Weekly Sermon

James 1:11 reads, “For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.”

James 1:9-11 presents the second paragraph of the epistle.  This paragraph gives counsel concerning the contrasting subjects of humble maturity and worldly materialism.  In these three verses, only two sentences are delivered.  The first sentence of this paragraph is a compound sentence, encompassing verses 9-10.  The second sentence of the paragraph encompasses verse 11.  In the closing line of verse 10, the warning of God’s Word is delivered unto the wealthy believer, saying, “Because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.”  This warning provides the reason that the wealthy believer should obey the instruction of verse 10 to glory “in that he is made low.”  Then beginning with the explanatory conjunction “for,” verse 11 expands and explains that warning through the form of an illustrative picture. 

Even so, James 1:11 provides an illustration of admonition against the spirit and ways of worldly materialism, saying, “For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.”  In the illustrative picture of this verse, we encounter four significant elements.  First, we encounter the scorching heat of the risen sun.  Second, we encounter the withering up of the flowering grass.  Third, we encounter the falling flower from the withered grass.  Fourth, we encounter the perishing grace of the fallen flower.  Then through the closing line of the verse, each of these four elements is applied with a direct correspondence to the materialistic believer in his materialistic ways.  “So also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.”  How then do the four elements of this illustration correspond to the materialistic believer in his materialistic ways?

Weekly Sermon

James 1:9-10 reads, “Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: but the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.”

The Holy Spirit inspired purpose for this epistle is to provide pastoral counsel for a spiritually mature walk in the believer’s life.  James 1:9-11 presents the second paragraph of the epistle.  This paragraph gives counsel concerning the contrasting subjects of humble maturity and worldly materialism.  The contextual situation and setting for the paragraph is established through the closing line of the paragraph at the end of verse 11 -- “So also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.”  This contextual situation primarily concerns the materialistic ways of the rich. 

In the three verses of James 1:9-11, only two sentences are delivered.  The first sentence of this paragraph is a compound sentence, encompassing both verse 9 and verse 10.  The second sentence of the paragraph encompasses verse 11.  Grammatically, the compound sentence of verses 9-10 can be divided into three parts.  The first two parts of this sentence present two connected, yet contrasting instructions.  The first instruction, found in verse 9, serves as an encouragement to the lowly believer.  The second instruction, found in the opening portion of verse 10, serves as an exhortation to the wealthy believer.  Finally, the third part of the sentence, found in the closing portion of verse 10, serves as an explanatory warning to the wealthy believer.

Now, the two instructions of verses 9-10 are governed by a single verb of command.  This verb of command is the word “rejoice” found in verse 9.  This word “rejoice” is translated from a Greek word that means, not simply to express joy and gladness, but to express exultation and glory.  Through this single verb of command, the entire sentence emphasizes our Lord’s desire for us to glory in three particular matters.

Weekly Sermon

James 1:9-11 reads, “Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: but the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.  For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.”

Again we take note that the Holy Spirit inspired purpose for this epistle is to provide pastoral counsel for a spiritually mature walk in the believer’s life.  James 1:9-11 presents the second paragraph of the epistle.  This paragraph gives counsel concerning the contrasting subjects of humble maturity and worldly materialism.  The contextual situation and setting for the paragraph is established through the closing line of the paragraph at the end of verse 11 -- “So also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.”  This contextual situation primarily concerns the materialistic ways of the rich. 

Brethren, we all will face the temptation to the sin of worldly materialism.  For those believers who lack material wealth, the temptation will be to set the focus of their heart and energy upon obtaining material wealth, to covet the material wealth of others around them, and to be discontent with their lack of material wealth, and even be discouraged thereby.  For those believers who possess material wealth, the temptation will be to set the focus of their heart and energy upon protecting their material wealth, and even upon obtaining more, to look down with pride upon those around them who possess less material wealth, and to depend upon the power of their material wealth to provide, to deliver, and to influence.

Even so, verse 9 provides an instruction of encouragement to the lowly.  This instruction is intended to encourage lowly believers in their lack of material wealth.  Then, closely connected to verse 9 in its grammatical construction, verse 10 provides an instruction of exhortation to the rich.  This instruction is intended to exhort rich believers not to focus upon their material wealth.    Finally, flowing out of the closing thought of verse 10, verse 11 provides an illustration of ad-monition to the rich.  This illustration is intended to warn all believers away from the ways of materialism.  Overall, this paragraph presents two primary truths concerning the contrast between humble maturity and worldly materialism.

