Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Read ?

James 7-12

Look back at context in 5:1-6:

(4)Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you,

(6) You have condemned and murdered the righteous person.

He does not resist you.

(ESV)

Probably not actual murder, but still not good.

Some are experiencing:

injustice (not being paid)

discrimination (rich passing over the poor)

undue hatred (righteous being murdered)

unfair treatment - by others and by God (righteous condemned)

We would call this suffering.

2 Things to know about suffering:

Consider the source of your suffering

There are different reasons why we may suffer:

As a result/consequence of things we do.

As a result of things done to us.

James is speaking about the latter

Context is

Poor being oppressed by the rich - exploiting their power — treating them unfairly

Don’t compare your suffering

We should not judge another’s pain

Pain is real to the one who feels it.

With the external pressures of being wronged, treated unfairly, dealing with a situation you don’t believe you deserve, James calls for PATIENCE.

(7) Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.

Patience walks us through suffering not around it.

(7a)

(7) Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.

*How many of you are patient?

If suffering is the context for this section, then patience is theme.

James uses this word four times - twice in verse 7, 8, 10

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.

(ESV)

Patience = ‘The capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.’

Patience is required as you go through something not around it.

The word ‘patience’ implies going through.

In addition, James commands us to be patient until the coming of the Lord,

not until you’ve had enough

That’s not usually our first response though is it?

Sometimes we are so focused on the removal of suffering that we never consider how to be patient through it.

that’s not usually our first response though is it?

Sometimes we are so focused on the removal of suffering that we never consider how to be patient through it.

Why do we expect we will not suffer?

We live in a world that is under a curse of sin. - Not God’s original design.

While we don’t like suffering and we pray that God might remove the suffering from us James is telling us that I trust and faith when faced with suffering is patient

While we don’t like suffering and we pray that God might remove the suffering from us James is telling us that a Faith that Trusts is patient when faced with suffering

**James’ command to ‘be patient’ forces us to ask how we respond when something difficult comes our way.

Is my first reaction fear, anxiety, anger, complaining?

Or is it patience?

** Do I use all my time in prayer asking God to remove my source of suffering, or do I, after examining myself to see if it is a consequence of a choice, or after I have asked God to remove it and he doesn’t do I begin instead to ask God for patience to walk through it.

God is sovereign through the suffering.

(7b)

For the Ancient Near East farmer everything about his life was tied to his crops, more specifically was tied to whether or not the rains fell

context of the early rains and the late range why did James point to the farmer and not a merchant?

Some scholars suspect that perhaps James not following after his father Joseph had farming as an occupation.

But either way I believe the farmer is used because that occupation serves as the best context for patience

The farmer cannot make rains come.

The farmer, at least in that day, could not artificially water all of his crops.

The farmer had no choice but to wait.

And be patient.

this is so very hard for us like to control things.

Patients can be difficult because it is a releasing of control.

And we want to control things.

**Patience, or our lack of it, oftentimes reveals our desire to control the aspects of our lives.

The fruit is worth the wait ()

One commentator wrote:

We neither drift into holiness nor are we wafted there by some heavenly visitation; we grow to holiness and, like every harvest, it is a process.

** If we are patient, God can grow us.

If we impatiently attempt to ‘take care of things’ on our own, we could easily miss out on God’s plan to make us more like Jesus.

Suffering should not be used as an excuse to sin.

(9)

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

(ESV)

‘Grumble’ = groan, sigh

‘You don’t know what I’ve been through'

Stress often brings out our true character

ILLUST - Joseph in prison - Potiphar’s wife makes an advance - Joseph could have tried to justify his sin because of his suffering, instead; he revealed his character.

(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.

(ESV)

Even in suffering our character should be evident 

**As we maintain a good character through suffering we display God’s character - missional

** How has your wife seen you handle the tough stuff at work?

What have your kids seen when things don’t go well?

What would have happened if Joseph had given in to Potiphar’s wife - the story would have ended there.

(8) You also, be patient.

Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

(ESV)

The hope of God’s goodness gives strength in the suffering.

(8,10-11)

Whereas patience is the releasing of control while in the midst of suffering, ‘steadfastness’ is the ability to remain strong under the suffering, and steadfastness comes when we establish our hearts.

Establish = to make strong

Same word used to describe Jesus as he prepared to go to Jerusalem.:

For the coming of the Lord

Why? God is coming soon(?)

This was written nearly 2000 years ago.

How can Jesus’ return be ‘at hand?'

Christians have always lived with the very real hope that Jesus could return at any moment

Christians do not wait for something, but for Someone