Blunders of Self-indulgent Gain-II—James 5:1-8
Attention:
‘Religious’ people can make tremendous life-altering blunders.
Need:
James warned of the danger in self-indulgent gain
Accumulation of wealth is spiritually questionable.
So there are danger in self-indulgent gain.
How is self-indulgent gain dangerous?
5 Blunders of self-indulgent gain.
Last time we discovered that...
A Blunder of self-indulgent gain is in its Accumulated...
1—MISERY/Wrath(:1)
2—CORRUPTION(:2-3)
3—A Blunder of self-indulgent gain is...
Accumulated CRIES/Testimony(:4)
Explanation:(:4)
:4—“Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; & the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.”
The very wages(without life) which these rich employers have fraudulently withheld indeed speak to the situation. The unpaid wages are not left to no notice because they “cry” aloud, relaying the anguish they have caused while sitting idle in the vault of the owner/businessman.
The rich have hired workers to harvest their vast crops with the promise of wages which they did not relinquish. One senses a willingness to defraud rather than an inability to pay.
This could picture the wages not being paid because a buying & selling scheme hadn’t panned out yet(4:13, 16)—‘Counting their chickens before they hatch‘ situation. Which business approach in itself is thoughtless & selfish placing too much faith in human authority/ability/knowhow/human engineering rather than faith upon the Lord of love & provision.
This can also minimally picture a sinister/stingy approach to those employed.
?What does this say about the inner working of our current Stock Market? Promises made but left unpaid.
The “cries” of both the “wages” & the employees themselves have indeed been heard by the One who commands all the hosts of Heaven itself!
“Sabaoth” is a term which emphasizes God’s inestimable, offensive, & punitive strength.
“Laborers”—ergathv—1) A workman, a laborer—1a) Usually one who works for hire esp. an agricultural worker; 2) One who does, a worker, perpetrator. Strong—A toiler; figuratively, A teacher:-- Laborer, worker(-men).
“Mowed”—amaw—1) To reap, mow down. Strong—properly, To collect, i.e. (by implication) Reap:-- Reap down. Used 1X.
“Fields”—cwra—1) The space lying between two places or limits; 2) A region or country i.e. A tract of land—2a) The (rural) region surrounding a city or village, the country, 2b) The region with towns & villages which surround a metropolis; 3) Land which is ploughed or cultivated, ground"region, country", extensive; space, yet unbounded. Strong—through the idea of empty expanse; Room, i.e. A space of territory (more or less extensive; often including its inhabitants):-- Coast, county, fields, ground, land, region.
“Kept back by fraud/Withheld by you/Failed to pay”—aposterew—1) To defraud, rob, despoil. Strong—To despoil:-- Defraud, destitute, kept back by fraud.
“Cry out”—krazw—To cry out harshly, often of inarticulate & brutish sound. Strong—To "croak" (as a raven) or Scream, i.e. (genitive case) To call aloud (shriek, exclaim, intreat):-- Cry (out).
“Cries”—boh—N. f.—A cry. To cry out as a manifestation of feeling, esp. a cry for help. Strong—A halloo, i.e. Call (for aid, etc.):-- Cry. From—boaw—V.—1)To raise a cry, of joy pain etc.; 2) To cry, speak with a high, strong voice; 3) To cry to one for help, to implore his aid.
“Reapers”—yerizw—1) To reap, harvest; 2) Proverbial expression for sowing & reaping; 3) Cut off, destroy—3a) As crops are cut down with a sickle.
“Lord”—kuriov—1) He to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord. Has a wider meaning than despothv, applicable to the various ranks & relations of life & not suggestive of either property or of absolutism. Strong—from kurov (supremacy); Supreme in authority, i.e. (as noun) Controller; by implication, Mr. (as a respectful title):-- God, Lord, master, Sir.
“Sabaoth”—sabawy—of Hebrew origin abu tsaba’ twabu in feminine plural(here)—1) "Lord of Sabaoth"—1a) Lord of the armies of Israel, as those who are under the leadership & protection of Jehovah maintain his cause in war. Used 2X.
