1
00:00:04,700 --> 00:00:07,500
My name is Jasper. 
It is my honor to serve as the 

2
00:00:07,500 --> 00:00:09,900
associate pastor. 
Here at New Life Community 

3
00:00:09,900 --> 00:00:11,600
Church. 
It's good to see everybody. 

4
00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:14,200
Today, I want to welcome any 
guests. 

5
00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:17,100
May be visiting with us. 
It is good to have you as well. 

6
00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:19,800
And so we're glad that you were 
here today. 

7
00:00:20,900 --> 00:00:25,800
We are going to be continuing on
in a series that we have been 

8
00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:29,100
doing through the Book of James.
So if you have your Bibles, go 

9
00:00:29,100 --> 00:00:34,300
ahead and turn to the Book of 
James chapter 4, Now, I don't 

10
00:00:34,300 --> 00:00:38,000
want to, I don't want to try to 
provide a recap of everything 

11
00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:41,300
we've covered so far. 
It would just take too long but 

12
00:00:41,300 --> 00:00:46,700
I do want to remind you that the
Book of James is a book that was

13
00:00:46,700 --> 00:00:50,200
written to Christians. 
It was written to Christians 

14
00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:54,100
going through persecution going 
through trials and tribulations.

15
00:00:54,100 --> 00:00:59,300
And so the Book of James is 
very, very practical. 

16
00:01:00,300 --> 00:01:03,300
It Was Written in a way to be 
taken and applied. 

17
00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:05,500
Wide. 
It's not just a lot of hitti 

18
00:01:05,700 --> 00:01:09,300
Theology and thoughts about life
or or even Doctrine. 

19
00:01:09,300 --> 00:01:11,900
It's hate. 
This is what you should be doing

20
00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:14,800
as followers of Christ. 
If you say that you're a 

21
00:01:14,808 --> 00:01:17,500
Believer you should be doing 
these things. 

22
00:01:17,500 --> 00:01:20,400
And so this entire book is very 
very practical. 

23
00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:26,600
So keep that in mind as we look 
at today's text Today in James 

24
00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:30,300
chapter 4, we're going to be 
starting at verse 13, and we are

25
00:01:30,300 --> 00:01:34,500
going to be looking at wealth. 
We're going to be talking about 

26
00:01:34,500 --> 00:01:37,400
the different dangers that can 
come with it and we're going to 

27
00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:40,400
be looking at how Christians 
should approach it. 

28
00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:43,900
How we should treat it and we're
talking about money in 

29
00:01:43,900 --> 00:01:47,800
particular but not just money, 
it could be anything that the 

30
00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:51,000
Lord has blessed us with. 
It could be our time our talent 

31
00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:53,900
or treasure could be all of 
those things but particularly 

32
00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:58,100
money and this is addressed at 
or two. 

33
00:01:59,100 --> 00:02:04,400
Wealthy people, it's addressed 
to people at the time that would

34
00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:07,100
be considered wealthy. 
So these warnings and 

35
00:02:07,100 --> 00:02:10,600
everything, we're going to talk 
about is particularly applicable

36
00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:14,500
to those who are wealthy 
wealthier than the rest. 

37
00:02:14,700 --> 00:02:20,300
So before we dive in, let me 
pray, I'm going to pray that as 

38
00:02:20,300 --> 00:02:23,100
we do this, that God speaks 
through his word. 

39
00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:27,000
I mean so let's pray. 
Heavenly Father, we thank you 

40
00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:30,300
for today. 
God, we are grateful to be 

41
00:02:30,300 --> 00:02:34,000
gathered together in your house.
Lord, we pray. 

42
00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:38,900
Now, as we open your word, that 
you speak to us through it, that

43
00:02:38,900 --> 00:02:43,700
you open our eyes, and our ears 
to hear what you would have us 

44
00:02:43,700 --> 00:02:45,800
here. 
That you pierce our hearts with 

45
00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:48,600
your truth. 
And that when we leave this 

46
00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:50,800
place, we can take what we've 
read and what we've learned, and

47
00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:54,300
we can apply it to our lives. 
So speak to us. 

48
00:02:54,300 --> 00:02:58,500
Now, as we read from your word, 
in Jesus name, amen. 

49
00:03:00,300 --> 00:03:03,100
Amen. 
So again, James chapter 4 

50
00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:06,100
starting at verse 13. 
If you are able, will you please

51
00:03:06,100 --> 00:03:10,000
stand with me as we read from 
God's word? 

52
00:03:10,100 --> 00:03:15,600
So James chapter 4 starting at 
verse 13, come. 

53
00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:20,000
Now you who say today, or 
tomorrow, we will go into such 

54
00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:23,700
and such a town and spend a year
there and trade and make a 

55
00:03:23,708 --> 00:03:27,000
profit yet. 
You do not know what tomorrow 

56
00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:30,600
will bring. 
What is your life for you? 

57
00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:34,300
Are a Mist that appears for a 
little time and then vanishes 

58
00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:38,900
instead, you ought to say, if 
the Lord Wills we will live and 

59
00:03:38,900 --> 00:03:44,700
do this or that as it is, you 
boast in your arrogance, all 

60
00:03:44,700 --> 00:03:49,600
such boasting is evil. 
So whoever knows the right thing

61
00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:51,800
to do and fails to do it for 
him. 

62
00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:58,600
It is sin. 
Come now you rich weep and howl 

63
00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:02,800
for the miseries that are coming
upon you your riches, have 

64
00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:08,100
rotted and your garments are 
moth-eaten, your gold and silver

65
00:04:08,100 --> 00:04:11,300
have corroded and their 
corrosion will be evidence 

66
00:04:11,300 --> 00:04:15,100
against you and will eat your 
flesh like fire. 

67
00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:20,800
You have laid up treasure in the
last days, behold the wages of 

68
00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:24,000
the laborers, who mowed your 
fields, which you kept back by 

69
00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:26,600
fraud. 
Fraud are crying out against you

70
00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:29,600
and the cries of the Harvesters 
have reached the ears of the 

71
00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:32,700
Lord of hosts. 
You have lived on the earth, in 

72
00:04:32,700 --> 00:04:37,000
luxury and in self-indulgence, 
you have fattened your hearts in

73
00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:40,600
a day of Slaughter, you have 
condemned and murdered the 

74
00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:45,500
righteous person. 
He does not resist you, you may 

75
00:04:45,500 --> 00:04:52,200
be seated. 
So there is a little bit of 

76
00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:56,300
debate but most Scholars agree. 
This passage that we have just 

77
00:04:56,300 --> 00:05:00,300
read the end of chapter 4. 
In the beginning of chapter 5 is

78
00:05:00,300 --> 00:05:03,200
addressed to two different 
people groups. 

79
00:05:03,700 --> 00:05:05,800
Okay. 
So the first part that we're 

80
00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:12,400
going to look at chapter 4, the 
end of it 13 through 17 is 

81
00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:15,400
addressed to Christians. 
Okay. 

82
00:05:15,700 --> 00:05:19,500
The second part verses 1 through
6 of chapter 5 is addressed to 

83
00:05:19,500 --> 00:05:22,000
non-christians and we're going 
to talk about how we can know 

84
00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:23,500
these things. 
But this is important to 

85
00:05:23,500 --> 00:05:25,900
remember. 
As we've read these verses talk 

86
00:05:25,900 --> 00:05:27,800
about this and look at how to 
apply it. 

