SERIES TITLE: COUNT IT ALL JOY
SERMON TITLE: YOU’RE MORE THAN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT
SERMON TEXT: James 1:9-11
Author: Louis Bartet
TEXT
9But let the brother of humble circumstances glory in his high position; 10and let the rich brother glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. 11For the sun rises with a scorching wind, and withers the grass; and its flower falls off, and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.
___
She was 60 and he was 70 and crotchety. As he lay dying he concluded that she had only married him for his money and he was determined she wouldn’t get it. With his final breaths he insisted she promise to bury him with his money. “You must promise me,” he gasped. Finally, when she could see no other alternative, she granted his wish.
The funeral service ended and she was the last to stand before the casket. Friends watched as she placed an envelope in her deceased husband’s hands, kissed his forehead and tearfully walked away.
Later, when they were alone, her closest friend asked, “I saw you place something in the casket. What was it?”
“Oh,” she replied, “the fulfillment of a promise. My husband made me promise to bury him with his money, so I wrote a check, tucked it in an envelope and placed it in his hands.”
I guess a check is as valuable as gold when placed in a dead man’s hands.
_____
GETTIN’ STARTED
Please notice with me that in verse one of chapter one, James tells us that he is writing to Jewish believers that had been scattered abroad.
Historians tell us that the world into which they were scattered knew little of what we would call the “middle-class.” According to these historians, about 90% of the population of the Roman Empire lived at or below what moderns would consider the poverty level. In addition to this, there was nothing that one could define as the equivalent of the American Dream.
The force behind the scattering was persecution. We have evidence of this in Acts 8.
“Saul was one of the witnesses against Stephen, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen. A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. And devout men came and buried Stephen….But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison” (Acts 8:1-3).
In Hebrews, a letter whose intended audience was also Jewish, the writer gives a brief description of the persecution experienced by Jewish believers. He writes:
“Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. You suffered along with those who were thrown in jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever” (Hebrews 10:32-35).
When you add the affects of persecution to the economic conditions of the Roman Empire, it’s easy to see that the larger segment of James’ audience was the group he addressed first, THE POOR.
I. THE POOR - "Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation” (1:9)
The “lowly brother” describes those who are destitute of social status and political clout. It identifies those who are financially challenged.
In a world that measured success and God’s favor in terms of material wealth and social status, people of such low estate were considered to be, by the prosperous, under the judgment of God. The bulk of society looked on them as the scrapings. Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians said, “…we are treated like the world’s garbage, like everybody’s trash…” (1Cor. 4:13).
These people had no rights, influential relationships or riches, yet they make up the bulk of Christianity—“…dear brothers and sister, please note that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy or high born when God called you” (1Cor. 1:26).
I find it interesting that James does not give them instructions on how to acquire wealth, but encourages them to rejoice in their high position.
Attempts by branches of the Western Church to justify crass materialism from scripture and pass it off as a sign of great faith and spiritual health would have been unacceptable to people like Paul and James.
Jesus would remind us, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Lu. 12:15). The NLT says, “Life is not measured by how much you own.”
In his first letter to Timothy, Paul wrote, “…godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful desires which drown men in destruction now and hell later” (1Tim. 6:6-9).
Writing to the believers at Philippi, Paul said, “…I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to live with humble means, and I know how to live in prosperity” (Phil. 4:11, 12). Paul doesn’t impart spiritual significance to prosperity or to poverty. To the contrary, he focuses on CONTENTMENT—a sense of wellbeing that is not dependent upon one’s financial status.
James speaks to those of humble estate; those who are without social standing, political clout or financial means. He tells them to glory in their “high position” or that they have been lifted up. His statement speaks both to the present and the future.
• In the now
o they are seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus, far above all rulers, and authorities and powers and dominions. (See Eph. 2:6 and 1:21.)
o they are partakers of the exceeding riches of His grace (Eph. 2:7).
o they have a “living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1Pe. 1:4).
o Rejoice because God has taken notice of you in your lowly estate and has lifted you into His family and given you an inheritance with the saints.
• In the future
o Now only will they be resurrected, but they will receive a glorified body.
o As they have shared in His sufferings, so shall they share in His glory (Romans 8:17, 18 and 1Peter 4:12-13).
o they will live forever with Christ in His Father’s house—“I will come again and receive you unto Myself, so that where I am there you may be also” (John 14:1-4). (See also 1Thess. 4:13-18.)
Christ is a leveler. He brings the poor man’s view of himself and his life up and he calls the rich man to admit the truth about himself.
James’ second group is much smaller, but often much more difficult to deal with. No one wants the affects of poverty, but riches and the illusion they can buy is hard to let go of.
II. THE PROSPEROUS - “Let the rich brother glory in his humiliation” (1:10)
When Jesus called the Rich Young Ruler to sell his estate, give the proceeds to the poor and follow Him, the young man could not let go of the “good life.”
