James: Practical Faith
James 5:1-6
Pastor Jefferson M. Williams
Chenoa Baptist Church
01-12-2025
Intro
In 1923 a group of the world’s most successful financiers met at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago. One was the president of the largest independent steel company; the greatest wheat speculator; the president of the New York Stock Exchange; a member of the President’s Cabinet; the greatest bear in Wall Street; the president of the Bank of International Settlement; & the head of the world’s greatest monopoly.
Collectively, these tycoons controlled more wealth than there was in the U.S.Treasury, and for years newspapers and magazines had been printing their success stories and urging the youth of the nation to follow their examples.
Stay tuned at the end of the sermon for the rest of the story.
Starting in chapter 5, James is going to go full Old Testament prophet on the wealthy people in their culture that hoard their riches, exploit the poor, and, ultimately, are headed toward destruction.
Turn with me to James 5.
Prayer
Three Questions
Before we begin, let’s consider three questions. James is calling out the unbelieving wealthy. But if they are not believers, they probably wouldn’t be in church to hear these words read anyway. So why does he address people that aren’t even there?
James is operating as a prophet in these verses. Just like the prophets of old would condemn other nations of idolatry and godlessness, James speaks truth, knowing that these words would be shared throughout the culture.
But he also uses these words as a warning to the believers that are listening - be careful! Money has the power to destroy you.
The second question we need to address? Is it sinful to be “rich?”
The Biblical answer is no. It is not sinful to be wealthy.
Money is not the root of all evil:
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (I Tim 6:10)
In chapter one, James makes the case that the believer in humble circumstances received spiritual benefits and that riches require humility.
In chapter 2, he warns against preferential treatment in the church based on wealth.
In chapter 4, he warns against being seduced by the world and a desire for more.
Randy Alcorn writes:
“When earth becomes our heaven - when we see God’s blessings as primarily immediate and temporal - we lose sight of who we are, why we are here, and what awaits us beyond the horizons of this world.”
When Jesus met a young man with a lot of resources, He saw that his wealth had taken over his soul and told him to sell everything and follow Him. The young man went away sad and just told His disciples:
“Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
It’s not how much money you have but how much power does your money have over you? Money is a fantastic servant but a harsh master.
God gives us financial resources in order to meet our basic needs, to enjoy life, and to be generous to others.
You may be thinking, “Hey Jeff, this sermon really doesn’t apply to me. If money talks, then all it ever says to me is goodbye!”
25% of people admit that money is the main thing they think about.
90% of people report that money, or the lack of it, impacts their stress levels.
But we need to remember how incredibly blessed we are in our country. If you have something over your head tonight and if you have something to eat for today, you are richer than 95% of the world. many of which live on less than two dollars a day.
We can begin to think that the answer to all our problems would be more money.
William “Bud” Post won 16 million dollars in the Pennsylvania lottery in 1988. Within a year, he was one million dollars in debt.
A former girlfriend successful sued him for a third of the winnings. His brother was arrested for hiring a hitman to try to kill him. He put money into the family business which failed. He spent time in jail for firing a gun over the head of a bill collector.
“I wish it had never happened…it was a total nightmare…I was much happier when I was broke,” Post said.
70% of lottery winners go broke within five years.
The comedian Jim Carrey has said,
“I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of, so they can see that it's not the answer.”
There are different categories in the area of riches:
Poor financially and poor spiritually - these people need our help finically and need the gospel
Poor financially and rich spiritually - if you have ever been on a mission trip to a third world country you will meet some of the amazing, joyful Christians who have nothing
Rich financially and rich spiritually - these are some of the most generous people I know
Rich financially and poor spiritually - these are the people James is addressing in these verses
Interestingly, a lot of pastors skip these verses when they preach through James. The language is extreme and severe.
Also, pastors that preach the “prosperity gospel,” that God wants you to be wealthy, healthy, and wise, really don’t know what to do with this section of James so they ignore it.
We believe that all Scripture is God-breathed and we don’t skip verses just because they are hard.
