We've seen thus far in our studies in James that holiness involves three interrelated concepts. First, we talked about wisdom. James deals with this issue in the latter part of chapter three. It tells us that holiness flows from a heart filled with God's wisdom as opposed to a worldly wisdom. Secondly, there is humility. James deals with this in chapter four. He tells us that humility on our part is the prerequisite we must meet before God will grace us with his wisdom. And furthermore, the values of the humble are the values from which a holy life proceeds. But the third key aspect of a life of holiness is discipline. This James will deal with in Chapter five. Now, discipline is an absolutely essential prerequisite to living a holy life. In this regard, I honestly believe that one of the best gifts a parent can give a child. Is discipline. You see, it's possible to rear a child who has an interest in spiritual things, it wants his life to count for the Lord. and wants to serve God with his life, but without discipline. He will not have the wherewithal to translate good intentions into action. He will not have what it takes to translate spiritual ambitions into reality. Because you see, it takes discipline to do the hard stuff. Discipline to have the stick-to-itiveness it requires to get things done for the kingdom of God. So if you're actually going to advance the kingdom of God, if you're really going to make a difference for God in this world, you've got to have some discipline in your life. Because the kingdom of God really is advanced by those who actually do something for God, not those who just have good intentions. In this regard, James will talk about two key disciplines of a holy life. On the one hand, there's patience in the biblical sense of the word, meaning steadfastness, that you keep going when the going gets tough. And the other discipline he will talk about is prayer, the necessity of consistent, fervent, disciplined prayer. Now, our text this morning will serve as the transition, the segue, if you will, from James discussion of humility to a discussion of the discipline of patience. But before we look at this morning's text, would you join me for a word of prayer? Let's pray. Our father in heaven, we thank you for this day to meet in your house, and we pray as always that you would grace our time in the scriptures with true understanding and insight of these principles and how we need to have your biblical perspective and your worldview. that we might have lives infused with your wisdom, that we might lead holy lives that reflect your character and bring honor to you. And this we ask in Christ's name. Amen. You know, someone has said that money talks. Well, if that's true, all it ever says to me is goodbye. But as we'll see in James this morning, and indeed often says far more to others. Notice what he says in chapter five, verses one through six. Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, your garments are moth-eaten, your gold and silver is cankered, and the rest of them shall be a witness against you and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, cryeth. And the cries of them which have weeped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth and been wanton. Ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and killed the just, and he doth not resist you." As I said, this paragraph is transitional in nature. Like the previous section in James, James here talks about the future. Now, previously we saw last time he talks about a wrong perspective of the future, but here he will give us a correct perspective of the future. And like the section that will follow this one here in James, he talks about why we need patience. Basically, because this world is not an easy place to live. All the more so for Christians, the world can be an uncomfortable place. There are those who hate us and our values. But before we get to the discussion of patience proper, the need for patience, James will talk about those who so often try our patience. In this regard, he introduces them to us again in verse one, and notice his introduction of this topic. He says, Go to now ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. You see, he addresses this paragraph to the rich, if you will. Presumably he has in mind your unsaved rich men, wealthy men of the world, because they are quite sinful. Now, don't misunderstand. It is not a sin to be rich. Some very godly people in the Scriptures were very wealthy. But being wealthy does pose a real challenge. It can absolutely ruin a life. And James presents us with the example of those whose lives indeed are ruined by it. In that regard, you know, we're often tempted to envy the wealthy. Life can seem so easy for them. When we find ourselves thinking such ways, this is a sign that we have lost a proper perspective on life. And thus, James will provide us with the proper perspective. In that regard, what is the perspective? Well, in verse one, he says, listen, these wealthy people should be weeping as an expression of sorrow. They should be howling. This is an expression of pain and agony. He speaks of the miseries that shall come upon them. Now, why is this? What is the nature of their misery? Well, why? Because of their sin. James here identifies two sins they commit against themselves and two sins they commit against other people. Let's begin by considering these sins they commit against themselves. The first of these is that of hoarding wealth. Notice what he says in verses two through three. He says, Your riches are corrupted and your garments are maltheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered and the rest of them shall be a witness against you and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. You have heaped treasure together for the last days. Most a lot of part of verse three that he speaks of the fact that they keep treasure together. Now, again, it's not a sin to manage wealth wisely, and some of managing wealth wisely might involve investing or saving for the future, saving for the unexpected, saving for retirement. In fact, providing for one's family is a key responsibility for all people and