Argumentation:
Gen. 4:8-11—“Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; & it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother & killed him. Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.”
Ex. 3:4-7—“So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush & said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, & the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. And the LORD said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, & have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.”
Acts 5:1-11—“But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, & brought a certain part & laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit & keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down & breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. And the young men arose & wrapped him up, carried him out, & buried him. Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?” She said, “Yes, for so much.” Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, & they will carry you out.” Then immediately she fell down at his feet & breathed her last. And the young men came in & found her dead, & carrying her out, buried her by her husband. So great fear came upon all the church & upon all who heard these things.”
Jesus’ blood cries out to us as well....
Heb. 12:22-24—“But you have come to Mount Zion & to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly & church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, & to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.”
Jesus’ blood cries out a demand for all under sin to come to Him for eternal healing!
Jn. 9:39—“And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, & that those who see may be made blind.””
He has come & gone & His blood still cries out. It still releases & condemns!
Ps. 139:1-12—“<
God knows everything about each of us....the good & bad. He thus hears the cries associated with the heartache & encouragement you may bring to others. We are answerable regarding such actions.
Illustration:
We cry out because of people’s opulence/Judy Grissom our Rowan-Salisbury school Superintendent gets paid Salary: $193,826(state $129,660 local $64,166)/Iredell-Statesville Superintendent’s salary: $175,100($100,032 state, $75,068 local)/Davidson County Superintendent Salary: $204,339 (state $129,660, local $74,679)/Rowan-Salisbury teachers avg. under $38,000!/Accumulated CRIES/Testimony
Right now, we cry to the Lord about our political predicament/The result of another’s greed/Accumulated CRIES/Testimony
Application:
?Your Blunder of self-indulgent gain Accumulated CRIES of eternal scope?
?You the victim of your own Self-indulgent Gain, or that of others?
4—A Blunder of self-indulgent gain is...
Accumulated READINESS/Destiny(:5)
Explanation:(:5)For Hell & separation
:5—“You have lived on the earth in pleasure & luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter.”
“You have lived on the earth in pleasure & luxury;”
The wealthy man is spoken to directly & is told—as associated with God’s people & possibly claiming to be a Christian— that he has lived out his life here on “earth” as one who has more than enough to satisfy & has taken it to the level of choosing a lifestyle of “self-indulgence.”
“Lived...in Pleasure/Luxuriously/Luxury”—trufaw—1) To live delicately, live luxuriously, be given to soft & luxurious life. Strong—To indulge in luxury:-- Live in pleasure. From—trufh—1) Softness, effeminate, luxurious living. Carries a sense of separation from labor. Used 1X.
“Lived...in Luxury/Wanton pleasure/Self-indulgence”—spatalaw—1) To live luxuriously, Lead a voluptuous life, (give one’s self to pleasure). Strong—from spatalh(luxury); To be voluptuous:-- Live in pleasure, be wanton. Carries a sense of sensuality. Used 2X(Here & 1Tim. 5:6)
“You have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter.”
Unfortunately this self-indulgent person, has have unwittingly chosen a lifestyle which fattens them for slaughter as any butcher prepares an animal for a cut of meat.
Wealth has only brought them shame & thus separation from God & toward that which opposes His favor. They have readied themselves for hell rather than heaven. Rather than a destiny that a pet would have, they are destined for the dinner table.
“Fattened”—trefw—1) To nourish, support; 2) feed; 3) To give suck, to fatten; 4) To bring up, nurture. Strong—properly, To stiffen, i.e. Fatten (by implication, To cherish [with food, etc.], Pamper, rear):-- Bring up, feed, nourish.
“Slaughter”—sfagh—1) Slaughter—1a) Of sheep destined for slaughter, 1b) Of day of destruction. Strong—Butchery (of animals for food or sacrifice, or [figuratively] Of men [destruction]):-- Slaughter.
