Sermons

Message Series:  The Book of James – Faith Really Works

 

Today:  Faith Really Works When Money Gets Confused With Treasure

 

Speaker:  Ronnie Norman

 

Message Text:  James 5:1-6

 

 

James 5  (NLT)

 ¹ Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. ² Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags.

 

 ³ Your gold and silver have become worthless. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This treasure you have accumulated will stand as evidence against you on the day of judgment.

 

⁴ For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The wages you held back cry out against you. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

 

 ⁵ You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. ⁶ You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you.

 

 

1.  When we stand before God, the things that really matter will not be things.

 

2. Some of us have forgotten why we have so much. 

 

Luke 16:9

Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.

 

3. Do you lean towards tithing or tipping?

 

• Priority

 

Proverbs 3:9

Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops …

 

Luke 16:11

And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?

 

 

• Scheduled & Systematic

 

1 Corinthians 16:1-2

 ¹Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. ²On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.

 

• Proportional

 

Galatians 6

 ⁶Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.

 

⁴Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, ⁵for each one should carry his own load.

 

1 Timothy 6

 ¹⁷Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. ¹⁸Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. ¹⁹In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.