Good morning. Good morning. It's good to see everyone. If you would, grab your copy of God's word and turn with me to the book of James and turn to chapter five. We're going to continue our series in James chapter five. And this morning we're going to be reading from verses. Hear now the word of the living God. 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. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged. Behold, the judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remain 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. Let us pray. Our Father and our God, we give you thanks for your word. Now we pray, Lord God, that you would help us. Help us to hear from heaven, Lord. We pray that your word would speak to all of us. Some here, Lord God, are dealing with trials and difficulties. And Lord God, some of us need to learn about patience, about being patient in the midst of the trials, in the midst of difficulty. Lord, we pray that you would help us all in this area. We pray, Lord, that you would get the glory, the honor, and the praise. Help us, Lord God. In Jesus' name, amen. This morning, I would like to use for a title, Suffer with patience until the Lord comes. Suffer with patience until the Lord comes. As you know, James have been working with these particular people, his listeners, the church, and he's trying to help them through the trials of life. For a backdrop, I would like to just read the background to verses seven through 11, and you can find that in verses one through six. There it says, come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted, and your garments are moth-eating. Your gold and silver has corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasures in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you have kept back by fraud, are crying out against you. And the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you. And so, here James describes the people of God who are under oppression. They're being oppressed by the ungodly rich. And so now James transfers from that scene to how these Christians ought to live. But before we dive into that, I just want to read a couple of scripture that teaches us about trials, that teaches us about difficulty. 1 Peter 4 and 12 says, Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you. as though something strange were happening to you. In other words, there's a certain mindset that Christians ought to have when trials come. And so here Peter is saying that we're not to be surprised at the trials that come our way. We can expect them because life is filled with swift transitions. We're not to act like there's something strange. Why? Because we know the one who holds the trial. We know the one who controls difficulties. First Peter four and 12, Peter goes on to say, but rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. In other words, while we're going through trials, we ought to have a certain kind of expectation. We're to be living a certain kind of way in the midst of trials because we know something. Right, the word of God gives us a certain kind of confidence. And our foundation, our foundation must be laid upon Christ himself. Hebrews 10.36 says, for you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what is promised. Do you see the anticipation? Do you see the expectation that we ought to have as Christians, that even though life may deal us a hand of trials, we know the one who's in control, and this is not our home. But there's a great expectation. And James is trying to help his listeners to understand that in the trial, look to Christ. Look to the one who is coming, the promised one. Hebrews 10.37 says, for yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay. See, we're not to live like the world. foundation being shattered, as if we don't have any hope. We are the people of God. Yes, we go through trials and we suffer, but there's a way to deal with those things. So here, James is trying to communicate to his listeners that we must have patience toward other people. In other words, when we're going through trials, there's a certain way we are to deal with other people. And he's encouraging us that we need to be patient towards others. James encouraged these oppressed Christians to be patient during times of difficulty. Why? Because the Lord is coming. That's the hope right there. So point number one, a settled heart and a clear mind is necessary at all times. No matter where we are in life, our hearts must be settled, our minds must be clear. Why? Because we have the word of the living God. So as we journey through life, we will begin to realize more and more our need for patience. Patience is a virtue we all need, amen? It's something we must all exercise. We need patience in all of life. We need patience on the job, when we're working with people that's irrational, disrespectful to others, and just plain selfish. We need patience in those times. We need patience. Patience is needed when coworkers are having a hard time remembering their duties and their responsibilities. Patience is needed when they're not getting it. When managers have to explain things over and over again, Christians have to exercise patience. Young parents need patience with their little ones when their little ones is crying because they want their way. Patience is needed. Parents need patience with teenagers who seem to make the same bonehead mistake. Parents are like, how many times? They have to keep going over this, over and over again. Amen, parents? Patience is needed and guess what children needs to be patient with their parents because we don't know everything And parents are not perfect So even our children need to be patient towards us Husbands must be patient with their wives when they come home and the dinner is not ready You've worked all day and your little wife is trying to get it all together, and husband, you're being impatient. So we have to practice patience, patience