87
00:05:28,300 --> 00:05:31,500
So, there are going to be 
different applications to be 

88
00:05:31,500 --> 00:05:34,000
made. 
But the theme here, like I've 

89
00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:38,000
mentioned, is the sins of the 
wealthy, the dangers that come 

90
00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:39,700
with it, how we should treat it 
and so on. 

91
00:05:39,700 --> 00:05:41,700
So, let's dive in and take a 
look. 

92
00:05:41,700 --> 00:05:45,800
So right out of the gate and 
Chapter 4, verses verse 13. 

93
00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:51,000
James in writing this book, 
typically, typically, when he is

94
00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:55,800
addressing fellow, Christians 
will open with Brethren or dear 

95
00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:59,800
brothers or something like that.
That's a way that, you know, 

96
00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:02,400
he's addressing fellow 
Christians but in here in this 

97
00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:06,500
he opens with come. 
Now you who say and then da da 

98
00:06:06,500 --> 00:06:09,900
da. 
Now this is opening with this 

99
00:06:09,900 --> 00:06:12,400
opening with like come. 
Now you who say this or that 

100
00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:17,600
this is a rebuke this is James's
way of scolding these people. 

101
00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:22,000
This would be the same as if 
someone today told you. 

102
00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:24,300
Look here now look here, you 
know. 

103
00:06:24,300 --> 00:06:26,400
Eat. 
I'm a parent or a grandparent 

104
00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:29,400
starts with that, you know, you 
are in trouble. 

105
00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:32,300
So if you hear the look of here 
thing, you know, to pay 

106
00:06:32,300 --> 00:06:34,600
attention and that's exactly 
what James is doing. 

107
00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:36,800
He's saying, come now, listen 
here. 

108
00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:41,600
And then he proceeds to do what 
he's about to do in the original

109
00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:44,100
languages. 
Again, this would be a tone of 

110
00:06:44,100 --> 00:06:49,800
rebuke and he starts with this. 
Hypothetical scenario of going 

111
00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:52,400
to such and such a city to make 
a profit. 

112
00:06:53,100 --> 00:06:56,000
So the people he's addressing 
this Is were wealthy business 

113
00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:59,000
people, okay? 
They were good at making money. 

114
00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:02,700
They were confident in their 
ability to make money. 

115
00:07:02,700 --> 00:07:06,400
Not not just to do business, but
to make a profit in doing their 

116
00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:10,300
business, okay? 
So so, these were people that 

117
00:07:10,300 --> 00:07:13,700
were really, really sure of 
themselves and they're bragging 

118
00:07:13,700 --> 00:07:16,400
about it. 
They're saying in this scenario 

119
00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:18,800
that he lays out that, hey, 
we're going to go to such and 

120
00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:20,200
such City. 
We're going to do some business,

121
00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:22,000
and we're going to get rich. 
We're going to make a profit 

122
00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:23,700
like it's done. 
It's in the books. 

123
00:07:23,700 --> 00:07:25,200
We know this. 
This is going to happen. 

124
00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:29,800
But he reminds them. 
You do not know what. 

125
00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:35,900
Tomorrow holds your life is just
a Mist, some translations. 

126
00:07:35,900 --> 00:07:40,100
Say a vapor, a way of thinking 
of, this is a puff of smoke, 

127
00:07:40,500 --> 00:07:42,700
okay? 
So you see it and then it just 

128
00:07:42,700 --> 00:07:44,600
disappears, it's gone that 
quickly. 

129
00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:50,000
Now he is already pointed this 
out back in chapter 1 verses 9 

130
00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:54,400
through 11 he said let the lowly
brother boast in his exaltation 

131
00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:58,100
and the rich in his Billy Ocean.
Because like a flower of the 

132
00:07:58,100 --> 00:08:01,300
grass, he will pass away for the
sun rises with. 

133
00:08:01,300 --> 00:08:03,900
It's scorching heat and Withers 
the grass. 

134
00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:06,900
It's flower Falls and its beauty
parishes. 

135
00:08:07,100 --> 00:08:10,700
So also will the rich man fade 
away in the midst of his 

136
00:08:10,700 --> 00:08:14,200
Pursuits. 
We also see this same idea 

137
00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:17,500
expressed in First, Peter 1:20 
for through 25. 

138
00:08:17,500 --> 00:08:21,300
It says all flesh is like grass 
and all its Glory, like the 

139
00:08:21,300 --> 00:08:24,800
flower of grass, the grass 
withers, the flower Falls, but 

140
00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:28,500
the word of the Lord. 
Reigns forever and then one last

141
00:08:28,500 --> 00:08:33,200
one in Psalm 90 verse 10, the 
years of our life are 70 or even

142
00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:37,100
by reason of strength 80, but 
yet there's fan, is toil and 

143
00:08:37,100 --> 00:08:38,700
trouble. 
They are soon gone and we fly 

144
00:08:38,700 --> 00:08:42,100
away. 
So we know that scripture 

145
00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:47,600
teaches us that life is short, 
that it's just a Mist that we're

146
00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:52,400
here today and gone tomorrow. 
And James is saying, who do you 

147
00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:55,900
think you are to assume that 
you're going to go and you're 

148
00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:57,800
Going to make profit, you're 
going to trade and you're going 

149
00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:00,800
to do all these things and 
you're so sure of yourself who 

150
00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:03,700
are you? 
You don't know any of that. 

151
00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:05,900
You don't know that you're going
to wake up tomorrow. 

152
00:09:06,300 --> 00:09:09,700
You are not God. 
You're not omniscient, you're 

153
00:09:09,700 --> 00:09:12,000
not all-knowing, you're not 
all-powerful. 

154
00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:14,800
You have no idea what is going 
to happen tomorrow. 

155
00:09:15,900 --> 00:09:18,500
And he points this out in verse 
15. 

156
00:09:18,500 --> 00:09:23,000
He tells them instead you ought 
to say if the Lord Wills we will

157
00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:27,000
live and do this in that now, 
you notice he pointed out in 

158
00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:30,900
that if the Lord Wills we will 
live and do this in that he 

159
00:09:30,900 --> 00:09:32,900
could have just said. 
Instead, you ought to say, if 

160
00:09:32,900 --> 00:09:35,600
God Wills will go and will trade
make profit but he threw in 

161
00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:37,700
there. 
If the Lord Wills we will live 

162
00:09:37,700 --> 00:09:41,400
and he's pointing out to them, 
you are a Mist, you are gone 

163
00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:45,300
tomorrow like that life is over 
and it's only by God's 

164
00:09:45,300 --> 00:09:47,500
Providence. 
Ants that you wake up each day 

165
00:09:49,100 --> 00:09:52,000
it is only by the grace of God 
that we wake up with breath in 

166
00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:55,500
our lungs every day and he's 
pointing this out to these 

167
00:09:55,500 --> 00:09:57,900
people. 
Now. 

168
00:09:59,200 --> 00:10:03,800
This is again, how we know this 
verse verse 15, that these were 

169
00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:06,300
Christians. 
Because why else would they care

170
00:10:06,300 --> 00:10:08,700
about? 
God's will James is telling 

171
00:10:08,700 --> 00:10:11,500
them. 
If you should say, if God Wills 

172
00:10:11,500 --> 00:10:12,700
will go do this. 
Well, if they weren't 

173
00:10:12,700 --> 00:10:14,800
Christians, they wouldn't care 
about God's will at all, he's 

174
00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:19,700
reminding them that they should 
do nothing without considering 

175
00:10:19,700 --> 00:10:23,300
God's plan. 
God's plan for their lives in 

176
00:10:23,300 --> 00:10:26,100
his will. 
And then he really finally gets 

177
00:10:26,100 --> 00:10:29,900
to the heart of the matter. 
In verse 16, he says, as it is, 

178
00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:34,200
you boast, in your arrogance, 
and all boasting is evil. 

