The Gospel Makes a Difference Eternally
Do any of you play the stock market? I say play because right now to me, it just seems like a game. Anybody know about penny stocks?
Okay, tell me what are penny stocks.
They're not worth a lot. They got to go up and down. If it they might actually be worth almost nothing, but sometimes they become worth something and in a friend of mine is actually quite a good investor up in Chicago.
You would walk in the, in the, in the foyer of our rather large Church in Chicago and you would hear his voice kind of blew me out over all the others and you've come up to you and smile and shake your hand. And and he was telling a class of young adults, one time about his experience and it kind of made us salivate a little bit. He said, he was teaching us about investing and he says, don't do what I did and then we all went and did what he did know. He said don't invest in penny stocks are really bad investment. He said, one time, I invested a very small amount in penny stocks. He said my worth double triple quadruple and then some, he said, if I had pulled out at his Peak myself, my kids, my grandkids, my great-grand kids would have been set for life. He said I waited a couple of hours and I was back to being worth the same that I had started with. In fact, even a little bit less.
We all kind of went to talk about that experience when you were a lot of money, how did it feel? And he just said no no that's not the point. Point doesn't go invest in penny stocks. The point is invest in something that matters invest in something that has long-term yields because it has real value.
Work hard save well.
Think about the long-term growth.
James would say the same thing. and James 5-1 in following, If you have been with us at all, we've been going through the Book of James. And if I could add my title to the Book of James, I would say, or I have said, it's the gospel makes a difference, but gospel makes a difference. James, one, in our Hard Times, count it all joy, my brothers and sisters when you encounter Trials of various kinds,
The gospel makes the difference in the good times as well.
From him comes every good and perfect. Gift is from above.
We looked at James, 1:19 and following is said in the gospel, even makes a difference in the everyday. Not just a good about the best of times. I just the worst of times, but in the mundane, the boring times, the gospel makes a difference in our vision. How we see things James to that. The way we see people, as of equal Worth to us the gospel speaks into that, to those who are believers that the god of the universe cannot invade our souls and leave anything on touched because he will do a work in our lives and he will bring it up about on the day of Christ, Jesus. He will bring it about incompletion on that day and until then he's at work in us and showing us look, you have to not show partiality James to make the difference in our faith. But we have our faith in makes a difference in all of these different ways. We've been looking at, especially in our words, what we say, how do we say it? To whom we say it. Last week, a gospel makes a difference in our plans and we ended talking about how even living a few moments of your life without a recognition and submission to The Sovereign will of God in your life. Is sin.
The one who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it for him. It is sin.
Until now James de the half-brother of Jesus has been speaking to a Christian audience.
He's about to go into next week. Patience in suffering.
Continuing on the team that we're beginning today. This eternal theme in James 5:7 and following. But here we have a little bit of a, pause a little bit of a break in the address to Christians, and there's a little bit of prophetic judgment proclaimed. Let's read through the passage together. I invite you to stand for the reading of God's word as we read James chapter 5 verses 1 and following.
Will be raining from the English Standard Version. Come. Now, you rich weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches, have rotted and your garments are moth eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You lay up treasure in the last days, behold the wages of the laborers, who mowed your field, which you kept back by fraud are crying out against you. The cries of the Harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth and luxury. And in Self Indulgence, you have fattened your hearts in a day of Slaughter. You've condemned in Murder the righteous person. He does not resist you. This is God's word. I invite you to go ahead and take your seats.
If we aren't careful, we skipped right over eternity In this passage. If we don't carefully, pay attention to a couple of words, we think that this is James continuing to unleash his wisdom literature in the New Testament style to the church, and we missed two important things.
If you and I aren't careful, we likewise Miss eternity all together in our perspective. We go through life, we're born. We raised in our context, we get edumacated We get a job. We gained some money, we maybe have some kids, we maybe find a good place to live. Maybe move around a couple of times and then we die. And hopefully before we die, were able to consider the important question. What happens next? Blast. What happens? Last.
