1 THE POOR RICH P A R T O N E
1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and your JAMES 5:1-6 silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! THE POOR RICH
4 Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. 5 You have lived JAMES 5:1-6 luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you. THE POOR RICH
Two Kinds Of THE “RICH RICH” People THE “POOR RICH” THE POOR RICH
Two Kinds Of THE “RICH RICH” People THE “POOR RICH” those who recognize the hand of those who have acquired money God and are righteous in their through unrighteous means and dealings; their blessings abound God will make their lives miserable. in all aspects of their lives . THE POOR RICH
THREE MAIN POINTS The Coming Miseries of 01 the Rich ( v. 1) The Sins of the Rich (vv. 4 - 6) 03 A. Withheld Pay of the Laborers (v. 4) The Losses of the Rich (vv. 2 - 3) B. Living for Oneself only (v. 5) 02 A. Temporal loss (vv. 2 - 3) C. Oppression of the Righteous Poor (v. 6) B. Eternal Loss (v. 3) 1. Timing THE POOR RICH
7 1. THE COMING MISERIES OF THE RICH 1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. GOD IS NOT AGAINST THE RICH , but a SPECIFIC KIND OF RICH – those who have withheld the PAY OF THEIR LABORERS [v.4], those who only USE THEIR RICHES for themselves and those who OPPRESS the poor. In other words, they are the kind of rich that enrich themselves at the expense of the COMMON MAN. They live SELFISHLY! Lastly, they are people who STEP ON POWERLESS people! THE POOR RICH
8 Their riches will turn out to be a curse later on. They will WEEP and HOWL, because of their miseries that are going to come upon 1 Come now, you rich, weep and them. howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. The “weep” here in Greek is used for “WAILING FOR THE DEAD or weeping for shame or remorse” . The “howl” here in Greek is used of an “intensified VIOLENT GRIEF.” In here, we find the POETIC JUSTICE OF GOD. It is the innocent that will have the last laugh. THE POOR RICH
THREE FORMS OF MISERY NO REAL FRIENDS TERMINAL ILLNESS GIANT EXPENSES THE POOR RICH
WE CANNOT ESCAPE GOD’S HAND. WHAT WE SOW, WE SHALL REAP. THE POOR RICH
11 1. THE COMING MISERIES OF THE RICH 1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your MISERIES which are coming upon you. The NASB IS CORRECT in its translation, by making miseries PLURAL , because that is exactly what you find in the Greek. THE POOR RICH
2. THE LOSSES OF THE RICH A. TEMPORAL LOSS 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! THE POOR RICH
13 2. THE LOSSES OF THE RICH 1 Come now, you rich, weep and A. TEMPORAL LOSS howl for your MISERIES which are coming upon you. What they have saved up, they will eventually lose. This is the common experience of all. Rich people eventually lose their riches through sickness, kidnapping, robbery, bad investments, etc. THE POOR RICH
14 2. THE LOSSES OF THE RICH 1 Come now, you rich, weep and A. TEMPORAL LOSS howl for your MISERIES which are coming upon you. The story here is not from “RAGS TO RICHES” , but from “RICHES TO RAGS.” THE POOR RICH
15 2. THE LOSSES OF THE RICH 1 Come now, you rich, weep and 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments have howl for your MISERIES which become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and your silver have are coming upon you. rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! Notice that all of these are already in PAST TENSE. In Greek, this is what is called, “PROPHETIC PERFECT” , which means, events in the future which are so sure in happening, it is placed in a form that is made to appear THAT IT HAS ACTUALLY HAPPENED. THE POOR RICH
2. THE LOSSES OF 3 and their rust will be a witness THE RICH against you and will consume your flesh like fire. B . The Greek here speaks of E T E R N A L The loss ( “RUST” ) will be a INDIVIDUAL, PERSONALIZED L O S S TESTIMONY, speaking loudly that PUNISHMENT . they were people of INJUSTICE. This loss also will eventually RUIN Zodiathes remarks, “This individual attention of God their LIVES. for man is indeed one of life’s greatest mysteries. He saved people individually, He rewards them individually, and He punishes them individually.” THE POOR RICH
2. THE LOSSES OF THE RICH A. TEMPORAL LOSS 1. TIMING 3 … It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! The last days here may be alluding to the GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT. We cannot take our riches to the NEXT LIFE! THE POOR RICH
RECOGNIZE THAT YOU ARE ONLY A STEWARD. BE FAITHFUL IN YOUR GIVING SPIRITUALLY TO GOD. RICH BE RIGHTEOUS IN YOUR BUSINESS DEALINGS. BE FAIR AND JUST TO THOSE WHO ARE UNDER YOU. THE POOR RICH
MONEY SHOULD BE THE LEAST OF OUR PROBLEMS. God can just bless us in a twinkling of an eye. THE POOR RICH
Two Kinds Of THE “RICH RICH” People THE “POOR RICH” THE POOR RICH
21 THE POOR RICH P A R T O N E
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