Responsibility

 
Where Faith Meets Life
RESPONSIBILITY
March 20, 2011
 
 
James 5:1-6
 
How do you see yourself - rich or poor?  ________________
Poverty is the lack of basic human needs, such as clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter, because of the inability to afford them.
Today the statistics are much the same.
Three billion people live on less than $2 a day.
Six million children die of hunger every year. 
 
James 5:1-6
 
Four clear condemnations:
     I.   You have hoarded wealth.
     2.  You have withheld what belongs to others.
     3.  You have lived a self-indulgent life.
     4.  You have condemned and murdered people.
 
What does it mean to hoard wealth?
Psalm 17:14
Malachi 3:8-12
1 Timothy 6:17-19  
 
God blesses us with resources and then we are responsible for how we use them.
a.       If we withhold what is due someone else - Trouble.
b.       If we are self-indulgent with what belongs to God - Trouble.
c.        If we don’t give to those who have need - Trouble.
 
 
II. Imagery of James 5
a.       Instead of it being a treasure, it has rotted.
b.       Instead of it being the Glory of a gracious God, it is a testimony against us.
c.        Instead of it being for our health, we have fattened ourselves for the slaughter.
 
WE ARE BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING.
When we become greedy, at any level, there is a day of reckoning ahead.
 
Now some of this can only be measured by the individual.
 
Given the right information we can measure the tithe.
No matter how much information, I cannot measure the offering or responsibility.
 
We are responsible to the Lord.
 
How do we condemn or find guilty?  How do we murder?
When God has placed something in our hands that could set someone free from their condition, we condemn them to their poverty and kill them in their distress.
 
 We say it is their fault instead of our opportunity.
 
James 5:6  You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.
 
This is a tough-in-your-face word.  We are called to pay attention.
 
James 5:1 Now listen, you rich people…
 
Matthew 6:19-21
We are given a chance to store up treasures in Heaven.
1 Peter 1:3-5  

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