A Warning for the Rich | A Sermon from James 5:1-6

Introduction
We are now in the last chapter of the Epistle of James.  Lord willing, we will spend 4 more weeks studying this letter that was written by Jesus’ half-brother.  The message today might make you feel uncomfortable.  I want you to know it makes me feel uncomfortable too.  Why?  Because James gives a stern warning to rich people.  And although I don’t consider myself a rich man, I do realize I live in one of the most prosperous nations on the planet. 

According to zippia.com, the USA has the 7^th highest avg annual income in the world - $70,930/year.  Now the average income of the whole world is $9,733/year.  The average annual income in Afghanistan is only $390/year.  So maybe that puts some things in perspective for us.  And God’s Word to us today in James is challenging.

James 5:1-6
¹ Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. ² Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. ³ Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment. ⁴ For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

⁵ You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. ⁶ You have condemned and killed innocent people,^[a] who do not resist you.

A Warning to the Rich
James speaks to his 1^st century Jewish Christian readers to remind them not to become like the rich and powerful who persecuted them.  Many of his readers may have been wealthy.  Many of them had suffered and lost much wealth at the hands of non-Christians who persecuted them.  And as always, James is very blunt.  He warns the wicked rich using terribly vivid imagery of the troubles the wicked rich will endure.  Your wealth will rot away.  Your fine cloths will be moth eaten rags.
Your silver and gold will corrode.  The wealth you counted in will eat your flesh like fire.
And all your wealth will testify against you in court on Judgment Day.  That makes you squirm in your seat a little bit—if not for yourself, then for anyone who faces it.

Money IS NOT the Root of All Evil
It’s important for me to correct a often misunderstood statement in the Bible.
Contrary to popular belief.  The Bible never says money is the root of all evil.

The verse people misquote to proof-text this is 1 Timothy 6:10, which says, “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.”  It is the love of money that is the root of all kinds of evil.  That’s an important distinction. 

If you know your Bible, you will realize there were many godly rich people who were part of God’s story.  Abraham is revered as a holy man by three world religions--Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.  Yet Father Abraham was a wealthy nomad who had large flocks of livestock and a the large household of a wealthy man by the standards of his day.  One of Abraham's descendants, Joseph, was part of that wealthy household.  Joseph lost it all when he was sold into slavery by his treacherous brothers, but he eventually rose to power as second in command to Egypt's Pharaoh (who was arguably the wealthiest and most powerful man in the world at that time).  David started out as a lowly shepherd, but then became King of Israel and lived in a palace with the wealth and power of the nation at his disposal.  Then the Bible says David's son, Solomon, was the wealthiest person in the world.  There were also several wealthy people who supported Jesus’ ministry and the Christian church in the New testament – Joseph of Arimathea was a wealthy man who donated a tomb for Christ burial.

There is nothing wrong with having wealth.  It’s how you get your wealth and what you do with it and your attitude about it that matters most.  James warns the rich who got their wealth by unjust means.  Verse 4 says, “Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay.”  These were people who had little power.  The landowner could promise to pay them a certain wage, but if he decided to cheat them, what recourse did they have?  (There weren't even any labor unions back then.)  And these were also people who lived hand to mouth, so if the landowner didn't pay them on time, they would certainly go hungry.  James says when rich people act like this, God hear the complaints of the people they cheat and He see the rich people's wickedness and He will judge them.

As God’s people, we are to be holy as the Lord is Holy.  What does it mean to be Holy?  It means to be set apart, to be different from the sinful world.  It means to be like God.  

God is righteous.  He does not cheat and steal.  He does not mistreat and use people.  Therefore, we must not cheat, steal, and mistreat people either.  We must be kind and generous and gracious, just as God is kind and generous and gracious  We must be fair, just as God is fair.  

My daughter is a waitress.  She usually makes a decent wage, but a good portion of here income comes from tips.  When people don't tip the customary amount, she suffers.  And I know many people say they are god tippers if the wait staff  does a good job.  I understand your sentiment.  But what if God treated you the way you treat your waiter or waitress?  What if God was watching over you looking for any mistake you made as an excuse to withhold blessings from you.  We would all starve to death because we make many mistake.  But that's not how God is.  God is gracious with us and blesses us even when we fail.  We ought to be the same with people in our dealings.  We should seek to be holy as God is holy.

