Patient Endurance - James 5:7-12

INTRO

Getting Married - Waiting in a room alone for an hour.

Daniel - Hey man calm down - don’t forget what today is

We don’t like to wait.

I would say patience is a virtue lost in our day.

This week we spent time talking about updating our website and found this statistics

53% of mobile site visits are abandoned if pages take longer than 3 seconds to load.

A 2-second delay in load time resulted in abandonment rates of up to 87%.

We don’t like to wait.

So when I tell you that today we are going to talk about patience, I’m certain there are other topics you wish we would cover.

But the Lord in his loving kindness has brought us here to the book of James.

Last week we talked about our relationship with money.

We looked specifically at James’ challenging word against the oppression that was coming on these impoverished Christians.

It’s helpful and important to remember the context.

James is writing to Messianic jews, believing jews who are scattered throughout the known world.

He is reminding them what it means to follow after Jesus and how to preserver.

We have to remember that these Christians experienced unbelievable persecution and suffering in this day.

James himself was martyred not long after writing this letter.

He just pointed to the oppression that many had felt in their poverty.

Now James says in light of your circumstances, pursue patience.

That’s right…in light of the injustice these believers are facing pursue patience.

The scriptures pan over to us and the same challenge is there.

In light of your circumstances pursue patience.

Here is our big idea today

Big Idea: The Steadfast life is thriving in patient endurance.

Let’s go to the text and explore how we can cultivate patient endurance in our lives.

1. Patience When Circumstances Are Uncontrollable

Look back at verse 7

James 5:7 (ESV)

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 starts with a challenge to be patient.

Really this call is to embrace both the reality of how limited our control is.

And also to embrace the Lord’s timing.

Here is a really helpful way patience has been described

Patience is the settled reality that we are not in control.

Early church fathers said that patience was the queen of virtues

Augustine said patience is the companion of wisdom

Calvin says it is the fruit and proof of faith.

Think to when your life has been out of control.

The moments when you weren't sure how you would make it.

We all feel the reality that our lives are not in control.

We know that so much happens that we can’t bear.

When we struggle in those moments it’s then that James tells us, be patient Jesus is coming back.

He gives us a picture.

He says consider the farmer.

Picture yourself standing in that field, sowing seeds and eagerly awaiting the harvest.

But hold on, there's a catch – your success depends on the weather, a force completely beyond your control.

Too much rain, and your crops are drowning.

Too little, and they're parched.

Frost could wipe out all your efforts.

It's a lesson in patience like no other!

Coram Deo, the farmer's life is a vivid picture of faith in action.

There are aspects of life, just like the weather, that we cannot manipulate, no matter how hard we try.

It's like waiting for the Lord's coming – we don't know the hour, but we trust it's all in God's hands.

So, James urges us to embrace the heart of the farmer – trusting God with the uncertainties while faithfully stewarding what we can control.

It's a dance of dependence and responsibility that molds our character in remarkable ways.

But let's not sugarcoat it – the waiting game is tough.

When trials come knocking, the temptation to grumble and complain can be overwhelming.

We're human, after all.

Yet, we're called to rise above that.

We must honor God with our actions, resisting the urge to give in to bitterness or hurtful words.

Why? Because the Judge is coming, my friends!

We want to be found faithful, to stand with confidence before the One who sees it all.

And just like that farmer, we keep our eyes on the horizon, trusting that the harvest God brings in His perfect time will be beyond our wildest dreams.

We have to embrace the tension of trust and action, knowing that our faith grows stronger in the waiting.

I love old hymns.

One hymn I have enjoyed is the lesser known O Love That Will Not Let Me Go.

O Love that will not let me go I rest my weary soul in thee I give you back the life I owe That in thine ocean depths its flow May richer, fuller be

Oh, Joy, that seeks me through the pain I cannot close my heart to Thee I trace the rainbow through the rain And feel the promise is not in vain That morn shall tearless be

It was written by George Matheson

He was a blind man hymn writer and pastor.

He suffered much in his life.

He wrote this about patient endurance,

"We commonly associate patience with lying down.

We think of it as the angel that guards the couch of the invalid. Yet there is a patience that I believe to be harder -- the patience that can run.

To lie down in the time of grief, to be quiet under the stroke of adverse fortune, implies a great strength; but I know of something that implies a strength greater still:

it is the power to work under stress; to have a great weight at your heart and still run; to have a deep anguish in your spirit and still perform the daily tasks. It is a Christ-like thing! The hardest thing is that most of us are called to exercise our patience, not in the sickbed but in the street." _George Matheson

To wait is hard, to do it with "good courage" is harder!

The trials may come, but our resolve remains unshaken.

But how can we do this?