with our wives. Also, wives must be patient with their husbands when they come home late without calling so that the dinner won't get cold. Right? Older siblings must be patient with their younger brothers and sisters who don't know the same things that you know. Patience is needed at all times. And patience is needed when evil is present. And James is driving that home. In the midst of oppression, in the midst of being wronged, Disrespected, taken advantage of. James is encouraging them to be patient. We're all in need of patience at some point in our lives. It's necessary. However, we know that being patient can be challenging at times. Especially in the face of evil. And we saw that in the previous text with James, in James five, one through six, James tried to encourage his listeners that in the midst of their troubles, they need to exercise patience. As you know, many of them were, were, were, constantly being taken advantage of. But James reminded these Christians that God hears the cries of his people and he's going to judge and repay the rich for their wickedness. For that matter, all that which is wrong, our God will make right. So according to James, the ungodly rich might as well, he says, weep now. All that stuff you have doesn't mean anything. Jesus said it like this, we're profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul. So during these trials, James also felt the need to explain to Christians how they must live in the present in light of the future reality. The main theme that runs consistently through the text is this, Christians must learn to wait patiently until the Lord returns. And so he wants his readers to know that he realized the difficulty of their circumstances, but they must remember that the Lord is coming again. They must be patient until he returns. The command is given to Christians throughout scripture. For instance, in Luke 8, 15, the Lord Jesus is explaining the purpose of the parable of the sword. And there the Lord says, as for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold fast in an honest and good heart and bear fruit with patience. Doesn't that seem to indicate that disciples of Christ must be patient? When we think of being patient in this life, we must have also in our minds endurance. We must be in for the long haul. Right? In Romans 15, four, the text says, for whatever was written in the former days was written for our instructions, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures, we might have hope. You see? Endurance is in the picture of patience. In Galatians 6, 9 it says, let us not grow weary of doing good for in due season. We will reap if we do not give up. some constant enduring. And lastly, Hebrews 12, one through three says, therefore, since we are so surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin which cleans so closely and let us run with endurance. the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured for sinners, such hostility against himself so that you may not grow weary or faint hearted. So there's this idea of continuing. There's this idea of after falling down, getting back on, saddling yourself and riding life again, looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Do you have a settled heart? Is your mind and your heart settled? Do you have a clear mind during the difficulties of your life? When you're faced with trials, do you fold? Do you trust Christ? Do you look to the Lord Jesus Christ and have your hearts and minds settled in the fact that he's not only Savior, but he's Lord? So that means whatever the trial, whatever the difficulty, we're able to exercise patience because we serve a Lord, a God who is mighty. And so therefore, we should be able to stand, not because we're strong, but because he is. Are you willing to be patient? Are you exercising this? What area do you need to exercise patience? Is it with the children? Is it on the job? Who is it? What is it? Is it in traffic? You're already late. Getting angry is not going to fix anything, right? Exercise patience. That's the practice of the Christian. We're not to be disturbed and moved by life, but we're to have a settled mind, a clear mind, a focused mind. The scripture warns us against impatience. For example, on various fronts, we're reminded of impatience in life, and here are some. Proverbs 19 11, the text says, good sense makes slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense. And in other words, if somebody have offended us, it's wise for us to be patient, to be slow to respond, not to just respond immediately because of our emotions. We're to be in self-control, as Proverbs says. Proverbs, excuse me, 14, 29, it says, whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly. In other words, when we're quick to respond or to move, we're exalting foolishness. We make ourselves look foolish when we respond quickly to circumstances of life. Proverbs is telling us to go slow, to consider the matter, to think it out, think clearly. Let this mind be in you that is also in Christ Jesus. Have the mind of Christ. Scripture is teaching us to use fewer words which seem to indicate that we must not be impatient with our speech because it can easily lead to trouble. Instead, we must seek to do that which pleases the Lord until he comes. In the meantime, James is encouraging his listeners to be prepared for the Lord's coming, the Lord's return, by waiting patiently, anticipating the joy they would soon receive. All Christians will receive joy on that day. On that day, the dead shall be raised. The people will be judged. God would separate the wicked from the righteous. He would destroy all evil and every opposition that have set themselves against God. In his coming, his purpose is to reward all believers, gather his church, and transform all saints into the likeness of Christ. The Lord Jesus is coming back. Are you anticipating the Lord's coming? How do you prepare for the Lord's coming? Are you preparing