The Unscrupulous Rich (Part B)

So this filthy rich filthy poor can both be guilty of covetousness, even though one fails to gain what they covet. The other one has not what is in the heart, not what is in the wallet portfolio. What is in your heart, what are you really up to. What do you really think about the things in this world. That's what Jesus is interested in, and anything you say can be held against you or for you. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston.

Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville.

Rick is currently teaching through the book of James. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, and now here's pastor Rick as he continues in James chapter 5 in his message the unscrupulous rich women living in the day of Isaiah they living in the lap of luxury, flaunting their status symbols as they walked about Isaiah address them, he says. Moreover, Yahweh says because the daughters of Zion are hardy and walk with outstretched next and wanting eyes walking and mincing as they go making a jingling with their feet. This mincing was not preparing dinner as they were gold. They were mincing vegetables and meat. They were shuffling along again flaunting their wealth before those who were not as wealthy and so James has precedence here in the Scriptures something God is already dealt with in cases Jewish countrymen had lost sight of this. He brings it up before them. Verse two he says your riches are corrupted. Your garments are moth-eaten material possessions without Christ there corrupted.

They are ruined by the fact that he's not part of them. They will only take you so far.

It is not evil to be rich but there is evil in loving money and of course many really feel that if they could just have money to be safe will have peace now, certainly without money pieces diminished safety. It also starts to go away, but there must be a balance. So Paul warns Timothy to warn the believers. This he said the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil is so much evil in the world. Because of this love of power because if you have money you can get other things to and may not buy you love can buy you last that that is something to have lust for whatever it is you crave so again he says to Timothy, the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in that greediness is an issue with Kristin some Christians that they pray to God for a good job and they get a super job and then they leave the faith because they become absorbed by possessions get greedy.

God gets in the way of their greed so they walk away from God, he says, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. He speaks as though he's witness this because he has started James covetousness wanting more than what you should want. I guess it's a very quick definition, covetousness, the last of the 10 Commandments. It is, but it is the most dangerous one to fall prey to covetousness will make a person break.

The other nine commandments because you want something you break it giving you can become a murder and adultery you can become a blasphemer in idolater because you want something the wrong way wrong things, even it is a gateway sin to greater sins don't trivialize Paul after his conversion he said I really didn't have any problems as a Pharisee, except I had the problem of covetousness, and he knew that along them to soul, and so those who are not rich but love money are as guilty as those who are rich and love money what's in the heart, not so much what's in the wallet money love money love ruins. Other love relationships you can change that. And you would still. I think the very very much correct in saying false loves kill true love. Love is one of the most special things we have and that is one of the most difficult things to execute in Christ.

It is impossible to do it without him self enrichment engulfs the life, so we were warned about these things. How do you feel when you see your child becoming a little bit too greedy one.

How do I bring that down a little bit you find is not easy at all really just GOD and him being covetousness. You know what, that's not good for me is to say one more. Jesus said you cannot serve God and money management. You cannot serve self-indulgence and him to yet we try for not careful, we will try.

Matthew 619. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal all this is the foundation for all James is saying you we we we been repeating this through the study of James that he was a man who was endeared to Jesus sermon on the Mount we know that because of the multitude of references he makes to that sermon. And this is one of them in verse two. Your riches are corrupted and your garments are moth-eaten and Jesus says in the sermon on the Mount, do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. I like sports coach lot and I've got one nice wool one I bought many years ago. I still have it is a little spot up on the lapel because of more. I didn't pay for it when he invited them in my house anyway. There was a time when this was real big problem in that part of the world may still be this in some parts of the world. We have retaken all we put moth balls or cedar chips or lavender or something to fight away those invasive little beast acts chapter 20 Paul I have coveted no one silver or gold or apparel. Paul stands before the Mrs. I mixed up as a pastor I'm not into your money in your things. I'm into Christ.

I declare to you the gospel of Jesus Christ with tears. He said at one point does he maintain that level of passion, knowing how he was treated by Christians and non-Christians alike by the power of the Holy Spirit. Did you have any mentors any examples.

Anyone in his life that he could say this is someone that I want to be like and then go out and do it. Yes of course he did. One of them was the great prophet Samuel think we missed how great this man, Samuel is because we tend to turn our attention to David another great man of God. But Samuel when he was when the people were saying we want to king. We don't want a man of God over us. Luther King is a man of God that's good long as he's a king from just boiling it down so he stands before the people.

