James 5:1-6

Bringing the sermon home:

King David wrote:

• “See the man who would not make
      God his refuge,
  but trusted in the abundance of his riches
      and sought refuge in his own destruction!” (Psalm 52:7)

Scripture routinely calls us not to trust in earthly riches for safety, security, and our sense of worth. They are like shifting sand: there is no certainty they will last, and even if they do last your whole life, they cannot ensure a long and healthy life and certainly cannot stave off death. More than that, they will profit you nothing in the coming judgment. In fact, those piles of hoarded riches may seal your demise as evidence of self-serving wickedness.

As we consider all that Scripture says on this topic, we see that the issue is not whether you possess wealth, but whether your wealth possesses you. That is, whether you are enslaved by your love of money like the rich young ruler of Luke 18, unable to be “generous and ready to share” (1 Tim 6:18).

The only way to be freed from the enslaving grip of the love of money is for your love of God to grow stronger than any other love. "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven" (Matthew 6:19-24) by cultivating such a love for God that you can sing with the Psalmist:

• Whom have I in heaven but you?
     And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. (Psalm 73:25)
  

Sermon Outline:

1. A word of warning for the wicked wealthy:
   Weep and wail for the miseries that await you.
   
   
2. A word of comfort for the crushed Christian:
   Rest assured that God sees and that God cares.