To those who wait...

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Title:  To Those Who Wait...

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Focus Statement:  

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Scripture:  James 5:7-11

Main Text:  James 5:7-11

Supporting Text:  Acts 5:41, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, 1 Peter 5:10, Romans 12:12, Psalm 37:7, Romans 8:17, Romans 5:1-11

Redemptive Closure (point to Jesus):  2 Peter 3:9, Matthew 16:21-23

Benediction:  Galatians 6:9

WELCOME

Good morning!!! My name is Ryan Hanson and I have the honor of serving here at The Light KC as the lead pastor. I’m so glad you’re here with us.

‌Welcome to those joining us online. We hope your doing well and hope to see you in person in the coming weeks.

And a special welcome to those joining us for the first time. We’re so glad you chose to be here.

ME/INTRO - Tension

I want to start by having you imagine with me.

Imagine you’re 6 years old. You’re an only child. You want siblings, but your parents didn’t give you any. In an effort to fill the void that siblings left, you look to the only thing that comes close… A DOG. You ask your parents for a dog, but your father is not keen on the idea. He is a very clean person and doesn’t want the mess that a pet will create in the house. On top of that, he knows that dogs are a lot of work. You can’t leave them alone too long as they have to be let out regularly, they have to get exercise, they have to be loved. Your dad not convinced that you will be able to take on the challenge, says no.

BUT...at the same time the world shuts down due to a global pandemic. Social interactions become difficult and it seems that everyone is getting dogs to fill all the new voids that are created. Slowly you wear your father down and he agrees to get a dog. You start planning with your mom. You research breeds, personalities, temperaments, shedding. You land on a golden doodle; 3/4 Poodle, 1/4 Golden Retriever. You and your mom reach out to everyone you know with a golden doodle to see what breeder they should go through. You find the perfect breed and the perfect breeder. You put down a deposit for a dog in the next litter of puppies. Your dream of getting a dog looks like it’s going to happen.

UNTIL...the dog doesn’t get pregnant when she should, and you are told you have to wait.

Now you’re 7, you get the news that the dog is not pregnant again.

Every time your family checks in with the breeder, they apologize but continue to relay that the dog is not pregnant and you will have to keep waiting.

You were given a PROMISE by your father that your dream of getting a dog was going to happen, yet it is not. With every call to the breeder, you get your hopes up, just to find out that you have to keep waiting.

WE - Tension

If you didn’t figure it out, this is the story of my daughter Ellie’s journey to dog ownership.

But I think it raises the question in all of us.

What do we do when things don’t happen as we expect? Or as quickly as we expect?

What do we do when we are promised things by people, and they don’t happen?

More pointedly, what we do we do when we are promised things by God, and they don’t happen when we expect them to?

This is exactly what James writes about in the passage we’re going to look at today.

Please turn with me to James 5:7-11, as we continue our series called RESOLVED.

We’re in the seventh week of our series where we’re walking through the entire book of James. Over the 5 chapters of this book James gives us 12 very practical teachings, pulling from Proverbs and Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Our goal throughout this series is to listen to the Holy Spirit’s voice as we walk through these chapters and discern what goals / next steps God wants us to RESOLVE to accomplish over 2025.

If you missed some of the previous messages, please feel free to catch up. They’re easy to find on our new and improved website!!!

TheLightKC.org

As as we begin, please turn with me to James 5:7-11.

We’ll have the scripture on the screen, but if you have a Bible with you, or Bible app on your phone, I’d encourage you to turn to the passage and follow along. There is nothing that replaces having God’s word in your hand.

AND...if you don’t have a Bible, we have Bibles under the seats. If you don’t have a bible and would like one, please come see me after the service and I’ll get you one you can keep.

Or if you download our new app, which I hope everyone does, there is a Bible built in.

Lets dive in.

GOD - Text

James 5:7 NIV

7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.

When I read this it is easy to skim past most of it. Honestly when I think of patience, I think of Ellie’s story about the dog. You want something, but if it takes a while to come, it really doesn’t matter. Her life was in no way negatively affected by waiting for the dog.

But that’s not the patience James is talking about here. The word he uses for patience is:

Patient

makrothyméō

“long suffering”

This is the patience where you are severely impacted by waiting.

Back in Biblical times the farmers that James uses as an example would plant all the seeds they had to get a harvest large enough to live on. Between planting and the harvest, they would have to ration the food they had stored up from last year’s harvest. As they waited for the autumn rains and the crops to mature, the food supply would get smaller and smaller. The farmer and their families would get hungrier and hungrier. They would literally be suffering with hunger as they waited for God to send the fall rains to finish maturing the crops.

BUT...

If they lacked patience, gave into the hunger, and harvested too soon, the crop would not be ready, the harvest would be small, and the family may not have enough food to survive the next year. Patient Suffering literally was a life or death choice for the farmers in Biblical times.