Job 21:12-16—“They sing to the tambourine & harp, And rejoice to the sound of the flute. They spend their days in wealth, And in a moment go down to the grave. Yet they say to God, ‘Depart from us, For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways. Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit do we have if we pray to Him?’ Indeed their prosperity is not in their hand; The counsel of the wicked is far from me.”
Ps. 10:4-5—“The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts. His ways are always prospering; Your judgments are far above, out of his sight; As for all his enemies, he sneers at them.”
Lk. 8:27-28—“And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, & with a loud voice said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!””
Jn. 15:23-24—““He who hates Me hates My Father also. “If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen & also hated both Me & My Father.”
Prov. 1:27-33—“When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress & anguish come upon you. Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD, They would have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke. Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies. For the turning away of the simple will slay them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them; But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil.””
Jn. 8:47—““He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.””
Argumentation:
Amos 6:1-8—“Woe to you who are at ease in Zion, And trust in Mount Samaria, Notable persons in the chief nation, To whom the house of Israel comes! Go over to Calneh & see; And from there go to Hamath the great; Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than your territory? Woe to you who put far off the day of doom, Who cause the seat of violence to come near; Who lie on beds of ivory, Stretch out on your couches, Eat lambs from the flock And calves from the midst of the stall; Who sing idly to the sound of stringed instruments, And invent for yourselves musical instruments like David; Who drink wine from bowls, And anoint yourselves with the best ointments, But are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. Therefore they shall now go captive as the first of the captives, And those who recline at banquets shall be removed. The Lord GOD has sworn by Himself, The LORD God of hosts says: “I abhor the pride of Jacob, And hate his palaces; Therefore I will deliver up the city And all that is in it.””
1Tim. 6:17-19—“Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”
*Lk. 6:24—““But woe to you who are rich, For you have received your consolation.”
*Lk. 18:18-27—“Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. “You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father & your mother.’” And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have & distribute to the poor, & you will have treasure in heaven; & come, follow Me.” But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?” But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.””
*Rom. 6:23—“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
We are paid every so-often(day, week, month, season, year) & ready ourselves for the pay we deserve.
Illustration:
Scared Straight/Take teens in trouble with the law & headed for a life in prison & let them experience the fear, decisiveness & pointlessness of it/If they continue down their path they will have no life except what is dictated to them by those in prison/Accumulated READINESS
Application:
?Your Blunder of self-indulgent gain Accumulated READINESS of eternal scope?
?You the victim of your own Self-indulgent Gain, or that of others?
5—A Blunder of self-indulgent gain is...
Accumulated CONDEMNATION(:6)
Explanation:(:6)
:6—“You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.”
“You have condemned, you have murdered the just;...”
The wealthy—as those who mistreat others to their own advantage—have effectively though second handedly “condemned” others thru the misuse of the power of their wealth. They have very effectively “murdered” those who are upright & righteous before God.
“He does not resist you.”
These who are upright in fact do not “resist” this power wielded by the wealthy. In fact, they cannot, because the power of the money gathers people in its cause. If the cause is against the right, then the just cannot resist.
—Your taxes are raised, your land is incorporated by the town confiscated,
“Condemned”—katadikazw—1) To give judgment against (one), to pronounce guilty; 2) To condemn. Strong—To adjudge against, i.e. Pronounce guilty:-- Condemn. Used 5X.
“Murdered”—foneuw—1) To kill, slay, murder; 2) To commit murder.
“Just”—dikaiov—1) Righteous, observing divine laws. Strong—Equitable (in character or act); by implication, Innocent, holy (absolutely or relatively):-- Iust, meet, right(-eous).
“Resist”—antitassomai—1) To range in battle against; 2) To oppose one’s self, resist. Strong—To range oneself against, i.e. Oppose:-- Oppose themselves, resist.
