Confronting The Rich (James 5:1-6)
Confronting the Rich
James 5:1-6
February 1, 2015
We’re working through the book of James.
You know he is addressing inconsistencies in the church.
And tonight he deals with the problems of wealth
THIS MAY BE HIS MOST PASSIONATE POINT
When James approaches the subject on money,
His blood is boiling when he writes it.
Perhaps the second most passionate text in James
Is in chapter four where he calls all those who love money adulteresses.
Last week we listened as he condemned the man
Who was strong-willed and knew he was going to hatch a plan
That would “make a profit”
So it’s easy to recognize that James has issue with
Those who are only seeking to get rich in this life.
And why wouldn’t he?
Wealth certainly wasn’t the ambition of Jesus.
2 Corinthians 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.”
Matthew 8:20 “Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
Matthew 17:27 “However, so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for you and Me.”
The implication is that Jesus was so poor
He had to borrow money from a fish to pay the tax in His own temple.
Wealth was never the goal.
And so James obviously takes issue with those in the church
Who are obviously preoccupied with money.
James knew the idolatrous temptation that money was,
And he is quick to condemn those who serve it.
Jesus also took issue with those who serve money.
Matthew 6:24-33 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? “And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Jesus was very specific as He taught about the dangers of money
And the necessity of keeping it in proper perspective.
The fact is, money can be dangerous.
Now of course money itself is neither good nor evil.
But as Paul said:
1 Timothy 6:9-10 “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
And so money and especially the love of it can be dangerous.
And James here begins by pointing out that danger
To those who have an obvious love of it.
“Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you.”
The phrase “Come now” is a phrase
That implies for someone to come to their senses.
It is as though James is saying, “Hey, snap out of it!”
He used the same phrase earlier in 4:13 to get the attention of the person who confidently made plans even though they were obviously foolish to do so.
“Come now” – pay attention – snap out of it.
Dave Ramsey – “If you’re out there maxing out your credit cards to pay for Christmas…STOP IT! You are out of control!”
It is that same rational James is offering here.
“Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you.”
YOU ARE IN TROUBLE AND YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW IT
Just look at Scripture and see how shocked the rich are to be judged
Luke 16:19-25 “Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. “And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. “Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. “In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. “And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ “But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.”
I’m sure that man did his share of “howling”
Being rich was a picture of loving the world,
And those who did that have a rude awakening coming.
Luke 6:24-25 “But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. “Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.”
Zephaniah 1:18 “Neither their silver nor their gold Will be able to deliver them On the day of the LORD’S wrath; And all the earth will be devoured In the fire of His jealousy, For He will make a complete end, Indeed a terrifying one, Of all the inhabitants of the earth.”
Or take what Asaph learned:
Psalms 73:17-20
“Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. How they are destroyed in a moment! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors! Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when aroused, You will despise their form.”
Or
Psalms 49:16-20
“Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased; For when he dies he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him. Though while he lives he congratulates himself — And though men praise you when you do well for yourself — He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They will never see the light. Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, Is like the beasts that perish.”
And we could go on, but the point is that
Throughout Scripture the rich are not favorably mentioned.
They are set aside for judgment, and most of them didn’t see it coming.
Even Jesus said:
Matthew 19:23-24
“And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. “Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
It really doesn’t get much clearer than that does it?
So one must quickly ask the question then, is it wrong to be rich?
Is it wrong to have money?
NO
In fact “being rich” is a relative term.
If someone told you in Spur that they are living in a place that requires a $2000 per month payment – you’d think that was excessive.
I know of a man who makes that exact payment in Midland, TX for a low-grade apartment (because the oil field has inflated prices)
You can’t assign a dollar sign to “rich”, it is a relative term.
Furthermore, having money is not a sin.
In fact
Proverbs 10:22 “It is the blessing of the LORD that makes rich, And He adds no sorrow to it.”
• We know men like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were rich.
• We know David and Solomon were rich.
• We even see mention of wealthy believers in the New Testament.
• We see people who own land and are selling it, etc.
So being rich is not the problem.
The problem is the wicked handling of wealth.
That is what we are going to look at tonight
James takes issue with those who mishandle weatlh
In particular, let me show you 4 cases
Where being rich is most definitely a problem.
#1 THEY STORED IT NEEDLESSLY
James 5:2-3
James speaks of wealth as it would look in his day.
Today wealth is measured by money and assets
We talk about a person’s “net worth”
Well, in James’ day wealth was measured in three ways.
GARMENTS – GRAIN – GOLD
“riches have rotted” – concept of storing grain without need until it ruined.
“garments have become moth-eaten” – having more clothes than you could care for.
“gold and silver have rusted” – their metals were impure and would rust. They had much unneeded money.
These were people who not only had things,
But they hoarded them, even past the ability to enjoy them.
My dad used to ask people in Canton
“Is any of your money expired?”
WE ARE DEALING WITH INDIVIDUALS
• Who didn’t just make money
• Who apparently didn’t use money
• Who certainly didn’t give money
• They simply hoarded money
This was never God’s intention
When creating the ability for man to acquire wealth.
Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Luke 12:16-21 “And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. “And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.” ‘ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE GODLY PURPOSES OF WEALTH?
Provide for families
1 Timothy 5:8 “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
Advance the Kingdom
Luke 16:9 “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.”
3 John 7-8 “For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth.”
Benevolence
1 John 3:13-16 “Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
The Bible intends for believers to use wealth, not hoard it.
What purpose is there in feeding moths?
And to make matters even worse:
James says, “It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!”
