Ask any landlord. He can tell you how many people have deceived him over and over again with their nice talk and appearance. The prospective renters may have looked like the most honest people ever, yet once they moved in they turned out to be some of the biggest "dead beats" in town.
When you deal with people, often you find their love for money has totally consumed them. Just let something come between them and their money, and they will show you a side of themselves you have never seen.
One of the BIGGEST TESTS of our strength of character can be seen in our relationship to OUR MONEY, and to OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY!
For example, in our text we see THREE kinds of men that James talked about, in relationship with money.
I. THE POOR MAN AND HIS MONEY
In verse 9 we read, "Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted."
Illus: We have all heard the saying many times, "Jesus must love poor people because He made so many of them."
This statement makes an assumption that is not fair. That is, when we consider why people are poor, we CANNOT ALWAYS blame God. The fact is, many people are not poor because God made them poor.
Illus: A man who was born into a very wealthy family, inherited the wealth at the death of his folks. He used to have a beautiful home, nice cars, boats, and clothes, but today it is all gone. DID GOD TAKE IT FROM HIM? NO! That man foolishly spent all the money, and even went into debt.
Even a person that most might consider to be rich, has to live on a budget. His budget may be bigger than ours, but he still must discipline himself to not spend more than his income, or else he will find himself in trouble, and may loose everything he has.
Illus: The man whose income may be $50,000.00 a week is in big-time trouble if he is spending $100,000.00 a week.
All across this country, people are blaming their poverty on God. They claim it is God's fault they are broke, can't afford better housing, cannot wear better clothes, or cannot afford a better car. But, the fact is that it is their own fault! No matter how much wealth God would bless them with, they would spend it faster than they got it.
Illus: A young man went to his grandfather in his flower garden and said, "Grandfather, can you tell me how I can be rich one day, like you?" The grandfather saw the young lad was sincere, and really wanted to know how he acquired such wealth, so he showed him. He said, "Son, see that water can over there that I use to water my flowers with?" The grandson acknowledged he saw it. Grandfather said, "Son, the other day I was watering these flowers, and I noticed it had a hole in it. That is, every time I would fill it up, the water would begin to leak out."
He continued, "I had several choices of what to do with that can.
• "I could plug the hole, and then the water couldn’t leak
out."
• "I could use it with the leak in it, if I made sure more water
went in faster than it was draining out."
• "But son, I could not use it at all if the water went out faster than I put more in. Son, the secret to getting rich, is to learn to save, and never spend more than you are taking in."
Many people have never learned that the secret of financial success is to never spend more than you can take in! So many today are "dirt poor," not because God made them poor, but because they have not been wise as the Bible instructs us to be.
Also, we have to consider that there are some who are poor because GOD MADE THEM POOR, as we will discover very shortly in our text. But, a poor man is a poor man regardless of how he got that way.
James refers to the poor man as one who is of "LOW DEGREE." That is, he is a humble man who is at the bottom of the financial totem pole.
Illus: Poverty deprives a man of buying things that others are able to buy.
But, James gives this man some unusual advice. We read that in verse 9 he says, "Let the brother of low degree REJOICE..."
Now, that is contrary to everything we have been taught. We have been taught that THE MORE YOU HAVE, THE MORE REASON YOU HAVE TO REJOICE. For example...
Illus: We sometimes see an ad on television in which someone in a big limousine drives up in front of an old farm house. Then a person in nice clothes gets out of that limousine, and walks to that old farm house, and the little old farm lady comes to the door, and the stranger in nice clothes tells her she has just won the TWENTY-MILLION DOLLAR READER'S DIGEST SWEEPSTAKES. All of a sudden, the farm lady, who probably is sore from arthritis, forgets she can hardly move, and she begins dancing joyfully all over the front porch. Soon her husband hears the commotion, and when he finds out they are millionaires, he begins to jump all over the front porch with her.
Notice, James did not tell the POOR MAN to REJOICE because he had won a SWEEPSTAKES. Nor did he say "REJOICE" because his rich uncle died and left him all his wealth. James told him to "REJOICE" EVEN IN HIS POVERTY. Why? BECAUSE, IF YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD, YOU ARE RICH!"