If you read about the heroes of the Bible, the holy ones who had great wealth, you will find that they kind and generous and fair.  They also did not put their trust in their wealth; they depended on the Lord.  King David, who was a powerful king who wrote so many of the Psalms, wrote in Psalm 20:7, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”
And Solomon, who the Bible says was the richest man who ever lived, wrote in Proverbs 11:28, “Trust in your money and down you go!  But the godly flourish like leaves in spring.”

David and Solomon were wealthy men, but they didn’t trust in the riches to keep them safe.  They knew the Lord was their strength and their shield.  As Americans who live in one of the most prosperous nation in the world, we also must hear and head James’ warning.  Don’t trust in your wealth to keep you safe.  Put your trust in God.  And be very careful not to cheat and steal to gain or increase your wealth.  Be honest.  Be fair.  Be gracious.  And don’t hoard your wealth.  Be generous.  Don’t waste your money in careless living, but also be careful that you aren’t stingy. 

Chick-fil-A vs. McDonald’s
Have you ever noticed the difference in quality between Chick-fil-A and McDonalds.  Chick-fil-A just seems to have better quality food and service.  Chick-fil-A is a company that operates on Christian values.  They make a bold statement about their Christian identity by closing on Sunday.  That means they potentially earn 1/7^th less than McDonalds (who is open seven days a week).  But Chick-fil-A still manages to pay their employees an average of $0.50 more per hour than McDonalds.  Christian values lead Chick-fil-A to care more about their employees and treat them better.  

It’s not so much about our wealth, but our attitudes and values surrounding wealth.  As Christians, we must understand we are blessed so that we can be an blessing.  Our blessings are not just for our own selfish gratification.  Christians are blessed so we can be a blessing.

Hard Times
There is a saying going around that I think makes a lot of sense.  It says that hard times create strong people.  Strong people create good times.  Good times create weak people.   And weak people create hard times.  That seems to be true in my experience.  (And when I say strong or weak people, I’m not talking about physical strength; I’m referring to the strength of a person's character.)  When times are hard, people have to buckle down and live right and work hard to survive.  It builds strong character that improves society and leads to good times.  But when times are good and easy, people tend to get lazy.  And lazy people tend to develop weak character.  They live too high on the hog and their entitlement attitudes lead to hard times.  It’s a cycle I see play out in society and in families. 

Where is our nation in this cycle right now?  It would seem to me that we have been living through some very good times.  We are the 7^th most prosperous nation in the world.  But we are also seeing increasing inflation and times are harder in the past couple years than they have been before.  Perhaps it is because we are getting lazy and are living too high on the hog.  It’s leading to hard times.  I certainly can see in my personal dealings with people in our town that we have too many weak characters who feel too entitled to blessings without having to work for them.  It does not bode well for our community or our nation.

But maybe there is hope!  As Christians we are called to be different, to be holy as God is holy.  We are to be the salt of the earth.  We are to be people of good, strong character and values.  Pray that you are being part of the solution and not living in ways that lead to hard times.  

Conclusion
Remember Jesus Christ, who is the King of kings and Lord of lords.  If anyone was entitled to take it easy and live well, it was Jesus.  Yet Christ left the glory of heaven and humbled himself as a slave and even laid down His sacred life for us.  He came not to be served, but to serve.  And we who follow Him as Lord are called to do the same—to live selflessly, to give sacrificially, to be a gracious blessing to people (not because they deserve it, but simple out of an abundance of grace). 

Every time we celebrate Holy Communion, it is a reminder of how Christ laid down His life for us.  His sacrifice gives us life and strength.  Let’s remember to live for Him because He died for us.  It will make our lives and the lives of everyone around us better.

A Message for Graduates and Everyone

Introduction
Graduation.  To be 18-19 years old.  To be poised on the precipice of starting your own life.  Your life, where you make your own choices, live out your own values, and decide who you want to be.  I’m so glad I get to share a message for graduates today. 

I’m 48 years old.  Is that old?  I don’t know.  It’s a lot older than our graduates, but it’s still a lot younger than many people!  In many regards, I do feel old.  Why do my feet hurt in the morning when I stand up for the first time?  How can they hurt?  I haven't done anything yet.  I've only been sleeping!  I guess they just hurt because I've been walking on them for 48 years.

