Patience in Suffering
Notes
Transcript
Throughout the book of James, he has written to believers about the struggles both internally and externally that are faced. Throughout, he has used principles from the Old Testament to guide Jewish Christians through tough times and now he speaks of the struggles of the Christian life.
One of the toughest things we experiences, ourselves, is to have patience when things are not going our way. Oftentimes, we grow complacent in our Christian walk. As I have often said, I think we get comfortable as Christians. We do not have a lot of struggles, to be honest. When we don’t undergo struggles, it may cause our faith to grow weak. The same as muscles wither away when they aren’t used. In the same token, when we start using those muscles again there is PAIN associated with the weakness. Weak faith brings about pain and suffering when we have to exercise that faith. Chuck Swindoll takes it even further when he makes this statement “True patience is waiting without worrying.” Worrying could be described as the chaos created when we do not exercise our faith. The main reason why so many Christians struggle with a lack of faith is that we follow our perceptions of what is true rather than what we know to be true by faith.
Here, the Jewish Christians were facing persecution, were facing hardships, and those hardships were causing them to question when Jesus would be returning to take them out of the situations where others were making their life hard or who were making them question their situation and status in life.
7 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.
8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.
Here is one I can connect to on a personal level, as James speaks of the patience in waiting on the Lord as the patience a farmer has to plant a seed, tend to the seed, and wait for the harvest. I have been watching the strawberry fields for the past few months, seeing them bloom and then fruit starting to develop. Usually, it takes 4-6 weeks from bloom until ripening and as soon as blooms are seen the questions start being asked, when will they be ripe? Some people are patient, others, not so much. But there is so much that impacts the fruit. Plant conditions at planting, fertility, soil conditions, moisture and irrigation, insects, disease, frost and freeze, sunlight. There are times where there are concerns, will it freeze and kill the blooms? Will there be a disease that kills the majority of the plants? An insect that will cause the fruit to be unsellable? And then, one day we see a red berry. We pick it, and … the first taste of a fresh spring strawberry.
The farmer looks forward to the day when the harvest will take place, there is excitement and anticipation, doing all they can to endure the hardships to ensure the crop.
The example here fore believers shows us that we, too, are to be patient, and endure like the farmer does. Believers must “establish” their hearts. The word means to set upon; to fix upon; to make fast. We must set our hearts upon the Lord’s coming, for His coming is near. The idea is that it is drawing ever so close and can happen at any moment. We must focus and set our hearts upon His return—be looking for it every day just as the farmer looks for his great day of harvest. Looking for the great day of redemption—for the Lord’s glorious return—will stir us to combat temptation and trial step by step. It will stir us to patiently endure no matter the situation, and by patiently enduring we shall gain the victory over all—no matter how bad the situation may be.
Believers must not complain, murmur, and judge other believers. We must not complain about our situations, our trials and temptations, and we must not blame each other for what happens to us. This is one thing God will not tolerate. Note the Scripture: if we complain, murmur, and grumble, we shall be condemned. And, “behold, the judge stands before the door.” This is a warning, a strong warning. The Lord will judge all believers who complain, murmur, grumble, and judge others instead of conquering the trials and temptations of life. And His judgment is at hand, right at the door, ready to be executed against men.
10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
We are to be as patient as the prophets in suffering affliction, for they believed and spoke in the name of the Lord. What James is saying is this: “Look at the prophets. Look at those who have gone before you—men and women who believed and hoped in God and bore witness to God. They faced all kinds of trials and temptations, but they patiently endured, combated and conquered them all. Look at the prophets, and you will have a great example to follow in patient endurance.” Hebrews gives us an understanding of how they were treated:
36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.
37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—
38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
The prophets patiently endured all the trials and temptations of life. They stood fast, held onto their faith in God, and combated the trials and temptations every step of the way. They refused to give in and to question and moan and grumble against God. Contrariwise, they continued to proclaim the salvation and hope of God for the world—continued to believe and to speak up for God despite the terrible trials and temptations that swarmed in upon them.
