THE DIFFERENCE IS THE BUT…
Nobody Gets Out Alive
Other than a few people in the bible, physical death is coming for all of us. It’s just part of it.
We as humans put so much emphasis on the here and now, the bank accounts and the luxurious lives we want to live, or wish we could have, that we don't keep an eternal mindset.
We think I believe in God but, if I don't build my Kingdom, than “I won't matter”, or “I wont be safe”, when the truth is that this life is not about building our kingdom at all…
Lets dig in→
JAMES CHAPTER 5
VERSE 1-3
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days
Is being rich a sin?
The first few verses here make it seem like its bad to be rich.
Lydia made good money. being a seller of purple brought home the BACON back then so she had money.
Lydia was one of the first converts
David was King at one point and was not condemned for having money
Many had money and weren’t condemned for if
So. It can't be that being rich is bad
There is a clue at the end of the verse
You have laid up treasure in the last days
He is saying your focus is on today and only on this life if you think money can secure you
VERSE 4 - 6
4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.
And I think this is where we see the true problem James is addressing.
See I don't think he is addressing every rich person here.
If we go back to the end of chapter 4 we see that he was just talking about those who make plans and don't lay them before the throne.
He warned the people who would move away for a year without even asking if that is what god wants of them. Essentially they are the King of their own life, and money is their motive and security.
Now he turns and gives these people a warning.
Misery is coming.
Your money has been your master and it holds no power
The people you stepped on to get what you got, is evidence against you.
You thought that this life was the point, building your own Kingdom was the point, securing your own crown was the point...
The point was Jesus all along and you missed it because of fear and greed and money
6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.
To be real here… I don’t know what this means, what it really means, and I would rather tell you that, than teach it wrongly.
VERSE 7-11
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.
10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
It almost seems as if the first 5 or 6 verses were written to those outside the church or about those outside the church…
I don’t know that to be true, just my opinion.
verses 7-12 he says brothers 3x and not at all in the first six verses.
It’s almost like , now he turns to the church and says, I know they act how they act, I know the world hurts and steals from you, I know its hard to see folks who seem to have it all when you don’t.
But BE PATIENT.
WHY?
Because the Lord IS coming. see verse 8
I know we have to wait, but HANG ON TIGHT TO THE PROMISE OF JESUS. AND WAIT
Don’t complain that they have you what you want
Don’t complain that they took from you .
Where is your focus?
James says, “Establish your hearts”
Why are we focusing only on our physical well being.
prepare your hearts
the king is coming
The judge is watching
point them to the king
Its hard to focus on your heart when all you can see is…
THIS WORLD
This pain
A stack of bills
A car that might not last
and the challenges that are coming around every corner
Look to the prophets for strength
Church… This is nothing new. The prophets have been suffering for generations.
Job suffered immensely and was blessed in the end…
Job was blessed with resources and more family.
VERSE 12
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
There was a way of making promises back then that allowed you out of the promise.
Saying I swear w/o the by heaven part, that was like crossing your fingers.
Saying I swear by haven meant that you HAD to stay true.
James is saying - enough of that. We follow Jesus, if we say a thing we mean it. Our word matters because we represent Jesus;.
VERSE 13-15
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
do you suffer
Are you joyful
Are you sick
pray pray pray
because as Jesus followers, our reality revolves and evolves around and through Jesus. If you are hurting run to the King
If you are happy The King gets the credit
If you are sick the King can help
Jesus will heal everyone
Immediately through a miracle
Eventually through doctors and medicine
Ultimately and all of us when heaven arrives
VERSE 16-18
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.
18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
James acknowledges that there are occasions when illness is tied to sin. He informs the congregation that the sick will experience spiritual restoration because of the plea, if sin is involved in the sickness.
While people suffer as a result of Adam’s sin (Rom 5:19), the Bible sometimes directly correlates a person’s suffering with sin. Texts such as John 5:14 and 1 Cor 11:29–30 reflect this idea.
John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Jas 5:15.
VERSE 19
19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
If you don’t think that your faith, your Christian walk, is a matter of communal concern this should snap you back to reality really quick
Here we see that bringing someone, or guiding someone back to the faith is a BIG DEAL to God.
If sin was a big enough deal to warrant the cross, than bringing a sinner back to Jesus is cause for celebration
In my opinion, the soul that is saved from death, and the multitude of sins that are covered would be of the wanderer and not the one bringing him back.
If the soul saved from death was the one who brought him back then that would mean that we could earn salvation through evangelism.
YOUR MONDAY MARCHING ORDERS
ARE COMING.
IN CASE YOU MISSED A FEW
DON’T GET IT TWISTED
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Tomorrow is Monday and that means you're likely heading into one of your largest areas of influence.
The people you will see tomorrow…
ENTER THE ARENA
GRATTITUDE OVER GRUMBLING
One of the biggest ways I fail at work is the C word… Not Crack, Complaining.
Have you ever been around a constant complainer? Its hard.
For myself, I know that when I am around someone who is ALWAYS complaining, I become…
Until next time,
Our King Is Coming, Be Ready
1