Portfolio Poison! James 5:1-7a

James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings James 1:1

Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. James 5:19-20

those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1 Timothy 6:6-10

A scary view of wealth

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! James 5:1

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. James 1:2-4

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! James 5:1

Central Theme: Living by God s wisdom yields peace in His community!

Enveloping Theme: God s wisdom is characterized by humility & endurance.

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! James 5:1

Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. James 5:2

Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. James 5:3

Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. James 5:4

You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. James 5:5

You have condemned, you have murdered the just; Does He not resist you? James 5:6

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. James 5:7a

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace James 3:17-18

God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you doubleminded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.] James 4:6b-10

Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. James 4:11a

Instead you ought to say, If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that. But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. James 4:15-16

Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit. Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! James 4:13; 5:1

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. James 5:7a

But woe to you who are rich, Luke 6:24

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! James 5:1

Wealth is dangerous

Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. James 5:2-3a

Wealth is dangerous 1. It degrades rapidly.

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; Matthew 6:19

Wealth is dangerous 1. It degrades rapidly.

Wealth is dangerous 1. It degrades rapidly 2. It testifies adversely.

Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. James 5:3a

Wealth is dangerous 1. It degrades rapidly 2. It testifies adversely. 3. It consumes painfully.

Toxic ways we get & handle wealth:

You have heaped up treasure in the last days. Indeed, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned, you have murdered the just; James 5:3b-6a

Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. James 5:3

Toxic ways we get & handle wealth: 1. We hoard it.

Beware of covetousness, for one s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses. Luke 12:15

Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. James 5:3

Out of food; Dying On the of plus thirst, Down side, I ve to my got last all bullet; the gold and I can the Indians carry! have me surrounded.

But God said to him, Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided? So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. Luke 12:20-21

Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. James 1:9,10

Toxic ways we get & handle wealth: 1. We hoard it. despite the brevity of our lives.

Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. James 5:4

Toxic ways we get & handle wealth: 2. Keep what others deserve.

Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. James 5:4

And He said, What have you done? The voice of your brother s blood cries out to Me from the ground. Galatians 4:10

Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. James 5:4

Toxic ways we get & handle wealth: 2. Keep what others deserve. despite God s concern for the oppressed.

You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. James 5:5

Toxic ways we get & handle wealth: 3. Spend it on ourselves.

For where your treasure is, there your heart... Matthew 6:21

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21

Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 1 Timothy 6:6-8

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21

You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. James 5:5

Toxic ways we get & handle wealth: 3. Spend it on ourselves. despite the lethal effect on our hearts.

You have condemned, you have murdered the just; James 5:6a

Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? James 2:6

You have condemned, you have murdered the just; James 5:6a

Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. James 4:1-2

Toxic ways we get & handle wealth: 4. Take what we don t deserve despite God s resistance against our arrogance.

You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you James 5:6a

You have condemned, you have murdered the just; Does He not resist you? James 5:6a

God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble. James 4:6

You have condemned, you have murdered the just; Does He not resist you? James 5:6a

Poison Control for the Wealthy:

You have condemned, you have murdered the just; Does He not resist you? James 5:6a

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 1 Peter 3:18

Poison Control for the Wealthy:

Poison Control for the Wealthy: Remember the cross... humbly with enduring faith and grateful generosity

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9

Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. Luke 12:33

Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. 1 Timothy 6:17-19

[Yes, we] know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for [our] sakes He became poor, that [we] through His poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9