The “last days” is the time between Christ’s death and Christ’s return.
During this time, Christ could literally come any moment.
Why would you spend so much energy hoarding wealth,
When the end could come any second?
It is the picture of a man sitting in the electric chair
Trying to buy lottery tickets.
It doesn’t make sense.
Storing money in this day and time is just as foolish
As saying you will go to such and such a city and make a profit
When you don’t even know what your life will be like tomorrow.
Now I’m not saying you shouldn’t be prepared or a good steward
Or that you should live undisciplined
To the point of someday having to live off of the gov’t or someone else.
I’m just saying be careful
That you don’t become consumed with storing money
So much that you actually store far more than you could ever need.
THAT WOULD BE FOOLISH.
They stored it needlessly
#2 THEY SUSTAINED IT UNRIGHTEOUSLY”
James 5:4
Not only do the wicked rich make money their treasure so as to store it,
They take pains to be able to keep what they have stored.
These rich went even to the extent
Of not paying their workers all that they deserved.
Deuteronomy 24:14-15 “You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your countrymen or one of your aliens who is in your land in your towns. “You shall give him his wages on his day before the sun sets, for he is poor and sets his heart on it; so that he will not cry against you to the LORD and it become sin in you.”
Proverbs 11:1 “A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, But a just weight is His delight.”
Proverbs 20:10 “Differing weights and differing measures, Both of them are abominable to the LORD.”
Proverbs 20:23 “Differing weights are an abomination to the LORD, And a false scale is not good.”
I think you get the point
God hates the concept of cheating to maintain wealth.
Micah 6:9-16 “The voice of the LORD will call to the city—And it is sound wisdom to fear Your name: “Hear, O tribe. Who has appointed its time? “Is there yet a man in the wicked house, Along with treasures of wickedness And a short measure that is cursed? “Can I justify wicked scales And a bag of deceptive weights? “For the rich men of the city are full of violence, Her residents speak lies, And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. “So also I will make you sick, striking you down, Desolating you because of your sins. “You will eat, but you will not be satisfied, And your vileness will be in your midst. You will try to remove for safekeeping, But you will not preserve anything, And what you do preserve I will give to the sword. “You will sow but you will not reap. You will tread the olive but will not anoint yourself with oil; And the grapes, but you will not drink wine. “The statutes of Omri And all the works of the house of Ahab are observed; And in their devices you walk. Therefore I will give you up for destruction And your inhabitants for derision, And you will bear the reproach of My people.”
Isaiah 10:1-4 “Woe to those who enact evil statutes And to those who constantly record unjust decisions, So as to deprive the needy of justice And rob the poor of My people of their rights, So that widows may be their spoil And that they may plunder the orphans. Now what will you do in the day of punishment, And in the devastation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your wealth? Nothing remains but to crouch among the captives Or fall among the slain. In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away And His hand is still stretched out.”
These were people who wanted to be rich and to be able to store money.
They were so consumed with it that they actually sustained that wealth
By not giving to others what was their due.
• They didn’t pay people they should have paid
• They didn’t support those they should have supported
• They didn’t help those they should have helped
WHAT ARE SOME WAYS WE LIE TO KEEP OUR MONEY?
• “I’m sorry I don’t have any to give”
• “I can’t give because I need what I’ve got”
• How about when you trade in a car?
• What about your taxes?
I’m not saying the government deserves or even needs your money,
But if your heart is such that you would cheat to keep your money,
Then you have a major heart problem.
For it is impossible to love money and God at the same time.
The Bible teaches us to act justly,
Not to love money so much that we would lie to keep it.
NAMELY BECAUSE THAT LYING OFFENDS GOD
“and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Saboath”
In other words, all the poor you have maligned have to do is cry to God,
“Lord of Saboath” = “The Lord of Hosts” (i.e. The General of Heaven’s Army)
Is keeping your money really worth
Irritating the General of the armies of heaven?
They stored it needlessly They sustained it unrighteously
#3 THEY SPENT IT IMMORALLY
James 5:5
Notice why they wanted all that money?
To live only for themselves.
“You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure.”
James already condemned this.
James 4:3-4 “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
This is a great indicator of whether or not
You have an unholy infatuation with money.
WHY DO YOU WANT IT?
Money is NOT a means of joy or contentment in this life.
This is why I always get a little frustrated when I see people buying lottery tickets (unfortunately sometimes it is even members of our church)
It is fueled by the assumption that money would make them happy.
WHY?
• Can you get more of Jesus with your money?
• Can you be filled with the Holy Spirit with your money?
• Can you purchase sanctification with your money?
• Can you understand more of God’s Word with your money?
• Can you reserve a better place in heaven with your money?
• Can you obtain a spiritual gift with your money?
No, in fact I can share with you a rebuke that was given
To a man who thought he could.
Acts 8:18-23 “Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! “You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. “Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. “For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.”
The point is that money was not given
As a means for you to obtain happiness.
MONEY IS A MEANS OF MINISTERING TO OTHERS
Ephesians 4:28 “He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.”
We are called to help others, not gratify ourselves.
2 Corinthians 9:6-8 “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;”
The Bible teaches that wealth is provided by God as a tool of ministry,
Not as a means of comfort and security.
James goes on to say, “You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.”
It is the picture of a person
Who would spend everything they have on themselves.
“you have fattened your hearts”
But the problem is that it is “the day of slaughter”
And all you have done is made yourself the most appealing to destroy.
Just like the calf that hoards all the grain,
Come slaughter time, he is the first one picked.
Wealth is not for you, it is for use.
