Practical Christianity - Living for the Lord Until the Lord Comes

Text: James 5:7-11

Theme: How the Christian is to live as we await the coming of the Lord, Jesus Christ.

Patience is a rare commodity in technological times. In our western world today we are increasingly accustomed to instant responses to almost every situation. We think quick is better, because many times it is.

So when we have to wait, we often find ourselves frustrated. Most of our church members alive today cannot remember the day when we had no television, automatic washers, dryers, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, and microwave ovens. Most of our children cannot remember pre-computer days. With all the instant conveniences we possess, we learn little about patience.

James tells his readers that they need patience. So do we – especially when it comes to conforming our lives to God’s time-table.

James is clear – “Be patient, therefore, brothers . . .” With that therefore James begins the concluding thoughts of his letter. He turns his attention to the parousia — the return of Christ at his Second Advent. He tells his audience, “In light of the coming of our Christ consider everything I’ve written to you about, and put it into practice. Oh, and while you wait for that event, be patient!” Patience is one of the fruit of the Spirit. It is a characteristic of the reborn Christian nature. As such it is one of those things that sets — or should set — the believer apart from the world. In this passage he outlines our behavior while we wait.

I. UNTIL THE LORD COMES, BE PATIENT IN SERVICE

1. as I said, we live in a culture that doesn’t value patience

ILLUS. We don’t like waiting. Americans: Speed date, Speed dial, and Speed. We eat fast food. Use the self-checkout lines in grocery stores, Pay extra for overnight shipping, and Honk the moment the light turns green. No one manually changes television channels on their TV any more (indeed TVs aren’t even made with manual dial changers any more.

2. as the Apostle James begins to bring his letter to an end, the tells his readers to Be patient as they anticipate the coming of the Lord

a. Jesus is coming again in power and glory

b. as sure as He came the 1st time in the form of a suffering servant to establish the Kingdom of God within the hearts of men, he’s coming a 2nd time as Lord of all to establish an eternal kingdom

c. the church’s great hope is the arrival of Jesus Christ when He comes to bless His people with His presence

1) that glorious truth appears in more than 500 verses throughout the Bible

3. in the mean time, we are to wait ... and we are to wait patiently

a. what are we to do while we wait for Jesus to return?

b. are we to keep our eyes glued to the skies and twiddle our thumbs until Christ comes again?

1) that is what some early believers did — they patiently waited for the Lord’s return

2) that first generation of Christians thought the Second Coming would take place in their lifetime

3) the result was some believers had quit their jobs, some had left their families and responsibilities to simply sit and wait for Jesus to come while they sang Holy, Holy, Holy all day

c. the consequence was that these believers had become a burden to their church and fellow believers

1) the Apostle Paul had to deal with this issue in his letter to the Christians at Thessalonika

“For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.” (2 Thessalonians 3:11–12, ESV)

4. then there is the opposite problem that James seems to address – impatience

a. he writes his Epistle about 30 years after the Lord’s death and resurrection

1) a lot of the first generation of believers have died without realizing the Lord’s return

2) some believers are growing impatient

3) they’ve been preaching the immanent return of Christ for 30 years and it ain’t happened yet

4) enemies of the cross have begun to ridicule as we see in 2 Peter 3:4

“knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, ... . 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”” (2 Peter 3:3–4, ESV)

a) Peter’s response to the scoffers and mockers?

“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2 Peter 3:8, ESV)

c. do we assume that since it has been 21 hundred years since he promised to return that there is no real need to dedicate our lives to our Lord?

A. BE DILIGENT IN THE FAITH

1. James uses the example of the farmer who has sown his fields and now waits for the harvest

“Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.” (James 5:7, ESV)

a. the word translated patient in vs. 7 literally means long-tempered

1) it’s a patience that does not give up on difficult people or difficult circumstances

2. we need to be patient while we wait for the Lord’s return as a farmer is patient for his crop to grow or his livestock to mature

ILLUS. You can Speed date, Speed dial, and Speed, but you can’t speed farm. I’ve been pastor of rural churches for all of my career. In that time I’ve learned one basic rule about farming – I don’t want to do it for a living. A farmer’s work is never done. A farmer does not plant his crops and then sit back and do nothing while he waits for them to come up.