Are you suggesting that Christians shouldn’t be wealthy? Not at all!
In his first letter to Timothy, Paul gives the following instructions to wealthy believers. He writes:
“Command those who are rich in this present age
• not to be haughty [arrogantly prideful or snooty],
• 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,
o ready to give,
o willing to share,
o amassing for themselves a good treasure for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life” (1Tim. 6:17-19).
Please note that Paul doesn’t call them to divest themselves of their wealth, but to act responsibly. He wanted them to know that with great privilege comes great responsibility.
• The responsibilities
o They must view themselves as stewards of God’s wealth. In Luke 12:16-21, Jesus tells the story of a rich man who was a fool. “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, ‘What shall I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be Merry.”” But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God” (Luke 12:16-21).
o Wealth and the power it imparts should never be abused under the guise of, “God gives us richly all things to enjoy.” What we enjoy will be determined by what we value. If our joy brings grief to others, then it is not godly joy.
o They must recognize the limitations of material wealth. “They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; 7None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him” (Psalm 49:6-7).
Neither Paul nor James tell the “rich brother” to sell all and take a vow of poverty, rather they call him to authentic humanity; to a right perspective.
III. THE PERSPECTIVE - “…because as the flower withers he shall pass away” (10)
Where the poor man is tempted to self-pity, the rich man is tempted to pride. In Mark 4:19, Jesus mentioned the deceitfulness of riches. Wealth can give one a false sense of security, of self-sufficiency, but it’s a lie we Westerners buy into with great harm.
James doesn’t call the rich to poverty, but to view themselves realistically. He calls them to authentic humanity.
Like an azalea whose beautiful bright blossoms fade away, so the riches of the rich man, the achievements of the rich man and the rich man himself will fade away.
• Accumulated wealth, in and of itself, has no lasting eternal value. The only way to impart lasting worth to wealth is to use it as God directs. It is not the dollar that gives value to the owner, but the owner who gives value to the dollar by how he uses it. The misuse of wealth brings judgment on the owner, but proper use of wealth accrues treasure in heaven for the godly steward.
• They must be careful not to develop a false sense of security based on their opulence. The Psalmist warns, “If riches increase, do not set your heart on them” (Psalm 62:10).
• They must acknowledge the transitory nature of wealth and not trust in uncertain riches. Riches are temporary. They are like the blossoms on an azalea bush; they burst forth in color and then fade and fall to the ground.
ILLUS: In the nine years that preceded 2003, Mike Tyson earned a minimum of $300,000,000, but in August of 2003 he filed for bankruptcy.
To squander such a fortune would require one to spend more than $90,000 every day for nine years.
In the late 90’s, tech stocks like Lucent and Cisco climbed from nothing to more than $90 per share. People who had invested at ground level became millionaires almost overnight. Then came the crash and millionaire portfolios melted into pennies on the dollar.
James’ message to the rich brother is “glory in your humiliation” or “rejoice in the realization of the reality of his low estate.”
The poor Christian experiences God as his source and is enriched. The rich Christian refuses to trust in his riches or view himself via his accumulated wealth, and sees God as his source and is enriched. He views himself as one who needs God and as the servant of God; a household steward who has been assigned the responsibility of administering his Master’s wealth. Thus, in this he is to rejoice.
It is certain, death is a great equalizer. One day the rich man and the poor man will stand before God. In that moment neither their poverty nor their prosperity will recommend them to God. They won’t be judged on the basis of how much they had, but on the basis of what they did with what they had. In this the poor and the rich Christian can rejoice in that they both served God and fulfilled His purpose for their life.
Conclusion
WHAT GOD HATH PROMISED
By Annie Johnson Flint
God has not promised skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through,
God has not promised sun without rain
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain,
But God has promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way;
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.
Prayer
Father, we spend more, but enjoy less. We have purchased a better education, but we lack the common sense of our grandparents. We have successfully multiplied our possessions, but without adding value to our lives. We have conquered outer space, but not our inner space. We have higher incomes, but lower morals. We have finer houses, but broken homes. We’ve kept up with the Joneses, only to find that the Joneses are emotionally and spiritually bankrupt. We have silver and gold, but we can no longer effectively say, rise up and walk. Please forgive us for seeing ourselves through our possessions and believing that our value is determined by what we own instead of who we are. Today, we stand naked before you and we are ashamed. We ask of you to give us gold tried in the fire and replace this fig leaf with the linen of your righteousness. We give up the illusion purchased by high interest credit cards and second mortgages. We admit that You and Your purpose for our lives is what gives us value. Our joy is in knowing and serving YOU. We rejoice in the lift you have and will give us in Christ Jesus. We also rejoice in the humiliation of recognizing and embracing the frailty our humanity, and realizing that we are Your servants. We love YOU and rejoice in YOU!
http://www.pointag.org
__________
© 2005