They stored it needlessly They sustained it unrighteously They spent it immorally
#4 THEY STOLE IT RUTHLESSLY
James 5:6
That means not only did they lie and cheat to KEEP their money,
They lied and cheated to MAKE their money.
They had no problem making money by immoral, or dishonest means,
Even at the ruin of another.
“You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.”
The implication is that they would take a bribe to get rich.
• They would sell others out to make a buck.
• They are like a politician who votes pro-choice because a lobbyist lines his pockets.
• They are like a voter who votes pro-choice because the candidate promises to make life more prosperous for them.
It is a man who wanted money and would sell out others to get it.
James 4:2 “You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.”
When John came preaching, and the people wanted to repent,
The first things John told them to change
Had to do with the way they handled wealth.
Luke 3:7-14 “So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? “Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. “Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “Then what shall we do?” And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.” And some tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.” Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.”
• To the crowds he said, “Don’t store it needlessly”
• To the tax collectors he said, “Don’t sustain it unrighteously”
• To the Centurions he said, “Don’t steal it maliciously”
• He also told them “be content” or “Don’t spend it immorally”
How we handle wealth
Can be a major determining factor to reveal if we truly have saving faith.
Since Jesus said, “You cannot serve God and wealth”
We know that if we are serving wealth, then we are not serving God.
So what should we do?
1 Timothy 6:17-19 “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.”
Proverbs 30:7-9 “Two things I asked of You, Do not refuse me before I die: Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, That I not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the LORD?” Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God.”
God’s Mind-Blowing Work (Genesis 37-50)
God’s Mind-Blowing Work
Genesis 37-50 (45:4-11)
February 1, 2015
This morning we are going to jump back into our study of Genesis,
And we are now on the home stretch.
But before we start working on the individual verses and chapters
I really feel impressed that we need to make sure
We all understand what is happening here at the end of the book.
I think Vodie Baucham hit the nail on the head in his book
“Joseph and the Gospel of Many Colors”
He would look at the story of where Joseph is sold by his brothers
Or the story where Joseph is pursued by Potiphar’s wife and say,
“Don’t succumb to the temptation to pick the low-hanging fruit”
It is the picture of walking through an orchard.
Some fruit is obvious and easy to get to.
Some requires considerable more work.
I fear that too many times we have taken the lazy and easy way out
And settled for that low hanging fruit in our Bible study.
So we study Genesis 37 and how Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery
And it becomes a lesson on jealousy.
We study Genesis 39 and how Joseph was pursued by Potiphar’s wife
And it becomes a lesson on resisting adultery.
We study Genesis 41 and how Joseph was promoted to power
And it becomes a lesson on how God causes all our suffering to pay off.
I want to tell you this morning,
All three of those applications completely miss the point,
But they are the easy applications that we get most of the time.
Genesis 37-50 IS NOT successive stories
Meant for cute little applications for the betterment of life.
Genesis 37-50 IS one of the most mind-blowing, spiritually deep,
Absolutely transcendent sections of Scripture in the entire Bible.
If God grants me the grace to bring these truths to light I promise you that
Your admiration for God and worship of Him will transcend to a new level.
I can tell you that because that is what has happened to me.
The time off this summer and the time away from Genesis
Has allowed me to ponder this section longer than normal
And I can assure you that I have already learned more than I expected,
And I fully expect to continue to learn.
I can only liken it to
What Paul said after gaining an understanding of God’s sovereign election of Israel, only to break them off and graft in the Gentiles, then to graft Israel back in.
After contemplating those amazing truths Paul wrote:
Romans 11:33-36 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”
When David considered the knowledge of God to know all of his days,
The presence of God to be everywhere at once,
And the power of God to form him in his mother’s womb.
David said:
Psalms 139:6 “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.”
When Job explored the depth of God’s ways in his own suffering,
Job only thought he came to an understanding.
But after God spoke and set the record straight, Job said:
Job 42:1-3 “Then Job answered the LORD and said, “I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ “Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”
I fully believe that is the type of response waiting at the end of this study.
This is mind-blowing stuff.
And because of that, I want to make sure that
You understand the point of what is coming.
Most of the time the reason we fail to understand individual stories
Is because we fail to understand the point as a whole.
I want to make sure you understand what is happening in the final 14 ch. of this book so that as we begin to work through it, it will all make sense.
This morning we are going to take a “jet tour” through the end of Genesis
• I feel compelled to sort of “spill the beans” and give you the point.
• I want to show you the gist of it all.
• I want to dispel some of the misconceptions many have
• I want you to see how great God is
I’m going to give you a little bit of an outline this morning,
But it is not an expository one.
More than that I want to give you
The three main points of the end of Genesis.
These are the “big things” that you must recognize
If you are going to rightly understand the end of this book.
#1 THE ELECTION OF A FUTURE PATRIARCH
We have talked about ELECTION quite frequently in Genesis.
How could you not?
• God chose a greedy pagan named Abraham.
• Then God chose to give him a son.
• When Isaac had twins, God clearly chose Jacob over Esau.
We have talked about the PECULIARITY of God’s election.
• If you were God, you would not have chosen Abraham.
• When looking at Ishmael and Isaac, you would not have chosen Isaac.
• When looking at Jacob and Esau, you would not have chosen Jacob.
But God did that according to His own sovereign prerogative.
Now we are about to move to the 4th patriarch.
And the 4th Patriarch is: __________________
(If you just said Joseph you are a victim
Of what I was talking about to begin this sermon)
Everyone picks Joseph because the story follows him to Egypt.