The New Testament teaches that we are presently in the last days. As soon as Jesus was dead buried and resurrected in the church Age, begin in the book of Acts. We can see that Jesus return is imminent, there is nothing. Preventing Jesus biblically speaking from returning right now, Or now. Or that didn't happen. Now and in we are called to constantly live our lives, ready for the return of Jesus Christ. We are in the last days, we should be preparing for a ton of people have had a similar perspective that I was taught as a child, which is the Lord is probably coming. Soon, you start to read the times you start to read world history and you start to think. I don't think I'm going to die. I think I'm going to get raptured. And then you start to get a little older. And you start to go. Maybe I have to consider that all important thing, what happened last because you lose your parents,
or you get that diagnosis that you don't want to receive. And you think you know what? I need to think about this a little bit. For those of us who are believers, we are in the last days and whether Jesus returned in 3 seconds or in three hundred years, I have no idea. But I'm in good company for neither do the angels that are in heaven. And when Jesus was here on this Earth, he did not know as well.
It's easy to miss over eternity in our perspective. And so we live life, experiencing things that we know how to make experience in anticipating things that we know how to anticipate, how do you anticipate eternity? In the only good answer to that question is through the text of the word of scripture. The word of God is. The only way that we can know what to expect. What is coming? What is coming last?
And we could get out a whole bunch of charts and maybe one of these days, we'll do that. But the important thing to remember is that Jesus is coming gloriously, he will come, and he will reign. And he will take those, who believe in his name to be with himself for all of eternity.
But that won't be everyone's story.
I get a kick out of teaching theology to children. And no matter how much I teach it seems like the answer to the question.
Will everyone be saved? They always answer. Yes.
Because when we teach people about a good God who is all-powerful and all loving, even though we tell children, they must believe and receive Jesus Christ for themselves, and many of them do, praise the Lord somehow, it doesn't enter into their minds, that some will be lost.
And for me to sit here and ponder, it is hard to consider that most will be lost. That those who are called to Jesus Christ are referred to and in the Old Testament to Yahoo to follow the one true. God, those who are called to follow, are a remnant, not a majority moral or otherwise,
We live in an unjust Society.
We always have because we are on planet Earth and I am excited to say that. I think we live in a very just Society, All Things Considered And those all things that were considering our sin and death and petulance in a whole bunch of other things that came with a fault in Genesis 3, that we can see. And that we have seen But there is normally one, hope for people who are in the midst of mass in Justice. it seemed portrayed in movie after movie all that, you have to see is someone who has been wronged and they're closely related to like Dwayne Johnson
in the movie, The Rock, The Wrestler, you know, know, book a tent
You see when you see justice injustice thriving in the movie, you're waiting for the just character to come forth and bring Justice to be those kinds of Peacemaker makers. People who make peace that we talked about a couple of weeks ago and in our case, We are waiting so many times for vengeance. We're waiting to repay evil for evil. In in the movies, often times, it happens. You see the bad guy gets her? Pay for what they have invested in and you cheered and you howl as like, Batman punches them for the three hundredth time you took 300 hits.
But the true hope of those who are experiencing Injustice. Is not an antihero puncturing, a couple hundred punches. But God. The Sovereign, Holy One. Unleashing Divine vengeance upon a whole world in history of evildoers for eternity.
And that's what is happening in James V. Come now, you rich. He uses some of the strongest language. I would say the second strongest language of a new section. For those of you following along, we are now in section 11 of 14. And he uses the the introductory language here. Now, listen up, come now, just like he did in 13 and he says, specifically you who are rich Listen up, rich people. The letter isn't specifically written to the people who are now being talked about. Rather, this is divine proclamation of judgment Upon A people who are taking advantage of The readers and viewers. There are Christians who are probably hearing because it would be spoken for most of them not read. They are hearing of all of the things, they are not to do in the things to do with their tongues. And one of the things in the back of their mind, seems to be, but we can even pay to eat. I can't even feed my family, I go. And I work hard and I don't receive wages. I am swindled, I'm taking advantage of God. What is my hope? What about me? I want to praise you but I've got nothing to praise you with in James. Has this this thing to say that's encouraging and he says, weep and howl. You know that word that means it sounds like what it is. you know, that words called,
There you go, onomatopoeia and onomatopoeia is it is what it sounds like, howl.