How can we trust that God will be faithful?

Because he has been faithful in the past.

The early and late rains points to the knowledge of when the rain will come.

We can be faithful now because we can look back on the early rains trusting that the late rains are coming.

How has God been faithful in the past?

If you claim Christ as Lord, remind your heart that the greatest circumstance has been dealt with.

Your eternity is secure in Christ.

A helpful practice: Write down how God has been faithful, specifically.

The moments when you weren't sure how you would make it.

Plant a flag in those moments, a flag of resolve to look back on.

Write down and memorize verses that speak to the faithfulness of our God.

We have an unchanging gospel, which is not today green grass and tomorrow dry hay; but always the abiding truth of the immutable God.

Charles Spurgeon

Immutable means that God is unchangeable and unchanging.

He is constant.

He never fails.

He promised to make all things new and he will.

Would we all grow in trusting in him.

Would patience have it’s good work in our souls to produce in us greater faith.

Patience is endurance in action

The puritan Thomas Watson said that patience makes a Christian invincible.

Think about it.

What flaming arrows can penetrate you when your mind is fixed on the promises of God?!

When life is out of control.

When your circumstances are pulling your gaze from the Lord.

Fight by asking the Lord to remind you of his faithfulness and to secure your heart in the reality that He will be faithful again.

Even when life's twists and turns test our patience, we've got to remember to be patient with the people we care about, too.

2. Patience When People Are Unchangeable

James 5:8–10 (ESV)

You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

James again reminds these early Christians to live in the reality of the return of Christ.

He then shifts their focus from their circumstance to their relationships.

Imagine a close-knit community of believers, united and at peace when times are good.

Now picture those same people under extreme stress, tensions mounting, and trust beginning to crumble.

That’s who James is talking to

People in such a dire situation that they were on the verge of turning against each other.

The pressures were so intense that it made them jumpy, prone to offense, quick to anger.

James didn't just tell them to stop.

He reminded them of something far more profound: Christ's imminent return.

He painted a vivid picture of Christ, the great Judge, standing right at the door, ready to stride to the judgment seat.

It's not just an image; it's a reality that demands our attention and shapes our behavior.

It’s been said this way, there's no better way to restrain our anger and impatience than realizing that our words and actions are not lost in the void, but are under the close scrutiny of God's judgment.

Consider what this means for us.

If we've been guilty of causing division within the Body of Christ, our salvation may be secure, but our deeds may be found wanting.

James's message is urgent and timeless: The Judge is coming, and it might be sooner than we think.

The truth that "the Lord's coming is near" is not just a theological point;

it's a living reality that should shape our relationships, our attitudes, and our daily lives.

The lesson from James isn't just about avoiding conflict; it's about embracing the transforming truth of Christ's return.

It's about living in such a way that we reflect Christ's love, even in the face of pressure and adversity.

It's about letting the nearness of Christ's return guide our actions and purify our hearts.

It's a call to live not just for today but for the eternity that's knocking at our door.

When we have an eternal perspective the way we respond in difficult moments changes.

Rather than being short-fused and impatient we live with gospel intentionality.

James already pointed to the image of a farmer, now he says consider the prophet. .

At first glance, they may seem worlds apart, but they share a profound lesson about patience.

We picture a farmer, toiling in the fields, waiting for the rain that will nourish the crops.

The farmer doesn't just wait; they act.

The farmer plows, sows, nurtures.

The farmers patience isn't passive; it's filled with anticipation and diligent work.

Now, imagine a prophet, standing firm in the midst of persecution, boldly proclaiming truth and denouncing injustice.

He doesn't cower; he acts.

He speaks with courage and conviction.

His patience isn't weakness; it's strength harnessed for a God’s good purpose.

The prophet doesn’t back down when reviled.

They continue to speak.

Both the farmer and the prophet teach us that patience isn't about sitting on our hands, waiting for something to happen.

It's about actively living our faith, especially when we face trials and tribulations.

Hudson Taylor who labored for decades in China said missionaries and christians need three things 1.patience 2. patience 3. patience

We see this throughout the history of missions

In Western Africa, it was fourteen years before one convert was received into the church.

In East Africa, ten;

in New Zealand, nine years before one baptism;

in Tahiti, it was sixteen years before the first response to the gospel.

We are called to endure with others.

What does this mean for us today?

It means that in the midst of our hardships, we are not to remain silent or inactive.

It means we don’t give up when others are difficult or frustrating.

We are to speak about God's goodness, His greatness, His judgment, and His mercy.

We're called to be voices in the wilderness, pointing the way to a God who loves and redeems.

Times of suffering are not mere obstacles to overcome;

they are golden opportunities to showcase our faith and to speak a word for the glory of God.

