James 5:1-6 STARTER
James 1-5 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Dangers of riches
Synopsis
Material wealth can be a source of both physical and spiritual danger, against which believers are clearly warned to be on their guard.
Riches are spiritually dangerous
Love of riches a root of many evils
1 Ti 6:10
1 Timothy 6:10 (NKJV) — 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
See also Jos 7:11; Jos 7:20–21; 1 Ti 3:3
Joshua 7:11 (NKJV) — 11 Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff.
Joshua 7:20–21 (NKJV) — 20 And Achan answered Joshua and said, “Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done: 21 When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it.”
1 Timothy 3:3 (NKJV) — 3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;
They may lead to divided loyalty
Mt 6:24
Matthew 6:24 (NKJV) — 24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
See also Mt 4:9–10; Jas 4:4
Matthew 4:9–10 (NKJV) — 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
James 4:4 (NKJV) — 4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
They may hinder people’s response to the gospel
Mt 13:22; Mt 19:21–22
Matthew 13:22 (NKJV) — 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
Matthew 19:21–22 (NKJV) — 21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
They may create false security
1 Ti 6:17
1 Timothy 6:17 (NKJV) — 17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.
See also Job 31:24–28; Ps 52:6–7; Pr 11:28; Je 49:4
Job 31:24–28 (NKJV) — 24 “If I have made gold my hope, Or said to fine gold, ‘You are my confidence’; 25 If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, And because my hand had gained much; 26 If I have observed the sun when it shines, Or the moon moving in brightness, 27 So that my heart has been secretly enticed, And my mouth has kissed my hand; 28 This also would be an iniquity deserving of judgment, For I would have denied God who is above.
Psalm 52:6–7 (NKJV) — 6 The righteous also shall see and fear, And shall laugh at him, saying, 7 “Here is the man who did not make God his strength, But trusted in the abundance of his riches, And strengthened himself in his wickedness.”
Proverbs 11:28 (NKJV) — 28 He who trusts in his riches will fall, But the righteous will flourish like foliage.
Jeremiah 49:4 (NKJV) — 4 Why do you boast in the valleys, Your flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? Who trusted in her treasures, saying, ‘Who will come against me?’
They may make people proud
Eze 28:5
Ezekiel 28:5 (NKJV) — 5 By your great wisdom in trade you have increased your riches, And your heart is lifted up because of your riches),”
See also Ps 62:10; Pr 18:23; Pr 28:11; Ho 12:8
Psalm 62:10 (NKJV) — 10 Do not trust in oppression, Nor vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, Do not set your heart on them.
Proverbs 18:23 (NKJV) — 23 The poor man uses entreaties, But the rich answers roughly.
Proverbs 28:11 (NKJV) — 11 The rich man is wise in his own eyes, But the poor who has understanding searches him out.
Hosea 12:8 (NKJV) — 8 And Ephraim said, ‘Surely I have become rich, I have found wealth for myself; In all my labors They shall find in me no iniquity that is sin.’
They may cause unbelief and anxiety
Ec 5:12
Ecclesiastes 5:12 (NKJV) — 12 The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, Whether he eats little or much; But the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep.
See also Job 20:17–20; Pr 15:6
Job 20:17–20 (NKJV) — 17 He will not see the streams, The rivers flowing with honey and cream. 18 He will restore that for which he labored, And will not swallow it down; From the proceeds of business He will get no enjoyment. 19 For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor, He has violently seized a house which he did not build. 20 “Because he knows no quietness in his heart, He will not save anything he desires.
Proverbs 15:6 (NKJV) — 6 In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, But in the revenue of the wicked is trouble.
They may lead people to forget God
Pr 30:8–9
Proverbs 30:8–9 (NKJV) — 8 Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches— Feed me with the food allotted to me; 9 Lest I be full and deny You, And say, “Who is the Lord?” Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God.
See also Dt 8:10–14; Dt 32:15; Ne 9:25–26; Ho 13:6
Deuteronomy 8:10–14 (NKJV) — 10 When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you. 11 “Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, 12 lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; 13 and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; 14 when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;
Deuteronomy 32:15 (NKJV) — 15 “But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; You grew fat, you grew thick, You are obese! Then he forsook God who made him, And scornfully esteemed the Rock of his salvation.
Nehemiah 9:25–26 (NKJV) — 25 And they took strong cities and a rich land, And possessed houses full of all goods, Cisterns already dug, vineyards, olive groves, And fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled and grew fat, And delighted themselves in Your great goodness. 26 “Nevertheless they were disobedient And rebelled against You, Cast Your law behind their backs And killed Your prophets, who testified against them To turn them to Yourself; And they worked great provocations.
Hosea 13:6 (NKJV) — 6 When they had pasture, they were filled; They were filled and their heart was exalted; Therefore they forgot Me.
Riches are physically dangerous
Working for them may cause excessive tiredness
Pr 23:4
Proverbs 23:4 (NKJV) — 4 Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease!
See also Jn 6:26–27
John 6:26–27 (NKJV) — 26 Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”
Enjoying them may lead to self-indulgence
Jas 5:5
James 5:5 (NKJV) — 5 You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter.
See also Hag 1:3–5; Mt 23:25; Lk 16:19–21; 1 Ti 6:8–9
Haggai 1:3–5 (NKJV) — 3 Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” 5 Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways!
Matthew 23:25 (NKJV) — 25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.
Luke 16:19–21 (NKJV) — 19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
1 Timothy 6:8–9 (NKJV) — 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
Misusing them may foster oppression and injustice
Le 19:13
Leviticus 19:13 (NKJV) — 13 ‘You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning.
See also Dt 24:12–15; Pr 22:16; Is 1:23; Je 22:13; Mic 6:12; Mal 3:5; Jas 2:6; Jas 5:4
Deuteronomy 24:12–15 (NKJV) — 12 And if the man is poor, you shall not keep his pledge overnight. 13 You shall in any case return the pledge to him again when the sun goes down, that he may sleep in his own garment and bless you; and it shall be righteousness to you before the Lord your God. 14 “You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether one of your brethren or one of the aliens who is in your land within your gates. 15 Each day you shall give him his wages, and not let the sun go down on it, for he is poor and has set his heart on it; lest he cry out against you to the Lord, and it be sin to you.
Proverbs 22:16 (NKJV) — 16 He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches, And he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty.
Isaiah 1:23 (NKJV) — 23 Your princes are rebellious, And companions of thieves; Everyone loves bribes, And follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, Nor does the cause of the widow come before them.
Jeremiah 22:13 (NKJV) — 13 “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness And his chambers by injustice, Who uses his neighbor’s service without wages And gives him nothing for his work,
Micah 6:12 (NKJV) — 12 For her rich men are full of violence, Her inhabitants have spoken lies, And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
Malachi 3:5 (NKJV) — 5 And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness Against sorcerers, Against adulterers, Against perjurers, Against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, And against those who turn away an alien— Because they do not fear Me,” Says the Lord of hosts.
James 2:6 (NKJV) — 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?
James 5:4 (NKJV) — 4 Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.