It's a very good English in the Greek. We have to onomatopoeias weep and howl and when you would read it aloud, you would almost hear the reader sleeping in the howling for miseries that are coming upon not the hearers. The ones doing Injustice 2 the years. You have this divine. Prophetic through sort of voice that James embodies once again. And we can look at a couple of passages here to see the sort of language that he is using flip with me. If you will over to Ezekiel that big book that we often forget about Ezekiel 7. Verse 19. 47, 19th. You flip over there?
This passage is talking about eternity. because when we are thinking of getting what you deserve,
And you are the one who has Injustice again to you. Don't want a little bit of Justice. You don't want a slap on the wrist. When you have true and Justice repeatedly brought against you, you want some serious retribution, you want Justice. In God is promising Justice to them for eternity?
First to your riches, have rotted and your garments are moth eaten. We have your couple of examples of the key things that people needed in ancient times and indeed still need. We have Garments. We all need to be closed to keep the elements at Bay. We we need a little bit of coin, a little bit of money so that we can exchange goods and services.
And we all need our very skin.
In what does versed to tell us about these things that these rich landowners would be acquiring.
We have the rich Land Rovers over here. And we have the day, laborers, over here and the rich landowners are going to the, to the local coroner you've ever been to a 1/4 of a busy section. And some place like Cicero, Illinois, you'll go. And you'll see people standing around, and they're not being lazy. They're waiting to be hired for the day. He come work in my yard, do you know how to do, you know how to do with Kanika work? Come work on my truck for a little bit. You negotiate a wage, I'll pay you this much for this much work, but the problem is, there's no contract at the end of the day. After the day, labor has worked. He has nothing in in writing if you don't pay him. And that is exactly what is going on here. We have these day late, or we have these landowners who are getting day laborers to come work with them but instead of giving the pay that is deserve, that was agreed upon their pocket, some or most or all of it and they're spending it on Carmen. To buy a nice ties with a tie clip. You're going and they are Gathering coin and silver, you can just imagine them stacking, their little piles of gold. And silver are going to the spa and have a nice spa day. They're spending it all on them self. And what does James say? Your riches have rotted in your garments are moth eaten.
Your gold and silver have corroded nobody's talking about. This language is upside down language, people who are rich, don't get their Gold's, corroded, people who are rich, don't stores are closed in a place that the moths can eat. People who are rich, don't eat food, let their skin be eaten like fire. Point is this language is upside down to our expectations of what should be going on to the rich people. Your riches have rotted. Your garments are moth-eaten your gold. In your silver have corroded in there will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh. Like fire. You've laid up treasure in the last days.
The grammar, here's a little bit interesting because it's not just future tense. Your riches will rot away. It's not past tense. It's a perfect tense. Your riches are already disintegrating. they're fading away even though you think they're completely in your possession, You were currently present tense raining, Injustice, upon, others and taking advantage of others. You have it slipping away because why you think you were in control God is in control and he is already building a case against you in the Eternal Court of judgment. It is already corroding, and it will ever be evidence against you. And that will eat your flesh like fire. And we think of that the literal fire. Well, I should say, literally think of that of the fire of hell. As we have this language and you can see the Flames, just licking away at the bottom of this rich person's feet as the evidence builds.
You've laid up your treasure in the last days and let me pause there. And say we are all laying up treasure in the last days.
The question is, whether we are laying them up in the last days.