But Joseph is not the next patriarch
Joseph is not the next head of the family
JUDAH IS
What!?!
How can it be Judah?
We all know what kind of a fellow Judah is.
It was Judah’s idea to sell Joseph:
Genesis 37:25-27 “Then they sat down to eat a meal. And as they raised their eyes and looked, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing aromatic gum and balm and myrrh, on their way to bring them down to Egypt. Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it for us to kill our brother and cover up his blood? “Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him.”
It was Judah who raised sons so wicked that God killed them: (Er & Onan)
Genesis 38:7 “But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD took his life.”
Genesis 38:10 “But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD; so He took his life also.”
It was Judah who then conceived a child by his dead son’s widow, not intentionally but because he merely thought he was visiting a prostitute.
Genesis 38:15-16 “When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, for she had covered her face. So he turned aside to her by the road, and said, “Here now, let me come in to you”; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”
How can Judah be the next patriarch?
• The same way God could choose Abraham when he didn’t deserve it.
• The same way God could choose Isaac when he didn’t deserve it.
• The same way God could choose Jacob when he didn’t deserve it.
• The same way God could choose you when you didn’t deserve it.
Might I remind you of what Paul taught us?
Romans 9:16 “So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.”
BUT THE NEXT PATRIARCH IS JUDAH.
This story may follow Joseph to Egypt,
But do not be fooled, this story is about Judah.
Chapter 37 is about Judah’s JEALOUSY
Chapter 38 is about Judah’s IMMORALITY
Chapter 43 is about Judah’s ASCENSION to family leader
We’ll get into it more later, but the oldest son Reuben had disqualified himself in Jacob’s eyes because he slept with Jacob’s concubine.
Genesis 35:22 “It came about while Israel was dwelling in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine, and Israel heard of it.”
And later in the story when Reuben tries to come to the forefront
And re-gain his father’s trust, Jacob ignores him.
The next two sons in line would be Simeon and Levi,
But they both disqualified themselves in Jacob’s eyes
When they became blood-thirsty and killed the Shechemites.
Jacob will list these things at the end of his life
Explaining why they would not be the next head of the family.
Genesis 49:3-4 “Reuben, you are my firstborn; My might and the beginning of my strength, Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power. “Uncontrolled as water, you shall not have preeminence, Because you went up to your father’s bed; Then you defiled it — he went up to my couch.”
Genesis 49:5-7 “Simeon and Levi are brothers; Their swords are implements of violence. “Let my soul not enter into their council; Let not my glory be united with their assembly; Because in their anger they slew men, And in their self-will they lamed oxen. “Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel. I will disperse them in Jacob, And scatter them in Israel.”
So the first three boys all disqualified themselves.
Judah is fourth.
In chapter 43 Judah steps up and assumes his role as the foremost son. And you will even see that from that point on,
Judah is the point man who deals with Joseph in Egypt.
So chapter 43 is about Judah’s ascension to family leader.
Chapter 44 is about Judah’s REPENTANCE
Chapter 45 is about Judah’s DELIVERANCE
Chapter 49 is about Judah’s PREEMINENCE
Listen to what Jacob says about Judah
Genesis 49:8-12 “Judah, your brothers shall praise you; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s sons shall bow down to you. “Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him up? “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. “He ties his foal to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine; He washes his garments in wine, And his robes in the blood of grapes. “His eyes are dull from wine, And his teeth white from milk.”
Now you see it don’t you?
Who is the kingly line? Judah
David, Solomon, Jesus – all from the line of Judah
The last 14 chapters are not about Joseph and his problems.
The last 14 chapters are how God preserved the line
Through which the world would be saved.
Matthew 1:1-3 “The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram.”
All the way down to:
Matthew 1:16 “Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.”
The story of Genesis 37-50 is how God intervened and saved Judah, Because through Judah would come Jesus Christ, the savior of the world.
(The end of Genesis is about how God secured your salvation!)
So this story is not about Joseph, it is about Judah.
He is the next major player.
Remember, Moses is teaching us the gospel through specific individuals.
In Adam we learned about SIN
Placed in a perfect garden, only to see his sin destroy the life he loved.
In Noah we learned about JUDGMENT
Only 8 persons in all survived the global killer from the hand of God.
In Abraham we learned about JUSTIFICATION
“Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness”
In Isaac we learned GRACE
Isaac was the dud of the patriarchs and yet God’s favor was on him through his quest for a wife, his dealings with Abimelech, and in spite of his failures as a father.
In Jacob we learned SANCTIFICATION
We saw God transformed him for Jacob (the fighter) to Israel (God fights). God took Jacob from a self-reliant man to a man who trusted God.
And now we get to Judah.
And in Judah we learn PROVIDENCE
And let me go ahead and tell you that
It is God’s providence that will blow your mind.
But that is the first major point of the remainder of the book of Genesis.
It is The Election of a Future Patriarch
#2 THE EMERGENCE OF A FAMILIAR PERIL
Here is another area where people tend to get a little off track.
If I ask you the enemy of Genesis 37-50?
Most people will say that it was Joseph’s brothers.
After all, Joseph is seen as the chosen son, and it was the brothers who sold Joseph into slavery, so obviously the real enemy is Joseph’s brothers.
Followed closely by Potiphar’s wife and the baker who forgot about Joseph.
But again, that is missing the point of the section.
First of all, we just established that it was the brothers (namely Judah) that God was trying to save. They weren’t the enemy.
Secondly, Joseph makes it abundantly clear, that it was not the brothers who sent him to Egypt, it was God.