179
00:10:35,300 --> 00:10:37,000
So here we have the root of the 
problem. 

180
00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:41,300
It's arrogance. 
It's Pride. 

181
00:10:43,100 --> 00:10:45,300
Another way to put it would be 
presumptuous. 

182
00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:50,900
These Christian business owners 
had taken their eyes off the 

183
00:10:50,900 --> 00:10:55,900
Lord, they had stopped being 
utterly dependent on God's 

184
00:10:55,900 --> 00:10:59,900
provision and his sustenance day
by day by day and started to 

185
00:10:59,900 --> 00:11:01,700
assume that. 
Hey, I'm good. 

186
00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:04,900
I've got this figured out. 
I know that I'm going to make 

187
00:11:04,900 --> 00:11:06,500
profit. 
I know that I'm going to be 

188
00:11:06,500 --> 00:11:10,900
okay. 
Their confidence lies in their 

189
00:11:10,900 --> 00:11:14,900
own ability to wheel and deal so
much so that they are bragging 

190
00:11:14,900 --> 00:11:17,400
about it. 
They've become cocky, they've 

191
00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:22,700
become conceited and puffed up. 
And that's where their trust and

192
00:11:22,700 --> 00:11:28,900
their hope lies in themselves. 
So they had zero regard for 

193
00:11:28,900 --> 00:11:31,500
God's will, or God's plan on 
their lives? 

194
00:11:31,500 --> 00:11:37,100
They were not seeking it at all.
In essence, this becomes a form 

195
00:11:37,100 --> 00:11:42,600
of self worship. 
And idolatry is what it becomes 

196
00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:47,100
because we begin to assume that 
we are God, that we control our 

197
00:11:47,100 --> 00:11:48,900
lives and the circumstances 
within it. 

198
00:11:48,900 --> 00:11:52,200
We're not looking to the Lord 
for wisdom or guidance. 

199
00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:55,200
We're not praying to the Lord, 
to get us through each day. 

200
00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:56,900
We're just assuming it's going 
to happen. 

201
00:11:56,900 --> 00:12:00,200
We're assuming that we've got 
this in the bag and we have zero

202
00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:02,700
dependence on it. 
And so, that's what James is 

203
00:12:02,700 --> 00:12:05,000
addressing. 
And this passage with these 

204
00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:07,000
Christians with these professing
Christians. 

205
00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:11,800
Now, I want to take just a 
moment and say this, he is not 

206
00:12:11,900 --> 00:12:14,200
condemning their desire to make 
money. 

207
00:12:14,700 --> 00:12:17,500
Okay, let's be very clear about 
that. 

208
00:12:17,900 --> 00:12:21,500
Not condemning even their future
planning. 

209
00:12:22,700 --> 00:12:25,900
Okay, there there plans to go 
and do these things. 

210
00:12:26,100 --> 00:12:28,600
There is nothing inherently 
wrong with these things. 

211
00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:34,100
In fact, if we are to be good 
stewards of the things that God 

212
00:12:34,100 --> 00:12:40,300
gives us, we have to plan ahead.
We have to think ahead and we 

213
00:12:40,300 --> 00:12:46,500
must we must plan on doing 
certain things so making money 

214
00:12:46,500 --> 00:12:49,300
planning ahead is not the root 
of the issue here. 

215
00:12:50,100 --> 00:12:51,900
So we have to ask, where did 
they go wrong? 

216
00:12:52,100 --> 00:12:54,200
And remember, we've already said
it's that arrogance. 

217
00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:59,300
It's that Pride the danger comes
in and what Kyle just read when 

218
00:12:59,300 --> 00:13:02,600
he was doing offering and I know
Kyle well enough to know that he

219
00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:05,800
is so smart and can word things 
so much better than I ever 

220
00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:07,800
could. 
He probably already knew what I 

221
00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:10,800
was preaching and thought about 
that because he's like that but 

222
00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:13,200
if not it's God's Providence 
that he read, what he read 

223
00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:16,200
Because I had it in my notes and
he pretty much took my sermon 

224
00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:18,700
and gave it to you guys in a 
much more eloquent fashion. 

225
00:13:18,700 --> 00:13:23,600
So, I Have just been done there,
but Deuteronomy 8 tells us this 

226
00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:27,400
it says beware lest you say in 
your heart that my power in the 

227
00:13:27,408 --> 00:13:31,300
might of my hand have gotten me 
this wealth, you shall remember 

228
00:13:31,300 --> 00:13:35,000
the Lord your God for it. 
Is he who gives you the power to

229
00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:41,000
get wealth? 
So as he mentioned, you know, T 

230
00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:43,400
and up offering for us and as 
we've mentioned any time we've 

231
00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:47,200
read this, like when we do this 
we're we collect offering. 

232
00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:49,600
We were giving. 
Thanks to God for what he has 

233
00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:52,800
provided in our lives. 
We're holding it with an open 

234
00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:54,000
hand saying. 
This was from you. 

235
00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:55,600
Anyway, I'm just giving it back 
to you. 

236
00:13:55,600 --> 00:13:58,700
It's yours not mine, I didn't do
this. 

237
00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:02,900
So yeah, I might go and I might 
earn that paycheck but who 

238
00:14:02,900 --> 00:14:06,000
allowed me to wake up that 
morning who put breath in my 

239
00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:09,100
lungs? 
Who gave me the ability to get 

240
00:14:09,100 --> 00:14:12,000
out of that bed and walk to go 
brush my teeth and get ready. 

241
00:14:12,900 --> 00:14:16,400
It's only God's goodness and 
kindness that I can do these 

242
00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:19,100
things. 
It's only because God grants it.

243
00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:22,300
And so, these are all examples 
of God's common Grace in our 

244
00:14:22,300 --> 00:14:25,900
lives, that we overlooked. 
So often we have a tendency to 

245
00:14:25,900 --> 00:14:28,500
forget these things and think 
that we have earned them or that

246
00:14:28,700 --> 00:14:30,600
this all becomes, just because 
we do it. 

247
00:14:30,700 --> 00:14:35,300
So, there is a great, a 
commentator when I was studying 

248
00:14:35,300 --> 00:14:39,100
for this sermon that I That I 
came across his name is Douglas,

249
00:14:39,100 --> 00:14:42,800
moo, it's fun to say and so 
we're going to quote him a 

250
00:14:42,808 --> 00:14:44,200
couple of times. 
I don't want you to keep that in

251
00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:46,900
mind. 
So he says this people not only 

252
00:14:46,900 --> 00:14:49,400
leave God out of account and 
planning their lives. 

253
00:14:49,400 --> 00:14:52,600
They brag about it. 
As well proclaiming in effect 

254
00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:56,900
that their autonomy and 
independence from the Lord that 

255
00:14:57,100 --> 00:14:58,500
we begin. 
Assuming that we control the 

256
00:14:58,500 --> 00:15:00,300
duration and direction of our 
lives. 