For the last days. In the last days. For eternity. We are in the last days right now, right? Jesus died. Resurrected coming again, all of that present time. The coming again until Jesus returns, we are in these last days. There's nothing else that the Bible teaches us needs to happen before Jesus returns. This is the age of people hearing and believing and receiving Jesus Christ. The Gospel going out to the four corners of the Earth. And yet. He remains. Future tense. And so is the money that you. Are investing for a future on this Earth. Or for eternity are the works that you are doing for recognition and advancement on this Earth or the advancement of the Kingdom RV. Driving and thinking that you do going to bring about some kind of reward in the here and now or in the then and later. Let's flip over to Matthew 6:19 together. We can read it. He kill you. Did we? Here we go. Ezekiel 7 chapter 19. Future tense at that point they cast their silver into the street and their gold is like an unclean thing. They're silver and gold or not able to deliver them in the day of the Wrath of the Lord. Try to buy of God when he is on the warpath. It is not going to work. They cannot satisfy their hunger. Fill their stomachs with their money with it for it was a spy Tumbling block of their iniquity.
His beautiful ornament, they use for pride and they made their abominable images and their detestable things of it. Therefore, I make it an unclean thing to them. Verse 22. I will turn my face from them and they shall profane my treasured place. Robert shall enter and profane it and it goes on and on. Money will not save you in the end. A retirement with millions or billions will be completely worthless when you hit that day and time that God has appointed for you to meet him. To send it ahead of you. not just your money, but that absolutely send it ahead of you, so that You don't have to wish you would done something with it, when you get to Eternity. Alex flip over to Matthew 6:19 and 21. first book in the New Testament,
Matthew 6:19 right in the middle of The Sermon on the Mount.
What does Jesus say? His famous words, do not lay up for yourselves. Treasures on Earth, where moth and rust, destroy and where thieves break in and steal.
But lay up for yourselves, Treasures, in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal for where your treasure, is there, your heart will be also my friends. When you think about investing your money, your time, your efforts, make sure that is where you want your heart to be. Some of us think towards our 30s or 40s or 50s some of us think towards retirement, or our College days and we take, hey, I'm going to work towards that. But what happens when you get there, if God gives you that many days on this Earth?
Will you get there until I have arrived? Only to look and realize your heart is where your treasure is? And then realize, oh my goodness. I have heart disease, literally or metaphorically and now what am I supposed to do? And that's again if God gives you the grace to actually have the time to contemplate it as opposed to taking you off and whisking you to Eternity.
In Jesus, please don't lay up for yourselves. Treasures on Earth. Don't invent, don't make short-term Investments, those penny, stocks are really bad. I can't even imagine what would have happened if my friend actually cashed in on his multimillion-dollar investment because his daughter Was a really, really good friend of terraces in mine and his son-in-law, as well.
Happens if they'd had to have no idea of the amount, a hundred million dollar.
Nestegg waiting for them. What kind of people would they have been? What kind of friends would they have been for us? What happens when you get what you think you want? The text is going to get to that as well.
You have laid up treasure in the last days back to James 5 verse 3.
The accusation book of James James and Jesus don't have anything to do with each other and I'm reminding. You once again look this looks really similar to something. James had heard his older brother. Jesus say, And he's tweaking it in and making sure the messages is for the people of his intended audience. He saying don't worry, they are storing up Treasures for themselves on Earth and when they get to, what would be Heaven, they will be sorely disappointed first for why is this? How do we know what's going on with these guys versus foreign filing? Behold the wages of the laborers, who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud?
They're crying out against you where my favorite bible stories to kids to teach is Cain and Abel. And what does God say to Cain? He says, paid your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.
Rich person who is taking advantage of others, your wealth is crying out against you.
The judge and the jury are going to consider the testimony of the witness in. The witness is the money, and the money was gotten ill lie. It was gotten illegally, it was gotten in morally. It was gotten off of the backs of others who didn't have the chance to earn it even though they had worked for it. And they are crying out against you. In the cries of the Harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. That's what we want. When we encounter hard times in these days, we absolutely say Maranatha come quickly, Lord Jesus. But we also want to say May the cries of the righteous who have been put down, may they reach your ears. Don't turn your ear away from them, respond and holy Justice. Here we see this prophecy that it has, and will reach the ears of the Lord verse 5, you who have lived on Earth and luxury and self-indulgence.