Genesis 45:8 “Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.”
So if you read this section and identify Joseph’s brothers as the enemy
Then you are not grasping what Moses is pointing to.
The enemy of this story is the same enemy
That we have had from the beginning.
And Moses went out of his way at the beginning of Genesis
To show you who the real enemy is.
IT IS SIN
It is what sin will do to your life in a personal sense,
But it is also the effect and destructive nature of sin in general.
And throughout the Genesis narrative,
Sin continues to reemerge in a specific way.
And that is through FAMINE
(It is Moses’ continual reminder of the sin curse)
What was it that drove Abraham out of the Promised Land the first time?
Famine
What was it that drove Isaac to Abimelech?
Famine
And in the end of the book of Genesis, it is once again famine that threatens to completely destroy God’s chosen people.
It is first revealed in chapter 41 when God gives a dream to Pharaoh that Joseph interprets.
Genesis 41:28-32 “It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do. “Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt; and after them seven years of famine will come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will ravage the land. “So the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that subsequent famine; for it will be very severe. “Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about.”
And it was the revelation of that famine
That gave opportunity for Joseph to rise to power.
And it is that famine that forces the events of the book.
The effects of that famine are felt later.
It was the famine that established Egypt (and Joseph) as the breadbasket of the world.
Genesis 41:53-57 “When the seven years of plenty which had been in the land of Egypt came to an end, and the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said, then there was famine in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, you shall do.” When the famine was spread over all the face of the earth, then Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold to the Egyptians; and the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. The people of all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the earth.”
It was the famine that first caused Joseph’s brothers to come to Egypt and encounter Joseph.
Genesis 42:1-5 “Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?” He said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from that place, so that we may live and not die.” Then ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt. But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm may befall him.” So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also.”
It was the famine that caused Joseph’s brothers to return to Egypt, even when they didn’t want to.
Genesis 43:1-2 “Now the famine was severe in the land. So it came about when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go back, buy us a little food.”
And it was the famine that ultimately caused all of Israel to move to Egypt.
READ: Genesis 45:1-15
The famine was the enemy.
The famine threatened to destroy God’s people completely.
The end of Genesis is about protecting God’s chosen people
From the deadly famine and from annihilation.
TIMEOUT PREACHER
If the famine was the problem, and God desired to deliver Israel from it, why not just stop the famine?
Why not just send rain, grow crops, and reverse the famine?
Well, for one reason, because it was God who sent the famine.
Genesis 41:28 “It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do.”
Genesis 41:32 “Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about.”
WHY?
Why would God send something
That He would then have to deliver His people from?
It started back in the garden.
After Adam and Eve chose sin, I want you to remember what God said to Adam.
Genesis 3:17-19 “Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.”
Famine and all farming difficulty
Was God’s perpetual reminder to Adam and his descendants
Of the danger and consequences of sin.
That is why God uses famine so frequently throughout Scripture.
Nothing was meant to remind people
About the consequences of sin like a famine.
Every time men labored and clawed against the ground
Only to see their crops fail,
It was a reminder of what sin had done to the world.
That is why God sent the famine (to remind of sin)
And why God delivers from the famine (to reveal Himself as the Savior)
This is all part of the plan of God.
This story once again emphasizes the effects of sin and the redemption of God.
So no, God doesn’t just eliminate the famine, He uses it.
And take a moment to understand that reality in your life.
Most of the time when tragedy and hardship strike (in our day usually illness – also a consequence of the sin curse) our main request is for God to simply take it away.
Many people even go on a quest for a miracle.
They want God to just step in and miraculously intervene and take the hardship away.
While God certainly did do this from time to time in Scripture
IT IS NOT THE NORM
More often than miracles we see God’s providence.
• We see God use the tragedies
• We see God shape His people by them
• We see God bring His people through them
• And we catch a glimpse of God’s greater plan because of them
That is what is occurring here.
God is in the process of delivering Israel, of saving Judah,
Of preserving the Messianic line.
The means God will use to do this
Is a famine from which Israel must be delivered.
The Election of a Future Patriarch
The Emergence of a Familiar Peril
#3 THE EXHIBITION OF FLAWLESS PROVIDENCE
This is the third major mountain peak
You must see as we study the final 14 chapters of this book.
• You must see the rise of Judah
• You must see the reason for famine
• And you must see the reality of providence
God has a divine plan that He is about to hatch.
Can I give you the high spots of that plan?
Can I quickly show you God’s objective?
God’s first objective?
GET JOSEPH TO EGYPT (Ch. 37)
He accomplished it through a partial father and through jealous brothers.
God’s second objective?
GET JOSEPH ARRESTED (Ch. 39)
He accomplished this plan through a carnal woman we know as Potiphar’s wife.
God’s third objective?
GET JOSEPH NOTICED (40)
He caused Joseph to come into contact with the chief baker and royal cup-bearer
God’s fourth objective?
GET JOSEPH PROMOTED (41)
He accomplished this by giving Pharaoh a dream neither he nor his wise men could understand, but Joseph could.
God’s fifth objective?
GET JACOB DELIVERED (42-45)
God did this through the newly promoted Joseph.
Everything that had previously occurred was pointing to this end.
Joseph’s exile, arrest, opportunity, and promotion, were all part of the divine providential plan of God to save Jacob (Israel) from the famine.
God was sending Jacob to Egypt and this was how He did it.
Now, there are a couple of reasons why Jacob had to go to Egypt.
1) Israel was too small to take the land of Promise.