257
00:15:00,500 --> 00:15:04,600
And such an attitude is simply 
inconsistent with a Christian 

258
00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:08,700
worldview. 
So when we do this, it becomes 

259
00:15:08,700 --> 00:15:11,300
sin. 
James tells us this in verse 17,

260
00:15:11,300 --> 00:15:16,700
whoever knows the right thing to
do and does not do it for him. 

261
00:15:16,700 --> 00:15:20,900
It is sin. 
We know that we are to always 

262
00:15:20,900 --> 00:15:23,100
consider the Lord and his will 
for our lives. 

263
00:15:23,100 --> 00:15:26,300
We are to depend on God, daily. 
We're to be looking to God's 

264
00:15:26,300 --> 00:15:28,100
plan and God's will for our 
lives. 

265
00:15:28,100 --> 00:15:30,200
Not just taking matters into our
own hands. 

266
00:15:30,300 --> 00:15:34,500
He's just told us this in verse 
15, so to not do this. 

267
00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:38,200
Is sinful. 
This is called a sin of 

268
00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:40,000
omission, okay? 
We're going to get really 

269
00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:42,600
technical for a minute, a sin of
omission. 

270
00:15:42,900 --> 00:15:46,600
So you have sins of omission and
sins of commission, okay? 

271
00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:49,700
A sin of commission is when you 
commit a sin it's something you 

272
00:15:49,700 --> 00:15:54,700
do that is sinful. 
I murder I steal I lie, commit 

273
00:15:54,700 --> 00:15:58,200
adultery, whatever you're doing 
is sinful sins of omission are 

274
00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:01,500
things that you do not do that. 
Result in sin things, you ought 

275
00:16:01,500 --> 00:16:03,200
to be doing yet. 
You are not. 

276
00:16:03,500 --> 00:16:06,500
I'm not loving my neighbor. 
The way I am commanded to I'm 

277
00:16:06,500 --> 00:16:08,300
not Not honoring my parents. 
The way. 

278
00:16:08,300 --> 00:16:12,200
I am commanded to not praying, 
not reading my Bible. 

279
00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:14,600
I'm not Gathering Together on a 
Sunday morning. 

280
00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:18,000
My brothers and sisters in the 
faith to uplift one another and 

281
00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:21,100
praise God. 
Things I'm commanded by his word

282
00:16:21,100 --> 00:16:24,600
to do. 
I'm not considering the Lord in 

283
00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:29,400
my day-to-day planning things 
that God's word tells me I am to

284
00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:31,200
do. 
When I do not do these things, 

285
00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:36,300
it is sin. 
And this is just as serious just

286
00:16:36,300 --> 00:16:39,000
as Grave as a sin of commission.
Okay? 

287
00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:43,500
So we need to remember that 
verses 13 through 17 raar. 

288
00:16:43,500 --> 00:16:47,800
Very strong rebuke to Christians
on what their attitude should be

289
00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:51,300
regarding wealth. 
We would do well to remember 

290
00:16:51,300 --> 00:16:54,900
this and to heed this warning. 
We're going to look at how to 

291
00:16:54,900 --> 00:16:57,500
apply this to our lives here in 
just a little bit. 

292
00:16:57,600 --> 00:16:59,000
But first, let's look at the 
next section. 

293
00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:02,400
So chapter 5, starting at verse 
1. 

294
00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:07,200
Now, this section James turns 
his attention to non-christians,

295
00:17:07,700 --> 00:17:09,400
okay? 
And this is how we can know that

296
00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:13,099
again, Douglas moose is this? 
The first section was written 

297
00:17:13,099 --> 00:17:17,599
with questions answers and 
exhortations this section. 

298
00:17:17,599 --> 00:17:20,800
However, James 5 1 through 6, 
has none of that. 

299
00:17:21,900 --> 00:17:26,099
James is style, is that of the 
prophets pronouncing, doom, on 

300
00:17:26,099 --> 00:17:29,700
Pagan Nations, he relentlessly 
attacks. 

301
00:17:29,700 --> 00:17:33,800
These people with no hint of 
exhortation whatsoever. 

302
00:17:34,900 --> 00:17:37,700
Now, he goes on to say this and 
I found this very interesting. 

303
00:17:37,700 --> 00:17:42,200
We talked about this in our home
group, this past week, a little 

304
00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:45,600
bit of a history lesson on 
context and what was happening 

305
00:17:45,900 --> 00:17:49,900
in that area with his listeners 
at the time this period 

306
00:17:50,300 --> 00:17:53,900
witnessed in increasing 
Concentration of land in the 

307
00:17:53,900 --> 00:17:57,100
hands of a very small group of 
wealthy landowners. 

308
00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:00,400
Okay? 
As a result, many farmers were 

309
00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:04,400
forced to earn their living by 
hiring themselves out to these 

310
00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:07,500
rich. 
Landlords Jesus, parable about 

311
00:18:07,500 --> 00:18:10,400
the workers in the vineyard in. 
Matthew 20 is cast against this 

312
00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:14,500
familiar rural background and it
is significant. 

313
00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:19,100
Don't miss this that the workers
expect their pay at the end of 

314
00:18:19,100 --> 00:18:22,000
the day. 
Prompt payment would have been 

315
00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:25,500
very important for the laborer 
who often got by at a barely 

316
00:18:25,700 --> 00:18:30,500
substance level and needed 
steady income to provide daily 

317
00:18:30,500 --> 00:18:32,700
bread for himself and his 
family. 

318
00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:36,600
In a society where credit was 
not readily available, the 

319
00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:39,700
failure to pay their workers 
promptly could jeopardize life 

320
00:18:39,700 --> 00:18:45,200
itself, So this is the context 
for this section. 

321
00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:47,700
It is addressed of these 
non-Christian landowners who are

322
00:18:47,700 --> 00:18:51,800
cheating, their poor laborers 
and workers, who were Christians

323
00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:55,400
out of their do pay every day. 
They expected to get paid at the

324
00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:58,800
end of the day to go by, that 
day's food and come home and 

325
00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:02,200
feed their family and they're 
getting cheated out of that. 

326
00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:05,300
So again, chapter 5 look at 
verse 1. 

327
00:19:05,300 --> 00:19:08,000
How does it start? 
Come now, you rich. 

328
00:19:08,100 --> 00:19:10,000
Remember what I told you. 
That means, right? 

329
00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:12,500
Like look here. 
It's another rebuke. 

330
00:19:12,500 --> 00:19:14,100
We know that right out of the 
gate. 

331
00:19:14,500 --> 00:19:16,600
He is rebuking, he says come 
now. 

332
00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:21,900
You rich now. 
A lot of times in scripture and 

333
00:19:21,900 --> 00:19:24,800
especially in some of these 
texts when you see someone, when

334
00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:28,700
they address a people group and 
say you rich, that is not a good

335
00:19:28,700 --> 00:19:33,800
thing. 
That is that's a, it's not a 

336
00:19:33,808 --> 00:19:36,900
cuss word but it was it was a 
bad thing to be called you rich.

337
00:19:36,900 --> 00:19:39,900
This was not a bragging on them 
at all. 