Argumentation:
Job 31:16-22—““If I have kept the poor from their desire, Or caused the eyes of the widow to fail, Or eaten my morsel by myself, So that the fatherless could not eat of it (But from my youth I reared him as a father, And from my mother’s womb I guided the widow); If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, Or any poor man without covering; If his heart has not blessed me, And if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep; If I have raised my hand against the fatherless, When I saw I had help in the gate; Then let my arm fall from my shoulder, Let my arm be torn from the socket.”
Mat. 23:13-14—““But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.”
1Cor. 3:11-15—“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”
Lk. 12:47-48—““And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.”
Everything we have is ‘on loan’ as a trust from God.
Illustration:
Buffalo City, NC—Only remnant of it is the “Buffalo City” Road off the south side of US Hwy. 64 in Dare County between East Lake & Croatan Sound. Buffalo City was a boomtown founded in the 1880‘s by the Buffalo Timber Co. out of New York/Hundreds of Black & Russian laborers were brought in to harvest the timber out of the swamp now known as the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge/The company erected a hotel, church, general store & schoolhouse & rows of simple houses for the immigrants/The 3-room company homes were painted red for the whites & white for the blacks & immigrants/The roads consisted of wooden poles & sawdust & the buildings were built with imperfect timbers rejected by the mill/Workers earned a daily 50 cents which had to be exchanged for a company-produced aluminum coin which was the only coinage accepted at the general store/Buffalo Timber shut down in 1903/Dare Lumber Co. bought the property & a resurgence occurred with 3000 people living there/By the early 1920s the the lumber company moved on & the town died/Nothing remains of the town except the road/All that once was has now rotted away/Accumulated CONDEMNATION
Businesses that suddenly decide they are outsourcing(moving to another location(international for cheaper labor)/Accumulated CONDEMNATION
Churches that attempt to maintain themselves & numbers by preaching a sugar-coated, self-help, feel-good gospel devoid of God’s truth.
Application:
?Your Blunder of self-indulgent gain Accumulated CONDEMNATION of eternal scope?
?You the victim of your own Self-indulgent Gain, or that of others?
6—A Blunder of self-indulgent gain is...
Accumulated PERSEVERANCE(:7-8)
Explanation:(:7-8)Make another’s life difficult
:7—“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early & latter rain.”
Make someone else bear up under your self-indulgent desires! Others must bear the weight of our self-indulgence!!
The rich are patient with their monetary & possessive returns but force a corresponding patience upon (?fellow?)Christians.
In view of the self-indulgent attitudes Christians face in the real world & even among their own, it is wise that they, as brothers in Christ, maintain “patience” regardless of their individual & corporate situations.
An example of this type of patience is that exhibited by “the farmer.” The farmer indeed must “wait patiently” for the rain which he knows has & will come with the regularity God imposes.
Lk. 18:7—““And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day & night to Him, though He bears long (makroyumew) with them?”
“Patient”(2X)(See :8)(“Waiting patiently/Long patience/Being patient”)—makroyumew—1) To be of a long spirit, not to lose heart—1a) To persevere patiently & bravely in enduring misfortunes & troubles, 1b) To be patient in bearing the offenses & injuries of others, 1b1) To be mild & slow in avenging, 1b2) To be longsuffering, slow to anger, slow to punish. Strong—To be long-spirited, i.e. (objectively) Forbearing or (subjectively) Patient:-- Bear (suffer) long, be longsuffering, have (long) patience, be patient, patiently endure. Used 10X.
“Farmer/Husbandman”—gewrgov—1) A husbandman, tiller of the soil, a vine dresser. Strong—A land-worker, i.e. Farmer:-- Husbandman. RWP—“The worker in the ground (gh, ergw)...”
“Waits”—ekdecomai—1) To receive, accept; 2) To look for, expect, wait for, await. Strong—To accept from some source, i.e. (by implication) To await:-- Expect, look (tarry) for, wait (for). Used 8X.