He says here I am witness against me before Yahweh and before his anointed, whose ox have I taken or whose donkey have I taken or whom have I cheated whom have I oppressed or from whose hand have I received any bribe with which to blind my eyes.

I will restore it to you and they said you have not cheated us or oppressed us, nor have you taken anything from any man's hand was a witness so offering of a contrast here.

Your riches are corrupted but yet there are godly men who were not corrupted by riches, such as Paul is taken.

No one silver or gold or apparel, such as Samuel, who am I cheated for my ripped off no one. They said so Christian takes these things into consideration ads them up and comes out with an answer to the temptations of life that will most certainly come our way. So the filthy rich and the filthy poor can both be guilty of covetousness, even though one fails to gain what they covet and the other one has not it's what is in the heart, not what is in the wallet portfolio.

What is in your heart what you really up to. What do you really think about the things in this world. That's what Jesus is interested in, and anything you say can be held against you or for you.

It depends on who your Lord is and so there is Matthew six verse 20 lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal needs to be repeated because it is worth it. In verse three, James says your gold and your silver are corroded and their corrosion will be as witnesses against you, and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days once he is finished running making sausage of these unscrupulous rich at when we get to verse seven he shifts gears and he turns his attention to building up the saved but this little paragraph. This intense moment if you were sitting in that congregation in the ancient world and this letter was read to you and you were in unscrupulous rich person you would remember that part of the sermon more than anything else. And so this graphic description lost. Well that's what is now dealing with this what's going to happen with your money you will not buy you access to heaven.

Matthew 13 verse 22, that he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word of God and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful in the unfruitful tree in the parables of Christ gets chopped down thrown into the fire, something that we do not want to happen to us.

None should want that to happen is being intense is because he cares for them. He cares for the flock that may be corrupted by the he wants to filter them out but he cares for them to and hopefully they will repent. Again I could be talking about anything else. Substance abuse are to be talk about anything other than well this way any sinful thing that grabs hold of us. You could put in these lines again. First Timothy chapter 6 verse seven for we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out so your gold and your silver are corroded no silver does not corrode and become worthless tarnish become tarnished and polish it back up. Gold is not rust at all, but James is making his point that what you cherish is going to be that which is no longer something of any value of any importance that what you have thrown your entire soul into will cost you more than you could ever pay in the book of Revelation chapters 6 through 18, John is given a vision in view of the great tribulation.

That is still yet to come in this world but it will come at the end of the great tribulation as it is ending.

He sees what happens to the great financial systems of the world and justice little bit from Revelation 18 verse 17 for in one hour. Such great riches came to nothing, and yet men live as though this is not true.

Try telling this to. I don't even want to say their names you can you can go online you can look at the 10 most wealthiest people in the world and their their names will be. Try telling any of this to them. Now once again churches good churches have often benefited from rich Christians in a way they would not have benefited without so this is not an attack on the Ralphie. This is attack on the unscrupulous. He says, and their corrosion will be a witness against you, and will eat your flesh like fire all that the soul has without him will be held against Jesus. Whatever you get without him in your thinking in your heart works against you to devour oneself is to harm oneself. That's the IDs of this consequences for this behavior. That's with Jay. I'm holding you accountable. I'm telling you you're not going to get away with this by faith you'll see it by faithlessness. It will get you choice is yours. If you are well-to-do and you are a believer you are gifted with this wealth is listed in the gifts by the apostle Paul. There are those who can give what you have to give from this understanding whatever you have is given to you by God belongs to him. It is entrusted to you, and you can enjoy some of it there's some degree of pleasure that you are permitted, but when the tail wags the dog is a problem and as far as giving you go to the Lord.

With that as the poor Christians are supposed to go. We know what our duty as we do that, but we claim that we will praise him forever, that we will love him forever were not satisfied with mere duty duty is doing what I know I'm supposed to do, whether I like it or not, for however long it can be a hard run. It's not being a stoic is not being an epic area. Neither finding that balance. It's obeying the Lord. Believe it or not. I know you won't believe what I'm about to tell you but I'm susceptible to pity parties I get my little hat, mellow party favor out set up the whole house decorated and have my pity party before the Lord, why, why don't you do like.