338
00:19:40,900 --> 00:19:44,800
So he's telling them you need to
weep and howl for the miseries 

339
00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:48,300
which are coming upon you. 
This is very old testament 

340
00:19:48,300 --> 00:19:51,500
language. 
Waiting this pending judgment 

341
00:19:51,500 --> 00:19:54,100
and doom on these people. 
These people are going to be 

342
00:19:54,100 --> 00:19:58,500
judged by God Almighty. 
He says this about them, follow 

343
00:19:58,500 --> 00:20:02,900
me, through these verses, your 
riches are rotted, your garments

344
00:20:02,900 --> 00:20:07,000
are moth-eaten, your gold and 
silver have rusted and it's in 

345
00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:10,400
the last days that you've stored
up your treasure in your wealth,

346
00:20:11,500 --> 00:20:15,100
all of this language, okay? 
Whether whether literal or 

347
00:20:15,100 --> 00:20:18,900
figurative, paints a picture 
that these rich had hoarded 

348
00:20:18,900 --> 00:20:20,600
there. 
Rather than paying their 

349
00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:24,300
laborers, or using their things 
that they had to help others in 

350
00:20:24,300 --> 00:20:26,100
need. 
There were greedy for gain 

351
00:20:26,500 --> 00:20:30,100
dishonest and crooked. 
So, you get this idea of 

352
00:20:30,100 --> 00:20:33,300
treasure that they're just 
collecting and hoarding it up so

353
00:20:33,300 --> 00:20:35,500
much so and not spending it. 
And it's just sitting in a pile 

354
00:20:35,500 --> 00:20:37,600
of rusting. 
I've got so many clothes and 

355
00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:40,500
their closet at home, like, the 
nicest things that it's just 

356
00:20:40,500 --> 00:20:42,700
rotting away in a closet. 
It's moth-eaten, they're not 

357
00:20:42,700 --> 00:20:45,200
even wearing it, but they're 
certainly not sharing it with 

358
00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:46,700
anyone. 
They're not paying anyone 

359
00:20:46,700 --> 00:20:48,100
anything? 
It's all mine. 

360
00:20:48,100 --> 00:20:54,100
I want it all. because of this 
James says that the rust of 

361
00:20:54,100 --> 00:20:57,300
their gold and silver and the 
pay that they are withholding 

362
00:20:57,300 --> 00:21:02,100
from their laborers, cries out 
against them, that is the 

363
00:21:02,100 --> 00:21:06,000
evidence that will convince them
when they stand before almighty 

364
00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:08,400
God. 
What about this? 

365
00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:11,000
Rusty, silver and gold. 
You were supposed to pay the 

366
00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:12,200
people that were working for 
you. 

367
00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:14,900
What about all these moth-eaten 
clothes that you could have 

368
00:21:14,900 --> 00:21:17,900
helped clothe the naked. 
And the needy with that is the 

369
00:21:17,900 --> 00:21:22,400
very evidence that will condemn.
These people James says, in the 

370
00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:25,700
second part of verse, for the 
cries of the Harvesters have 

371
00:21:25,700 --> 00:21:28,800
reached the ears of the Lord of 
hosts. 

372
00:21:30,300 --> 00:21:34,300
He is confirming that none of 
these evil Deeds have escaped. 

373
00:21:34,500 --> 00:21:41,000
The eyes of the Lord, He sees 
all he knows all and he will 

374
00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:43,900
repay these Wicked for what they
have done. 

375
00:21:44,900 --> 00:21:48,300
The nasb here. 
Instead of Lord, of hosts says, 

376
00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:53,500
lord of the Sabbath, what this 
means when you see that word as 

377
00:21:53,500 --> 00:21:56,800
Lord, of hosts is, it's not just
saying the Lord or the Lord of 

378
00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:58,600
Heaven. 
This has a connotation to it. 

379
00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:03,900
The Lord of armies, Angel, 
armies hosts of angels, this is 

380
00:22:03,900 --> 00:22:07,400
this paints, a picture of the 
cries of those people you're 

381
00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:09,100
cheating. 
Have reached the ears of the 

382
00:22:09,100 --> 00:22:13,200
Lord with an army behind him, 
ready to come to send upon you. 

383
00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:18,400
it is this would have been a 
very very scary thing to hear 

384
00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:23,500
and to imagine He goes on to 
describe these rich 

385
00:22:23,500 --> 00:22:26,400
non-believers in, even more 
detail and verses, five and six.

386
00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:29,500
He said says, you have lived on 
the earth and luxury. 

387
00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:32,700
And in self-indulgence, you have
fattened your hearts in the day 

388
00:22:32,700 --> 00:22:36,400
of Slaughter, you've condemned 
and murdered the righteous 

389
00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:40,500
person he doesn't resist you. 
So living in luxury. 

390
00:22:40,700 --> 00:22:43,300
These rich landowners, again, 
had it all, they had the nicest 

391
00:22:43,300 --> 00:22:46,700
things but they were fattening 
themselves for the day of 

392
00:22:46,700 --> 00:22:49,000
Slaughter. 
Now anybody, you know, most of 

393
00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:52,000
you guys will know in Southwest 
Arkansas Anybody knows that 

394
00:22:52,500 --> 00:22:56,400
about farming that if you, if 
you're going to take an animal 

395
00:22:56,800 --> 00:22:59,800
to slaughter, what do you do? 
First before you take them? 

396
00:23:00,500 --> 00:23:02,600
You fatten them up, right? 
You get them ready. 

397
00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:04,900
And that's exactly what these 
people were doing. 

398
00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:07,400
They had fatten themselves for 
Slaughter. 

399
00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:09,800
They were tearing themselves up 
for judgment. 

400
00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:12,800
Like, you've done a good job 
now, get ready to pay for what 

401
00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:17,300
you've done. 
This is exactly what was going 

402
00:23:17,300 --> 00:23:19,500
on here. 
Now, James points out that the 

403
00:23:19,500 --> 00:23:21,900
poor in the righteous. 
They can't even defend 

404
00:23:21,900 --> 00:23:24,000
themselves against these 
powerful landowners. 

405
00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:28,000
Their helpless against these 
rich, arrogant landowners, they 

406
00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:31,800
were innocent, they're being 
mistreated their wages withheld 

407
00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:34,500
to the point that they can't 
even provide daily food for 

408
00:23:34,500 --> 00:23:39,300
their families. 
The result of this was often 

409
00:23:39,300 --> 00:23:44,700
death by starvation. 
We've been reading through the 

410
00:23:44,700 --> 00:23:47,700
book of Lamentations in our 
daily Bible reading and we just 

411
00:23:47,700 --> 00:23:52,600
came across a text the other day
that shows how bad life can be 

412
00:23:53,300 --> 00:23:56,100
when you're starving to death. 
And I want to kind of give a 

413
00:23:56,100 --> 00:23:58,400
warning here, this is a bit 
graphic but this is God's word 

414
00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:01,400
and I'm going to read it 
Lamentations for six through 10 

415
00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:05,100
says this, for the chastisement 
of the daughter of my people has

416
00:24:05,100 --> 00:24:08,500
been greater than the punishment
of Sodom, which was overthrown 

417
00:24:08,500 --> 00:24:10,700
in a moment, and no hands were 
wrong for her. 

418
00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:14,200
Princes were pure than snow 
wider than milk. 

419
00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:16,300
Their bodies were more ready 
than Coral. 

420
00:24:16,500 --> 00:24:18,800
The beauty of their form was 
like Sapphire. 

421
00:24:19,500 --> 00:24:23,000
Now, their face is blacker than 
suit. 

422
00:24:23,300 --> 00:24:26,500
They are not recognized in the 
streets, your skin has shriveled

423
00:24:26,500 --> 00:24:29,500
on their bones. 
It has become as dry as would 

424
00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:34,100
happier were the victims of the 
sword than the victims of hunger

425
00:24:34,100 --> 00:24:38,000
who wasted away pierced by lack 
of the fresh fruits of the 

426
00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:41,800
field. 
The hands of compassionate, 

427
00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:44,100
women have boiled their own 
children. 

