Transcript J 5:1-6 AMES House of Pain

JAMES 5:1-6
House of Pain
JAMES
 Key
Verse: But be doers of the word, and
not hearers only, deceiving yourselvesJames 1:22 (NKJ)
JAMES
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- 4:14
 Review-
 “We
were created for eternity. And if we
forget it, we invest in the wrong direction”Henry Blackaby
 “People
are what their desires are”Thomas Manton
JAMES
 How
do you feel?
 James
5:1-6: Encouragement and
Warning
JAMES
 Now
listen, you rich people, weep and
wail because of the misery that is coming
upon you- vs. 1
 Who

 Is
is James talking to? (James 3:1)
Believers or not?
it wrong to be rich?
JAMES
 Ololyzontes- wail- loud howling in pain
and misery
 Grieve,
mourn and wail. Change
your laughter to mourning and your
joy to gloom- 4:9

Willful repentance vs. howling at
the coming judgment
JAMES
 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- vs.
2-3
JAMES
 Wealth-
grain, oil, garments, coins
 Grain
rotted, oil turned rancid,
clothes were moth-eaten and moldy.
Gold and silver were tarnished
 Judgment-
Their corrosion will
testify against you and eat your flesh
like fire.
JAMES
 What
are the last days?
 What’s
the first charge against
the rich?
JAMES
 Hoarding
 Why
is it wrong?
 **Bonus
Question: Does anyone
in America hoard?
JAMES
 From
everyone who has been
given much, much will be
demanded; and from the one who
has been entrusted with much,
much more will be asked- Luke
12:48
JAMES
 Look!
The wages you failed to pay the
workmen who mowed your fields are
crying out against you. The cries of
the harvesters have reached the ears
of the Lord Almighty- vs. 4
 What’s
the second charge? Cheating
workers out of their pay
JAMES
 90%
of people live on small farms
 Landowners
have serfs who are tied to the
land and do all the work for day-laborer
wages
 If
they don’t get paid, they don’t eat
 “You
didn’t do it right, I’m not gonna pay
you today!”
 He
defended the cause of the poor and
needy, and so all went well. Is that not
what it means to know me?" declares the
LORD- Jeremiah 22:16
 He
who is kind to the poor lends to the
LORD, and he will reward him for what
he has done- Proverbs 19:17
 Religion
that God our Father accepts as
pure and faultless is this: to look after
orphans and widows in their distressJames 1:27
JAMES
 God
will always avenge those who
oppress the poor and needy
JAMES
 You
have lived on earth in luxury
and self-indulgence. You have
fattened yourselves in the day of
slaughter- vs. 5
 Third
charge? Living in luxury
and self-indulgence
 Luxury-
lifestyle that leads to
weakened morals
 Self-indulgence-
extravagant and
wasteful living
 Fattened
yourselves- lit. “hearts”giving the heart whatever it
desires, regardless of the costs
or the needs of others
 Marquis
de Lafayette- French
general/friend of George
Washington.
1782 :"The bad harvest has raised
the price of wheat. This is the
time to sell”- Layfette’s manager
"No, this is the time to give“Layfette
JAMES
 You
have condemned and murdered
innocent men, who were not opposing
you- vs. 6
 What’s
the fourth charge?
Murder
JAMES
 Innocent-
dikaion- righteous/
believers
 Not
opposing- defenseless or
refused to fight back
unrighteously
JAMES
 Consider
it pure joy, my brothers,
whenever you face trials of many
kinds…- James 1:2
 Encouragement-
God will take care of
justice in the end

Nero, 66 A.D., putting down the Jewish
revolt, began by slaughtering the rich
Jewish landowners (James was written
around 60 A.D.)
 Warning-
I don’t have to be rich
according to American standards to
have the same attitudes and actions
 Is

it wrong to be rich?
Consider the Source


Consider the Attitude


Did it come from righteous business
dealings?
Is it mine to use so that I can live in
luxury and self-indulgence?
Consider the Responsibility

What does God expect me to do with it?

Takeaways:

From everyone who has been given much, much
will be demanded; and from the one who has
been entrusted with much, much more will be
asked- Luke 12:48

Is there anything I deny myself so that I may
help others?

Am I harboring bitterness towards those
who’ve done me wrong? Or do I trust that God
will take care of it in the end?

If God were standing here today, what would
he say about how I’ve handled what I’ve been
given?