Weekly Sermon

Haggai 1:1-11 reads, “In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD’S house should be built.  Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?  Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.  Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.  Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.  Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.  Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it.  Why? saith the LORD of hosts.  Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.  Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.  And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.”

In both verse 5 & verse 7 the Lord our God delivered this challenge to His people in that time – “Consider your ways.”  The context of this challenge from the Lord concerned a contrast in values.  It concerned a contrast between what the people valued and thus chose to do and what the Lord our God valued and thus desired for them to do.  Yea, in its context the challenge to consider their ways was specifically a challenge for them to consider their priorities in relation to the work of the Lord.  Even so, the challenge from our Lord for us today is just this – Consider your priorities.

Thought for Meditation

Materialism
(or, to use the Biblical term -- covetousness),
which may be defined as setting our affection upon the things of this world,
is one of the greatest reasons for spiritual compromise and corruption
among us who are God's own people today.
Without repentance thereof there can be no spiritual revival.

Proverbs for Life

This is a companion post to two previous posts:  The Proverbs & Our Love (Part 1)     
                                                                             The Proverbs & Our Love (Part 2)    

Having considered in two previous posts (see above) what the book of the Proverbs teaches concerning the direction and the demonstration of our love, let us now consider what the book of the Proverbs teaches concern-ing our hatred.

Weekly Sermon

This sermon is a companion to four previous sermons:
             Be Not Conformed to This World (Part 1) - Romans 12:2
             Be Not Conformed to This World (Part 2) - Romans 12:2
             Be Not Conformed to This World (Part 3) - Romans 12:2
             Be Not Conformed to This World (Part 4) - Romans 12:2

Romans 12:1-2 reads, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

In Romans 12:1 God the Holy Spirit pleads with us to present ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God.  Then in verse 2 God the Holy Spirit gives us two commands that we must obey if we are truly to present ourselves to live unto the Lord our God.  The first of these two commands is found in the opening portion of the verse – “And be not conformed to this world.”  The word “conformed” means “to be formed together,” that is – “to be made into the same form, or to be brought into agreement.”  Brethren, we are not to have the same form as this present evil world; and we are not to be in agreement with this present evil world.  We are not to think like this world thinks, feel like this world feels, behave like this world behaves, talk like this world talks, or look like this world looks.  We are not to have the same philosophy, the same priorities, the same purposes, the same desires, the same interests, the same habits, or the activities that this world has.  Brethren, we are not to make our decisions or have our mind set like this world does.  We are to “be not conformed to this world.”

Yet the question might be asked – Why are we not to be conformed to this world, and how important is it to our Christian lives that we not be conformed unto this world?  God’s holy Word reveals a great number of answers to this question.  Already in the first three parts of this message (see above), we have considered nine of these answers.  We are to “be not conformed to this world” (1) because this world stands opposed to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, (2) because this world stands opposed to true Christianity and the true followers of Christ, (3) because this world is willfully without God, (4) because this world is under Satan’s deception, (5) because this world is following Satan’s direction, (6) because this world is evil and wicked by nature, (7) because we have been delivered out of this world, (8) because we are not of this world, but of the Lord our God, and (9) because we are to be the spiritual light of the world.

Meditations in Jeremiah

Jeremiah 22:21 reads, “I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear.  This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice.”

As I read this, it appeared to present an almost perfect commentary concerning the character of our United States’ society.  Yet this commentary is not simply appropriate concerning our ungodly society, but also concerning the worldly character of so many churches in the United States.  In its immediate context, Jeremiah 22:21 is included within a divine pronouncement of judgment against two kings of Judah.  Jeremiah 22:13-19 presents our Lord’s judgment against Jehoiakim king of Judah.  Then Jeremiah 22:14-30 presents our Lord’s judgment against Coniah (Jehoiachin), the son of Jehoiakim.  Since our Lord’s judgment is pronounced against both men for the same basic reason, let us consider the issue as a single context in relation to its application upon our present-day society and our present-day churches.