Weep and Wail
Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you.
With the power of an Old Testament prophet, James loudly proclaims, “Pay attention!”
He does not call them “my brothers” as in other parts of James because these people are not Christians.
James doesn’t call them to repent but commands them to weep and wail.
The word weep is not a tear but shrieking and loud lamentations. The focus is on the fact it is audible and uncontrollable. This is the kind of response of a person who has experienced a traumatic loss. It’s what I heard in the ER when Kimmy died.
The word weep is actually plural. One commentator writes, “They will need buckets for the tears that will crash upon them.”
The second word, “wail” is better translated as “howl.” It’s in the present tense which means they will continue to howl in terror and agony.
Why will they be weeping and howling? Because of the “misery that is coming upon them.”
This is a picture of wretchedness that results from an intense, on going affliction. It’s both an inner torment and an outward agony.
What have these people done to deserve such a severe future punishment?
Hoarders
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.
There were three ways to flaunt wealth in that culture - through feasting lavishly, dressing extravagantly, and hoarding riches selfishly.
Mark Zuckerburg did a press conference this past week while wearing a $900,000 dollar Gruebal Forsey watch.
Prince Badr Bin Saud’s supercar collection is worth over 150 million dollars and includes a Batmobile!
Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Ellison, Larry Page, Bill Gates, and Warren Buffett are worth over a trillion dollars combined.
By the way, the false teacher Keneth Copeland is approaching billionaire status. He’s a pastor!
Most of these billionaires have signed the “giving pledge”, making a commitment to give away at least half of their fortune to philanthropic causes.
There is nothing wrong with saving money, in fact the Bible encourages it. But the hoarding of money is not only seen as sinful but foolish.
Jesus told the parable of the rich fool:
“The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:16-21)
The tense of the word “rotted” means that James is writing as though it already happened. The moths have eaten the clothes that they have collected.
When the Marcos’ left the Philippines, over 3,000 pairs of shoes were discovered in her closet. While many people didn’t have enough food to eat, she had over a million dollars worth of shoes.
Gold and silver don’t really “tarnish” but they can become dull. Caligula used to have slaves bring in sacks of gold coins and have them spread all the coins on the floor. He then would roll around in the gold. He said he liked the way it felt on his skin.
There is only one letter difference between God and Gold.
The fact that they were hoarding wealth would “testify against them” at the judgement of the last days.
They were living like Jesus was never coming back.
You will never see a U-Haul behind a hearse.
“Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.” (Prov 23:5)
You cannot take your wealth with you when you die. But you can send it ahead:
Jesus confronted this attitude when He said:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)
When Mt. Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, many people tried to escape. Later, when the bodies were uncovered, they found a woman who had apparently got back to save her jewelry. She had dozens of rings on her fingers and dozens of necklaces around her neck. She was found, frozen in time. She died attempting to save something that, in the end, didn’t matter at all.
James then gives the second reason that they will be judged so harshly.
The Wages Cry Out
Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.
This is the fourth time James begins a verse with “Look” or “Behold.”
He now addresses the employers that are stealing from their laborers.
In that culture, most people were day-laborers and were paid at the end of the day. This is how they would get food to eat that day.
But these wealthy landowners would refuse to pay them or withhold their wages out of spite or anger.
Literally, James says that the wages are crying out against them. Like Abel’s blood cried out against Cain for murdering him, the wages are another witness against their selfishness and arrogance.
Another witness will be the cries of the poor harvesters that walk away from a hard day’s work with no pay and no ability to provide for their families.
God is deadly serious about the plight of the poor worker:
Moses wrote:
“Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether that worker is a fellow Israelite or a foreigner residing in one of your towns. Pay them their wages each day before sunset, because they are poor and are counting on it. Otherwise they may cry to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin.” (Duet 24:14-15)
Jeremiah pronounces a “woe” upon them:
“Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his own people work for nothing, not paying them for their labor.” (Jer 22:13)
James uses a very specific title for God - Lord Almighty or the Lord Sabbaoth. This doesn’t means Sabbath but the Lord of Hosts, The commander of the armies of heaven.