Can't you just bit and I find it is an honor to get up off my knees and go do my duty to do what I'm told, anyway I don't have to bless me for me to do what I'm told I just had a pity party little while ago you should've been there, you weren't invited to busy with your own and as the Lord does this remind you hey did you see that verse in Corinthians repulse talking about all things he suffered. See, I get frustrated by what I think are stupid defeats. I can understand some defeats I walked out. Some of them for the Lord okay Lord. These are approved I can be defeated in these apartments is the one that I have an approved of where I suffer defeat and shame the cane and I look at the life of Paul and Jeremiah. Jeremiah fed up with God. I said, I'm done.

I was never born.

The guy that came and said it's a boy. Let him be accursed, which is said he was so frustrated in the flesh full-blown God reveals him back in. So Jeremiah rise at roller coaster the next minis praise the Lord. Next minute, 20th chapter, I believe, is a 20 chapter might be the 23rd. What a ride see in life of Job receipt and Jacob, and yet we see again Paul in Corinthians, all the things he suffered after the first beat down for Christ. I would've opted for a different community movement are moving and I'm not going that side intelligibly goes back the stone.

Paul near to death the disciples gathered around him prayed for him and he got up and went back into the city that belonged to the thugs that stone him. That's the kind of stuff I want. That's the kind of stuff I don't have but that's not going to stop me from wanting it or pursuing it or preaching. So we come to verses and we look at those with gold and silver that are corrupted and we listen again to Paul and say I have not wanted your gold or your silver or your clothing. I just wanted to preach the truth to you. I will get my gold when I get to heaven and it will be in the face of my Lord Jesus, and that is the template for us all and so he says. Their corrosion will be a witness against you in verse three it will eat your flesh like fire.

You have heaped up treasure in the last days. Nothing wrong with saving money but something wrong with withholding it when it's not your place when you have debt you are accountable for, and you must pay that he mentions the last days ever conscious of the last days is the Christian is to return of Christ. Christ is come crucified rose again and is returning he is coming again. We know the side of this is Christians second Thessalonians. In a similar attack on the wicked Paul writes to that little church, he says, and to give you concerning the return of Christ to give you who are troubled rest with us.

When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord from the glory of his power, when he comes in that day to be glorified in his saints to be admired among all those who believe because our testimony among you was believed see this man took beat downs and many other types of sufferings, hunger, cold, you know wintertime you know you you should get a chili so I hate winter. Imagine if you had no defense against it. You just had to suffer for these are the kind of things.

Paul put up with because he he saw Christ he knew him to know that regardless of what happened to him.

He did not undo Christ was truth meant everything to him, so you can the church near Christmas time. True Christians want truth.

That's what they want to hunger and thirst for righteousness is to want the truth that fall from heaven. No matter what the platform is from Scripture, whether it is concerning the virgin birth, a judgment against the unscrupulous, the slaying of a giant the beginning of creation, whatever it is, the Christian will receive because the Christian knows who's handy comes from.

That is what is essential from where does this water, before I put my lips on it, where does it come from, is it safe to drink in several years ago and are outreach trip to Alaska we went up, way up in the mountains and is just you know snow everywhere and the streams everywhere and I wanted to just that this one stream running and I was going to go and scoop up some nice cold water and drink it in the local yokel said don't do it.

They had a thing that I probably said the synopsis those of you who've heard this before. Do like this until I'm finished in, you will be burdened but it is in there that a thing at the time and maybe still do call beaver fever. There were parasites in the water because of the wildlife and if you drink the water. You weren't sure of the that water was contaminated or not you would be sick for a very long time so it doesn't matter what we put into our lips. What we take in what we consume.

That's what our communion table is set up communion table said it doesn't matter what goes inside of us and for us it is Christ we read a verse like that from Thessalonians.

We hear the righteous Shearer on yes God will execute justice, then the spirit of God says what are you doing to lessen the amount of souls going to hell what you doing. Ask yourself what are you doing for the kingdom.

Thanks for joining us today as we took a deeper look into the book of Jean here on cross reference radio cross reference radio is the daily radio ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia were blessed to bring you God's word with each broadcast. If you like more information want to listen to additional teachings from Pastor Rick please visit our website cross reference radio.com if you've been blessed by this program would love to hear from you when you visit the website. Simply click on the contact us link the top of the page and leave us a message that website again is cross reference radio.com. Please join us again next time. As we continue our study through the book of Jane right here on cross reference radio