All the you're doing is fattening your hearts in a day of Slaughter.
Ouch.
Some, you were farmers. Some of you have been around a farmer looked across the parking lot and you've seen those grass-fed delicious beef.
Can you just think loud, keep eating that grass? Because, you know what, there's a big difference between that and that corn stuff, right? So I'm told the irony is that, while they are living their life, that beef cow is preparing itself for your plate.
It's kind of funny when you think about a steak or hamburger that we're going to eat later. It's not so funny if you consider and ask yourself. Is that me
Am I indulging myself? in the riches that I have gotten through means that, I maybe should not have And here's the hard part, guys. Sometimes we're not even aware of it.
I've said it before, I'll say it again. A friend of mine said whenever you see Injustice, always look for the person, profiting off of it, you will always find them. We see Injustice. Not just in this country. I see it much more internationally.
I see and hear. Of small children smaller than my children.
Working to make devices that I hold in my pocket. And that connect me to you through Communications. And I think I am not benefiting from anyone's labor. That they're not being paid appropriately for if I were to have somebody mow my lawn, I would pay them appropriately, that's why I don't care but it's too big of a long.
When I tie my tie and put on my shirt on Sunday, I don't want to look at the tag and see where it was made. I'm not going to go buy $150 shirt. I'm going to go to Kohl's in the clearance section. What do you think is going to work for $3 shirt?
These are Big systemic problems but I don't have answers to but I know I am part of the problem.
And I don't have a suggestion for how to be part of the solution to some of these problems. Other than to say, let's at least be aware of them. Let's at least be aware of the sex trafficking that goes on to create the pornography that end up on the screens that we purchase. Let's say at least be aware of the child slavery that happens so that we can all wear clothing. That looks pretty good. Let's be aware that some people don't have access to education like we did. So they don't have the opportunities we do, because if we are not at least aware than we might be guilty of what this passage is talking about and not even know it.
And then we might be like, Ferrell. Some of us in this room, this is our attitude right now. Hands in our pockets. Reaction, your pockets arms folded, I don't care if you're thinking When is the sky going to be done? This is one of those tournaments and I'm tired of it already.
Your hardening, your heart, to the truth of God's word. It's not my truth. I'd rather not preaching. This is a hard Passage.
Remember, Exodus 7.
Genesis Exodus second book of the pentateuch, second book of the Old Testament of the Bible.
Moses is before pharaoh and is giving God's message. Let my people go. And remember pharaohs response.
What is response to letter word? No name. Yet.
Exodus 713. This is the the first time that that he was told that there was told let my people go and God is already told fair when he's going to God has already told Moses what he's going to do in through into Pharaoh. But the cool thing about God's prophecy is, there's almost always a little astric attached that a stroke is a chance of repentance.
What is God? Tell Jonah prophesy against Nineveh. And God didn't say, prophesy against Nineveh and tell them they have a last chance, but don't tell us, they're going to get destroyed.
I want to get the whole story will preach at another time. One of these days I remember what happened.
so yes the first few verses of Exodus 7 or God telling Moses that I'm not going to let Pharaoh get away with it but you can bet that if a pharaoh turned in Repentance I would have relented. But he doesn't verse 13 of Exodus 7, still Pharaoh's. Heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them. As the Lord had said, then the first black water turned to blood, what happens?
The second plague frogs chapter 18, what happens 1815. But when Pharaoh saw that, there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them. There is hardening his heart.
We got the fourth leg defense played the Six Flags at 7 played etcetera, etcetera etcetera. And what do we see each time?
Each time his heart was hardened or he hardened his heart.
