James 1:9-11

Hey, hey, good morning, good morning. Welcome to Coffee and Devotions. This morning we're at James 1, verses 9-11. We're going to talk about what really endures in life. Let's have some coffee, we'll pray, and we'll get into God's Word. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for this day. We thank you for the blessing of your word. We thank you for giving us wisdom. And Father, we pray that you would please let us be able to understand your word. We know that your spirit works effectually. Your word is a means of grace. And so, Father, we pray that it would be sweeter to us than honey, more precious than gold. Father, we pray that you would enable us by the power of your spirit to live out these words in our lives. In Jesus' name, amen. Here we go. James chapter 1 verses 9 through 11.
Let's find out what really endures Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation But the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass. Its flower falls and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.
All right, well, we need to ask ourselves, A, what's this about? B, what's the best verse to summarize this? And C, what are we called to do? Well, I'm just gonna jump to the B part. The best section, I think, is verses nine and 10. And what's this about?
This is about James is writing to the church that is dispersed. He's writing to his brethren that are all over the place, and some of them are rich and some of them are poor, and he's saying, hey, the gospel flips things on its head. This is a new story by any means. you can go read Psalm 49 the kids and I were reading that the other night and it's wonderful talking about how the rich boast in their riches right they think that somehow they're gonna make buy land and make monuments and their riches are going to sustain them but at the end of the day every single person will die but what really endures right if you work your whole life If you work every single moment of the day, you amass a huge vast of wealth, you're going to die and somebody else is going to live on it. You can buy houses, you can have cars, you can work so hard that you have the biggest 401k and the best portfolio, you have all the stocks and all the mutual funds and all the diversified investments and companies, but at the end of the day, you're going to die and you can't take anything with you.
It's the way of all of us. And that's what James is getting at. The lowly, the poor, get exalted. And the rich, their riches are like the flower of the field. The sun comes up, dries it up, burns it away. So what are you putting your riches in, right?
This is the point that Jesus was getting at with Lazarus and the rich man. Lazarus is at the gate and he's crying out, he's poor, he can't do anything, he's suffering in this life, and yet the rich man is eating sumptuously and enjoying life, living high on the hog. Well, in Jewish, it wouldn't be high on the hog, maybe high on the cow, and enjoying life.
But at the end of the day, when eternity comes, the roles are flip-flopped. The poor is with Abraham. And the rich is in a place of torment, wishing even just for a drop of water. This is not a new story. It's an old story. God cares about the poor and the oppressed. And so you may be going through various trials, difficulties in your life. You may even find yourself lowly. The Lord lifts up those who have been brought low. He brings up the chin. His face smiles upon those who find that the only place that they can find refuge and comfort is in God alone.
What are you hoping in? What are you investing in that will last for eternity? What are you spending your life's capital on? If your life is a bank account of time and energy, we might say your bank account is a real resource for what you can do. What are you using it for? Money's going to fade away. Wealth is going to die with you. What are you investing in that will last? What are you hoping in?
Maybe you found yourself by no fault of your own, but just because you were born in a poor country or in a poor place or to a poor family, and you face various trials, food insecurity, housing that's not always the best. Can you go to Him and find comfort in those trials, in those tribulations? knowing that your reward in heaven is great if you are in Christ.
Look beyond this world, Christian. Look to the heavenly reward. See the transience of all the glitz and glamour today. It's all going to fade away. But if they take everything from you, if you lost everything, you would still have Christ. and you would have eternity with him. You're rich because you've been brought into his family.
Let's pray. Father, we pray that you would please let us fix our eyes and our minds on those things which are eternal. Lord, we pray that we would not be consumed with trying to get the stuff of this world. But Father, we pray that we would be after you and your glory. Lord, we thank you that trials serve a purpose. Hard providences are meant to draw us to you. And so, Father, we pray that even though we may lose everything, we know that we can never be snatched out of your hand. So, Father, please, let us trust you. Let us walk in your ways. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, may the Lord bless you. May you rest and trust in Jesus Christ alone. And I'll see you next time. Bye.