HOFC Sermon Archive: Book of James Part 4: Poverty & Wealth

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SERMON TIMELINE

1. Introduction to the Book of James

2. Trials and Temptation

3. Gaining Wisdom

4. Poverty & Wealth

INTRODUCTION

Today is Sunday. June 2^nd, 2024

We began looking at the Book of James with a small explanation of proper exegesis and how to use the Hermeneutical process to ensure that what we understand about the scripture is what the writer actually intended, or more specifically, what the Spirit of God intended.

We looked at how easy it is to take scripture out of context, cherry-pick, and misapply verses, just as Satan did when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness right before He began His ministry.

This is why Jesus warns us about new believers receiving the word and how Satan will come to try and destroy or pervert it. You can understand why if you have ever seen the demonstration of a starting point of a line that was only 1 degree off. As the line continues in that direction over time, it slowly grows further and further from the originally intended target.

In the same way, if someone is wrong, misunderstands, or was taught or believes something that is not truly biblical, the negative effect may not be tangible at first, but over time, continuing in the direction of false teaching, eventually everything built upon that false premise will fall apart and be destroyed, possible ruining that person's faith altogether.

This is how cults work. Using misapplied or misrepresented scripture from the bible, collapsing context with verses that have nothing to do with each other, all in an effort to prove their belief. If a person studies the bible and reads it as they should, they will more than likely not be deceived. However, lazy believers, or those who cannot think for themselves, follow whatever they are told and are led astray.

There are currently over 10,000 cults in America. So, it’s vital that we read the word of God, know it, understand it, and glean the true meaning of it.

James warns us right at the beginning that you will encounter various trials. These trials and temptations will test your faith, but hold on and persevere. That perseverance will bring about a stronger faith that will be complete. It is the kind that can only come from trial, so consider it joy when facing these tribulations.

James then tells us that we need wisdom to persevere in trial and temptation. We can get this wisdom from God’s word, and when we ask for understanding, God will graciously give it.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE

James is now discussing the trials we may face when we are poor or rich and the attitudes we should have. Yes, both can be a problem.

James 1:9-11

“But the brother of humble circumstances is to boast in his high position; 10 and the rich man is to boast in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with a scorching heat 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.”

I. THE TRIALS OF POVERTY AND WEALTH

a. THERE IS A DANGER IN BOTH POVERTY AND WEALTH

i. “Keep worthlessness and every false word far from me, [Wisdom of God]

Give me neither poverty nor riches;

Feed me with the food that is my portion,

9 Lest I be full and deny You and say, “Who is Yahweh?”

Or lest I be impoverished and steal,

And profane the name of my God.” ~ Proverbs 30:8-9

1. King Solomon states that he wants the wisdom of God

a. Just as James says in Chapter 1 is how we overcome trials and temptation

2. “keep worthlessness and every false word far from me.”

3. He then asks God not to make him impoverished or wealthy but to give him what is “his portion.”

a. He doesn’t want more or less, just what he is supposed to have.

ii. Why not more riches? He may forget about God.

iii. Why not impoverished? He may resort to stealing, breaking the command of God, and profaning His holy name.

b. POVERTY MAY CAUSE US TO CURSE GOD

i. Job’s wife told him to curse God after they had lost everything [poverty], and boils covered Job’s body.

1. Job 2:9-10 “9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the wickedly foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept calamity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”

a. Good and calamity. What Job is saying, do we only praise God when things are good? Or do we hold on to our integrity and worship Him through good and bad?

b. That is contentment, knowing that God is in control, and though you may face trials and temptations, keeping your faith in God, the wisdom of the word, will get you through.

ii. Remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:24-25 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and does them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and fell against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.”

1. What are the words of Jesus? The Bible

a. Just as James tells us, be “doers” of the word!

2. Then our house will be on the rock.

a. Who is that rock? Jesus!

3. Storms WILL come, Jesus says so, but we will withstand them because we have the wisdom of God’s word, and we live it therefore we are built upon the rock that is Christ Jesus!

c. WEALTH MAY TEMPT US TO FORGET GOD AND HIS WAYS

i. Prosperity preaching would have you believe God wants everyone rich here on earth. That is a lie created in 1950 when the movement began.

1. Scripture is very clear that nothing on earth but the Word of God and the souls of people will remain after judgment, and Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:19-21 that we are to “build our treasures in heaven.” Is Jesus a liar, or are the liars the ones who created prosperity preaching in the 50s?

