We Are Waiting
Notes
Transcript
Therefore, brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.
Brothers and sisters, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door!
Brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name as an example of suffering and patience. See, we count as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and have seen the outcome that the Lord brought about—the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “yes” mean “yes,” and your “no” mean “no,” so that you won’t fall under judgment.
We are suffering from the effects of a sin stricken world.
We experience loss.
We experience economic hardships.
We experience health issues.
We hurt, we cry, we mourn, we get overwhelmed, we get stressed, we get confused, we struggle in relationships, we experience persecution and mocking.
We endure so much while we wait for Jesus to return.
We’ve been talking about this for the last few weeks.
What are we to do while we wait on Jesus to return?
Patiently Watch For Jesus To Come
Patiently Watch For Jesus To Come
Therefore, brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.
“Therefore...”
James just warned those who are rich and oppress the poor that God’s judgement will come one day.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letter of James C. Patiently Enduring Trials Earns God’s Reward (5:7–11)
These rich people, James has made clear, while prospering in this life, face a certain prospect of condemnation on the day of judgment
“… Brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord’s coming...”
One day, Jesus will return.
He will right every wrong.
He will heal every hurt.
He will completely defeat Satan and all those who have followed in his footsteps.
He will resurrect the dead in Christ.
He will give justice to all those who experienced injustice.
Patience is necessary because God operates on His own time table. Not ours!
We do not know when Jesus will return for us. We do not know how much longer things will remain the way they are.
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Patience
Patience. Ability to take a great deal of punishment from evil people or circumstances without losing one’s temper, without becoming irritated and angry, or without taking vengeance. It includes the capacity to bear pain or trials without complaint, the ability to forbear under severe provocation, and the self-control which keeps one from acting rashly even though suffering opposition or adversity.
“See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and late rains.”
James uses an illustration his readers can understand and relate to.
We don’t really relate as much to it because we don’t usually wait on food to grow. We just go to the grocery store to get it.
But think about what it takes to grow crops...
You plant the seed. You water it every day. You pull up the weeds that threaten your crops health. You fertilize it. You maintain protecting it. You keep threats away from it. You watch it sprout. You water it again. And eventually, after a long time has passed, you reap the benefits of all of your labor and patience.
James says, our patience on God looks like this.
We don’t know when the rain will come. But God does. and we can trust him to provide.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letter of James C. Patiently Enduring Trials Earns God’s Reward (5:7–11)
Every reference to “early and later rains” in the OT occurs in a context affirming the faithfulness of the Lord
“You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.”
Sometimes you don’t want to get up and go water the plants.
Sometimes you’d rather just sit around and waste the day.
It’s hard when our laboring is painful. When we watch people we love pass away because of cancer, disease, car wrecks, all evil plagues that come from living in a broken and sin filled world. It’s hard!
But James said “strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.”
CSB Study Bible: Notes Chapter 5
The phrase strengthen your hearts is an expansion on “be patient,” signifying firm resolve in light of the coming of the Lord and in spite of trying circumstances.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letter of James C. Patiently Enduring Trials Earns God’s Reward (5:7–11)
What is commanded, then, is firm adherence to the faith in the midst of temptations and trials. As they wait patiently for their Lord to return, believers need to fortify themselves for the struggle against sin and with difficult circumstances
The Lord’s coming is near!
We’re almost there.
The finish line is right around the corner.
The crown is within reach
We are patiently watching and waiting for Jesus to come for us!
But James knows that our watching and waiting is painful.
So does God.
Resist Complaining About One Another
Resist Complaining About One Another
Brothers and sisters, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door!
“Brothers and sisters” - Adelphoi
James addressed his readers with this phrase four times from verse 7-12.
It’s a major thrust and point of this whole section.
As Christians, we are family, and we are all in this together!
Which leads him to say what he says next...
“Do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged.”
CSB Study Bible: Notes Chapter 5
To complain about one another constitutes being judgmental, already prohibited in 4:11–12. The immediacy of the Lord’s return brings judgment to the person who judges, just as it does for the oppressors.
Don’t you realize it doesn’t please Jesus when we turn on one another?
We are all bound by the blood of Christ as a family!
It’s this very reality that shows the seriousness that God has towards us getting along.
Church, we are in this together!
The ESV Study Bible Chapter 5
It can be particularly painful in times of suffering when people explode in frustration and turn upon each other
“Look, the judge stands at the door.”
Now the very thing that was a comfort in the last verse is a warning here.
Remember Those Before Us
Remember Those Before Us
Brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name as an example of suffering and patience. See, we count as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and have seen the outcome that the Lord brought about—the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
“Brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name as an example of suffering and patience.”
The prophets were beaten, tortured, and killed by God’s own people for speaking God’s word boldly.
Prophets, like Jeremiah and Elijah, felt alone.
But they showed us that obeying God and following God is of infinite more value and future pleasure than giving in to the allurement of giving up.
Consider saints since them who have suffered under terrible tyrants.
James, who wrote this, was demanded to recant on top of the temple and tell all those bellow him to renounce Jesus. He was pushed off the temple and then bludgeoned to death for refusing.
Consider the saints who have gone before us, who suffered from the ailments of disease and loss. Saints who wrote songs like “it is well, with my soul” under the immense pain of losing loved ones.
Consider those who delighted in the message of resurrection and hope even when they faced death.
“See, we count as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and have seen the outcome that the Lord brought about—the Lord is compassionate and merciful.”
Many of those who we look back on and recall prove that God is compassionate and merciful.
There are stories of God’s provision for them.
They are a story of God’s provision for us.
Speak With Integrity
Speak With Integrity
Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “yes” mean “yes,” and your “no” mean “no,” so that you won’t fall under judgment.
“Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath”
James condemned the contemporary Jewish practice of swearing false, evasive, deceptive oaths by everything other than the name of the Lord (which alone was considered binding)
Matthew 5:33-37
“Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors, You must not break your oath, but you must keep your oaths to the Lord. But I tell you, don’t take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God’s throne; or by the earth, because it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. Do not swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. But let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ mean ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one.
“But let your “yes” mean “yes,” and your “no” mean “no,” so that you won’t fall under judgment.”
Perhaps James says “above all… let your “yes” mean “yes”, and your “no” mean “no...” because, as Christians, we are meant to reflect the goodness and glory of God.
We began these few verses with the reminder of Jesus’ assurance that He will return and that He will judge the living and the dead.
We are called to believe Jesus because he keeps His word...
We are meant to reflect the same integrity.
This doesn’t mean you can never be late to work because of traffic. Or fail at doing something other external forces prevented you from doing.
This means Christians are supposed to live with integrity regarding what they commit to.
So, What are we to do while we wait on Jesus to return?
Patiently watch for Jesus to come
Resist complaining about one another
Remember those before us
Speak with Integrity
I know you know these things.
The main point of all of this is that Jesus will come back for us.
“… be patient until the Lord’s coming.” - -5:7
“… the Lord’s coming is near… ” - 5:8
“… the judge stands at the door…” - 5:9
I know this is painful. I know it seems like there isn’t an end in sight.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letter of James C. Patiently Enduring Trials Earns God’s Reward (5:7–11)
Your present suffering, James would be saying, is not the “end” of the story; God will transform your situation for good when Christ is revealed in glory
But, beloved, Jesus is coming. Jesus is coming. Jesus is coming.