A Life of Works Produced by Faith
Part 3
“From Rags To Riches”
Date: September 15, 2002 A.M Service
Place: Allendale Baptist
Text: James 1:9-11
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Introduction
As we continue our study on this wonderful book of James, last Sunday morning we are told by James to “count it all joy when we fall into various trails or testings”.
Now this morning in our study we see two of the many ways we can be tested or tried. James tells us in these verses that we can be tested in the way of poverty. Another way is to be tested by wealth.
You are probably saying today as many of us in the area of finances, one of the ways I have never been tested is by having too much money or by being rich.
Oh really! By whose standards? By your standards? By the worlds standards or by God’s standards?
You see by God’s standards, as we will see in just a moment, those who are poor or lowly are rich, and those who are rich in material goods are seen as poverty stricken.
I have shared this story before, but my mother’s family grew up as sharecroppers. That means they didn’t own the land they farmed. It was leased or they worded it for some one else. I have sat and listened to the brothers & sisters sit & talk about not knowing how poor they were. They thought they were rich.
At the end of verse 10 we were given a word, which describes many around us today. A Double-minded person is one that is unstable in everything. This person has a wrong view of life.
Many place all their worth and value in life by haw much or how little they have
A person that is poor may see himself or herself as of no or little value.
They may say God has abandoned me or because of my financial status, I am of no use to God.
The other extreme is the person that has been richly blessed by God, sees Himself to blessed to bless others.
Let me stop and say right now, no matter what you financial status, God does not care. All blessings come from Him.
God sees all of us the same. As a parent with several children, you do not love one child more then the other, you may love them in different ways. But the love is the same for all your children.
Remember James is speaking to Christians. And as we will see in a moment there is a new way of thinking. He is still referring to trails and in the midst of these trails we are to know that the trying of our faith in the trail is to produce a greater faith. We can ask for the divine wisdom from God to help us see the purpose for His good & His glory.
In verse 1 we see a person of low degree. This term can be translated, “Doesn’t amount to much” or “undistinguished”.
Then we see the reverse side a rich and wealthy person. The world would give a greater prominence to this person.
But in God’s ways, in God’s truth we will see that each of us as children of God, are all placed of the same level.
So this morning we will see during our trails, which may come in the area of financial status, we can know by the wisdom that we have been given by God, because we have asked, we can see God working in our life.
And we can also have …
I. A New Perspective
A. “Let the lowly or poor glory in his exaltation”
1. Romans 8:18 tells us; “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us”.
2. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 says; “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things, which are, seen are temporary, but the things, which are not seen, are eternal.
B. Although having nothing in this world, the poor believer can rejoice in his high spiritual standing before the Lord by grace & the hope, which that brings.
C. “But the rich in his humiliation”
1. This refers to the rich believer being brought low by the trail.
2. Such trails helps the rich rejoice and realize that genuine happiness and contentment depend on the true riches of God’s grace, not on earthly wealth.
Having this new prospective we can now see our…
II. A New Position
A. As Christians we have a new position in Christ. We have been seated in the heavenlies.
B. We are heirs with Christ.
C. I believe we get more excited about our possessions than we do about the One who possess us.
III. A New Permanence (read verses 10b-11
A. Here James uses an illustration that would be very familiar to those that lived in the region of the Holy Land.
1. In the desert, when rain would come, shoots of grass would appear almost immediately out of the barren, dusty soil and begin to make their way up. But then the wind would blow across the desert and the hot air like an oven would literally wither everything in sight.
B. James tells us this is what wealth is like. As quick as the winds of trails blow across the desert of your life, your riches will wither and die.
C. But let me say this also, so does your life. Not one of us know how long we may have here in this life.
1. We spend so much time trying to gain what we cannot keep, and trying to obtain what will never satisfy us.
The greatest possession you can ever have is one that does not cost you a thing, not one red cent.
But it cost God everything. It cost Jesus His life.
If you are His today it doesn’t matter how much or how little is in your bank account.
If you have Jesus, you have all you need
Close
I have shared this story before, but my mother’s family grew up as sharecroppers. That means they didn’t own the land they farmed. It was leased or they worked it for some one else. I have sat and listened to the brothers & sisters sit & talk about not knowing how poor they were. But they had no idea how poor they were. They thought they were rich. And they truly were. They were rich, in the Lord. And I have inherited that great wealth. You see my mother married a godly man and they served the Lord until his death. Both of my aunts love and serve the Lord. One just recently went home to be with Jesus.
Today you can have this new prospective, this new position and this new permanence today by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Receive Him today.