Verse 10. I'm sorry chapter 10 verse 27 but the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart and he would not let them go. See, sometimes when we sin and we sin, and we sin and we sin where Harding ourselves off to the truth of God's word, were hardened yourselves off to the spirits work in our lives. And then, you know what Romans talks about. One of my favorite least. Favorite verses in the Bible. Flip over the Romans 1.
We're doing a little bit of biblical theology right here, because Tomorrow, when I get the emails and you're welcome to send them. Can you say sorry that you don't like the Bible?
What happens?
First 24. Therefore God gave them up in the less of their hearts didn't Purity to dishonoring of their bodies among themselves. Because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator who is blessed forever verse 26. For this reason, God gave them up.
God, giving us all every human a chance. Anyone. What time does turn to me?
Invest in eternity. Think about the Hereafter more than you think about the Here and Now, Don't do Injustice, don't speak poorly with your tongue. Don't say things that you don't mean and certainly don't mean things that you shouldn't say. Don't treat others with partiality, don't celebrate in the good times and then morning the bad times. Thank God during all of it. and if you aren't doing these things, watch out because you might be that fattened calf.
Eating in your heart is getting fat and it's the day of Slaughter. Repent Bookout, turn away. Turn to Jesus and say, here I am, I give all that. I am all that I ever could be to you. I believe that Jesus is the solution. He's the answer, not just for the world today, but for myself, in a bind him, there is no other. There is not another way. He is the only way the truth and the life. And anyone who comes to the father, through him shall be saved. That's the wonderful news. That tragic news. Is that many people most people. Go to the death Slaughter stuffing their face. Fattening themselves up for the slaughter. And then reaping The own rewards of their own actions. First six you have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you. We have one of these texts religious here, the last couple of words he does not resist you. Many people recently have been making a case for this to be translated instead of he does not resist you meaning the poor person does not resist. You as you Slaughter him as you condemn and murder, the right of person. Others would say that it should be written. Does he not resist you? ?
Because the only other time that this word is used resist is over in James 4:6 just a page earlier. God opposes resist that word, the proud. And so people make the argument that this is probably the better translation. God doesn't he resist you? Do you want God to oppose, you
But God hasn't been mentioned for many verses. We can't simply change the subject of the sentence. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you and just simply say God resists you does he not?
But we can't simply change the subject because we think it makes interpretive sense to the message. Every modern translation. And every translation I could find keeps it this way. He does not resist you And this makes me think of feral.
This makes me think of Romans 1.
I'm not doing anything wrong. Nobody's resisting me.
The powerful are rarely resisted. Doesn't go well for those who are resisting.
And so I ask you to prayerfully consider what this package might have for you. And what ways may you be part of taking advantage of someone else? Now, I do believe very firmly that this passage is being preached about non-believers. So if you were a Believer this passage is not you. Even if you come to you or your Eternal destination and throughout your life, you have invested in the here. And now instead of Eternity, Jesus did the investment for you. You will still reap of his Rewards. But I will warn you, your rewards won't be as great as those who are investing in eternity.
It will still be more wonderful than you could ever imagine, because you will be with Jesus forever.
But there might be some in this room who have deceived themselves.
Who are benefiting? From others, Misfortune Misfortune. And you are the one that is causing our Misfortune or you simply are in the Christian context, you're in church, your marriage to a spouse, who's a Believer, your parents take you to church or took you to church. Your kids are the reason you go to church. You want them to have a good moral foundation and let me remind you of the reality of Eternity. Forever matters.
Now, eternity eternity. Now invest for the long-term results. Don't invest in penny stocks. If you want to talk to me about this, it would be my privilege. Have a conversation with you about your investment, how you are living your life in relation to god let's pray Heavenly Father we look to you. You are the judge, we are not
We asked you to judge us with Mercy. And graciousness because of your son, Jesus Christ, we plead Jesus, we plead mercy and at the same time, help us to live out our identity. And allow the gospel to make a difference in our eternity, in Jesus name. Amen.