But in many ways, I feel like I am still the young man sitting out among the graduates poised to begin my adult life.  I will forever be linked to my senior year of high school, because it was the year I began dating the woman who became my wife.  So much of the man I am today was shaped by that decision and the dreams we had together--dreams we worked so hard to realize.  1992 was the year that I began the journey of who I am today.

My words today are for the graduates, but they are really for all of us.  We all need to remember what it is to be young and charting the direction of our lives.  We also need, at times, to recalibrate our lives to get back on the path of righteousness.

Luke 12:13-21
¹³ Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.”

¹⁴ Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” ¹⁵ Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

¹⁶ Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. ¹⁷ He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ ¹⁸ 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. ¹⁹ 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!”’

²⁰ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’

²¹ “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

Don't Be A Fool
The best advice I can give to graduates, to anyone really, if have a rich relationship with God.  Graduates often start with very little money.  If they have a job, they usually aren't earning much.  Their parents probably paid most or all of their expenses.  Then, suddenly, they are out learning to pay for groceries and clothing and laundry detergent and other things.  They may just barely scrape by for a few years and they may long for the day when their finances aren't so tight.

So here's an important word for you.  You're not doing this all by yourself.  Even when you think you are all on your own, you parents, your family, your church are still pulling for you.  And even if no one else is there, God is surely with you.

But don't be a fool like the man in Jesus’ parable.  He was a fool because he was greedy and selfish. He didn’t think of others.  I do feel some sympathy for him, because farming can be a tough business.  Most years, farmers are just scraping by.  Insects and plant diseases and drought often eat up your produce and you may barely have enough or maybe even come up short.  There are many lean years.  I'm sure there were people who helped the farmer in Jesus' story during his lean years.  But when he finally had a good year with a surplus, all he thought of was himself.  Instead of turning to help others who may not have been so fortunate, he thought only of himself and how he could enjoy the pleasure in this world.  He planned to take it easy saying, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come” but didn’t realize he was about to die and lose it all.

None of us knows how many days we have.  and when this life is over, the things of this world will belong to others.  We can't take them with us.  Therefore, we should think of others instead of clinging to what we have.  And we should value our relationship with God above any worldly goods because they are only temporary.

Be Generous
Be a generous person.  Proverbs 11:25 says, “The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”
Always remember, God is taking care of you, and therefore, you can be a generous person who does what God calls you to do.  

You don't have to live out a scarcity mentality.  When you live for a long time barely making it or not having enough, you can get in the habit of clinging to what you do have.  You always have this mentality that you've got to hoard up every little bit you do have because tomorrow you may be without.  Some people get into this way of thinking so strongly that even when they have extra, they still feel as though they must hoard what they have.

That's why I'd like to challenge you today to tithe.  A tithing is giving 10% of your income to God through His Church.  I'd like to clear up some confusion about the tithe, because even a lot of older people misunderstand this term.  I hear people from my church say things like, "I just stopped by to drop of my tithe."  But they weren't really giving a tithe, they were giving and offering because their donation was not 10%.  And I'm not saying I don't appreciate the offering; that's not my point.  I just want to be sure we use precise language.  A tithe is a very specific offering--it is 10% of your income.  If you are giving an offering, great!  But call it an offering and reserve the term tithe for when you give 10% of your income.

The minimum standard for giving in the Bible started with the tithe--giving 10% of a person income to God through His Church.  For graduates, I challenge you to start tithing now while you don't have a lot.  You may think, "That's just not possible.  I hardly have anything to start with."  That's OK.  If you hardly have anything, your see, your tithe won't be much.  10% of $10 is on $1.  However, if you start tithing now, you will develop the habit while it's easy and then later when you do have a lot, it will already be a way of life for you.  If you wait to start tithing until you are wealthy and making 6 figures, your tithe will be very large and harder with which to part.

And the Church needs your financial support.  Our bills and our staff need to be paid, and this is only possible when people give generously.  The Church can only function to the degree it is funded.  That's just the way it works. So we need people to give and the tithe is the biblical standard of giving.