Trials are the fertile soil in which our faith can grow and bear fruit.

Consider the farmer, consider the prophet...

We are to work diligently, speak boldly, and live passionately, all the while waiting patiently for God's perfect timing.

Our lives should be a living testament to the truth that patience is not inactivity but a dynamic, active faith that trusts in God's plan and moves forward in His love.

Ray Ortlund

Gospel + Safety + Time

Gospel: good news for bad people through the finished work of Christ on the cross and the endless power of the Holy Spirit. Multiple exposures. Constant immersion. Wave upon wave of grace and truth, according to the Bible.

Safety: a non-accusing environment. No embarrassing anyone. No cornering anyone. No shaming. But respect and sympathy and listening and understanding, so that people can exhale and open up and unburden their souls. A church environment where no one seeking the Lord has anything to fear.

Time: no pressure. Not even self-imposed pressure. No deadlines on growth. Urgency, but not hurry, because no one changes quickly. A lot of “space” for complicated people to rethink their lives at a deep level. God is patient.

This is what our churches must be: gentle environments of gospel + safety + time. It’s where we’re finally free to grow.

Let’s get really practical for a minute here.

Ask the Lord to help you endure with patience.

Ask him to make much of himself in how you respond to others.

1. **In Your Family**:

If there are family members who consistently challenge your patience, don't respond with frustration or anger.

Remember Christ's imminent return and let that truth shape how you communicate.

Instead of lashing out, what would happen if you responded calmly with grace, praying for them and trusting that God is working in their hearts.

2. **At Work**:

If co-workers or boss are causing tension, instead of becoming short-tempered or defensive,

What if you reflect on the patience of the farmer and the prophet.

Approach the situation with thoughtful communication, patience, and a readiness to forgive, remembering that God is the ultimate judge not you.

3. **In Your Church Community **:

If divisions or conflicts are threatening unity, don’t give in to despair or frustration.

Embrace the patience and courage shown by the prophet, speaking words of reconciliation, understanding, and love.

Engage in community, encourage open dialogue, and promote a culture of respect and empathy. Have a heart like Jesus

4. **In Your Personal Relationships**: If you're facing unchangeable attitudes or behaviors in your friends or acquaintances, your spouse

Don't withdraw or become impatient.

Follow the farmer's example by patiently investing in those relationships, nurturing understanding and compassion, while speaking the truth in love.

5. **In Personal Growth**:

If you’re struggling with your personal growth in faith or other areas, don’t become frustrated or defeated.

Embrace the patience of the farmer, continuing to cultivate your faith through study, prayer, fellowship, and service, trusting that God is working in you.

The lesson from James is about more than avoiding conflict;

it’s a call to active, patient living, guided by the eternal truth of Christ's imminent return.

It’s a daily practice that transforms ordinary interactions into profound moments of grace, patience, and gospel intentionality.

Patience is not only needed in our relationships but also when we encounter unexplainable problems.

3. Patience When Problems Are Unexplainable

Look back at the passage James 5:11-12

James 5:11–12 (ESV)

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.

But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

Certainly! Here's an expansion on your sermon point "Patience When Problems Are Unexplainable," focusing on James 5:11-12:

"Have you ever asked 'Why?' in the midst of suffering?

Why this pain?

Why this loss?

Why this confusion?

Sometimes, life's problems seem utterly unexplainable.

But James offers a beacon of hope through the example of Job.

Job's Immense Suffering:

Think about Job, who suffered beyond anything most of us can even imagine.

He lost his health, his wealth, his family, and yet, he found the strength to hold on.

How? By placing his confidence in the unchanging character of God.

Though he didn't understand his suffering, he believed God's purpose would be revealed.

When facing hardships, immerse yourself in prayer and Scripture.

Anchor yourself in God's unchanging character.

Don't look for instant answers but rest in God's sovereign plan.

Some suffering never gets a clear explanation.

You might spend your entire life wondering why something happened.

But the Bible assures us that God will work all things for good, even if we only understand it in the New Creation.

Patience is more than endurance. A saint’s life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, and He stretches and strains, and every now and again the saint says–‘I cannot stand anymore.’ God does not heed, He goes on stretching till His purpose is in sight, then He lets fly. Trust yourself in God’s hands. Maintain your relationship to Jesus Christ by the patience of faith. ‘Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him. _Oswald Chambers

Be reminded of Romans 8:28

Romans 8:28 (ESV)

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Embrace the mystery without losing faith.

Consider the Compassionate and Merciful Lord:

God's compassion and mercy are not abstract concepts; they're the core of His character.

Psalm 145:8–9 (ESV)

The Lord is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

The Lord is good to all,

and his mercy is over all that he has made.