believers in particular. In First Timothy five, eight, Paul says that if anyone does not provide for his own family, he's worse than an unbeliever. And he's denied the faith. And so certainly saving would be a part of that picture. But there comes a point when one crosses the line from responsibly managing wealth and obedience to God and merely heaping up or hoarding just for the sake of having more. What drives hoarding? Perhaps a variety of reasons. Probably certainly at the core of it often is a search for security. You know, that's precisely what Paul warns against in First Timothy 6. Hold your place here in James, but for the moment, would you notice with me what the Apostle Paul writes in First Timothy chapter 6, verses 17 through 19. First Timothy 6, verses 17 through 19. Again, Paul addresses the issue of those who have a good amount in terms of material resources. In this case, they happen to be believers, but they need to be well aware of the challenge that such wealth poses. And first, Timothy six, then verse 17 to 19, he says, charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy, that they do good, that they be rich in good works. ready to distribute, willing to communicate or share, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life. Now, you notice here in verse 17, he explicitly warns against trusting in riches, seeking your security in them. Indeed, as Paul says, the wealth of this world is uncertain. It is an untrustworthy foundation upon which to build our lives. Instead, Paul says, we should find our security in the living God. And thus, the security we often seek in financial strength really is quite elusive. It will evade us. In fact, rather than granting security, it is precisely what robs the wealthy of it. It takes away all security and safety. This it does in several ways. First of all, it blinds them to any sense of spiritual urgency. It dulls their spiritual perception. In this regard, turn your attention back to James chapter five and notice the latter part of verse three. James chapter five, the last part of verse three, he says, You have heaped treasure together for the last days. He speaks of the last days. These are the last days in which we live. Jesus can come again soon, perhaps today, but they don't see that. They're not prepared for that reality. In fact, Their wealth blinds them so much that it is impossible for a rich man to get saved. Let's be perfectly clear about that. It is impossible for a rich man to get saved. Now, to some people, that would sound perhaps like an overly strong statement, but it is biblical. Again, hold your place here, but for the moment, I turn your attention to Mark chapter 10. Mark chapter 10 will document the very point that I'm making. Mark chapter 10, verse 17 through 22. This is, of course, an account from the Gospels, an encounter that Jesus has with a certain individual who, in fact, has a lot of wealth. Mark chapter 10, verse 17 through 22. The Gospels tell us that When he, Jesus, was gone forth into the way, there came one running and kneeled to him and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, and that is God. Thou knowest the commandments. Do not commit adultery. Do not kill. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Defraud not. Honor thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, All these have I observed from my youth." Then Jesus, beholding him, loved him and said unto him, One thing thou lackest. Go thy way. Sell whatsoever thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in heaven. And come, take up the cross and follow me. He was sad at that saying and then went away grieved for he had great possessions. How tragic. to lose his soul over his possessions. He went away. He did not become a follower of Christ. Why? Well, he wanted salvation, but not that badly. Oh, he wanted eternal life, but it wasn't that important. Oh, he wanted heaven, yes, but not at that cost. Not for that price. What do we see here? There is no real sense of spiritual urgency. He does not really grasp the danger that he is in. If he did, he would be saying things such as, I could die today. Life is uncertain. And if I did, I would be standing before God. And what would happen? He would condemn me and throw me into hell forever and ever and ever. And my money won't do me any good then. I'll give anything. I'll do anything. Just don't send me to hell. But alas! There is no such sense of urgency because his wealth has robbed him of it and has blinded him. Is this man an exception? Not according to Jesus. Notice how the narrative continues. We pick up in verse 23 and following. Verse 23 down through verse 27. were told, Jesus looked round about and said unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God. And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answered again and said unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God? It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus, looking upon them, said, With men it is impossible. But not with God. For with God all things are possible. Jesus is very clear here. It is impossible. It is humanly impossible. that a man who has great wealth in this world would be saved. Praise the Lord, He can do the impossible. Praise God that His grace can do the impossible, and by His grace, He can save even the wealthy. For if not for His grace, the wealthy in their spiritual blindness would plunge into hell. But thus it is, their wealth does blind them. Secondly, Bill, turning our attention back to James, there is another way. in which their wealth, in the end, robs them of security rather than granting it. Notice again the wording of verse 2 down to the first part of verse 3. In James 5, verse 2, he says, Your riches are corrupted, your garments unhealthy, your gold and silver is cankered, and the rest of them shall be a witness against you and will eat your flesh as it were fire. What is he telling us here? He's telling us that it corrupts them. You see, all their wealth vanishes. It's all temporal. In this regard, there are a variety of resources that this man possesses, none of which will stand the test of time. First, James references