your mind and your heart for the Lord's coming? Are you telling yourselves what God said in his word? Are you reminding yourselves of those things? so that when the trials come, we can be like palm trees. It may blow to one side or blow to the other, but we always come back to attention because God is in control. So we must remember our focus, our aim. And so here we see that James moves on and he uses a farmer as an example of being patient. Like the farmer, these listeners must exercise patience. James commanded his listeners to be like a farmer because the coming of the Lord was at hand. And so our next point in verses seven and eight, James encourages his listeners to prepare like a farmer by patiently anticipating the Lord's return. So our position in Christ is very important. Because when we understand our position, we're going to realize who Christ is. We're going to realize the satisfaction Christ possesses for us. Sometimes we don't realize what we have in Christ. And other times we neglect it because we're not confirming it in our hearts. When we recognize who we are in Christ and the access we have in Him and the possessions we have in God, then we will begin practicing more and more to be patient. You see, patience requires understanding. Patience requires a reality, a knowing of truth. A satisfied heart helps us being patient in all circumstances. Here's a couple of scriptures for our hearing. Romans 5, one says, therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. You see how we can be patient, even in the midst of difficulty? It's because we've been justified by faith. We have peace with God. Romans 5 and 2 says, through Him, we also obtain access by faith into this grace in which we stand. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God. So we see peace, we see grace, we see access to God, you see? And it says, we rejoice. Are you rejoicing because of who you are in Christ, because of what he have done for you on the cross? Are you rejoicing? Are you hoping in God? First Peter 5 and 10 says, and after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. Do you see the confidence that we have in Christ? Do you see the hope that we have in Christ? That's why our dear brother Marlon can stand strong in the middle of cancer and give all glory to God. He's established in his faith. His faith is confirmed in what God has said. And he says, be what may, life or death, this God have established me. I'm confirmed. I have hope. I'm being strengthened day by day. And 1 John 2.28 says, and now, little children, abide in him so that when he appears, we may have confidence and not shrink back from him in shame at his coming. In other words, we're to continue practicing living by faith, not by sight, seeking first the kingdom of God. See, we're to continue in these things so that when the Lord comes, there will be no shame. We won't have to shrink back because our confidence is in Him and we're practicing to live like Him. We're confessing sin, we're acknowledging our wrongs, we're turning, we're repenting, we're going to God, we're hoping in Him. One of the encouraging things we can do is remind ourselves of God's justice. Pastor Curt hit on it earlier. We can be confronted with knowing that he is just and he will repay. Vengeance is mine, says the Lord. Vengeance is not ours, but we have hope because the Lord God, vengeance is his. And so in Luke 18, seven, the Lord says, and will not God give justice to his elect who cry to him day and night? Will he delay over them? In other words, when we pray, God hears us. God is not the kind of God where he turns a deaf ear. He hears the cries of his elect. He hears the cries of his people. He hears every word, every moan, every groan. God knows everything that is in our lives, and God is able to sympathize with us. He says, lo, I am with you always. You see? So all of the difficulties that we're carrying in life, We have encouragement through the scriptures. This sounds like James 5.4, right? When James was speaking out against the ungodly rich, you remember? Listen again. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. The Lord of hosts is meaning the Almighty God. In other words, there will come a time when the Lord shall repay all for their evil. In verse seven of our text, James hopes that his listeners will be like patient farmers. I believe James decided to use the farmer as an illustration because being patient was part of their work. You know, when you're a farmer, There's no immediate fruit. There's no microwave fruit. You can't put the seeds in the microwave, warm it up for 10 minutes, boom, fruit is in the oven. Right? No, but it requires a lot of patience. It requires seasons. We can relate to that, right? Pastor Kirk was in a season of pain where in his neck, in his shoulder, pain used to go down. He was in a season of that, right? Many of you have seasons in your own life, seasons of difficulties. And James here says, be like a farmer. He says, be patient. So I believe James decided to use the former as an illustration because, as I said, it was part of their work. It was how they lived. It was a way of life. It was life and death. No crops, no harvest. No harvest, no work. No work, no food. No food, no life. You see, the farmer's livelihood somewhat depended upon his ability to wait. People needed good crops. They couldn't rush the process. People needed their crops so that they could survive. It was the means by which people fed themselves. They depended upon God's provision in the process of waiting each season for God to send the early and the late rains. No rain, no crops. I believe James intended to encourage these Christians to wait patiently on the Lord for their coming victory. The former's illustration is a good example of how Christians ought to wait upon the Lord. It's clear that throughout biblical history, the people of God relied upon him to send the early and the latter rains. The early and