Money Can't Buy Happiness Series

Money Can’t Buy Happiness!

Squid Game Part 1

James 5:1-6

Steve Meenho Kang

www.evergreencommunity.org

Today, we are starting a new message series, “Squid Game.”

The Netflix drama “Squid Game” became the number one show on Netflix in all 83 countries where Netflix streams.

But why is this drama so popular all over the world?

One of the reasons is that it reflects the sentiments of the present age.

It created a consensus among many people.

People in the world are going through many difficulties.

Especially, because of the COVID-19 crisis, people all over the world are experiencing many difficulties.

And this drama reflected how many are feeling nowadays.

All of the main characters in this drama were experiencing financial hardship.

The main character, Seong Ki-hoon, was forced into ‘early retirement’ 10 years ago.

He started a fried chicken business and a snack shop and went bankrupt.

He does not have a decent job.

And when he has some money, he blows his money away in horse racing.

His friend Jo Sang-woo is the pride of the neighborhood.

After graduating from Seoul National University, he got a job in an investment firm and succeeded.

But he got into financial trouble because he took a big loss due to a bad investment.

There is another character who was scammed by a North Korean defector broker.

Also, there is a man who stole money from his gangster boss.

“Squid Game” is a story about a survival game in which 456 participants are all in desperate financial situations.

They risk their lives for a prize of 45.6 billion won, which is about 40 million dollars.

The participants of this game will play 6 games in total.

And the final winner will receive a cash prize of 40 million dollars, but the losers will lose their lives.

Some of us may not have seen this show because it has very brutal, violent, and sexually explicit scenes.

However, many people around the world have watched this drama with much interest.

One of the reasons for its popularity is that people can understand the economic dire situation these participants faced.

But imagine for a while with me.

What would James, the brother of Jesus, say if he saw this drama?

Obviously, there were no TVs 2000 years ago.

But if he were to watch this drama, he might be sad, frustrated, and even angry.

He would be so sad to see people living in such dire financial situations.

He would be frustrated to see people have such a wrong idea about money.

He would be so angry that people value money over other people.

Therefore, if James ever saw “Squid Game,” this would be his response based on what he wrote in the Book of James.

I. We must not hoard what we have (vv. 1-3).

Verses 1-3 say this.

1 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.

James declared the fact of the coming judgment of God.

God will judge everyone according to how they lived.

And He will judge the rich for how they used their wealth.

James warned against people who think that money can make them happy.

He commanded the rich to “weep and wail.”

In other words, he commanded the rich to repent.

Why?

It was not simply because they are wealthy.

Rather it was because of how they became wealthy, what they are doing with their wealth, and what they are not doing with their wealth.

Because of their misuse of their wealth, God will send judgment upon them.

God never condemned making money, saving money, and even spending money.

But He condemned the people who misuse their money.

The first misuse of money was hoarding wealth.

They had so much wealth stored up that their wealth was rotted, their clothes were moth eaten, and their gold and silver were corroded.

Their crime was uncontrolled greed.

They had far more than they could ever use, while others do not have enough.

James’ statement that the rich had “hoarded wealth in the last days” shows that he had the future judgment in mind.

It was even in the last hour that they “hoarded wealth.”

But what caused these people to hoard their wealth?

The rich stored up their wealth because they thought they could rely on their wealth for security and happiness.

They were storing up their wealth because they trusted their money rather than God.

In the drama “Squid Game,” basically all of people got into financial troubles because of their greed.

They had money but they wanted more money, so they tried to earn money in unethical ways, and they lost all their money.