Now the WORLD does not recognize your wealth, but that is all right. What is important is that YOU RECOGNIZE IT, and REJOICE in it!
James was saying that if a man has a right to rejoice because he just won a million dollars, how much more do Christians, who are SONS OF GOD and JOINT-HEIRS WITH CHRIST, have a reason to REJOICE!
Illus: You see, in God's sight you can have all the money in the world, and still be poor, but if you are a child of God, even if you do not have a plug nickel, you are rich!
We should REJOICE IN OUR RICH SALVATION all the time!
Illus: The world has a saying about people born into wealthy families; they say, "That person was born with a silver spoon in his mouth."
At the time we were born into the kingdom of God, we were born with a silver spoon in our mouths.
Romans 8:16-17 says, "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."
A good picture of who we are can be seen in the life of Mephibosheth.
Illus: Remember, David loved Jonathan, the son of Saul. Saul tried to kill David, and Jonathan, his best friend, saved his life.
After David became king, and Jonathan was dead, he said, 2 Sam. 9:1, "...Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake?"
A servant, named Ziba, said, "...Jonathan hath yea a son, which is lame on his feet."
That lame man was brought to David - his name was Mephibosheth. He is the perfect picture of the spiritually "lame" who are brought to Jesus.
Notice, THREE THINGS BECAME HIS!
A. HE HAD THE KING'S FELLOWSHIP
In verse 13, we read, "So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat CONTINUALLY AT THE KING'S TABLE..."
B. HE HAD THE KING'S FORTUNE
In verse 9 we read, "Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master's son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house."
C. HE HAD THE KING'S FAMILY
In verse 11 we read, "...As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king's sons."
That is the way it is for the children of God. No matter how poor we may be in this world, we are really RICH!
This is what James said to THE POOR MAN - "REJOICE! YOU'VE GOT IT MADE! YOU ARE RICH! You have the king's
• Fellowship
• Fortune
• Family
James also had some things to say to...
II. THE PROSPEROUS MAN AND HIS MONEY
Look at verses 10-11, "But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways."
Notice, James had some harsh things to say to the rich man. You know everyone looks at the rich man and thinks he has it made. God told him he had NO RIGHT TO REJOICE! The rich man, without Christ, has nothing to rejoice in. When he dies, no one will remember him, or what he did. The rich man has many things in his life that he lets separate him from God.
Illus: Perhaps you have noticed that the more prosperous America becomes, the farther we get from God.
We all know people who once attended church every Sunday, but as they began to prosper, they did not feel a need to attend church, read their Bibles, nor pray any more. What happened? They traded God off for the things of the world.
Illus: A man, who fits perfectly into this category, who never had time for God in his life, saw a preacher in a restaurant many times. He knew he was a preacher, but just never spoke to him personally. There was always someone else there he thought was more interesting to talk to than a preacher. Then one day, he went to the doctor because he was having some serious health problems. The doctor informed him that he had cancer. The next time he was in that restaurant, guess who he wanted to talk to. All of a sudden, that preacher was the most important person in the place. That man saw the preacher, and left every one of his family members and friends to go to the preacher and ask that preacher to please remember him in his prayers.
You see, one of the reasons America is so far from God, is because God has been good to this nation, and they are letting the good things distract them from Him. It has always been the nature of mankind, that when things are going good, they do not feel their need for God in their lives. They think they are rich, but, as far as the Lord is concerned, they are POOR.
Illus: Remember when the Lord addressed the church of Laodicea, He said, Rev. 3:17, "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked."
What is God saying? He is saying that He looks at things differently than we do. You may see yourself as being rich, but God may see you as being POOR!
Notice, God does not tell the rich to dispose of their riches. There is nothing wrong in having riches, but there is something wrong when riches have you.
God has often had to take WORLDLY RICHES and make a man LOW, before that man can discover the wealth he has in Christ. When God does this, James says THREE things of the rich man that have been made low.
A. HE HAS A NEW POSITION
In verse 10 we read these words about the rich man, that he is "...made low..."
