When You've Got It Made

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>When You've Got It Made</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id217.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Planning With Humility"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id219.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Waiting and Wondering"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Church Ministry</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org"><U>stan@stanbaker.org</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div> <B>James 5:1-6, “When You’ve Got it Made,” Berean Bible Church, August 12, 2001am</B></div> <bR> <div>      She owned a string of hotels. She owned the Empire State Building. She was a billionaire. Yet, in September 1989 Leona Mindy Rosenthal Helmsley was convicted of 33 counts of tax evasion, for which she spent time in prison. According to Time magazine, she emerged as a penny-pinching tyrant who tried to stiff just about everybody. No amount of money was too small to fight over. After the sudden death of her only son at age 40 in 1982, she sued and won the lion's share of his estate, $149,000, leaving his four children with $432 each and his widow with $2,171.</div> <div>      What are you willing to do for $10,000,000? (James Patterson and Peter Kim, <U>The Day America Told the Truth</U>, 1991). Two-thirds of Americans polled would agree to at least one, some to several of the following: (25%) Would abandon their entire family. (25%) Would abandon their church. (23%) Would become prostitutes for a week or more. (16%) Would give up their American citizenships. (16%) Would leave their spouses. (10%) Would withhold testimony and let a murderer go free. (7%) Would kill a stranger. (3%) Would put their children up for adoption.</div> <div> <I>     </I>“Rich” and “poor” mean different things in different places (for example, Chenango County compared to Westchester County). While we are not “filthy rich,” we can be selfish with what God has given us; we can be greedy for more money; we can mistreat our employees or co-workers or cheat our bosses and the company we work for; we can look the other way when someone could use help that we are able to provide; our focus can be on material pleasures and desires, so that we have no time for the things God wants us to do.</div> <bR> <div> <B>I. God’s Judgment on the Unbelieving, Unrighteous Wealthy.</B></div> <div> A. Announcement of judgment (vs. 1). Addressed to unbelievers.</div> <div> B. Reasons for judgment (vss. 2-6):</div> <div> 1. A Bad Investment (vss 2-3). </div> <div> Hoarded wealth – it is temporal and is no good just sitting around (gold and silver rusting), and it results in judgment. In the day of judgment they are still trying to line their pockets by ripping somebody else off.</div> <div> 2. A Lack of Integrity (vss. 4-6).</div> <div> – Non-payment of workers (vs. 4)</div> <div> – Luxury and self-indulgence, rather than paying workers or helping the poor (vs. 5)</div> <div> – Oppression of the poor (vs. 6)</div> <bR> <div> <B>II. Lessons from the Lifestyles of and Judgment upon the Rich and Famous.</B></div> <div> A. Invest well – for eternity.</div> <div>      1. Share generously. Help the poor. Tip well in restaurants and for services (Christians can be known for being cheap in a restaurant). Make someone’s day by sharing something with them. Tithe – giving back the first tenth of what you get expresses to God that you realize all you have ultimately comes from him.</div> <div>      2. Don’t hoard goods. If you are frugal, what is your motivation? Being “cheap” is not wise; being a good steward is. Dying with $3 million stashed around your house is not being a good steward.</div> <div>      3. Be content. Don’t pursue wealth, as though it will bring happiness – it won’t.</div> <div> B. Maintain your integrity. Maintain integrity in your dealings with people. (Buying or selling a car; how you treat your employees or your household help; dealing with friends and family (such as inheritance issues). Pay your bills promptly. It is simple thing, but it is a matter of integrity.</div> <bR> <div> <I>     </I>God does not honor living for this life and hoarding your resources and lacking integrity in the pursuit of riches. Invest well – for eternity. Maintain your integrity.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2001, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>