Patience: It’s a Matter of Time
James 5:7-12 7 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. 9 Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! 10 Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. 12 Above all, my brothers, do not swear-- not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned.
Intro – A man and his wife are awakened at 3 o’clock in the morning by a loud pounding on their door. The man gets up and goes to the door where a drunken stranger in the pouring rain is asking for a push. “Not a chance” says the husband - “It’s three o’clock in the morning!” He slams the door and returns to bed. “Who was it?” asks his wife. “Just a drunken stranger asking for a push” he answers. “Did you help him?” She asks. “No, I didn’t - it’s three in the morning and raining out.” ‘Well, you’ve got a short memory” says his wife. “Can’t you remember about three months ago when we broke down on vacation and those two guys helped us? I think you should help him.” The man does as he is told and gets dressed and goes out into the pouring rain and calls out into the dark. “Hello - are you still there?” “Yes,” comes the answer. “Do you still want a push?” calls out the husband. “Yes, please!” comes the reply from the dark. “Where are you?” asks the husband. “Over here on the swing” the drunk replies.
-Well, sometimes it may seem like patience is a waste of time. However, James, the half brother of Jesus, would tell you that it is essential. Patience is a biblical theme that is found all throughout Scripture. We can read about people who had it and people who needed it but didn’t have it. Patience is one of those things that is linked with time. As long as we are on this earth and are limited by time and space, we will need patience. When time runs out, we won’t need patience anymore. In the meantime, however, we need to learn, as an old Petra song put it, to “hurry up and wait upon the Lord.” Here’s the main thought of the message today:
Prop: Patience is a virtue of love that every believer needs to make it through this life.
TS: Let’s examine some facts about patience that will help us trust more and fret less.
1. The state of patience (James 5:7)
7 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.
-I find it interesting that this imperative from James is not a call to action, but a call to rest in the Lord. Patience is what you are, not what you do. Clearly, we all have plenty to do or we might see more of each other. The Bible does call us to action in many areas and on many occasions, but James is bringing balance to a world that is filled with uneasiness, violence, wars, and rumors of wars. James reminds his readers again that God’s will cannot be forced or rushed.
-The early rain in the Middle East was important for the germination of seed. Farmers anxiously awaited the early rain because it signaled the time for planting. The late rains were important to help the grain mature, preventing crop failure. The farmer could never make the rain come. He had to be patient and trust God to send it at the right time.
-So when James says, “Be patient,” he is describing an attitude we need to have. This attitude can endure delay, bear with suffering, and never give in. Again, it is not action-based, but it does require an active faith. In the context of the book, James is calling for a patient response to the trials of life. When you are mistreated, be patient. When things don’t go your way, be patient. Even when you don’t see the results you want to see in your life or family or circumstances, be patient.
-How long, you might ask? Until you get tired of waiting? No. What are we in waiting for? Are we waiting for life to become perfect here in this sin-sick world? It will never happen! Life can be good, but God never promised the absence of trouble in this world. Be patient until the Lord comes back for us. Then it will be worth it all!
2. The stance of patience (5:8)
8 You too, be patient and stand firm…
-The Greek tense for “be patient and stand firm” calls for a specific act with a note of urgency. Being patient is the specific attitude, but standing firm is the specific action given in v.8. Standing firm carries the idea of strengthening or making stable. Sometimes this strengthening requires a lot of failure along the way. Fitness experts will tell you that strength training requires pushing your muscles to the point of failure. Then our amazing bodies do the rest by rebuilding the muscle tissue stronger than it was before.
-One boy’s family was forced out of their home on a legal technicality, and he had to work at the age of 7 to help support them.
* At age nine, his mother died.
* At 22, he lost his job as a store clerk. He wanted to go to law school, but his education wasn’t good enough.
* At 23, he went into debt to become a partner in a store.
* At 26, his business partner died, leaving him a huge debt that took years to repay.
* At 28, after courting a girl for four years, he asked her to marry him. She said no.
* At 41, his four-year-old son died.
* At 45, he ran for the Senate and lost.
* At 47, he ran for vice-president and lost.
* At 49, he ran for the Senate again, and lost.