428
00:24:44,900 --> 00:24:47,400
They've become their food during
the destruction of the daughter 

429
00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:52,600
of my people. 
This is what starvation can look

430
00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:54,800
like when people are driven to 
despair. 

431
00:24:56,500 --> 00:24:58,500
And it was not a pretty sight. 
And this is what these 

432
00:24:58,500 --> 00:25:01,500
landowners are doing. 
Now I'm not trying to take 

433
00:25:01,700 --> 00:25:05,600
Lamentations and apply it to. 
This is not exactly the same but

434
00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:07,800
these landowners are withholding
Daily Bread. 

435
00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:10,000
Mama's can't feed their babies 
daddies are coming, home 

436
00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:13,500
empty-handed, nothing to buy 
daily bread and that's why it's 

437
00:25:13,500 --> 00:25:15,900
saying that they are murdering 
the righteous and they have no 

438
00:25:15,900 --> 00:25:17,900
power to do anything to 
withstand this. 

439
00:25:19,900 --> 00:25:22,600
So they're misusing their 
status, and their wealth and an 

440
00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:26,100
unspeakable manner. 
There was absolutely zero desire

441
00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:28,000
to honor the Lord or to help 
anyone. 

442
00:25:28,700 --> 00:25:31,800
Now again, I want to take just a
quick moment to point out just 

443
00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:35,400
like in the last text. 
There is nothing wrong with 

444
00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:38,800
owning land. 
Okay, there's nothing wrong with

445
00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:40,600
wanting to be a wealthy 
landowner. 

446
00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:43,600
It's all about the heart behind 
it and how you use it? 

447
00:25:44,100 --> 00:25:47,600
God desires, that we take what 
he gives us and we use it for 

448
00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:51,200
good to help others. 
When we do this, God will reward

449
00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:53,500
us. 
He may even reward you with more

450
00:25:53,500 --> 00:25:57,200
wealth as we see in the parable 
of the talents, but it's not 

451
00:25:57,200 --> 00:26:00,100
promised. 
And that's why the attitude 

452
00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:03,600
should always be if the Lord 
Wills, it's Not that. 

453
00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:05,400
I'm going to do these things. 
It's not. 

454
00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:08,300
I know I've got this. 
It's like if God grants it 

455
00:26:08,300 --> 00:26:10,300
great. 
And if he does, I want to use it

456
00:26:10,300 --> 00:26:13,200
in a way that honors him and 
helps others, but I'm dependent 

457
00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:16,500
on him daily every single day, 
for that daily bread. 

458
00:26:16,500 --> 00:26:19,300
That's how dependent we are on 
God. 

459
00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:23,500
So, this begs the question, 
okay? 

460
00:26:23,500 --> 00:26:26,800
Remember, the Book of James is 
addressed to Christians on 

461
00:26:26,800 --> 00:26:28,600
practical living, right? 
We've talked about that. 

462
00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:32,800
So why would James include the 
section that's written to 

463
00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:34,700
non-christians? 
Ian's in a letter written to 

464
00:26:34,700 --> 00:26:37,900
Christians. 
Well, John Calvin had two 

465
00:26:37,900 --> 00:26:41,200
reasons that he gave us for why 
he thought so says that. 

466
00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:44,600
Number one, James has a regard 
to the faithful that they 

467
00:26:44,600 --> 00:26:47,500
hearing of the miserable end of 
the rich, might not envy their 

468
00:26:47,500 --> 00:26:50,800
fortune. 
And to knowing that God would be

469
00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:54,100
the Avenger of the wrongs that 
they suffered that they might 

470
00:26:54,100 --> 00:26:57,200
with calm and resigned Mine, 
Bear them. 

471
00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:03,900
Perhaps James is trying to 
encourage his readers. 

472
00:27:04,300 --> 00:27:07,000
That these injustices would not 
go unpunished. 

473
00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:12,300
Perhaps he was warning them do 
not fall into this way of life, 

474
00:27:12,300 --> 00:27:16,000
be very careful with this. 
This is a very easy thing to 

475
00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:23,000
fall into so it would do us well
to take These Warnings and to 

476
00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:26,800
take these lessons and he'd them
and listen to them and consider 

477
00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:29,800
them. 
So how do we do that? 

478
00:27:30,700 --> 00:27:34,300
How do we, how do we take this 
and apply it to our lives? 

479
00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:39,600
We need to know how to clearly 
understand it before we can 

480
00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:42,400
apply it. 
So studying it in depth and 

481
00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:45,200
trying to dig down and discern. 
It is huge. 

482
00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:49,500
That's the first step. 
And we have to ask, what can I 

483
00:27:49,508 --> 00:27:52,500
take away from this and what is 
the main point? 

484
00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:56,400
Like how can I sum all this up? 
And so typically, you know we 

485
00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:58,100
might give you this in the 
beginning of a sermon. 

486
00:27:58,100 --> 00:28:00,600
Like here's my big idea. 
Here's but I wanted to wait till

487
00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:03,000
the end to point this out that 
the main point that I'm trying 

488
00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:05,500
to get across to you today. 
And I think James is trying to 

489
00:28:05,500 --> 00:28:10,200
get across to his audience. 
Is this, our wealth should be 

490
00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:14,200
used to exalt Christ and his 
kingdom, not our own. 

491
00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:19,100
Alright, our wealth, the things 
that God gives us the thing that

492
00:28:19,100 --> 00:28:22,400
God, grants us, any of that 
stuff should be used to exalt 

493
00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:26,000
him and his kingdom to help 
others and not build up 

494
00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:29,200
ourselves, that's the heart of 
this passage. 

495
00:28:29,300 --> 00:28:31,200
That's what I want you to take 
away from this. 

496
00:28:32,300 --> 00:28:34,300
And again, your wealth. 
It could be money. 

497
00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:36,200
It could be land, it could be 
your time. 

498
00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:38,500
Could be your talents, your 
treasure. 

499
00:28:38,500 --> 00:28:41,700
We say that a lot. 
Any of these things are God's 

500
00:28:41,800 --> 00:28:44,700
blessings on our lives and we 
can use them for ourselves. 

501
00:28:44,700 --> 00:28:47,600
We can abuse them, or we can use
them to honor the Lord and to 

502
00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:53,800
help others and serve them. 
Because of what Christ did for 

503
00:28:53,800 --> 00:28:55,200
us. 
On that cross. 

504
00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:59,900
We should love the Lord with all
our heart, soul, mind and 

505
00:28:59,900 --> 00:29:02,600
strength. 
He should be the source of our 

506
00:29:02,600 --> 00:29:09,900
confidence, of Our Hope of our 
trust, not my money, not my job,

507
00:29:09,900 --> 00:29:14,400
not my retirement account, not 
my possessions, like none of 

508
00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:17,800
that should be my joy. 
My pride in life. 

509
00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:19,500
That's how I know I'm going to 
be okay. 

510
00:29:19,700 --> 00:29:23,600
I've got a stacked 401K, I've 
got a great job. 

511
00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:26,300
They're never going to fire me. 
I mean, I'm, like the number one

512
00:29:26,300 --> 00:29:29,500
employee none of that stuff 
should be the source of my 

513
00:29:29,500 --> 00:29:32,700
confidence that stuff can go 
away. 

