Judgment
The Depiction of Judgment
The Justification of Judgment
VI. The Witnesses of Judgment (Read and discuss v. 3a, 4)
A. James points out that on judgment day, money talks. In fact, three witnesses will testify to the truths of the previous indictments.
#1 Wealth: Gold and silver don't literally rust; they corrode and tarnish. Corrosion destroys the value of metal just like rust. Thus, the presence of rust or corroded gold/silver in the rich man's treasury will bear witness to his unfaithful stewardship of his wealth. MONEY TALKS!
#2 Wages: In this case, the money literally talks! Behold the wages...are crying out against you While the oppressed and poor may not have any defenders on earth, they have as their helper the Lord God Omnipotent in heaven. How ironic that the pennies the rich pinched and stole from their poor workers and thought would help them and bring them security will in the end only testify to their destruction.
#3 Workers: On Judgment Day, the rich will no longer be able to pervert the legal system...no bribing of the Judge! It will be the rich themselves dragged into court, the Royal Court at which the King of Kings and Lord of Lords will preside. And the cries of their workers will stand as a witness to their unrighteousness.
VII. Conclusion
A. You may be asking, how does this passage warning the unrighteous rich of a time of horrible judgment that is to come upon them have anything to do with me. Have you seen my checking account?
B. What it has to do with you is that whether the unrighteous rich, unrighteous poor, righteous rich or righteous poor, we ALL one day will stand before God in judgment. And on that day MONEY TALKS! But not only that day, TODAY! Alfred North Whitehead put it this way "The Day of judgment is an important notion, but that Day is always with us." What we are doing each and every day with our money has eternal implications. What we keep, we lose. What we give to God, we keep, and He adds interest to it.
C. Dr. Wiersbe tells the story of a famous preacher known for his long sermons. He was asked to give the annual "charity sermon" for the poor. It was suggested that if he preached too long, the congregation might not give as much as they should. He read his text from Proverbs 19:17 (LB): "When you help the poor you are lending to the Lord—and he pays wonderful interest on your loan!" His sermon indeed was brief: "If you like the terms, then put down your money."
D. Yes, money talks. What will it say to you and about you at the last judgment? Remember, the Day of judgment is an important notion, but that Day is always with us.
VIII. Invitation and Benediction
A. Discuss Great White Throne Judgment (lost, judge sins) and Bema Seat Judgment (saved, judge works - faithful = rewards, unfaithful = lose rewards).
B. God is inviting you this AM to accept His free offer of eternal life so you don't have to stand before Him at the Great White Throne. God is inviting you this AM to use your money today in a way that at the Bema Seat it will say "Well done you good and faithful servant."