God is steadfast, compassionate, and merciful, and you can trust that He will be the same to you.

Show compassion and mercy to others.

Reach out to those in need.

Reflect God's character in your actions.

James now concludes with a profound, practical command: Let your yes be yes, and your no be no.

It’s not a random point but a culmination of themes he has been hitting at throughout the book.

Things like faithfulness, integrity, and pure speech.

He is saying that when we practice patience, when we root ourselves in the Lord we change how we live.

It’s about being true to our word, just as God is true to His.

So we practice honesty in all your interactions.

If we commit to something, we follow through.

Our words and actions should mirror the integrity of God.

So, How?

How do we preserver?

How do we not only embrace mystery but show integrity in how we live?

By Looking to Jesus

Jesus is our ultimate example of patience in suffering is Jesus Christ Himself.

Upon the cross, Jesus carried our sins with unparalleled patience, teaching us the power of perseverance in the face of adversity.

His burial, a period of silence and darkness, serves as a reminder that even during our most challenging moments, God is at work. In the midst of trials, we must hold on, we must endure.

But it's the resurrection that shines as our beacon of hope.

Jesus triumphed over death itself, demonstrating that all our suffering is temporary. It's this victory that fuels our resilience, it's this hope that instills in us the strength to persevere.

So, when the journey is steep and the night is dark, remember the empty tomb.

Remember that the same power that brought Jesus back to life is within us. Let us endure with patience, knowing that we are more than conquerors through Christ.

He endured the cross for us, and so we can look to Him, the prophets, and to Job, trusting that God will use our trials for His glory.

Keep Christ at the forefront of your mind

Embrace patience as a Christ-like quality.

Encourage others with the reminder that Jesus endured suffering and is with them in theirs.

In a world filled with unexplainable problems and pain, our faith offers a robust and comforting answer.

Our God is patient, steadfast, compassionate, and merciful.

He's our perfect example, our anchor in the storm.

No matter what we face, we can trust that He is in control, working all things for His purpose, even when we don't understand.

Let us live lives marked by integrity, compassion, and an unwavering trust in the One who turns even our deepest sufferings into an opportunity for His glory.

Conclusion

In our fast-paced, demanding world, patience may seem like a forgotten virtue.

But as we've journeyed through James 5:7-12 today, we've seen that patience is not a mere option; it's a calling and a characteristic of a life lived in Christ.

- Patience in Uncontrollable Circumstances

Like the farmer awaiting the rains, we must learn to wait on God's perfect timing, recognizing our limited control and turning our focus to the unchanging nature of God.

Our patience isn't in vain; it's grounded in the trust that God's plan and provision are worth waiting for.

- Patience with Unchangeable People:

Whether facing tension, stress, or misunderstandings, we must strive to respond with grace and understanding.

Looking to the example of the prophets, we're reminded that patience is a testimony to God's work in us.

It's not about passively accepting wrong, but actively choosing to respond in love and truth.

- Patience with Unexplainable Problems:

The life of Job teaches us that some suffering and problems may never be fully explained.

But even in the mystery, we can embrace the compassionate and merciful character of God, knowing that He's working all things together for our good.

Patience is not simply a matter of waiting; it's a matter of how we wait and who we become in the waiting.

It's about cultivating a heart that trusts in God's timing, loves others with grace, embraces life's mysteries with faith, and lives with integrity.

It's a journey of transformation that shapes us more into the likeness of Christ.

Would we commit to practicing patient endurance in all areas of life.

Spurgeon tells the story of a young poor family

A POOR woman had a supply of coal to warm her home laid at her door by a charitable neighbour.

A very little girl came out with a small fire-shovel, and began to take up a shovelful at a time, and carry it to a sort of bin in the cellar. I said to the child, ‘Do you expect to get all that coal in with that little shovel?’ She was quite confused at my question, but her answer was very striking, ‘Yes, sir, if I work long enough.’ ”

Humble worker, make up for your want of ability by abundant continuance in well-doing, and your life-work will not be trivial. The repetition of small efforts will effect more than the occasional use of great talents.

May we lean on God's strength, meditate on His promises, and allow the Holy Spirit to mold us into people marked by patient faith.

It’s in our waiting, we find hope, growth, and a closer relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ.

May we be a people of patience, reflecting the glory of God in every season of life.

Application questions:

1. Where am I trying to control circumstances, and how can I learn to trust God's timing instead?

2. How can I practice grace and slowness to anger with unchangeable people in my life?

3. How can I trust God's wisdom and timing with the unexplainable problems I'm facing?

4. How has my faith been tested in this current season? How can I keep the bigger picture in mind and find hope in God's promises?