James
- gets to the point
- immensely practical words about Christian living
- living God’s way does not come naturally to me
Merchants
James 4:13: makes his own destiny, without any recognition of the plans and purposes of God
Verse 14, “like a mist that appears for a little while then vanishes”
Verse 15, “Instead you ought to say, “if it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that”
The Rich
Fortune introduced excess wealth and morals collapsed before prosperity; the spoils of war encouraged extravagance … public office was stolen through bribery. Lucan 1:160ff
What sort of being rich is wrong?
The Hoarder (v1-3)
… rich enough to have their wealth rot or corrode.
Verse 3, “hoarded their wealth in the last days”
The Exploiter (v4)
Ripped off the workers
The Self Indulgent
You have lived on earth in luxury and self indulgence. You have fattened yourself for the day of slaughter. James 5:5
So what is self indulgence and luxury?
One final warning
James 5:6: many innocent people have been condemned or murdered.
For us today
Seek God’s will with our lives and our wealth
Has your riches diverted your focus?
Why has God allowed us as his people to be so affluent?
Luke 12:33, “where your treasure, there your heart will also be”
Cheapest is not always best
Do I object to people being exploited so I can buy cheaper things?
So how serious is this problem?