the latter rain were both important because both were needed. Early rain felled in Israel sometime during our winter months, like October, somewhere around there, to make the ground soft for planting. So in order for them to get the process going, they needed soil that was soft. They needed God, the provider of all rain, the one who caused rain to fall from the clouds. They needed him at a certain season of life to be able to pour forth rain so that the soil may be soft. And so here, we see the early rain fell at that time. Then the latter rain fell around summer months, probably around March and April, right before it's time to gather the harvest. In some cases, God's provision was a reminder to the people of God to remember to gain the knowledge of God. Think about it. You know that you're in a season of need and God continues to provide and that he provides the rain year after year after year. That ought to make us step back and see God at work in our lives. It ought to make us step back and recall what God is doing and it ought to lead us into thanksgiving. This is what it did for them. It led them into thanksgiving. It led them to be mindful of God's creation. That general knowledge, if you would. Here we see this. For example, in Hosea 6.3, the text says, let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. He is going out as sure as the dawn. He will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth. You see that? So here we see that the people of God recognize him as their provider. And in Joel 2.23, the text says, be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication. He has poured down your abundant rain, the early and the latter rain as before. See, as we live the Christian life, there's some things we ought to do, and one of the things that God constantly told us to do was we needed to remember our problem sometimes is that we forget. Right? We forget what God have done. And so, what the text is trying to help us with is that on the one hand, Christians ought to continue in growing in the knowledge of God, and on the other hand, they ought to rejoice in knowing that God will provide. Then he adds, the scripture adds, as before. Continue remembering what God has done. So, the former's illustration is very clear to James' audience because they understood that God sends the rain. What is God sending in your life? Do you constantly, after losing one job, get another job? You can relate to that. You can relate to these rains God is providing work, right? Even in the midst of losing a job, God have allowed us to give to others, to continue to give our tithes, to continue to participate in the Lord's work. We continue, even though we might be without work, God have sustained us. He have given us a distance of everything that we need to live this life. He've gave us a long runway so that we might live, we might continue. We can relate to this. We can relate to this former's illustration because God is sending. Moving on to verse eight, this is the third time James refers to patience. But this time he instructed his readers to first be patient, but he added that they must also establish their hearts. The first time James mentioned patience in verse seven, it seemed to be a general meaning, that it ought to be a general practice for all Christians to be patient, but now, I believe James is calling these Christians to be patient toward God. because he's the provider and the provider deserves respect, honor, glory. In other words, they must respect the one who sends the early and the latter rain. This means as we wait patiently for the coming of the Lord, having the right attitude in his presence matters. So in other words, we can't say we're patient, but our attitude before God is something different. We're not exercising patience with wrong attitudes. And so here, James is reminding his listeners of that, that they need to establish their hearts. The attitude is demonstrated several times in Holy Scripture. For example, it was read earlier by our dear brother Chris during the scripture reading. Psalm 37, seven says, be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. Fret not yourselves over the one who prospers in the way, over the man who carries out evil devices. In other words, God tells us don't look at the ungodly. and become impatient because of what they're doing. You see? So scripture warns us for that. A writer seems to communicate that we ought to be silent before the Lord our God. We should be at peace because God is our Lord and he is Lord of lords and king of kings. Then in Psalm 40, verses 1 through 23, it says, I waited patiently for the Lord. He inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bar, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps short. secure, he put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord. In other words, people are watching you to see how you're going to respond in the midst of the trial. Will you continue to trust in the Lord? Will you continue to call upon His name? Will you continue to say good things about the Lord? The psalmist says, I will wait patiently for the Lord. He listens to me. He heard me. He draws himself close to me. because of the word of God teaches us to wait patiently upon the Lord. James add that we ought to keep confirming it and confirming it and confirming it and establishing it and establishing the truth in our hearts over and over again, whether you need index cards, whether you need software, whatever you need, paper Bible, get the word of God constantly, confirm, establish what God said. and hope will bubble up in you because of the confidence of the Holy Spirit that leads us, that guides us. Keep confirming the word. This is important. Why? I believe it's important, very important, because it keeps us from being so easily removed from the truth. It's like Paul when he was talking to the Galatians. Who has bewitched you? Don't you remember our hope is in Christ? Why go