3. he works at other things while he patiently waits for his crop to grow or his livestock to mature — but the main virtue of a farmer is his diligence even while he patiently waits

a. in the same way, a Christian’s “ministry” is to work hard, work contentiously, and work faithfully until the Lord comes

4. be diligent in the faith

B. STAND FIRM IN THE FAITH

“You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” (James 5:8, ESV)

1. while we wait for the Lord we are to establish your hearts

a. some translations say stand firm

b. it is a word denoting resoluteness, courage, an attitude of commitment to stay the course in our faith no matter how severe the trial

2. James is calling his readers to live courageously

a. stand firm in how your Christlike living

1) your worldview and lifestyle does matter

b. stand firm against anti-Christian opposition ... stand firm against the devil and his schemes ... stand firm against evil and evil doers ... stand firm in doctrinal orthodoxy

3. stand firm in the faith

C. BE KIND IN THE FAITH

“Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.” (James 5:9, ESV)

1. as we wait for the Second Advent, James commands us to be diligent in our faith and to stand firm in our faith

a. here he commands us to be kind in our faith

1) this means be patient with difficult believers while we wait for Christ’s return

2. the word grumble in vs. 9 literally means to groan within yourself or to sigh

a. it describes an attitude that is internal but usually unexpressed

ILLUS. It describes that inward feeling we get when we see someone coming toward us who just annoys us to no end and we heave a sigh and think, “Oh no, I really don’t want to deal with this person.”

b. grumbling is what we do, not when we hate someone, but when someone constantly frustrates us, or disappoints us, or infuriates us

1) these are the people we are not, to use James’ word, long-angered toward, but ought to be

3. James is especially concerned when we grumble against fellow Christians

a. let’s face it ... not every fellow believer is as sweet, or genial, or kind or industrious, or humble, or deeply spiritual as you are!

1) some believers are annoying and some are even cantankerous and will rub you the wrong way with a simple “Hello, how are you?” to which we immediately imbue with a nefarious meaning

4. James knows that grumbling can destroy the unity of the church

a. it’s the reason so much of the New Testament epistles deal with how Christians are to relate to one another ... Forgive one another; be kind to one another; don’t provoke one another; stop envying one another; etc.

b. these commands only make sense in the presence of conflict

5. James says don’t take your frustrations out on each other while we wait for Jesus

II. UNTIL THE LORD COMES, BE PATIENT IN PERSECUTION

“As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.” (James 5:10, ESV)

1. James assumes here, as he does in other parts of his letter, that Christians will face difficulties in a world that hates our Savior and our agenda

a. the readers of this epistle would have been familiar with the lives of the Old Testament prophets

b. they would have read of ...

1) the persecution Elijah endured from King Ahab

2) the hardship Jeremiah suffered at the hands of the kings of Judah

3) the threat Daniel experienced when he was put in the lions’ den

c. all of these, and numerous others, suffered because they “spoke in the name of the Lord”

2. the suffering James alludes to is not the physical suffering that comes with accident or age, but the suffering that results from faithfully living for Christ in a wicked and unbelieving world

A. MANY WILL SUFFER IN SPITE OF THEIR FAITH

1. there is that segment of the Church that teaches suffering is caused by the absence of faith

2. the Word of Faith movement within charismatic Christianity teaches that Christians can get power and financial prosperity through prayer, and that those who believe in Jesus' death and resurrection have the right to physical health and prosperity

a. they believe that complete healing (of spirit, soul, and body) is included in Christ's atonement and therefore is available here and now to all who believe

b. if you don’t have these things, if there is hardship or suffering or poverty in your life, it’s due to a lack of faith

ILLUS. Kenneth Hagin, who is considered the father of the Word of Faith movement, bluntly says, “God is glorified through healing and deliverance, not through sickness and suffering.”