11 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.
be as patient as Job in suffering trials and temptations, for he saw the end of the Lord—that the Lord was full of compassion and mercy. Few people ever suffer the trials and temptations of life as much as Job suffered. He suffered utter bankruptcy—the loss of all his property, livestock, and employees—and then, in the severest blow of all, he lost all of his sons in an accident. In addition to all this, his wife fussed at him because he refused to complain and curse God for destroying their lives. But note this: Job never gave in to the trials or temptations. He never forsook his faith in God. He did not understand all that was happening to him, but he refused to turn against God. He stood and patiently endured, struggling to conquer all and conquer it in the name of God.
15 Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face.
The point is this: Job kept his eyes fixed upon the end, that is, upon the Lord and the great hope of the Lord. The Lord carried Job through all his trials and temptations by blessing him with the very presence of God Himself—with the compassion and mercy of God. Job endured; therefore, we count him blessed or happy.
The believer is to bear the afflictions of trials and temptations by focusing his eyes upon the end, that is, upon the coming again of the Lord Jesus Christ. As we do, the compassion and mercy of God will flow both upon and through us. God will deliver us with His very own presence. He will deliver us through all the trials and temptations of life, giving us the most victorious life imaginable.
12 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.
It is tempting to be comfortable and then make plans to overcome. We have to be patient and endure, keeping our eyes focused upon the end prize. This doesn’t mean it will always be easy or without complication.
The first thing James warns of is to not curse or swear when things are not going our way. Unfortunately, this has become so commonplace today. We can’t listen to many television shows, even presidential speeches without hearing cursing.
Note exactly what this verse says: “Above all things, my brothers, do not swear (at all).” Above all things: Scripture puts swearing and cursing right at the top of the list of things Christians should not do.
Why? Why would Scripture place swearing and cursing at the top of the things not do do? Because swearing and cursing is either taking God’s name in vain or else showing man’s worthlessness. Our words are a reflection of ourselves. He is either true or false. He is either trustworthy or undependable. If his word is untrue, he has lost his trustfulness and worth. There should, therefore, be no need for oaths. There should be no need for a man’s word to be reinforced, for a man’s word not to be taken at face value. His word should stand alone, sure and factual. When it does not, and he curses or swears, he shows a heart that is disturbed, lacking, or evil. No matter who the person may be—how high or low in society—his words reveal the truth of his heart: restful, assured, peaceful, full, and good or else disturbed, insecure, lacking, and evil.
To summarize what James is saying, all power belongs to God; therefore, a man should stand in awe of God, not curse Him. But observe what it is that is usually cursed: God and the things of God, the very things that should not be cursed. This says much about the selfish, depraved nature of man. Cursing God is such a terrible sin that it is one of the ten commandments. A special judgment is even pronounced upon the curser. Cursing is meaningless, thoughtless, and irreverent.
A person is to let his word be so true that it is his guarantee. His word is to stand alone and be true. A man is to need no other words to show his character or strength—no curse words and no swearing words. A man should not have to say anymore than “yes I will.…” or “no, I will not.…” His life should be so honest and straight that no one would ever question his word. When he speaks, everyone should know that it will be done, that he will see to it that it is done. In fact, Jesus Christ said that anything more than straightforward words are of evil.
Something that is often overlooked is this fact: swearing and cursing do not make a matter more believable; they really make a matter more suspicious. A person swears something because his character or the matter is questionable. What an indictment of depravity! Yet swearing and cursing are the acceptable habits of men.
CLOSING
CLOSING
When we face hardship, it can be easy to let the sin-nature come out in us. James reminds us that we have a standard God expects of us, from the way we speak, to the intent of our heart, to the patience we extend when things are not going our way.
God has blessed us! God has given us the hope of eternal life! Instead of focusing on all the things going on around us, we should be focusing on pleasing the one who died for our sins.
Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Hebrews-James, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 1996), 300.