* At 51, he was elected president of the United States.
His name was Abraham Lincoln.
Where would our country be today if he would have given up?
How many lives would you adversely impact if you don’t stand firm and be patient as for long as it takes?
-So stand firm! Don’t let the struggles of life steal your patience. Don’t let trials erode your trust in God! Stand firm! Keep getting up! Keep coming back! Don’t give up! You will see results! God is faithful to His word and His promises are as good as gold!
3. The stimulus for patience (5:8)
8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.
-The Lord’s coming is near! We won’t have to wait forever, although sometimes it may feel like it. Early believers lived with a sense of expectancy that the Lord could and likely would come back during their lifetime. As we look at history, we might be tempted to say, “Guess they were wrong! They must have missed God.”
-But there is a reason the Lord never gave us the date of His return. He wanted us to live with an eager expectation of His return. He wants us to maintain a sense of urgency as we follow Him and share the good news of His grace with other people.
-The more that we see and hear on the news, the more reason we have to believe that the coming of Jesus is very near indeed! If you knew Jesus was coming back next Sunday, how would that change the coming week for you? And of course I have to ask the follow up question: Why aren’t we living with that same sense of urgency now?
-Living with a sense that the Lord could return at any time should stimulate urgency, but also patience. How so? Be patient with your desire for justice. God will bring justice after He returns for us. Be patient with your temper. Do you really want to be throwing a hissy fit when the Lord comes back for us? Be patient with people! Jesus is more than patient with us.
-There are all kinds of ways we might be tempted to respond instead of being patient. James gives a couple of important ones.
4. The shortcuts around patience (5:9,12)
9 Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! 12 Above all, my brothers, do not swear-- not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned.
1. Grumbling – don’t do it! Be patient. Grumbling brings judgment – remember Israel. Thousands died when they grumbled and complained.
2. Using Leverage to get your way (via oaths w/ self-curses)
-Thomas Jefferson, worked out a way to handle his impatience. He included it in his “Rules of Living,” in which he outlined how adult men and women should live. He wrote, “When angry, count to ten before you speak; if very angry, count to a hundred.”
-About 75 years later, author Mark Twain revised Jefferson’s words and wrote, “When angry, count to four. When very angry, swear!”
-Using Leverage to get your way – a full oath included a self-curse (May God kill me if I do not do this.) Let your integrity do your talking/convincing/persuading. Don’t force your will in a situation. Be patient and surrender yourself to God’s will. And as the next section of verses indicates, God will take care of you better than you can take care of yourself.
5. The showcase of patience (5:10)
10 Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
-The prophets are given as examples of patience during suffering. They were often harassed and persecuted and even executed for speaking the truth about God and man. They put themselves in God’s hands, patiently enduring punishment and suffering for the sake of God and what He had called them to do.
-Part of what James is implying here is that they should keep speaking in the name of the Lord. Keep speaking truth in love. Keep sharing the good news about Jesus. And when opposition comes, bear with it patiently.
6. The reward for patience (5:11)
11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
-Jesus spoke of a reward in heaven for those who endured persecution and suffering for His sake. He said they were blessed, just as James indicates in v.11.
Matthew 5:10-12 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
-Job is perhaps the best example of how God rewards those who patiently endure suffering for His sake. God blessed Job abundantly because he had stood firm and kept trusting in God.
-And I love that last few words of our reading: The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
Conclusion
1. The state of patience (James 5:7)
2. The stance of patience (5:8)
3. The stimulus for patience (5:8)
4. The shortcuts around patience (5:9,12)
5. The showcase of patience (5:10)
6. The reward of patience (5:11)
-There is an old Keith Green song from 30 some years ago that seems to wrap this up well. I hope you are encouraged by it. [When I Hear the Praises Start]
-Be patient. Stand firm. Jesus is coming. Don’t grumble or try to leverage your will over others. Understand that you are not alone in your struggles. You are in good company if you are facing hard times because of your faith in Christ. And realize that patience has a big payout – eternal life with Jesus and all that is in His heart for you! Patience! It’s a matter of time until Jesus comes. Keep the faith!