David writes:
“With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord; in the great throng of worshipers I will praise him. For he stands at the right hand of the needy, to save their lives from those who would condemn them.” (Psalm 109:30-31)
Recently, I was sitting in the sauna at the gym listening to two guys discuss politics and economics. The younger shrugged his shoulders and said, “I really don’t think you can make make a lot of money treating your employees the way they should be treated. There is no incentive for treating people well. You don’t make money that way.”
Dan Price would disagree with that line of thinking. As CEO of Seattle-based Gravity Payments, he read a study that found that emotional wellbeing rises with income up to $75,000. He decided to do something to give his employees the greatest opportunity to love their job and feel good about their compensation.
He slashed his CEO pay by 90% and gave all 120 employees raises so they all made $70,000 a year. When he told the employees:
“There was a moment of stunned silence. Some people were looking around at each other, a few jaws had dropped, and then someone actually asked me to repeat myself. Then the team started clapping, cheering, and giving each other high fives. It was an emotional moment.”
Dan said that it was the happiest he had ever felt and that it was the best money he had ever spent. He challenged other CEOS to do the same.
James continues like a hammer on metal.
Eat, drink, and Party
You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.
These people had no thought of the future, no concern for their poor neighbors, and only cared about their own pleasure.
At emperor Nero’s parties, really orgies, there were garbage cans everywhere so people could eat and drink as much as they wanted to, throw up, snd go back to the party.
The prophet Amos had strong words for such people:
You put off the day of disaster and bring near a reign of terror. You lie on beds adorned with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves. You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments. You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph. Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end. (Amos 6:3-7)
Jesus told a story about a rich man and a guy named Lazarus:
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
Solomon wrote to his sons:
"Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.” (Prov 11:4)
James writes that they are fattening themselves for the day of slaughter. They will stand before God and have no excuse as to why they lived the way they did.
James has one last indictment to present.
Off to Court
You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.
These people followed their own golden rule - He who has the most gold, rules!
Because of their wealth, these men were able to bribe judges and control the court system. They would take the poor to court, knowing that the poor couldn’t afford to defend themselves, and then take their land.
If you haven’t watched or read “Killers of the Flower Moon,” I would highly recommend it.
The book investigates and details the mass murder of the Osage people during the early 1900s. Due to the oil discovered on the Osage reservation, at this time, the Osage people were the richest per capita in the world, yet they were dying at a rate of one and a half that of the white population in America.
Since the Osage were not American citizens, they couldn’t testify in court. White settlers started going to court and claiming that the Osage needed legal guardians. Of course, as legal guardians, they had access to all their oil money.
When that didn’t work, the white settlers simply murdered the Osage people and then claimed their money.
By the way, the person sent to investigate the killings was from a brand new federal organization called the FBI.
While the rich in James’ culture might not have murdered them outright, not paying them the wages they were due, was tantamount to depriving them of food for themselves and their families.
Again, Isaiah makes clear that this isn’t something God will stand for:
"The Lord takes his place in court; he rises to judge the people. The Lord enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people: “It is you who have ruined my vineyard; the plunder from the poor is in your houses. What do you mean by crushing my people and grinding the faces of the poor?” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.” (Isaiah 3:14-15)
Riches Present an Opportunity
Can I be honest with you this morning? We attempted to put together a budget that you will receive this morning. We didn’t make budget 68% of the weeks last year. We are in trouble financially.
* God owns it all
God owns everything. If God owns everything, then how much do we own? We own nothing! Well, surely we own ourselves, right??
“You are not your own; you were bought at a price.” (I Cor 6:20)
What price? You were bought with the highest price imaginable – the price of His Son. We own nothing, not even the right to our own lives. God merely allows us to be stewards in order to further his kingdom.