You may remember that this truth hit Jacob right in the forehead
When Levi and Simeon attacked the Shechemites.
Genesis 34:30 “Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me odious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and my men being few in number, they will gather together against me and attack me and I will be destroyed, I and my household.”
Israel was too small to go on conquest and take the land.
2) The inhabitants of the land were not yet ready to be judged.
Remember what God told Abraham very early on?
Genesis 15:12-16 “Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him. God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. “But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. “As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. “Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.”
What was needed was time.
Time for Israel to grow in number
Time for the Canaanites iniquity to become complete
The answer was Egypt.
• Egypt would literally be God’s incubator.
• Egypt would be the place where God would multiply Israel and prepare them for the day they would return and conquer the land of Canaan.
In Egypt, Israel would survive and thrive.
In Egypt the chosen seed (Judah) would be preserved and prepared.
And the means by which God would take them there,
Would be the exile, arrest, opportunity, and promotion of Joseph.
The end of this book is not just some sentimental story
About how if you try and live pure and resist sexual immorality,
Then God will reward you by making you a ruler.
That is NOT the point of the end of this book.
The point is the providence of God to preserve and multiply
His chosen seed through whom the Savior of the world would come.
This is providence on display in its finest form.
And to stop and ponder it is absolutely MIND-BLOWING
As Paul said:
Romans 11:33-36 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”
As David said:
Psalms 139:6 “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.”
It is without a doubt a mind-blowing journey we are about to take.
And as we take this journey of God’s providence
I think it is vitally important that you and I learn to recognize
The reality of God’s providential hand in all things.
Sometimes life just doesn’t make sense – to you –
(but it always makes sense to God.)
He is always in control
• Through the hatred, jealousy, and slavery
• Through the arrest, imprisonment, hardship, and famine
• Through the opportunity, exaltation, and rise to prominence
And you and I must then SUBMIT
To God’s perfect wisdom and providential plan.
And when we do that, then you and I can
REST in God’s providential care.
When you submit to His control, you get to rest in His care.
And that has been the goal.
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
There will always be things we don’t understand.
Like, why would God take a good young man like Joseph and have him sold, imprisoned, and raised to live in a pagan land?
And the answer is because God is working
To preserve a nation and the genetic line
Through which the Savior of the world would come.
Genesis 50:18-20 “Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”
PRAISE GOD FOR HIS PROVIDENTIAL HAND!
Youth Camping Trip
March 27-28
We’ll begin around 5:00pm on Friday night and dismiss sometime Saturday afternoon!
We will be going to Triple Cross Ranch
SEE A MAP OF THE LOCATION BY CLICKING HERE
The Triple Cross Ranch is located approximately 15 miles northwest of Spur. We will be taking an overnight camping trip to spend time in fellowship, discipleship, and worship. We hope you will join us! In addition, those who have available camping gear please inform one of the youth leaders so that we can get all the planning squared away.
(While we’ll be sleeping in tents, don’t panic, the Triple Cross ranch has bathroom, kitchen, and shower facilities that we will be able to use)
We are also in need of plenty of adult supervisors/chaperons. If you are willing please contact the First Baptist Church office.
(Because this is an overnight trip with our youth, background checks may be performed for any or all adult sponsors)
The Strong Willed Individual (James 4:13-17)
The Strong-Willed Individual
James 4:13-17
January 25, 2015
This morning we move into somewhat of a new section
In the book of James.
I suppose the link in flow would be that James just spent several verses
Outlining for us the importance of humble submission.
Here he addresses the person that is exactly the opposite.
The initial reading would tell you that James is talking about the boaster.
(16) “But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.”
And that is certainly true.
But I want you to understand it is far more than just a “loud mouth”
Who constantly talks about what great things he can do or has done.
We aren’t just talking about a bragger.
Boasting here is much bigger.
We are dealing here with an arrogant person; a strong-willed person.
We are talking about the type of individual
That not only thinks they know everything,
But who is unwilling to listen to anyone else – even God.
They are self-confident
They are self-assured
They are arrogant and strong-willed
Throw all that together and we have a boaster.
And while there have been great men of God (like David before Goliath) who did boast in God,
This type of self-trusting boasting is clearly wrong.
Jeremiah said:
Jeremiah 9:23-24 “Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.”
Clearly boasting in the Lord is acceptable,
But boasting that trusts in your own wisdom, might, or riches is wrong.
In fact, if you will remember that often quoted passage from Paul,
God chose you specifically so that you would not boast.
1 Corinthians 1:26-29 “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.”
In Romans 3 after Paul outlined how man is saved by the atoning sacrifice of Christ and not works of the Law, Paul went on to say:
Romans 3:27-28 “Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.”
Clearly boasting in or trusting in your own abilities or intellect or riches
Or whatever was never part of God’s plan.
Instead as believers we are to recognize our weakness and inability.
We are to trust in God’s strength
And we are to submit to His plan (since He knows more)
This is what Jesus meant when He taught us to pray:
Matthew 6:10 “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.”
Instead of being certain that you have it all figured out,
Why don’t you submit yourself to the will and ability of God.
And this is the issue James deals with here.
As you know James is looking at the church, and remembering Jesus, and wondering why the church doesn’t look more like Jesus.
And this is another area.
On one hand we have Jesus, who always did the Father’s will.
John 5:19 “Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.”
John 4:34 “Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.”
Matthew 26:39 “And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”
Jesus never took matters into His own hands,
He continually walked according to the will of the Father.
On the other hand we have “believers” who do their own will.
Imagine how confusing it is for James then to look around and see so many Christians who arrogantly ignore God’s will for their lives.