514
00:29:33,500 --> 00:29:37,100
But we've learned that over the 
last few years, like just like 

515
00:29:37,100 --> 00:29:42,000
that can be gone. 
My confidence, my trust, my hope

516
00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:45,600
is in God, Almighty, who holds 
me and keeps me every day and 

517
00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:50,000
whatever he Wills, whatever his 
plan is, I'm going to To heed 

518
00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:52,300
that I'm going to obey that I'm 
going to submit to that. 

519
00:29:55,100 --> 00:29:58,300
We should live in total 
dependence on Christ, every 

520
00:29:58,500 --> 00:30:04,000
single day. 
And if he does bless us, let's 

521
00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:06,800
use it to bless others and to 
advance his kingdom. 

522
00:30:07,800 --> 00:30:10,100
So, if you're in this place 
today, and you are a Christian, 

523
00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:12,300
okay? 
If you were a professing 

524
00:30:12,300 --> 00:30:15,200
Believer and you say Jesus is my
Lord. 

525
00:30:15,300 --> 00:30:18,100
Yes, I'm a Christian. 
Then I want you to understand 

526
00:30:18,100 --> 00:30:22,500
this, that we might read a 
passage like this and think that

527
00:30:22,500 --> 00:30:27,000
it only applies to those with 
loads of Money, Millionaires, 

528
00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:30,700
billionaires of the world guys 
that can buy Twitter, we might 

529
00:30:30,700 --> 00:30:32,300
think that this is addressed to 
them. 

530
00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:35,300
And not to us right that live in
Magnolia Arkansas. 

531
00:30:36,300 --> 00:30:40,500
But as Kyle pointed out here in 
the US, we are rich compared to 

532
00:30:40,500 --> 00:30:44,100
the rest of the world here in 
our country, acquiring more and 

533
00:30:44,100 --> 00:30:46,100
more and more is seen as a very 
good thing. 

534
00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:52,900
Most of our closets would 
reflect this, Our toys that we 

535
00:30:52,900 --> 00:30:56,100
have parked at our house, 
they're just collecting dust. 

536
00:30:56,400 --> 00:30:58,100
I don't even use them. 
They have to be winterized 

537
00:30:58,100 --> 00:30:59,500
because we don't use them that 
often. 

538
00:31:00,900 --> 00:31:04,800
Jesus warns us in Matthew 19, 
verse 23, that only with 

539
00:31:04,800 --> 00:31:07,400
difficulty will a rich person 
enter the kingdom of heaven. 

540
00:31:08,500 --> 00:31:11,600
So, we need to stop and ask 
ourselves how much Faith have I 

541
00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:15,500
put in my own ability to work 
and earn wealth and money. 

542
00:31:16,700 --> 00:31:20,300
In my paycheck. 
And how am I using the money 

543
00:31:20,300 --> 00:31:24,000
that God has granted me? 
How tightly am I holding it? 

544
00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:26,200
How quickly am I blowing it on 
things? 

545
00:31:26,200 --> 00:31:30,100
I know I don't need and not even
concerning myself with helping 

546
00:31:30,100 --> 00:31:32,200
others or how God would have me 
use this. 

547
00:31:34,100 --> 00:31:37,500
Matthew Henry says that we are 
always to depend on the will of 

548
00:31:37,500 --> 00:31:42,100
God, our times are not in our 
own hands, but at the disposal 

549
00:31:42,300 --> 00:31:46,400
of God, our heads may be filled 
with cares and contrivances for 

550
00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:48,800
ourselves, or our families or 
our friends. 

551
00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:53,900
But Providence often throws our 
plans into confusion, all we 

552
00:31:53,900 --> 00:31:57,300
design and all we do. 
Should be with submissive 

553
00:31:57,300 --> 00:32:02,400
dependence on God, it is foolish
and it is hurtful to brag of 

554
00:32:02,500 --> 00:32:04,500
Worldly things and aspiring 
projects. 

555
00:32:04,500 --> 00:32:07,200
It will bring great 
disappointment, improve 

556
00:32:07,200 --> 00:32:11,800
destruction in the end. 
So Christian, I want you to hear

557
00:32:11,800 --> 00:32:14,200
this today, brother and sister 
in Christ. 

558
00:32:14,600 --> 00:32:20,100
God is sovereign. 
Life is short, do not put your 

559
00:32:20,100 --> 00:32:23,900
trust in your own plans or in 
your own abilities, but seek 

560
00:32:23,900 --> 00:32:27,600
God's will for your life live 
in, utter dependence on him 

561
00:32:27,700 --> 00:32:30,500
daily and give him. 
Thanks for what He blesses you 

562
00:32:30,500 --> 00:32:35,200
with. if you have not been doing
this, now is a great time to 

563
00:32:35,200 --> 00:32:39,600
confess that to God and repent 
of that, humble yourselves and 

564
00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:43,900
submit to his will today, 
because guess what You don't 

565
00:32:43,900 --> 00:32:49,200
know what tomorrow brings. 
You might think you know what 

566
00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:52,700
maybe eventually I'll do that 
but right now I've got things 

567
00:32:52,700 --> 00:32:55,000
going pretty good but you don't 
know that tomorrow is coming. 

568
00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:57,100
Don't wait till tomorrow to do 
this. 

569
00:32:57,300 --> 00:32:59,900
Humble yourselves before the 
Lord and submit yourself to his 

570
00:32:59,900 --> 00:33:04,500
will. 
Now, maybe you're in this place 

571
00:33:04,500 --> 00:33:07,400
today and you're not a Believer.
Maybe you've never put your 

572
00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:10,300
faith in Christ, maybe you've 
never confessed him as Lord, of 

573
00:33:10,300 --> 00:33:13,200
your life may be of some of this
is new to you, maybe you didn't 

574
00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:16,400
grow up in church, I don't know.
But let's just say for a moment 

575
00:33:16,400 --> 00:33:19,000
that this is you and that you 
say, you know, I've never really

576
00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:21,900
submitted my life to God. 
I've never really put my faith 

577
00:33:21,900 --> 00:33:26,600
in confidence in Jesus. 
Let me Echo. 

578
00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:32,600
What James is warning you in 
this passage that money and your

579
00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:35,900
job and your 401k to retirement 
people. 

580
00:33:36,900 --> 00:33:40,000
All of these Earthly things are 
going to fail you at some point.

581
00:33:41,100 --> 00:33:45,800
None of it can bring true 
lasting Joy or peace. 

582
00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:50,400
These are just tools that God's 
given us but none of it can 

583
00:33:50,400 --> 00:33:53,900
replace God himself as our 
source of that, that hope and 

584
00:33:53,900 --> 00:33:59,100
that confidence in that trust. 
It's all going to go away at 

585
00:33:59,100 --> 00:34:02,700
some point. 
You don't know what tomorrow, 

586
00:34:02,900 --> 00:34:06,200
holds any one of us as I've 
already pointed out. 

587
00:34:06,200 --> 00:34:08,699
Any one of us could lose 
everything just like that. 

588
00:34:09,900 --> 00:34:14,500
Could be gone. 
Just this morning in my daily 

589
00:34:14,500 --> 00:34:16,500
Bible reading. 
I came across this passage in 

590
00:34:16,500 --> 00:34:20,699
Ezekiel chapter 7 verse 19. 
They cast their silver into the 

591
00:34:20,699 --> 00:34:23,199
streets, and their gold is like 
an unclean thing. 

592
00:34:23,199 --> 00:34:26,199
They're silver and gold are not 
able to deliver them. 

