Obsession with Possession

1. Introduction
3 Generation Curse

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Chinese adage- Wealth does not pass 3 generations. (fu bu guo san dai). It is rare for wealth to pass 3 generations unless steps are actively taken 1st generation Creator starts a poor man and works hard to amass wealth. Experienced hardship and saves a substantial portion of earnings for the future 2nd generation Conservator shielded from hardship. No need to work as hard yet retains or adds a bit more to the wealth. Hardly saves anything 3rd generation Consumer. Uses up all the stock piled wealth profligately. Reduces wealth to the point of poverty. Leaves nothing for the next generation. Pre-occupation with wealth has driven man to study economic and social patterns to preserve wealth. Numerous titles on the bookshelves and internet about money and investments. They are all about o Making money o Preserving wealth Todays verses cover  the topic of wealth and contrast it with poverty  the attitude of the rich Wealth is a controversial topic and it seems out of place in this chapter What has wealth and riches have to do with trials and suffering? The common notion is poverty equals trials and being wealthy is far removed from suffering.

2. Persecuted People y Addressed to Jewish Christians who were dispersed away from Jerusalem y They are suffering persecution from two sources

Confrontation with the Empire

y Roman empire dont like them and the feeling amongst Jews is mutual y Seen as troublemakers y Romans are aware of the Jewish resentment and they discourage the formation of any groups outside of the temple y Showed brutality when Emperor Pompeii invaded Palestine in 63 BC and colonised the area y He gave large chunks of land to soldiers as reward to their prowess in battle. y Roman government are in full cooperation with the religious leaders as we have seen from the account of Pilates giving way to the wishes of the Sanhedrin to condemn Christ as narrated in Matthew 27. y Romans ruled by proxy. They were master politicians and they know how to rule their empire. They were not out and out conquerors but were able to use the local political structure to achieve their means

Conflict with the Elite

y The conflict was with the religious elite, the Pharisees and Scribes y The very same people who conspired to crucify Christ y They used the Roman governments authority to condemn Christ y Acts 6 and 7 we read accounts of brutality, Stephens condemnation and stoning. y Acts 8 and 9 contain narratives of Paul or Sauls murderous intent to persecute the church y Paul himself, who was once a persecutor, ended up in a Roman prison upon the instigation of the Jews. y Pauls experience is no different from the Jewish Christians of the diaspora.

Application

y Backdrop of these verses, a group of people under persecution from two fronts. y In addition, they are experiencing internal pain from their religious transition.
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y It wasnt easy for them, it is not easy now y Persecution has not come and gone. It is still present and at an alarming rate as more and more people are exposed to the Gospel. y Our situation is no different, we may not have the same sources of persecution from defined parties but we experience it too

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Persecution comes from pressures of the world. In this day and age, it is quirky to be a believer We experience ridicule, we experience other peoples values imposed on us. In the UK a Christian couple was told that they could not be foster carers because their view of homosexuality is wrong The judges underlined that, in the case of fostering arrangements at least, the right of homosexuals to equality should take precedence over the right of Christians to manifest their beliefs and moral values. We must take our stand, we must draw the line in the sand and assert our belief. It may cost us something, even our life, but it is for a worthy cause.

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3. Pride in Poverty (v9) y Having set the backdrop of these verses let us examine James exhortation to the poor
Chastening Experience

y Jews perceive trials as punishment from God. This perception is evident from the book of Job. y Jobs friends declared that his suffering is the result of personal sin. y This view is the general mindset. That is not always the case. y In Jobs case suffering is part of the divine plan in perfecting character.

y James exhortation to take pride in being poor is an indication that being poor is not a punishment from God y Jews equate wealth with blessings. Who would not? Material possessions are fruits and blessings from God, right? y James is changing this way of thinking. To be poor and suffering dont that God has forsaken us. y John 9:1- 3, disciples debating whose sin brought blindness to a man born blind \. It was for the glory of God
Christs Example

y Jesus Christ Himself led a very simple life, devoid of any riches or wealth. y He was a carpenter and the tradesmen were not paid much then y Matthew 8:19 - 20 Jesus declared His poverty. Remember He was born in a manger, not in a fancy palace or mansion y Is Christs poverty an indication that He was a sinner? It cannot be. y When Christ lived on earth as a poor, it sent a very strong message. We cannot always equate poverty with punishment y Was He a rich man masquerading as a poor man? Did He have a stash of wealth somewhere which He drew upon to finance His ministry? y It cannot be when He said that He has no home. He had no relevant material possessions. The only clothes He wore was even taken away by the Roman soldiers and was a gambling bet.
Application

y Being poor is not a sin. y You cannot be accused of being a sinner when you are poor. y Yes sin brings poverty. It is evident if you gamble and have many money-sapping vices y But for believers, being poor becomes a source of pride, nothing to be ashamed of 4. Perils of Possessions (v 10-11)
Conceited Ego

y These verses warn about the consequences of making wealth foremost in you life.
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It speaks against perils of being rich, foremost is pride Rich people with big egos are the norm. Toys for the big boys. He who dies with most toys win Such behaviour is not expected from believers. Wealth or possession of wealth must be put in perspective. It must not be the ultimate pursuit but rather used to glorify God Being rich is not a fault, it is a gift and like all gifts must be used wisely For Christians, self-centredness or big egos must not go hand in hand with riches. A proud, ego-centric, and rich believers must never be part of the demographic profile. Sadly, I have read about churches where the rich members of the congregation try to hold the church hostage by threatening to withdraw their membership if their personal agenda are not followed. The church is not the place for such arrogance. Happily, we have not experienced it yet as the church is still growing. God forbid that it will happen as it is terrible testimony.

Certain End

y Obsession with possessions have unwanted consequences. y Verse 11 is a reminder that man, no matter how wealthy, has a limited life span. Their riches alone cannot buy eternity. Eternity is being in the Lord Jesus Christ. y Professing Christians, who happen to be rich, yet arrogant are warned and reminded that their time is up. They will always have their end. Everybody will reach the limits of their physical life. y The metaphor with the cycle of nature provides a vivid picture of the limits of man. y In Daniel 4:28 34 is an account of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. A proud man who was humbled by God y It was an extreme act of humiliation but in the end, he ackowledged Gods power and glory. y Luke 12:16 21 The story of the rich man who accumulated wealth. He has amassed so much wealth that he decides to build barns to hold his riches. He feels confident that his riches will sustain him.
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y He was mistaken for that very night his life was taken. y We are not in control. y Verse is a warning of Gods supremacy. The false security in riches and wealth fails in sharp contrast with the spiritual riches that can be had from God y Spiritual riches are forever. A rich yet humble man is also spiritually rich. It is the attitude that counts.

Application

y James warning speaks volumes. The rich Christian must not depend on his possession but should humble himself and continue to depend on God y It is a matter of attitude. You may not have the riches but if you rely on yourself and remove your dependence on God is seen as arrogance. y No matter what our status in life we must always rely on Him, always

5. Conclusion

y Being poor and suffering is not always a consequence of sin. God have made some poor, some suffering because in the end, He wants to be glorified. Like Job, who was made miserable and poor, was a blameless man. Yet under trials he showed his worth and God rewarded him generously
y We are not judged by our riches but by the generosity of our spirit. In the sight of God, there is no rich or poor. Our souls are all viewed equally. It is the attitude of the heart that matters. It is the richness of the soul that counts. God does not need your riches. He wants to see that you honour Him and glorify Him through the riches entrusted to you. Everything we have is Gods and we must always acknowledge Him