riches, and contextually, the connotation of this term would imply that he has an abundant supply of things such as grain, oil, and wine. All of which, James says, will perish. It will all go bad. Secondly, James identifies garments. Those, he says, are moth-eaten. Thirdly, he has a lot of gold and silver, but those, he says, are rusted. Not as durable as they seem. They are but rusted in light of eternity. But James' bigger point is that these are not the only items to give way to decay and rust. You will, too. The rust will eat your flesh. That is, it will totally consume you, not just your wealth. In this regard, turn your attention to the words of Jesus in Matthew chapter 6. Notice what Jesus says in This classic Sermon on the Mount. He issues a very important warning. Matthew 6, verses 19-21. Jesus addresses here the issue of our values in this world. Matthew 6, verses 19-21. Matthew 6, 19-21. He says, "...lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal." But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Notice verse 21, where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. George McDonald, a famous writer of the Victorian era, comments on this passage that what is with the treasure fares as the treasure. The heart which haunts the treasure house, where moth and rust doth corrupt, will be exposed to the same ravages as the treasure. Many a man, many a woman, fair and flourishing to see, is going about with a rusty, moth-eaten heart. And so it is, their wealth will eat away at them, it will corrupt them. lead to the decay of their heart and soul. And thirdly, it does not bring security, it rather robs them of it because it condemns them. In verse three, notice that he makes the comment here that all these resources shall be a witness against you. A witness against you. The rust and decay will prove that they have put their trust in and built their lives upon that which is entirely temporal. It is the evidence. It is Exhibit A of a misplaced value system. And that very rest will be the proof on Judgment Day as they stand before God. This is what you built your life upon. The temporal. You knew well, then ask yourself this morning, where in is your trust placed? For if it is placed in the material wealth of this world, understand, it will entirely rob you of the security you seek in it. But this is the first sin of the wealthy of the world. They hoard this wealth that then betrays them. But a second sin they commit against themselves is they abuse what wealth they have amassed. Notice the first part of verse 5. The first part of verse 5, he says, you have lived in pleasure on the earth and been wanton. He speaks of pleasure, the term would convey a life of self-indulgence, a life that is focused on self, a life, therefore, that is absolutely clueless about being a steward for God and having any sense of accountability to God for what he has blessed them with. Those real sense of responsibly handling those resources. Today I think Americans, even those that aren't wealthy, think this is what life is all about and that's why they live so much on credit. President Calvin Coolidge said, there is no dignity quite so impressive, no independence quite so important as living within your means. But that practical advice has long since been forgotten by most Americans. But not only do they live a self-indulgent life, he tells us, they live lives that are wanton. That is, they have filled their lives not only with luxuries and lavish things, but often with sinful and inappropriate pursuits because they can afford such things. Like the prodigal son, their wealth merely supports their sinful lifestyle. It is an enabler. Unfortunately, it's often a self-destructive lifestyle that they embrace. You think of the many Hollywood stars whose fortune and fame and celebrity and wealth has done nothing but enable them to get into a lifestyle of drugs and then absolutely self-destruct. You see, money can buy a self-centered life and it can buy a sinful life, but it cannot buy a happy life. Someone has written the following thought provoking perspective. Money will buy a bed, but not sleep. Books, but not brains. Food, but not appetite. Finery, but not beauty. A house, but not a home. Medicine, but not health. Luxuries, but not culture. Amusements, but not happiness, religion, but not salvation, a passport to anywhere except heaven. And the result of all of this or the latter part of verse five, he says, you have nourished your hearts in a day of slaughter. They have nourished, they have fattened their hearts for the slaughter. Meaning, they are only making matters worse for themselves on Judgment Day. They are only increasing their condemnation. Do you abuse the financial resources God has entrusted to your care? Do you see yourself as a steward who is accountable and responsible before God to handle the resources entrusted to your care? These are the sins they commit against themselves. They hoard wealth and they abuse the wealth they have. But James also talks about the fact that they sin against others. Let us turn our attention to the two sins they committed against others. In this regard, first of all, notice verse 4. In verse 4 he says, Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth. And the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. They are withholding pay from their employees. You know, that's a serious sin. Especially in Bible days. I mean, people worked by the day and they needed their daily bread. And they're paid daily for a day's work. They need it. They need it now. And in this regard, hold your place here. And I turn the attention back to Deuteronomy 24. No doubt James is thinking of biblical principles, such as that enumerated by Moses in the Law of Moses about how employees are to be treated. Deuteronomy 24, verses 14 through 15, he deals with this issue. Deuteronomy 24, verses 14 through 15. The law of Moses says, Thou shalt not oppress a hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren or of thy strangers that are in thy land, within thy gates. At his day, thou shalt give him his hire. Neither shall the sun go down upon it. For he is poor, and set up