Christian Living

Rich in Christ Jesus – James 5:1-6

Pastor Tan Thai · Jun 23, 2013

2 Corinthians 8:9James 5:1-6James 4:13James 1:10-11James 2:5-6Isaiah 61:1Mark 12:42-44Revelation 2:9Job 1:1-3Job 42:10Matthew 27:57Mark 10:21Revelation 3:17Proverbs 14:31Proverbs 22:16Proverbs 22:22-23Zechariah 7:10Luke 4:16-19Proverbs 11:4Psalm 62:9-10Psalm 73:2-5Psalm 73:12Psalm 73:16-171 Timothy 6:101 Timothy 6:17-18Philippians 2:6-8Isaiah 58:10-11

This sermon based on James 5:1-6 examines the difference between material wealth and spiritual richness in Christ Jesus. The pastor warns believers who use wealth to exploit the poor and calls the congregation to follow the example of Christ, who became poor so that we might become truly rich.

The sermon opens by clearly distinguishing four categories of wealth and poverty: poor in both material and spiritual terms, poor materially but rich spiritually, rich in both, and rich materially but poor spiritually. The pastor emphasizes that Scripture does not teach that wealth is sinful or that poverty proves faith, nor does it teach that material wealth is concrete evidence of God's blessing.

The central section focuses on James's warning to wealthy believers who are spiritually impoverished. The pastor identifies three specific sins: making the accumulation of wealth the primary purpose of life, defrauding and exploiting the poor to gain riches, and living in luxury while professing faith in Christ. The sermon uses the fearsome image of the Lord of Sabaoth to remind listeners that God hears the cries of the oppressed and will judge all injustice on the final day.

The pastor also draws on Psalm 73 to address the question of why the wicked prosper while believers suffer. The answer is that believers do not live by what they see before them but by the teaching of Scripture, and the final judgment will expose the truth about all injustice.

The supreme example held up in the sermon is Christ Jesus, who was rich as the Son of God but made Himself poor through the incarnation, born in a manger, raised in Nazareth, and dying shamefully on the cross for our sins. Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 8:9 and Philippians 2:6-8 are cited to illuminate the self-emptying of Christ.

The sermon closes with a practical call to action: those whom God has blessed with wealth should use their resources to help the poor, avoiding boasting and display, but opening their hearts as Isaiah 58:10-11 instructs. The illustrative story of the rich man and the silver-coated mirror reminds the congregation that when a person's heart is covered by silver, they can only see themselves and no longer see others.