This 12th message in a sermon series on the Epistle of James is about patience and endurance. I suspect we’ve all had to practice patience at some point in our lives. And I’m sure we’ve all had to endure something. (Some of you are probably thinking every Sunday you have to listen to one of my sermons is a act of patience and endurance.)
James shares his wisdom about patience and endurance by introducing two ideas—one very earthly and practical and the other heavenly and spiritual. The heavenly/spiritual one is about Jesus second coming. The earthly/practical one is an illustration of a farmer. Listen to the Word of God in James.
7 Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. 8 You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.
One of the foundational teachings of the Christian Church is that Christ will return again. The first time He came, Jesus was born in a manger as a helpless infant baby. The second time He comes, He will come as a conquering King. Here is one thing I can guarantee you: Jesus will come back in your lifetime. Does that seem too bold a claim? Either Jesus will come back for us all, all at once or He will come for you individually when you draw your last breath. Either way, you will see Him in your lifetime.
James reminds us. And he says, be patient while you wait. Farmers understand patience. They see patience for what it really is. Good farmers are not lazy. They are some of the hardest workers you will ever find. And yet, a good farmer realizes there are some things they can control and some things they absolutely cannot control. A farmer decides what seeds to plant. That’s within their control.
They can control how they prepare the soil.
They can control the fertilizer they put down. They decide how long to let the crop grow and how and when to harvest it. But there are many things they cannot control.
A farmer cannot control the rain. And as much as farming has become a science, there is still something very mysterious
about it. The farmer sees—perhaps more
than anyone else—there is a Higher Power at work beyond themselves controlling how their fields grow. And so a farmer learns to be patient.
They know when it is time to work, you work hard and you work smart. And
when it is time to wait, you are patient and you wait. And waiting is not lazy, it often means preparing
so you are ready to work when the harvest comes.
And
a good farmer demonstrates great faith.
They trust that the harvest will come. Otherwise, why would they bother with all the hard work of planting and tending
their fields?
The
Word of God says: Jesus is coming. You will see Him in your lifetime. Either He will come for us all at once or He will come for you personally when you take your final breath. James says, “Be patient.” It doesn’t
mean, “Be lazy.” There are things we
must do. Like a famer tending his fields, you need to tend the business of your life. But be wise. Tend the things that matter—the
things that lead to a fruitful harvest in your life.
And
don’t be discouraged by the troubles you must endure. Christ will come and He will make everything that is wrong right again. On the final day, His Kingdom will come on earth and His will will be done here
too. Remember, James wrote these words to Christians who had be chased out of their
homes, run out of town because they believed and proclaimed Jesus was the Lord and
Messiah.
Some of them had lost everything—their homes, their jobs, their businesses. Some had even lost loved one who had been jailed or murdered. But the Word of God to them is the same as it is to us: Be patient. Trust the
Lord. Jesus is coming.
And James goes on to say:
9 Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door!
In our patience, we remember, Jesus is watching. So we don’t just grit and bear it. No, we live with Joy. In the midst of
trials and suffering, we know that Jesus has already won! We live lives of love and joy. We can
sing and celebrate! We can be like the
disciples who, one month after seeing their Lord Jesus brutally executed and buried in a
borrowed tomb, boldly preached His ressurection in the Temple courtyard, right in front of the
ones who ordered Christ’s crucifixion. And
their joy and excitement was so authentic that hundreds and thousands believed
their message.
Are you being joyful in your patient endurance? I want you to hear me today (whatever you are facing): God is doing something
in your life. Your waiting is not in
vain. The fact that you are waiting means God is doing something. And if you are puzzled because your waiting
makes no sense, then maybe it confirms even more the fact that your waiting
will end with a tremendous, miraculous moving of God. So don’t lose heart. And don’t grumble. Be patient. Rest in the joy of the Lord. Celebrate His goodness in anticipation of what He will reveal to you.
James 5:10-12
10 For examples of patience in suffering,
dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the
Lord. 11 We give great
honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a
man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end,
for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.
James’ words here remind us that we are not alone when we must wait or suffer or endure. For the prophets of the Bible who came before us also suffered. They were righteous, faithful people. But they were rejected by the world and suffered.
Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet. For not only did his own people throw him into a well simply for saying the Truth God told him to speak, he also had to endure watching his own people conquered by the Babylonians and dragged away into exile.
So if you are suffering, don’t jump to the conclusion that God is angry at you. If you are living the way God wants you to live, be encouraged. Sometimes God’s people suffer. But God will make it all right one day. So trust in Him. Trust. In. Him. And be patient.
12 But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.
These words
of James echo Jesus’ words
(and remember, Jesus was James’ brother who grew up in his same household).
Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:34, 39), “Do not make any vows!” “Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is
from the evil one.
I could
preach a whole sermon just on this. But for today, let me just keep it simple so we can finish up.
The point is we need to live our lives with authenticity and integrity so our
word is our bond. What’s the point in saying things like: “I swear to God” or “I swear on my mother’s grave.” Why should we need these useless expressions to prove we’re speaking the truth? If you live a life of integrity, people who know you they can trust you. And they will see your life and they will trust your word. So live with integrity and let your yes be yes
and your no be no.
As we close, I want to invite you to reflect on God’s word to you today. What has God said to you in this Scripture and this message? Take a moment to consider how you can apply this teaching on patience and endurance in your own life. Is there a situation where you need to trust God more, to wait patiently, or to act with faith like the farmer tending his fields?
Perhaps you feel called to let go of something you can't control, or to work diligently in the areas where you can make a difference. Maybe you need to find joy in the waiting, trusting that God is at work even when you cannot see it.
As we bow our heads and pray, I encourage you to respond to what God has spoken to you today. Whether it’s a renewed commitment to trust Him, an action step you need to
take, or a prayer for strength in your current situation, lift it up to the Lord.
Serenity Prayer
God, grant us the serenity to accept the things that we cannot change,
the courage to change the things that we can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
Amen.
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