Highs and Lows

James 1:9-11

 

INTRO: In the local church, everybody matters. Everybody is important. With the founding of the New Testament church by our Lord Jesus Christ, class distinctions were done away with. It was not unusual to find a slave pastoring the church and his master sitting humbly in the congregation. Truly, "a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth" (Lk 12:15b).

From the founding of the church up to this very day, the Lord has a job for each of us to do, a gift for us to share with the local body. It matters not whether we are rich or poor. God has a gift for us to use in ministry (Rom 12:3-6a).

All of us have a specific place, a place of service in the body, a place to exercise our spiritual gift (I Cor 12:14-18). In I Cor 12:19-28, we see that we are not to overestimate our importance, nor are we to degrade ourselves to the point of false humility.

 

I. VS 9, THE EXALTATION OF THE POOR

A. Oh, what rejoicing, the brother of low degree has been exalted.

1. "Low degree"– this is the human appraisal, not the Lord’s appraisal.

2. Some children of God may not be as well healed financially as others. They may not run in the fashionable social circles. But in Christ, they possess more than any lost millionaire can image.

B. The poor saved man has much to rejoice about.

1. "....rejoice, because your names are written in heaven" (Lk 10:20).

2. Jesus said in Luke 4:18: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor....."

3. "And he [Jesus] lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, blessed be ye poor; for yours is the kingdom of God."

C. No one is too poor for Jesus to save. Listen to the blessed Gospel invitation given in Isaiah 55:1. "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."

1. You don’t have to have money to be saved; you just need to look to the Lord Jesus (Isa 45:22, "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else."

2. In Revelation 22:17, we find this great Gospel invitation: "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."

D. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ changes the position and possessions of every one who believes.

1. I Peter 2:9 says, "ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people...."

2. II Cor 8:9, "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."

E. Dear friend, rejoice in that you have been exalted in Christ. You have a great inheritance (I Pet 1:3-5), because you have been made an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ (Rom 8:17).

1. All believers have great riches in Christ.

a. "The riches of his goodness" (Rom 2:4).

b. "The riches of his grace" (Eph 1:7).

c. "The riches of his glory" (Eph 3:16).

d. "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us" (Eph 2:4).

2. In light of the many spiritual blessings that the believer has, "Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted."

 

II. VSS 10-11, THE HUMILIATION OF THE RICH

A. Vs 10, The rich tend to trust in their riches to take care of everything, buy their way out of anything.

1. The rich need to trust in God, not their portfolio (I Tim 6:17).

2. The rich must be humbled to be saved. They must realize their lost condition and trust in Christ.

a. It is not easy for a rich man to come to Christ. "How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God" (Mk 10:23).

b. The rich must humbly come to receive Christ (Mk 10:25).

3. One day the soul of the rich man is going to be required of him (Lk 12:16-21).

B. Vs 11, The picture here is clear. It is plain.

"In the desert places, if there is a shower of rain,

the thin green shoots of grass will sprout; but one day’s

burning sunshine will make them vanish as if they had

never been" (Barclay 47).

1. Life is uncertain– that is what we have pictured here (Isa 40:6-8).

a. James 4:14.

b. Prov 29:1.

2. Life is uncertain; death could come at anytime.

 

CONCLUSION: How wonderful, how marvelous, to possess and prize: "the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Jesus Christ" (Eph 2:7).

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