The Scriptures make this point clear:
The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it…” (Psalm 24:1)
Even the talents, abilities, and jobs that provide money are actually from the Lord:
“But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth…”(Duet 8:18)
This is even reflected in our worship. Think about the Doxology - “praise God from whom all blessings flow…”
I think you get the point. God owns it all. We own nothing, not even ourselves.
This is a very important foundational point. Everything you have has been given to you for the purpose of glorifying God. Do we truly believe that God owns it all? Do we believe He has made us a trustee, a manager, and a steward of what He gives us during our lifetime?
If it is true that God owns it all, then how should we approach the area of money?
Ron Blue, a Christian financial expert, gives three outcomes to the belief that God owns it all.
If God owns it all, then we have a responsibility to Him. God has the right to whatever He wants whenever he wants it. We are only stewards of what He was entrusted to us.
If God own it all, then every spending decision is a spiritual
decision.
“It reflects your goals, priorities, convictions, relationships, and even the use of your time.”
We are called to be faithful with what He has given us. Paul told the believers at Corinth:
“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” (I Cor 4:2)
Point to Ponder: Have you settled the ownership issue today with God? Do you truly believe that He owns it all? Would your checkbook show it? Maybe you need to sign it over to Him.
Invest in things eternal
James Boice writes: “Money that is given to help another Christian is called fruit. Our gifts to others are encouraged by God, noticed by God, and much desired by God.”
We will only be on this earth a short time and he who dies with the most toys…still dies! We need a radical shift in our thinking about money.
True or false? – Money is evil. Listen to how Paul describes money to young Timothy:
“People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (I Tim 6:9-10)
It’s the love of money that gets us into trouble. I remember watching a CEO being sentenced to twenty-five years in prison for stealing millions of dollars from his company. When the judge sentenced him to twenty- five years with no parole, this man sobbed uncontrollably.
Jesus said, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36).
Giving isn’t God’s way of raising funds; it is His ways of raising children whose hearts are rich toward Him. God has poured out his blessings on us and what have we done?
We took them home and put them on our shelf. God raises our standard of living so we can raise our standard of giving.
Point to Ponder: How is your investment portfolio?
Pastor Steven Cole gives us some insight into where we are to invest.
He emphasizes that we should first give to our local church then to individuals and organizations you know to be faithful.
He encourages us to give to those serving in difficult places and those reaching unreached parts of the world.
Also, giving to the needy should be a high priority.
Value God more than Money
When we give, we are not giving to a church or a pastor, but to Jesus Christ Himself. And He is worthy of our best. Paul describes their extravagant giving as a form of worship.
In our present Christian culture, the word “worship” has been limited to singing and music. This is not the Biblical view of worship.
Listen to Paul’s definition of worship in his letter to the Romans:
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1)
Worship is a lifestyle, not a song. Worship is prayer, reading and studying the Scriptures, fasting, singing, serving, and giving. Everything we do here at Chenoa First on a Sunday morning is worship. The music, the prayer, the preaching of God’s word and even the offering –it is all worship.
A junior high girl once asked me a great question once in response to the bible study we were doing. She said, “I think I know the answers to the other questions, but I’ve never heard of “tithing.”
There does seem to be a lot of confusion about giving. In the Old Testament, Jewish people gave 10% to fund the Temple. Actually, if you add up everything they gave, it was more like 20-25%. Under the covenant of grace, we have the opportunity to give 10% and more because we want to.
Let’s look at three principles of grace giving:
Grace giving is voluntary. Giving is not something we HAVE to do; it is something we get to do. If you are a Christian, then you will want to give
In 2 Corinthians 9:7, Paul states:
“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor 9:7)
The Greek word translated cheerful is the same word we get our word hilarious. God loves extravagant, joyful, hilarious givers who realize that the can not out give God.
Found In a church bulletin: "God loves a hilarious giver but He accept from a grouch.”
* Grace Giving is proportionate giving. In I Cor 16:2, we see Paul addressing the amount to given:
“Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.” (I Cor 16:1-2)
Ten percent is a good baseline. But is that all we are to give?
