James 5 Series

Opener:

Well Good Morning Church! We are so excited that you have decided to join us here this morning. What a blessing to be here worshiping the Lord together!

We also want to take a moment to welcome our online community as well. Thank you for taking the time to watch and allowing us to be a part of your spiritual journey!

As you may recall, last week we talked about James chapter four. We learned that there were some problems in the early church. There were some disagreements between believers. These disagreements were rooted in the fact that some had an ulterior motive. We shifted a bit and then talked about that in order to grow in our faith, we must not allow pride in our lives. Pride will rob us from doing God’s will. It is important to remain humble and to place our trust in the Lord. Finally, we talked about when we draw closer to God, He in turn, will draw closer to us.

James writes from an impassioned perspective as the leader of a church who’s facing stiff persecution. Truly, he is a good pastor that cares for the body of Christ. This letter gives us practical advice on how to lead a godly life that is full of love and compassion.

This week, we are concluding our sermon series on the book of James. It has been a wonderful blessing for me in studying and preaching this series. The main discussion in James five really speaks to how we are called to live out our faith in the sight of God.

The first parts of James chapter five deals with those that have allowed money to become the most important thing in their lives. Instead of trusting or relying on God, they are depending on their own resources. James provides a stark warning to those that are self-reliant as they will have a great disappointment on the day of judgment.

James then discusses how important it is for the believers to be patient concerning the judgment of the ungodly. Truly, the coming of the Lord is at hand and His return requires us to have a heart that is rooted in His eternal purposes. James reminds us of the truth that even though we may face challenging times, we are encouraged to keep our head up and not to grumble and complain in our hardship.

Lynn Jost shares a beautiful story and I want to pass that on to your this morning:

During his reign, King Frederick William III of Prussia found himself in trouble. Wars had been costly, and in trying to build the nation, he was seriously short of finances. He couldn’t disappoint his people, and to capitulate to the enemy was unthinkable. After careful reflection, he decided to ask the women of Prussia to bring their jewelry of gold and silver to be melted down for their country. For each ornament received, he determined to exchange a decoration of bronze or iron as a symbol of his gratitude. Each decoration would be inscribed, “I gave gold for iron, 18l3.”

The response was overwhelming. Even more important, these women prized their gifts from the king more highly than their former jewelry. The reason, of course, is clear. The decorations were proof that they had sacrificed for their king. Indeed, it became unfashionable to wear jewelry, and thus was established the Order of the Iron Cross. Members wore no ornaments except a cross of iron for all to see.

When Christians come to their King, they too exchange the flourishes of their former life for a cross.

I. Perseverance

A. Patient endurance

a. As we pick up our study in James chapter five we will begin in verse ten which says: James 5:10-11(NKJV) 10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

b. Look to the farmers, look to the prophets… These are practical examples of patience James points to.

c. And then he makes the ultimate point and encourages the church to remember the story of Job… Which if you’re familiar with, you know that Job lost everything; His family, his fortune, and even his friends through a prolonged season of suffering in his life.

d. But, as we now know, Job’s perseverance in the midst of suffering was greatly rewarded.

e. In fact, I think we can all agree that we greatly esteem the stories and testimonies of those who’ve suffered greatly, and persevered in patience.

f. Eric shared his testimony last Sunday night and it was a powerful example of how God can restore us even from our lowest moments.