James 5:7-12 Series

If this is an area of challenge for you, then take a rubber band and place it on your right wrist for the next 21 days.

Every time you catch yourself complaining or grumbling or arguing, move the rubber band to your left wrist. Let’s try three weeks of no grumbling, arguing, or complaining and see what God does.

Don’t give Up!

Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered.

Prophets were called by God to speak His words, many times to people who did not want to hear them.

Moses led a grumbling, stiff-necked people through a desert for forty years

Noah preached for 120 years that the world would flood while people laughed at him.

David was hunted by King Saul for seven years, often hiding in caves. He did nothing to deserve this.

Elijah was threatened with death by Queen Jezebel.

Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, spoke words of warning to the Israelites and they threw him down a well and left him to die.

Hosea’s wife committed adultery and was sold into slavery.

John the Baptist was beheaded.

In the book of Hebrews, the writer lists what we now call the “Hall of Faith” in chapter 11:

"There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection.  Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them.” (Hebrews 11:35-38)

These prophets were examples, models, for us for what to do when life gets hard, when we suffer, when we lose our job or marriage through no fault of our own, when we are lied about or mistreated.

He calls us to not give up!

Did you know that last Friday was “quitters day.” It’s when most people give up on their New Year’s Resolutions.

The great boxer of old, Gentleman Jim Corbett, was asked, “What’s the secret to your boxing success?” He answered, “I just always fight one more round.”

The word that James uses is “perseveres.” This word means “to endure, to remain under.” It’s the idea of staying power or “holy toughness.”

Churchill, in one of his most famous speeches to a group of students, said, “Never, never, never give up!” And then sat back down.

He gives the ultimate example of perseverance - Job.

You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

Job was a righteous, upright, and blameless man. He was a good father and was very wealthy.

Satan approached God and basically said, “The only reason Job serves You is because of how much you’ve blessed him. Take all that away and he will curse you to your face.”

God gives satan permission to attack Job but made it clear that he could not kill him.

In one day, Job lost all ten of his children, all of his livestock, all of his wealth. How did he respond?