John Piper has said that the 10% tithe is “a middle class American way to rob God.”. Many of us could and should be giving 15, 20, or even 25%.
The average American Christian gives less than 2%. Can you imagine what we could do if everyone in this room gave 1% more than they are given right now?
* Grace Giving is sacrificial. Jesus told a story about an offering that got his attention:
“As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on." (Luke 21:1-4)
It really is not about how much you give, but how much you keep. The widow was commended for how much she kept – nothing. She gave everything she had. The Pharisees just gave out of their wealth.
Are you just giving God the leftovers, or are you giving Him your best?
King David said it this way, “I will not sacrifice to the Lord a burnt offering that costs me nothing.” (2 Samuel 24:24)
Tithing is the solution to greed. It has been said that if you want to break the back of greed, give your money away freely.
John Wesley, whose books made an enormous amount of money during his lifetime, died with two silver spoons to his name. He was quoted as saying, “When I get any money, I give it away, lest it get control of my heart.”
What happens to the money you put into the plate? Every dollar is used with integrity to make an IMPACT on our community, our county, our country, and the continents with the life-transforming message of Jesus Christ. Can you get excited about that?
Point to Ponder: Have you ever considered giving as a form of worship? How can we use our time, talents, or treasures to worship God? As we take this offering, how are you feeling about what you had planned to put in the plate in light of what we have been studying? As you give, consider these four declarations:
With this offering, I am declaring my total dependence and trust in you
With this offering, I am resisting everything in our culture that constantly whispers in my ear that I need more and more
With this offering, I am sending treasure ahead to heaven
With this offering, I am affirming my heart belongs to God.
Engage your heart and expect blessings
“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:18-19)
This verse has been taken out of context by many people. Verse 19 is not a blank check to people who waste what God has given them. It is also not a promise of prosperity and luxury. It is conditional. If…then. If you honor me with your finances, then I will meet all of your needs. Let’s look at each phrase of this verse together:
“My God” Paul does not invoke the name of some distant deity but starts by saying “my God.” God is a personal God who knows the number of hairs on your head (Luke 12:7) and what you need before you ever ask (Matthew 6:8).
“Will meet” – This word means to “fill to the brim, to furnish or supply generously.” It is the picture of filling a glass to overflowing.
* Your needs - not your wants.
“Accordingly to His glorious riches.” Notice that Paul did not say “out of his glorious riches.” If Elon Musk walked into your house this afternoon and said, “I think I want to give you some money” what would be your reaction? Would you get a wheelbarrow and shout, “Show me the Money!”?
What if he pulled out his wallet and handed you a one-dollar bill. That would be “out of his riches” and cheap! But what if he said,
“All I have is yours.” That would get your heart pumping, wouldn’t it? That’s exactly what God promises - to meet all our needs according to His vast resources, which He makes completely available to us.
Jesus said it this way:
“Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Luke 6:38)
God even says to test Him in this area:
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” (Malachi 2:10)
The great missionary Hudson Taylor wrote in his journal, “God’s work, done in God’s way, will never lack for supply.” It really is all about trust.
Learn to Live
Remember that meeting of the richest people in the world I began my sermon with?
27 years later, let’s see what happened to them:
Charles Schwab - the president of the largest independent steel company - lived on borrowed money the last five years of his life, and died penniless.
Arthur Cutten - the greatest wheat speculator - died abroad insolvent.
Richard Whitney - the president of the New York Stock Exchange - was released some time ago from Sing Sing.
Albert Fall - the member of the President’s Cabinet - was pardoned from prison so he could die at home.
Jesse Livermore - the greatest bear in Wall Street - committed suicide.
Leon Fraser - the president of the Bank of International Settlement - committed suicide.
Ivar Kruegar - the head of the world’s greatest monopoly - committed suicide.?
All of these men had learned how to make money, but not one of them had learned how to live. (Paul Lee Tan; 7700 Illustrations p.824)