593
00:34:26,199 --> 00:34:27,900
In the day of the Wrath of the 
Lord. 

594
00:34:28,300 --> 00:34:31,500
They cannot satisfy their hunger
or fill their stomachs with it 

595
00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:33,900
for. 
It was the stumbling block of 

596
00:34:33,900 --> 00:34:39,900
their iniquity. 
Riches fade, they go away. 

597
00:34:40,500 --> 00:34:43,600
It's temporary. 
Guy's life is over so short, so 

598
00:34:43,600 --> 00:34:47,300
quickly, don't put your faith in
your hope and money. 

599
00:34:48,800 --> 00:34:50,600
Put your Faith and Hope in God 
alone. 

600
00:34:50,600 --> 00:34:52,400
He's the only one that can 
satisfy. 

601
00:34:52,400 --> 00:34:54,600
He's the only one that will 
endure. 

602
00:34:55,800 --> 00:35:00,400
So what's the solution to this? 
Matthew 6:19 through 21 says, 

603
00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:03,100
don't lay up for yourselves, 
Treasures on Earth, where moth 

604
00:35:03,100 --> 00:35:05,700
and rust destroy and where 
thieves break in and steal. 

605
00:35:05,900 --> 00:35:09,200
But lay up for yourselves, 
Treasures, in Heaven, where 

606
00:35:09,200 --> 00:35:12,200
neither moth nor rust destroys 
and where thieves do not break 

607
00:35:12,200 --> 00:35:16,100
in and steal for where your 
treasure, is there, your heart 

608
00:35:16,100 --> 00:35:20,000
will be. 
Also maybe you aren't a wealthy 

609
00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:23,400
landowner. 
Maybe you haven't withheld wages

610
00:35:23,400 --> 00:35:25,200
from anybody or mistreated 
anybody. 

611
00:35:26,300 --> 00:35:29,100
But where is your treasure? 
Where does your treasure lie? 

612
00:35:29,100 --> 00:35:30,900
Think about that, for just a 
moment. 

613
00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:32,500
What is your most prized 
possession? 

614
00:35:32,500 --> 00:35:36,600
What is your treasure? 
Is it your truck or your boat? 

615
00:35:37,900 --> 00:35:40,600
Your China collection or 
whatever, what is it? 

616
00:35:40,600 --> 00:35:44,200
What's your most valued 
possession thing you care about 

617
00:35:44,200 --> 00:35:46,000
in value more than anything else
in life? 

618
00:35:47,900 --> 00:35:52,800
Where does your heart lie? 
Are you totally submitted to 

619
00:35:52,800 --> 00:35:55,000
Christ? 
Have you pledged your life to 

620
00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:57,600
serving him with your time 
talent and treasure? 

621
00:35:57,900 --> 00:36:03,500
If you have not urge you today 
that you believe the gospel that

622
00:36:03,500 --> 00:36:05,400
you make? 
Jesus, Lord of your life? 

623
00:36:06,800 --> 00:36:12,400
As Romans lays out so well and 
Romans 3:23 we have all sinned 

624
00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:14,200
and fallen short of the glory of
God. 

625
00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:20,300
And then in 6:23 the wages of 
that sin is death. 

626
00:36:22,100 --> 00:36:25,300
Romans 5:8 says, but God shows 
his love for us in that. 

627
00:36:25,300 --> 00:36:28,200
While we were sinners Christ 
died for us. 

628
00:36:29,600 --> 00:36:33,100
And then we know John 3:16 that 
God, so loved the world that he 

629
00:36:33,100 --> 00:36:35,300
gave his only son, that whoever 
believes in him, should not 

630
00:36:35,300 --> 00:36:40,000
perish, but have eternal life. 
And so back to Romans 10:9, if 

631
00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:42,800
you confess with your mouth, 
that Jesus is Lord and believe 

632
00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:45,300
in your heart, that God raised 
him from the dead, you will be 

633
00:36:45,300 --> 00:36:50,300
saved. 
And in Romans, 8:1 there is 

634
00:36:50,300 --> 00:36:53,800
therefore now no condemnation 
for those who are in Christ 

635
00:36:53,800 --> 00:36:58,000
Jesus. 
We are all sinners if you are in

636
00:36:58,000 --> 00:37:00,800
this place and you've never made
Christ, Lord of your life. 

637
00:37:00,800 --> 00:37:04,600
If you need to submit your life 
to him in All regards and stop, 

638
00:37:04,600 --> 00:37:07,400
depending on yourself, do that 
today. 

639
00:37:08,700 --> 00:37:12,100
Understand and confess that you 
are a sinner and that you need a

640
00:37:12,100 --> 00:37:14,900
savior, put your trust in him 
alone. 

641
00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:19,200
Repent of your sins, turn to 
Christ, trust him and put your 

642
00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:21,300
faith in him and be reborn 
today. 

643
00:37:23,300 --> 00:37:26,200
Do that while you still can 
because you are not promised 

644
00:37:26,200 --> 00:37:29,200
tomorrow. 
Amen. 

645
00:37:30,100 --> 00:37:31,700
And let's pray. 
Father. 

646
00:37:31,700 --> 00:37:35,800
We love you and God, we are 
grateful to have been in this 

647
00:37:35,800 --> 00:37:39,200
place today to gather together 
and open your word and read from

648
00:37:39,200 --> 00:37:43,600
it. 
God I pray I pray for everyone 

649
00:37:43,600 --> 00:37:47,700
in this place that all of us 
could take a text like this and 

650
00:37:47,700 --> 00:37:52,700
apply it to our lives and know 
that My riches, my wealth, my 

651
00:37:52,700 --> 00:37:56,300
money, my stuff. 
None of it matters. 

652
00:37:56,500 --> 00:38:01,900
It can all be gone in an instant
Help us God Walk daily and just 

653
00:38:01,900 --> 00:38:05,800
utter dependence on you, utter 
dependence, on your will for our

654
00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:07,700
lives. 
Help us to submit to that. 

655
00:38:07,700 --> 00:38:11,300
Help us to lay down our lives 
and submission to you. 

656
00:38:12,700 --> 00:38:14,400
Teach us how to walk in your 
ways. 

657
00:38:14,500 --> 00:38:17,800
Daily God. 
I pray, Lord that if there's 

658
00:38:17,800 --> 00:38:19,500
anyone in this place, it is 
never done. 

659
00:38:19,500 --> 00:38:22,600
This, that is never submitted 
their lives to you, that they 

660
00:38:22,600 --> 00:38:25,500
would do that. 
Today, that you would convict 

661
00:38:25,500 --> 00:38:28,000
their hearts. 
She would Pierce their hearts 

662
00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:30,100
and Minds with your word and 
that you would call them to 

663
00:38:30,100 --> 00:38:35,600
yourself. 
Forgive us Lord for when we fail

664
00:38:35,600 --> 00:38:39,600
to do this. 
Help us to remember daily to 

665
00:38:39,600 --> 00:38:42,900
walk in that newness of life 
that comes only through you. 

666
00:38:44,500 --> 00:38:46,700
God, we are so grateful for all 
that. 

667
00:38:46,700 --> 00:38:49,500
You've given us. 
We love you. 

668
00:38:49,500 --> 00:38:54,300
Lord, in Christ's name. 
We pray these things, amen. 

669
00:38:49,000 --> 00:38:51,700
We love you. 
Lord, in Christ's name. 

670
00:38:51,700 --> 00:38:54,300
We pray these things, amen.