It is not of his own doings. We mentioned already the fact that many have made themselves poor through unwise spending. In verse 10, God is talking to a rich individual that God made poor.
When we hear about someone who has lost everything, we get all emotional and say, "Oh no, we are sorry that you lost everything." While we might think it is a terrible thing, it may be that it was the best thing to ever happen to that individual. That individual may have been totally consumed with the efforts to obtain things and money.
Illus: Some actually think the Bible says that money is the root of all evil, when that is NOT what It says.
Look at 1 Timothy 6:10, it says, "For THE LOVE OF MONEY is the root of all evil..."
Now, in this NEW POSITION of being poor, he can discover what it is like to be truly rich, spiritually. He can find that he no longer has to be a slave to money, and he can become a love-slave of the Lord Jesus Christ, and discover true wealth.
The rich man, who is MADE LOW, as a NEW POSITION, and for this he can rejoice. Also...
B. HE HAS A NEW PERSPECTIVE
In verses 10-11, we read, "But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways."
This is the second reason he should rejoice, because he now can place a HIGH PREMIUM ON HEAVENLY RICHES that do not pass away. That is, everything we have here will rust, rot, and deteriorate with time.
Illus: James likens the rich man to the lovely flower. One day it is there to be admired, and the next it is wilted, and soon it is gone.
If you want to know how much you are worth, do not add up your savings, etc. Why? Because you are not going to take any of these things with you into eternity.
Illus: It has been said, "You will never see a hearse going down the road with a U Haul trailer hooked behind it."
If you want to know your true worth, add up all that you have that you can take with you, or send on ahead, and that will tell you how much wealth you really have. God tells the rich man who has been made poor, to rejoice because now he has a different PERSPECTIVE, and can see his true wealth.
C. HE HAS A NEW PROSPERITY
Illus: A young man who recently accepted the Lord, said, "It is the best decision I ever made." In other words, he found out what true wealth was. He did not have to be like all his friends, who may spend the rest of their lives trying to amass worldly wealth. He found true PROSPERITY at an early age.
That is why James tells the RICH MAN who is MADE POOR, that he has every right to rejoice.
James speaks of the POOR man, and the PROSPEROUS man and his wealth, but he also has something to say to...
III. THE PURIFIED MAN AND HIS MONEY
In verse 12 we read, "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him."
The rich man who is made poor, goes through one of the most trying times of his life. The word "temptation" in verse 12, means "tested." But, if he goes through it successfully, he will come out PURIFIED.
You see, when it comes to a man and his money, two things will happen:
1. Some will be tested with wealth, and they are going to walk away from God and forget Him.
2. Some will be tested with wealth, and they are going to walk with God.
Illus: Sometimes people will say to a preacher, "Preacher, pray for me to win that twenty-million dollar sweepstakes, and I will give half of it to the church."
If a preacher prays for you to win that money and you get it, it could be the worst thing that could happen to you.
The best prayer a preacher can pray for some people is, "God, keep them poor!" Why? Because those people forget God when He blesses them.
Conclusion:
Jesus taught that it is harder for a rich man to enter heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.
We can look at the eye of a household needle, and say, "If that is the case, there will be no rich men in heaven."
It is said that the Lord was not talking about a household needle. What He was referring to was a narrow passage, called "The Needle's Eye," in Palestine, that was very low. It was possible for a camel to pass through, but the owner had to unload all the cargo off of the camel, and the camel had to actually get on his knees to get through. That is what Jesus was referring to.
We have men and women today who are not in church, and it is all because of money. They will work six days that the Lord gives them to work, and then will work the one day that belongs to God too. Why? Because of their "love for money."
We have men in church today whose minds are not on worshipping God, but on making money.
May God help us have a heart that LOVES HIM, and HIM ALONE!
I. THE POOR MAN AND HIS MONEY.
A. He had the king's fellowship.
B. He had the king's fortune.
C. He had the king's family.
II. THE PROSPEROUS MAN AND HIS MONEY.
A. He has a new position.
B. He has a new perspective.
C. He has a new prosperity.
III. THE PURIFIED MAN AND HIS MONEY.