It is a frustrating thing to be certain to be in a church,
Surrounded by people who claim to be God’s people,
And yet see those people insist on doing things their own way
Instead of God’s way.
And I don’t want to get into some sort of list of examples,
(I certainly have my hot-button topics)
But let me just put it this way:
Any time you do not follow
God’s ordained plan, command, pattern, or example
(and instead follow what seems best to you)
That is the type of arrogant boasting that James is referring to.
It is to estimate that your wisdom is better than God’s
And that your ability is better than God’s.
Sound arrogant?
That is the type of strong-willed, arrogant, boasting person that James is dealing with here.
And unfortunately (again) James is right on the money.
I want to show you 5 things.
#1 AN ACCOUNT OF BOASTING
James 4:13
It could be that James has a specific incident in mind,
But more than likely he is simply giving a hypothetical
Of what arrogant, strong-willed, boasting looks like.
You find an individual that is dripping with confidence in their own ability.
After our study of Genesis,
You can again pretty easily see the young man Jacob found here.
There is no prayer
There is no seeking
There is no submission
This person has it all under control
And if you want to break it down a little further
You can easily see the 5 areas that they are so confident in.
1) THE TIME
“Come now, you who say, “Today or Tomorrow”
They have already determined the time table
In which they are going to carry out their plan.
They didn’t seek the counsel of the Lord,
They are doing it WHEN they feel it is right.
Of course this goes against the grain of Scripture.
Isaiah 40:31 “Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”
We ought to seek God’s. Paul did this.
Romans 1:8-15 “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine. I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.”
What do we think stopped Paul? It wasn’t soldiers or supplies,
None of those things ever stopped him.
He was waiting on God’s time table.
2) THE TRAIL
“we will go to such and such a city”
They have already determined where they are going to go.
They have picked this on their own.
How can we possibly know where the best place for us is,
If we have not first sought God’s will?
Paul also did this.
Acts 16:6-10 “They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”
Again, Paul was sensitive to the will of the Holy Spirit.
3) THE TENURE
“and spend a year there”
They are surely confident how long their trip will take.
They seem surely confident that they can accomplish
All they need to accomplish in a years time.
I remember a youth man telling me one time he was about to leave a church, because he just felt like he had done all he could do there.
I promise you that is right.
I did all I could do here, two days before I ever arrived.
It is the picture of trusting in your own abilities and your own time frame.
Again, Paul didn’t do this.
Acts 18:5-11 “But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” Then he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next to the synagogue. Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized. And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.”
4) THE TACTICS
“and engage in business”
They also determine how they are going to accomplish their goal.
They already know the strategy they are going to impart
In order to do what they think must be done.
There are many church growth strategies out there like this.
People enter a church, and already know exactly what they are going to do
In order to grow that church. BE CAREFUL.
Paul never determined his own tactics.
1 Cor. 1:17 “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.”
1 Cor. 2:2-5 “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.”
5) THE TARGET
“and make a profit”
There goal was set by them, and it was all about what they wanted.
Again, many churches do the same thing.
One person sets a goal, and then adopts his own personal strategy to get there.
This is not Biblical.
Let God do what God wants.
His goal for you may be far different than one you would have set for yourself.
I don’t think any of us would have set the goal that Paul achieved.
1 Cor. 4:9-13 “For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.”
I don’t know of any preacher that ever went to a church
Expecting to become “scum” or “dregs”.
But remember, God’s goal may look different than yours.
Now it is certainly not wrong to be prepared and plan ahead
And those types of things.
(We’ve read the passage several times in the past month how Paul told the Romans that he planned to go on to Spain and they could help send him there)
James is not endorsing some “fly by the seat of your pants” type of lifestyle where you don’t plan anything.
James is merely talking about the type of person who
Makes all these plans without consulting the word or will of God.
They aren’t interested in what God would do or have them do.
They’ve already got a plan and they don’t need God’s advice.
It is arrogant.
An Account of Boasting
#2 THE ABSURDITY OF BOASTING
James 4:14
So here we have a person who has adamantly and confidently
Made their own plans.
You particularly notice the confidence, “we will…and…and…and…”
They’ve got it all figured out.
And here is why that is so absurd.
“Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.”
They are acting with certainty in an area
They can’t possibly know anything about.
No one knows what tomorrow holds.
Proverbs 27:1 “Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.”
Proverbs 16:9 “The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.”
Anyone who confidently asserts what they will do is foolish,
For it is impossible for them to know what tomorrow will bring.
Furthermore, you don’t even know if you will be here tomorrow.
“You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”
The point to that being:
Life is Brief
Life is Temporary
Psalms 103:15-16 “As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, And its place acknowledges it no longer.”
It is like the rich man and his barns:
Luke 12:16-21 “And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. “And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”‘ “But God said to him, ‘ You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
It just doesn’t make sense that anyone would confidently assert
What they will do in the future.
And again this isn’t saying that if you tell someone,
“I’m going to Lubbock tomorrow” that you are sinning.
What James is referring to is the person
Who follows their own plans and will in spite of God’s.
This would be a person whom God told them not to go
And they stubbornly said, “Well we are!”
It is foolish arrogance.
And it is absolutely absurd.
Isaiah 30:15-17 “For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, “In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.” But you were not willing, And you said, “No, for we will flee on horses,” Therefore you shall flee! “And we will ride on swift horses,” Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift. One thousand will flee at the threat of one man; You will flee at the threat of five, Until you are left as a flag on a mountain top And as a signal on a hill.”