However, the tithe isn’t just about what the church needs.  It’s also about what you need.  Tithing helps you remember life isn’t all about you.  It helps you guard against greed.  It’s also something to help you practice your faith in God’s providence—that He is going to take care of you.  Tithing is an exercise of faith that strengthens your trust in God, helping you build a rich relationship with Him while building His Kingdom.  The tithe is a win, win, win--a win for the church, a win for God's Kingdom, and a win for your spiritual life.

Trust God
Trusting God and maintaining a strong relationship with Him is something young adults really, really need.  The ten years after high school graduation are the most formative of your whole life.  Thin about it.  From the ages of 18 to 28, people are leaving their parents home, maybe going to college or joining the military or starting a career.  They may be choosing a spouse and who will be the most influential person in their life of the rest of their life.  They may be having kids of who be a minimum 18 year responsibility.  If ever there is a time in life when people need God's guidance, grace,  and help, it is those young adult years.  

Sadly, these are also the years when most people drift away from church.  I know it can be difficult to stay connected in that time of life, but it is so worth it and so needed.  I challenge graduates to not drift away but to delve into their relationship with God through the Church.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”  Us older people also must continue to trust God.  And sometimes we struggle.  The last 2 years have been a huge exercise in trusting God because of the global COVID-19 pandemic.  As church, we struggled.  I remember vividly our church leaders concerns in the March of 2020 when we learned we had to shut down in-person worship for an undetermined period of time.  "How will we pay our bills if people aren't attending church and putting offerings in the offering plate?"  We knew we could survive for a few weeks, maybe a few months, but how long without continued giving?

What we found is that God was faithful and people continued to give faithfully.  And as the days and weeks and months wore on, people continued to give.  We actually saw an increase in giving.  We were cautiously optimistic, but we thought, "Well, we don't know how long this is going to keep going on and how this pandemic is going to affect the economy and trickle down to our supporter's personal finances."  However, by the end of 2020, I found that the church ended the year with a surplus--something that hadn't happened in the last 10 years I'd pastored the church.  

And it was in that moment I sensed the Lord leading me to the parable we read today of the rich man who built bigger barns.  I sensed God asking me, "What is your church going to do with this extra?  Are you going to build bigger barns to store it all away? Or are you going to trust Me and help people?"

So I shared this with the finance committee and said, "I think we need to help people in our community, because a lot of people struggling right now."  And Finance was wise and cautious.  They said, "Well, we still don't know what the future holds.  Let's wait a little while longer and see if giving continues to provide a surplus."  So we waited a few more months into 2021.  When giving continued to be generous, finance recommended and the elected Church Council approved a new charitable program called Operation Mercy Drops.  With Operation Mercy Drops (OMD), church members identify and sponsor people in our community who have a special need to receive a $1,000 grant.  (Click here to read about Operation Mercy Drops.)  We made a commitment to give a $1,000 grant each month for at least 12 months.  So many people have been blessed by this so far.  God has been good to the givers and the receivers because we chose to give instead of building bigger barns.

You can't even imagine how much good can be accomplished when people trust God, are faithful, and give generously.  Lives are changed when we choose to think of others instead of hoarded our extra in bigger barns.

Recalibration
A few weeks ago, a member of my church gave me a book titled One Man's Wilderness.  It's the story of Richard Proenneke, who in the 1970s moved to the Alaskan wilderness to build a log cabin and live off the land.  It's a fascinating story; I love that kind of thing.  Well, since Richard was cut off from civilization, a man named Babe would fly in some supplies every so many months.  After about 10 months of isolation, Richard asked Babe what time it was.  He found his watch had drifted off by about 15 minutes.  He had to recalibrate his watch to get back on the right time with the rest of the world.

We all need a recalibration from time to time.  Do you remember being a graduate, with your whole life ahead and you had your great goals and ideals you wanted to realize?  Or maybe it was at another time in your life, when you had a clear vision for the kind of future for which you wanted to strive.  How are you doing?  Are you still on the right path? 

We all drift off course from time to time.  It may not even be by much, but over time a little drift can make you miss the target by a lot.  So, it is good for us to stop every now and then and think about it and commit to do the things we need to do to get back on the right path.

What do you need to do today to get back on the right path?
Or if you are just starting out, what do you need to do to help you become the person you need to be?
I invite you to pray to God about it and ask Him for help.
And if you've never don it before, I invite you today to accept Jesus invitation to come follow Him.