But, let’s be honest, in today’s world we don’t have any real life or death situations … do we?

Even without our lives physical being in danger, our lack of patience does hurt us?

What conflict have you created in your relationships because you are not being patient with others?

What damage have you done to your career because you haven’t been patient and acted at the wrong time, missing opportunities?

What stress are you creating in your life because you’re so fixated on something you want, but hasn’t happened yet?

What bad decisions have you made because you wanted something right now taking things into your own hands, instead of waiting for the right time

These consequences may not be life or death like the farmers in the Bible, but when we’re impatient we may be opening the door to even more severe consequences.

Maybe you’ve experienced this, I know I have.

Let’s continue in James 5:8

James 5:8 NIV

8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.

James uses the same word for patient when referring to us as he does when referring to the farmers.

What James is saying is that just like the farmers, our decision to patiently suffer is a matter of life and death. Not physical life and death as it is with the farmers, but spiritual life and death.

Paul writes about this to the Romans in Romans 5:3-8

Romans 5:3–8 NIV

3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Our patient endurance of the sufferings of this world teaches us how to become the people of Character that God created us to be.

Patient suffering teaches us to have the unwavering hope in the Good news of what Christ has done for us.

But… we are not to suffer alone. James continues in James 5:9

James 5:9 NIV

9 Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

While in periods of patient suffering, we shouldn’t be fighting with each other, we should lean into our Christian community, encouraging, and supporting one another.

So I ask you...

Who do you have in your life you can be 100% honest with?

Who do you know that would unconditionally support you, no matter what you’re going through?

As a church, we believe that everyone needs a supportive community. If you don’t already have one, I would strongly encourage you to join a group. We’ve just started the men’s group on Tuesday’s and my personal experience with it has been amazing. We have ~ a dozen guys meeting together to challenge each other to be better, support each other through struggles, and help each other in any way they can. I’m very excited to see what God does through this group of guys. I know we have a few other groups starting and there is always time to jump in.

Join on the app.

I think we also need to recognize that the way we suffer serves as a strong witness to others. Our faith is on display when we’re suffering like no other time.

I personally have been inspired by many who have kept the faith through a challenging time. There was a guy that worked at Trane. He was a technician and was suffering from a rare form of cancer. He never felt physically well, always taking chemo drugs, but never complained. He would have to take time off periodically for surgeries to remove new cancers that would pop up from time to time, but he rarely even mentioned it. Everyone knew what was going on, but he was always so happy, so positive, so encouraging of others, honestly it was hard to even know there was anything wrong. He had a strong faith, and if anyone ever questioned his positive attitude, he would always point back to how good God has been to him, and that the cancer he had was nothing compared to the love he felt from God. It was amazing to know this man, to witness his faith while patiently suffering, and see how everyone he interacted with was better for knowing him.

I think we all need to ask ourselves...

How does the way we suffer speak to the world about God?

Does our patience while suffering point people toward God or keep them far from God?

I want to be like the apostles in Acts 5:41, where it says

Acts 5:41 NIV

41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.

If my suffering, draws people into a relationship with Jesus Christ, it is worth it. Sign me up.

No matter what I’m suffering...I need to suffer it in a way that points people toward Christ.

YOU - Takeaway

So...

How do you suffer?

Could you say that you patiently suffer well?

Do you allow the Holy Spirit to do the hard work of Character building while you’re waiting?

Do you suffer in a way that serves as a witness to non-believers pointing them toward a relationship with Jesus.

No matter what you answered, the question still stands...

How do we patiently suffer well?

Just like the farmer that has to wait on the promise of rain from God to get the crops ready for harvest, we also need to wait on the promises of God. God promises the farmers the autumn and spring rains. The Bible is full of promises God has made for us as well.

In Deuteronomy 4:19, God promises that if we seek Him, we will find Him

In 1 Chronicles 16:34, God promises that He is good and His love for us will never end

In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God promises that if we humble ourselves and turn from our sins, He will forgive us

In Romans 1:16-17, God promises that anyone who believes in Jesus as their Lord and Savior will be saved

In 2 Corinthians 5:17, God promises that once we believe in Jesus He will make us into a New Creation

In Romans 8:28, God promises that He will work all things for our good

And in John 14:2-3, Jesus promises that He is preparing a place for all who believe in heaven and will come back to take us there

I don’t know everything that you’re dealing with.

But...

I know that God has a plan, and that plan is good, that He will use whatever you’re going through for your good.

And I know that each of these promises, and many more in the Bible, God wrote for you.

WE / JESUS - Redemptive Close - Call to Action

The reality is, no matter what we go through, what we experience, what we’re suffering...

It doesn’t hold a candle to what God was willing to suffer for us.