All of their boasts proved to be absurd.
So is everyone who is strong willed and boasts against God.
An Account of Boasting, The Absurdity of Boasting
#3 THE ALTERNATIVE TO BOASTING
James 4:15
Here is what ought to happen:
“Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”
Instead of arrogant boasting
Instead of strong will and defiance
There should be humble submission.
It is the simple reminder that
You don’t even know if you are going to live tomorrow.
I know it appears that you have control over a lot of things,
But stop and think about all the things you don’t have control over.
• You don’t have control over any other person (if they bomb you)
• You don’t have control over nature (if a tornado should come)
• You don’t have control over your organs (if they should continue)
And if you think about it, those are some pretty big loose ends
You are failing to account for.
Not to mention if you raise your odds of death
By riding in a car, or turning on a power tool, or sticking your face in a fan.
You ought to back up and realize that your life is a gift from God
And it is all up to His sovereign control.
Psalms 139:16 “Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.”
Acts 17:26 “and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,”
There is a sovereign God who has numbered your days
And appointed your limits.
I think it wise then that you consult His will for your life.
So instead you ought to walk with humble submission.
An Account of Boasting, The Absurdity of Boasting, An Alternative to Boasting
#4 THE ARROGANCE OF BOASTING
James 4:16
So we know what boasting looks like, we know how foolish it is,
And we know what we should do instead.
The tragedy is that some will totally disregard all that
And still determine to be the master of their own fate.
• They know what boasting is
• They know that it is foolish
• They know what they should do instead
“But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.”
Despite all they know, they still choose to boast.
They remain strong willed about their own plans and abilities.
AND THAT IS ARROGANT!
Jeremiah 6:16-19 “Thus says the LORD, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ “And I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’ “Therefore hear, O nations, And know, O congregation, what is among them. “Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people, The fruit of their plans, Because they have not listened to My words, And as for My law, they have rejected it also.”
• It is a person who thinks they have found a better way.
• It is a person who throws the will of God behind their back.
• It is a person that disregards the plans and counsel of the Lord.
Do you realize that there is not a more arrogant thing you can do than disobey the word of God?
That is to adamantly tell God that you know better than Him.
That is to tell God that even if His way is right,
That you aren’t afraid of what will happen if you disobey.
It is brash and arrogant.
In fact James has a different word for it.
“all such boasting is evil.”
That is a blatant comparison to Satan.
Listen to this Old Testament passage.
It refers to the King of Babylon, but many agree that it is also a reference to Satan.
Isaiah 14:12-16 “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ “Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit. “Those who see you will gaze at you, They will ponder over you, saying, ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms,”
Did you hear that?
5 times
“I will” – “I will” – “I will” – “I will” – “I will”
That was the mentality of Satan.
• I don’t care about God’s will
• I don’t care what God wants
• I’m going to follow my plan,
• I’m going to trust my ability.
It is arrogant and it is evil.
And obviously you can see why James has such a problem
With a person who would call them self a Christian
And then live more like the devil.
He has a problem with the Christian
Who can ignore God’s will and follow their own.
Someone once said that there are two words in the English language that can not be put together: “No – Lord”
Jesus said:
Luke 6:46 “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”
And why would it be that people actually in the church
Would still refuse to read God’s word and obey God’s word?
That is evil.
And that brings then to the final point
#5 THE APPLICATION OF BOASTING
James 4:17
There it is, the mighty “Therefore”
Here is the conclusion.
“to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.”
Taken in context with what we have been studying,
You could read that like this:
“The one who knows what God’s will is,
But does not do it, to him it is sin.”
• It is one thing to be the ignorant heathen in distant corners of Africa
• It is one thing to be the secluded native in the deep jungles of South America
• It is one thing to be the Hindu forbidden to ever hear the truths of God
That is one thing
But to have been fortunate enough to have understood God’s will
And then to totally disregard it is a greater problem all together.
Luke 12:47-48 “And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.”
It is a dangerous thing to know God’s will and still disregard it.
In fact, “it is sin.”
And maybe that broadens your understanding of sin a little this morning.
Many times sin is associated with us doing things we shouldn’t.
Sin is seen as us doing bad things.
And some people even adopt the view that
As long as they don’t do bad things, then they aren’t sinning.
• As long as I don’t drink
• As long as I don’t cuss
• As long as I don’t steal
• As long as I don’t commit adultery
• As long as I don’t murder
Here we find that a failure to do what God desires is also a sin.
• Things like not forgiving when He says to
• Things like not participating in missions when He says to
• Things like not humbly submitting to His will in all things
Those are just as sinful to God as if you were getting drunk and cussing.
For both are an example of disregarding God’s will for your life.
One adamantly does what He forbids
One adamantly disregards what He commands
They both are arrogant
They both are evil
• You must not stiffen your neck before God.
• You must not seek your will over His
• You must not be arrogant.
Proverbs 1:20-33 “Wisdom shouts in the street, She lifts her voice in the square; At the head of the noisy streets she cries out; At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings: “How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing And fools hate knowledge? “Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. “Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention; And you neglected all my counsel And did not want my reproof; I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes, When your dread comes like a storm And your calamity comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but they will not find me, Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD. “They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof. “So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way And be satiated with their own devices. “For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them. “But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil.”
It is a foolish thing to choose your will over God’s.
And so the application is obvious.
• Humble yourself before God
• Seek His will in all things
• And when His will is revealed, then do it.
Don’t force your own agenda
Don’t force your own plans
Humbly submit to God.
“Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”
Put another way:
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.”
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