2. This does not mean wealth is a sin, but it also does not mean wealth is a guarantee or a blessing from God. Many wealthy people around the world don’t believe in God. If God wanted everyone to have earthly wealth, why would Jesus tell the rich young ruler to sell everything and give it away?

a. Because Jesus knows an overabundance can corrupt!

ii. God warned Israel in Deuteronomy 8:10-14; 17 “And so you will eat and be satisfied, and you shall bless Yahweh your God for the good land which He has given you.

11 “Beware lest you forget Yahweh your God by not keeping His commandments and His judgments and His statutes which I am commanding you today; 12 lest you eat and are satisfied and build good houses and live in them, 13 and your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have multiplies, 14 and your heart becomes lifted up and you forget Yahweh your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”

lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand made me this wealth.’”

iii. What happened to Israel?

1. Hosea 13:5-6 “I Myself knew you in the wilderness, In the land of drought. As they had their pasture, then they became satisfied, Indeed, they were satisfied, and their heart became raised up; Therefore they forgot Me.”

2. The very thing God warned them about being “full and satisfied” and having an increase of all they had...they forgot God.

3. Some say, “Oh, if I were rich, I would give some to the poor and the church, and I would do so much good with it if I had it.”

a. What is it you do with what you have right now?

b. Jesus says in Luke 16:10-13 “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much, and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? 12 And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

c. Prosperity preachers…is Jesus a liar?

d. I pray I only receive that which is my portion, no more, no less, and that I serve the Lord well with what He gives me, whether much or little!

iv. It reminds me of what Paul said in Philippians 4:11-13

1. “Not that I speak from want, for I learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in abundance; in any and all things I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

v. Listen to the wisdom of God, and you will overcome the trial and temptation of poverty and wealth. Be content in all situations, and ask only for your portion of what God wishes you to have. No more, no less, and you will overcome both the trial of poverty and the temptations in being wealthy.

II. JAMES SAID TO HAVE JOY IN OUR TRIALS!

a. REASONS FOR JOY IF WE ARE POOR

i. “Listen, my beloved brothers: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?” James 2:5

ii. Jesus proclaimed in the Temple, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,

Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.” In Luke 4:18

iii. Revelation 2:8-9 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write:

This is what the first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says:

9 ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.”

1. We see repeatedly in scripture those who are in poverty, yet rich in spirit.

b. REASONS FOR JOY IS WE HAVE WEALTH

i. The wealthy must come to realize that riches are temporary

1. James 1:10-11 “the rich man is to boast in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with a scorching heat 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.”

ii. Have you ever read some of the last words of rich people?

1. Bob Marley “Money can’t buy you life.”

2. Steve Jobs “At this moment, lying on the bed, sick and remembering all my life, I realize that all my recognition and wealth that I have is meaningless in the face of imminent death.”

3. Sam Kinison “Why now? I don’t want to die. Why?”

4. James Brown “I’m burning up. Burning up.”

iii. We can humble ourselves and realize our responsibility to use what God has given us for His kingdom. Money is nothing more than a tool, and all tools should be used for furthering the Kingdom of God.

iv. James 4:10 “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.”

v. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty or to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.”

1. We are called to use all we have for good works and the Kingdom.

vi. Riches cannot save us, nor can we take it with us. But it doesn’t matter because all the earth's riches will be destroyed in the end, and nothing will remain.

1. 1 Timothy 6:9-10 “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evils, and some by aspiring to it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

c. WISDOM OF THE WORD REVEALS THESE THINGS TO US

i. Many make the mistake of chasing money, wanting to get rich, thinking money is the answer to every problem, and not realizing wealth brings its own problems, just as poverty does.

1. Wanting to get rich, you fall into temptation

2. A snare or trap

3. Overwhelmed by foolish and harmful desires that will plunge you into destruction,

ii. Have you ever met a wealthy man who felt they had enough?

1. Nearly all who have want more.

2. Their love for money is the root of many evils.

3. Some wander from the faith and pierce themselves with many griefs to obtain it.

CONCLUSION

Even within the trials of poverty and wealth, there can be cause for rejoicing. Why? With the wisdom of the word of God, we can persevere and grow, and our faith can become more complete.

Jesus is the great equalizer.

He exalts the poor who are rich in faith.

He humbles the wealthy because Salvation is not based on wealth (nor is it a sign of being right with God, as some claim. Many philanthropists out there are agnostic or atheist). Instead, Salvation is based on the blood of Jesus Christ and the obedience of a humble and contrite spirit, neither of which can you buy.

The wisdom of God’s word will help us be content in whatever financial situation we are in; remembering to serve the Lord is far more important than chasing money.

“I learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in abundance; in any and all things I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:11-13

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