back under the law? Our hope is in God. Keep confirming the truth. Look to Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. We see this Paul forewarns the church of this very thing in 2 Thessalonians 2, one through two in the text it says, now concerning the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you brothers not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed either by a spirit or a spoken word or a letter seeming to be from us to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. It's as if Paul says, watch yourselves. Know the truth. We must know the word of God. So you see, my brothers and sisters, in order for us to defend against error, we must establish and confirm ourselves in truth. The Bible is true. It is the inerrant and infallible word of the living God. It has no errors, and there can be no errors. The word of God is true, and the word of God is perfect. Listen to what the word says in Psalm 197, the law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure. This is why we worship. We worship first in obedience to God, in obedience to God's command to bring glory, do his name, and second, we worship to establish and confirm what is true. And so we see this in Hebrews 10, 24, when it says, and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Howard Whitman states it like this, and I quote, life is composed of waiting periods. The child must wait until he is old enough to have a bicycle. The young man until he is old enough to drive a car. The medical student must wait for his diploma. The husband for his promotion. The young couple for savings to buy a new home. Then he says, the art of waiting is not learned at once. In other words, it's a process. Are you satisfied with how God works and is working in your life? Are you waiting patiently for him until he returns? Verse nine, it talks about not grumbling. Don't grumble because it won't help. In the Greek, the word grumble, stenazo, It can mean three things. It can mean to sigh, to groan, or to complain. According to BDAC, it means to express discontent. So, however we want to look at it, if there's some complaint, and you have seen your children, that's a sigh, right? I don't want to do that. You hear groans. We do that. Adults groan. Adults sigh. And of course we complain, we use words, right? And that's used to express discontent. Here in verse nine, we're warned not to grumble. Why? Because God is coming, and he gives us this picture that the judge is at the door. He's about to open the door, so he says, don't grumble because you might get caught grumbling. Simply put, these Christians must watch themselves to make sure they're not complaining. To say it another way, James may be warning them not to start complaining. He realized that in life, there would be many, many opportunities to complain. So he cautions them not to give into their temptations. He warns them not to squander away their reward by complaining. Christ is the judge, and he is coming to judge all people, the living and the dead. I'm gonna rush to a close. There's only, the scripture says, one lawgiver and judge. He who is able to save and to destroy. The scripture says, but who are you to judge your neighbor? Philippians 2 says, do all things without grumbling or disputing. You see, the law of God has given us the instructions Our problem is that we break the law of God. We sin. And that's why we're in need for a savior. Because we sin against a holy and righteous God. God has given us his law, we've become lawbreakers. And so if we are lawbreakers, if we fall short of the glory of God, we need a savior. My brother and my sister, that's what the gospel does. It says, it's through the gospel that faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God. And so, what we need right now more than anything is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because it's the gospel that solves problems. It's the gospel that puts us in the right place. The gospel solves the problems of pride. Right? Selfishness. James knows that these things are complicated, but he realized that it's the gospel that saves. And so we must continue to follow in step with godly examples. That's why James offered these two examples, the suffering and patience of the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord, even though they were faced with death. They said, thus says the Lord. They stood firm. They kept on establishing themselves in the word of God. You even see in the life of Job, Job was able to take the word of God even in the midst of difficulty. He was able to deal with his trial in light of who God was. He says, the Lord give it, the Lord take it away, Blessed be the name of the Lord. That's the confidence that we have in going forward. And so today, if your confidence is not in Christ, I encourage you to seek him. Seek first his kingdom, his righteousness. Seek God. He's your only means for salvation. He's your only hope. Look to Him and be saved. Look to Christ and be saved. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God. You must look to Christ, for you know that the testing of your fate produces steadfastness. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him. Christ is our greatest example. Just as sure that as he went to the cross for us to pay for our sin, he died, was buried, and rose again from the grave so that we can be saved, despising the shame, regarding the difficulty, he stood firm because it was about his father's business. He wanted to glorify the Father. Let us pray. Our Father and our God, we give you thanks, Lord, for your word. Your word is efficacious, it's effective, it's powerful. Lord, I pray that your word would affect us. Pray that you would establish it and confirm it in our hearts that we may continue to live for you and for your glory. and that we may do all these things in patience, knowing that you're coming soon. Father, we thank you and we give you glory in Jesus' name, amen.