1) I’m sure this would have been news to most of the Apostles and many of the early disciples

c. the Word of Faith movement is a pseudo-Christian cult

3. many, not all, but some Christians who have great faith may suffer in spite of their faith

B. SOME WILL SUFFER FOR THEIR FAITH

1. some believers may never suffer because of their faith

a. that doesn’t mean they are not living for Jesus

1) it merely means they may be living in a culture that has been historically based on a biblical worldview, and the majority of the population professes a loyalty to Christianity

2) that’s America for most of our history

2. but some believers will suffer simply because their loyalty is to Christ above all

ILLUS. The first half of Hebrews 11 reads like a movie trailer summarizing the lives of men and women who, by faith, had great successes. They conquered temptation, they were spared from floods, and they gave God their best. But somewhere in the middle of that chapter, something happens — something we can’t overlook about faith. People stop conquering giants and having children miraculously. Then, as the author concludes, these “great men and women of faith” are being tortured. Others are mocked and flogged, clapped in chains and imprisoned. Others are stoned, sawn in two, and killed by the sword. Still others went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated … wandering about in deserts and mountains and in dens and caves of the earth.

3. when we suffer, whether it’s in spite of our faith or because of our faith, James calls us to patiently persevere in our faith

a. the history of the Church is full of faithful example for us to emulate

III. UNTIL THE LORD COMES, BE PATIENT IN PERSEVERANCE

“Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” (James 5:11, ESV)

1. in this verse we hear the echo of one of Jesus’ beatitudes,

“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” (Matt. 5:11–12)

a. blessed are the people who have persevered and continue to persevere

1) in the introduction to his epistle James writes the beatitude, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial” (James 1:12)

2) now he approaches the topic again as he brings his epistle to an end

2. his example of a persevering believer is none other than the Old Testament patriarch, Job

a. in this verse James uses the word perseverance rather than the word patience

1) remember what I said a moment ago? ... the word patience means long-angered and refers to our patience toward difficult people

2) the word perseverance literally means to hyper-stand in place

ILLUS. The best illustration is the soldier who is told by his commanding officer, “You’re to stand right here and hold your ground. No matter what the enemy throws at you, you must hold your ground. There must be no retreat, because if you do, everything is lost.”

b. this is Job ... despite all that has happened to him, his is hyper-standing in his faith

ILLUS. In Western culture we have a saying that describes someone who is bearing up under difficult circumstances. We say, “They have the patience of Job.” We ought to say, “They have the perseverance of Job.”

1) patience can be described as passive endurance

a) it’s the kind of faith we have toward that annoying brother or sister in Christ

2) by contrast, perseverance is the active determination of a believer whose faith triumphs in the midst of afflictions

3. Job is unforgettable because of his perseverance — his active determination not to sin against God is word or action despite terrible suffering and the testing of his faith

A. WE NEED A TENACITY TO OUR FAITH

1. the annals of the Church are full of people who have given up on the church, on the Lord Jesus Christ, and on their faith

a. nothing is more disheartening to a pastor’s soul than to see once active, seemingly mature believers fall by the wayside

1) their faith was once steadfast, but now lies in ruins – broken and crippled

2) for all practical purposes they have become useless in the hands of God and the ministry of the church

2. we need to persevere in the faith because we know the Lord is full of compassion and mercy

a. James actually coins a new word here used no where else in the New Testament

1) it literally means many-boweled, and reflects the Hebrew belief that the bowels are the seat of our emotions

2) to say that God is many-boweled is to affirm that He has an enormous capacity For compassion

b. no mere mortal can out-compassion God

1) God is more than compassionate; he is filled with compassion

2) His heart goes out to the believer in need of help