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1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days.
‭‭James‬ ‭5:1-3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

I. The Handicap of Wealth
A. Wealth is a handicap when it comes to heaven. (Mark 10:17-26, 1 Timothy 6:10)
B. Wealth cannot make us happy because it cannot make us holy.
C. Wealth will not keep us out of Hell. (Luke 13:28, Revelation 19:19-20)

II. The Hold of Wealth
A. The more we possess, the more we are possessed by our possessions. (John 8:34, Ecclesiastes 5:12)
B. To come to Christ, you have to come empty handed, which is hard for those who have much.

III. The Heart and Wealth
A. Riches don’t just rust they ruin us.
B. Even if wealth doesn’t ruin someone it will reveal the revolting nature of what is really in their hearts.

IV. Next Steps
A. Money doesn’t change people. It just makes you more of what you already are.
B. Justice and unity cannot be purchased but by the shed blood and cross of Jesus Christ.
C. To be greedy is to align ourselves as being like Judas working contrary to the plan and purposes of Jesus Christ. (John 10:17-18)

Next Week: The Truth about Privilege Part 2 James 5:3-6