his heart upon it. Lest he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be a sin unto thee." And so the Lord makes it quite clear, yes, this is most definitely a sin. Poor, he's needy, he's counting on it. Don't withhold it and don't delay. And is it not ironic that often, by no means always, but often the rich seem to be the worst typewads? Wealth has such a hold on them, they're unwilling Let it go. But once again, it is their money's hold on them that sets them up for judgment, because James, as the law of Moses acknowledges, their employees will cry out to the Lord and the Lord most certainly will hear. James identifies him here as the Lord of Sabaoth. Now, though James here writes in Greek, he utilizes a Hebrew expression from the Old Testament that literally means the Lord of hosts or Lord of armies. His point here is that all the might of heaven will be arrayed against an individual who so abuses his resources, who so treats those who work for him. Preacher Yvonne Longu reminded us that indeed the Lord hears and there will be the day of reckoning. He wrote, though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small. Though with patience He stands waiting, With exactness grinds he all. And so, the Lord hears the prayers of those who have been cheated and abused. The question then, again, for you is what about you in your life? Perhaps you might not shoplift or steal from your neighbor, but are you honest and ethical in all of your financial dealings? Well, apart from the fact that they withhold pay from their employees, they downright mistreat the righteous. James gets to this in verse six. Here in verse six, he says, you have condemned and killed the just. He does not resist you. So first, they they they condemn the innocent in the courts. They use their wealth, the power and influence that comes with it in this world to get their way in the justice system. They pervert justice. And of course, you know, the judges are bribed and whatnot. And then they put them to death. They actually dispensed with them. Of course, it has often been the case throughout church history that the wealthy and the powerful have killed the righteous, burned them at the stake, hurled them to the lions and so forth. And the righteous didn't even fight back. If you have never read Fox's book of martyrs, I highly recommend that you do so. You need to know the stories of those who have gone before you. and the sacrifices they've made, and the lives that were lost for doing nothing but preaching the Gospel. You know, Matthew in his Gospel makes clear that the heart of Jesus' own betrayal was a love of money. It reminds you of what Matthew 26 says. Turn with me, if you would, in your Bibles to the Gospel of Matthew 26. Matthew 26. following. We're very close now to the time of Christ's crucifixion. So we're told in Matthew 26.6 that now when Jesus was in Bethany in the house of Simon, the lover, there came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment and poured it on his head as he sat at meat. But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation saying, To what purpose is this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for much and given to the poor. When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? For she hath wrought a good work upon me. For ye have the poor always with you, but me ye have not always. For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. And verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this that this woman hath done be told for a memorial of her. Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests and said unto them, What will you give me? And I will deliver him unto you. And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he saw an opportunity to betray him. Commenting on this passage, Bible scholar J. A. Magner observes, this act of devotion which put Jesus so incomparably above the value of this world's goods, reflected a value system which Judas could not comprehend, nor would he accommodate himself to, but downright had to contradict. And so, for a mere thirty pieces of silver, the King of Kings and the Savior of all humanity was betrayed. Could there be any stronger contrast in the values between those who are rich in this world and those who may be poor in this life are rich toward God? Well, in summary then, what we've seen from James this morning is that the wealthy are often guilty of two sins against themselves. Hoarding up wealth and abusing the wealth they have amassed. And they are also guilty of two sins against others. They cheat their employees. And they prosecute the innocent. But in so doing, they are foolish for three reasons. First, these are the last days. But they don't recognize that. They live as if things will just continue this way forever. There will never be any accountability, any day of reckoning. But it's not true. Jesus will come again and bring it all to an end and set matters right. And secondly, it's foolish, because the Lord hears the prayers of those whom they have wronged. So when He comes, He will come riding upon a white horse, armed for battle, and all the armies of heaven will be accompanying Him. And thirdly, the day of His coming, when He comes, will be a day of great slaughter. They don't see it. So they merely fatten themselves up for the slaughter. I mean, think of it. If I were a calf and I didn't want to be slaughtered, I'd want to be one of the more skinny and scrawny calves, because I wouldn't want to be a good candidate for the slaughter. But they don't have the good sense. And so with their wealth, they merely fatten themselves. So, if you find yourself feeling envious of the wealthy in this world, don't. They are not to be envied. They are to be pitied. Our Father in heaven, we thank you for the opportunity that we've had to look at the Scriptures this morning and hear the clear warning from James. Be careful about our value system. Where our heart is. May indeed our treasures be in heaven, that our hearts may be there. instead of having hearts that are corrupted and moth-eaten and rusted with the decay of this world and the temporal. And this we ask in Christ's name. Amen.