Matthew 16:21–23 NIV

21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. 22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” 23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

God, knowing that we could never be good enough or holy enough to earn our way into His presence in Heaven.

God chose to send His son, Jesus Christ, to earth. To be born to a virgin, to suffer persecution, to be hated, to be accused of sins he never committed.

Yet, Jesus would patiently suffer everything the world had to offer. Jesus would live a sinless life.

And after a lifetime of suffering, beyond anything we would imagine or endure, Jesus chose to allow Himself to be executed by the Romans in the most painful way possible, on a cross. A method of execution designed to maximize pain and maximize the time it takes to die.

Jesus chose to be the atoning sacrifice, paying our debt for the sins we have committed, are committing, and will commit.

Jesus patiently endured endless amounts of suffering so we, if we believe in Him as our Lord and Savior, can have eternal life with God in Heaven.

Jesus was willing to give His life, suffering a torturous death on a cross for you and for me.

Do you believe this?

Have you accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?

If not, today could be the day. Come talk to me after service.

If you do believe...

What are we willing to suffer, so those who don’t currently have a relationship with Jesus can come to faith?

It’s embarrassing that when you search “risks of sharing the gospel” in Google the only things that come up are:

Being misunderstood

Rejection

Friends may distance themselves

These don’t seem like huge risks.

If you leave with nothing more, know that the way we suffer matters

We can be patient in our suffering and

Grow in character, deepening our relationship with God

Serve as a powerful witness to non-believers leading people into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ

Or we can choose to be impatient and

Miss out on the blessings that God has planned for us

Look hypocritical to non-believers giving them more reasons to remain distance for Jesus

I personally believe that God provides us with “Windows of opportunity” and our job is to patiently wait, enduring whatever we must, until God opens the window we’re meant to climb through.

I want the faith of a child Jesus calls us to in Matthew 18:2-4; the faith of a 6 year old waiting for a dog.

In a small way, Ellie’s learned to patiently endure for over 6 months as she waited for that dog to get pregnant. Then she had to wait another 2 months for the puppies to be born, and then another 8 weeks before she could take her dog home. Overall Ellie waited 10 months for my promise of a dog to come true. An eternity for a 6 year old.

We could have gone to another breeder. We could have given into the temptation to take matters into our own hands.

But we didn’t. We had great references for this breeder and felt it was the direction we needed to go.

As it turned out, when we went to pick out the dog, there was only 1 dog to choose from. Ellie wanted a girl dog, the litter only had 2, and the other one was already taken. Ellie got the runt of the litter.

[Abby puppy picture]

With 80 lb parents, Abby turned out to be 40 lbs. We bought a standard and got a mid-size, which was a huge blessing.

Whereas golden doodles are notoriously high energy until their 4-6 years old, Abby has always been an amazingly well behaved dog.

[Abby reading picture]

She loves snuggling on the couch and has love for everyone.

[Abby snuggle picture]

Ellie’s patient endurance, paid off. She got the perfect dog for her and for our family.

Abby loves to play, even pulling the kids in the sled when the lake froze

[Abby sled picture]

She even let us put on a Chief’s jersey for the super bowl.

[Abby Chief’s picture]

When I’m in a period of struggle, I think back to a 6 year old girl who desperately wanted a dog and yet had to wait patiently for 10 months to get it.

She didn’t complain, she didn’t try to scheme a way to get a dog faster, she just waited.

I want my suffering to be a witness to everyone who knows me. That no matter how tough life gets, my hope is in Jesus Christ, and compared to the love that He has for me, the trials of this world don’t even register.

I want to end with a quote from Martin Luther.

Martin Luther

“Christians should live every day as if Jesus “was crucified yesterday, rose from the dead today, and was coming again tomorrow.”

James calls us to RESOLVE to patiently suffer well. Waiting on God’s timing. Allowing the Holy Spirit to do the hard work of building our character, all the while using our lives as a witness for everyone we kwow.

PRAYER 

Will you join me in prayer...

SONG 

As we enter into our final song, I want to open the steps up front as an altar to anyone who needs God this week. The steps are open for you to pray to the God who is with you, who loves you, you wants to give you His peace.

‌

You may feel a hand on your shoulder as I or one of the elders join you in prayer.

BENEDICTION 

Galatians 6:9 NIV

9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

This week...

Let’s commit to suffering well. Being patient through life’s challenges. Waiting on God’s perfect timing. Not complaining or taking matters into our own hands, but waiting on God’s perfect timing.

Quick reminder...

New service time starts next Sunday, March 2nd. Sleep in. Service starts at 10:45.

Invite cards on the INFO DESK

If you’re new, please stop by our info desk, or see me. We’d love to say “hi” and get you know you a bit better.

I hope you have a great week.

Go in peace.

You are dismissed.

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