“Precious”—timiov—1) As of great price, precious; 2) Held in honor, esteemed, especially dear. Strong—Valuable, i.e. (objectively) Costly, or (subjectively) Honored, Esteemed, or (figuratively) Beloved:-- Dear, honorable, (more, most) precious, had in reputation.
“Early(rains)/Autumn”—prwimov—Adj.—1) Early—1a) Of the early rain which fell from October on. Strong—Dawning, i.e. (by analogy) Autumnal (showering, the first of the rainy season):-- Early. Used 1X.
“Latter(rains)/Spring”—oqimov—1) Late, later—1a) Of the time of subsidence of the waters of the Nile, 1b) the latter or vernal rain, which falls chiefly in the months of March & April just before the harvest.
:8—“You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”
Just as the farmer is patient, the Christian must be as well. Though some will inevitably take advantage of Christians, as well as others, we must endure the incivilities & hardships. However Christians know that the needed & nourishing ‘rain’ of God’s grace will indeed come in experiential reality if we are truly ready for it & will wait in expectation of it.
Heb 11:1, 6—“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”....“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, & that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
We must take it upon ourselves to set(“establish”/fix) our hearts upon Jesus....
Heb 12:1-2—“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, & the sin which so easily entangles us, & let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author & perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, & has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”(NASB)
2Cor. 4:17-18—“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding & 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.”
Such an establishing of the heart should occur especially more so seeing as the Lord’s return is imminent. It is much easier & exciting when it is grasped that our Lord could appear at any moment. We will live in readiness, persevering in difficulty in view of the reality of our Master & His return.
*Rev. 1:3—“Blessed is he who reads & those who hear the words of this prophecy, & keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.”
Rev. 22:10-13—“And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I am coming quickly, & My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha & the Omega, the Beginning & the End, the First & the Last.””
*Mat. 24:36-44—““But of that day & hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating & drinking, marrying & giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, & did not know until the flood came & took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken & the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken & the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched & not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
“Patient”(See :7)—makroyumew—1) To be of a long spirit, not to lose heart—1a) To persevere patiently & bravely in enduring misfortunes & troubles, 1b) To be patient in bearing the offenses & injuries of others, 1b1) To be mild & slow in avenging, 1b2) To be longsuffering, slow to anger, slow to punish. Strong—To be long-spirited, i.e. (objectively) Forbearing or (subjectively) Patient:-- Bear (suffer) long, be longsuffering, have (long) patience, be patient, patiently endure. Used 10X.
“Establish/Stablish/Strengthen/Stand firm”—sthrizw—1) To make stable, place firmly, set fast, fix; 2) To strengthen, make firm; 3) To render constant, confirm, one’s mind. Strong—To set fast, i.e. (literally) To turn resolutely in a certain direction, or (figuratively) To confirm:-- Fix, (e-)stablish, steadfastly set, strengthen.
“At hand”—eggizw—1) To bring near, to join one thing to another; 2) To draw or come near to, to approach. Strong—To make near, i.e. (reflexively) Approach:-- Approach, be at hand, come (draw) near, be (come, draw) nigh.
Argumentation:
Lk. 17:1 -2—“Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.”
Rom. 5:20-6:2—“Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”
Illustration:
Housekeeper/Pay them only a bare minimum for your pleasure & luxury/Based on Govt. standards only—NOT by what is right/Force them to persevere under financial hardship/Accumulated PERSEVERANCE
Stock/Companies supplying your dividends may force people into abject poverty/Accumulated PERSEVERANCE
Application:
?Your Blunder of self-indulgent gain Accumulated PERSEVERANCE of eternal scope?
?You the victim of your own Self-indulgent Gain, or that of others?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
Blunders of self-indulgent gain are Accumulated...
3. CRIES/Testimony(:4)
4. READINESS/Destiny(:5)
5. CONDEMNATION(:6)
6. PERSEVERANCE(:7-8)
1. MISERY/Wrath(:1)
2. CORRUPTION(:2-3)
Presented 03/27/2011pm to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
