“The Book of James 5:7-10

Pastor Mike Barnett, July 23, 2006

 

 

James 5:7-11 says:

 

7Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. 8You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. 9Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! 10Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.  James 5:7-11

 

  • James 5:7-11 is a call to ____________________(patient) living under ____________________ ____________________(adverse circumstances).

 

  • Since the believers are suffering at the hands of the wicked rich, they are to look forward patiently to the Lord’s return.

 

  • Focusing on the return of Christ as brought allot of comfort to Christians over the centuries.

 

  • In Israel the autumn  rain comes in October and November soon after the grain is sown, and the spring rain comes in March and April just prior to harvest.

 

 

 

  • Christians are encouraged to be not ______________________(grumble) towards believers nor unbelievers and to be _________________________(patient) until the Lord comes.

 

  • Christians are tempted to grumble when they are _________________________(surprised) by problems, troubles and inconviences

 

  • The fact is: problems, troubles and inconviences are an __________________________________(inevitable) part of life which reflects the reality that we live in a fallen, cursed world.

 

Job 5:7 says:

 

 7 Yet man is born to trouble
       as surely as sparks fly upward. Job 5:7

 

Jesus said in John 16:33:

 

 33"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

 

2 Tim 3:12 says:

 

12In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.  2 Tim 3:12

 

  • In addition to the normal trials of life; believers face a type of trouble not experienced by nonbelievers – persecution for the cause of Christ.

 

Matt 5:10-12 says:

 

 10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
      for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.  Matt 5:10-12

 

  • Earlier in chapter 5, James described the persecution experienced by some of his readers at the hands of the wicked rich.

 

  • In verse 6, He commended them for not retaliating, but rather maintaining a spirit of gentleness and meekness.

 

  • By doing so they manifested the same attitude of Christ

 

  • James was wise enough to realize believers might react wrongly to persecution.

 

  • Even the apostle Paul, outraged at illegally being struck by order of the high priest, burst out “God is going to strike, you whitewashed wall” Acts 23:2

 

  • That intemperate remark was an improper response to persecution, as Paul himself acknowledged.

 

·        Recognizing that danger, James exhorted his readers to be _________________________(patient) in the midst of their __________________________(persecution).

 

·        Patience is the _______________________ ___________________________(righteous standard) God expects all believers to conform to no matter what ________________________(trial) they face.

 

·        Thus __________________________(patience) under ____________________________(persecution) becomes another ______________________(test) of genuine saving faith for James.

 

·        James exhorts true Christians to __________________________(remain) patient no matter how ______________________(severe) or relentless their __________________________(sufferings).

 

·        The more persecuted a church, the more _______________________(eagerly) it anticipates the ____________________(return) of Jesus Christ.

 

·        The church’s great hope throughout the centuries is the arrival of Jesus Christ when he comes to bless His people with his presence – this truth occurs in more than _____________(500) verses throughout the Bible.

 

·        Conversely, an affluent, indulgent, worldly church has ___________________(little) interest in the Lord’s return.

 

Matt 24:5-30 says:

 

5For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,[a]' and will deceive many. 6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth pains.

 9"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

 15"So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,'[b] spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. 18Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 19How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. 22If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. 24For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. 25See, I have told you ahead of time.

 26"So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. 27For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

 29"Immediately after the distress of those days
   " 'the sun will be darkened,
      and the moon will not give its light;
   the stars will fall from the sky,
      and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'[c]

 30"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.

Matt 24:5-30

 

·        Focusing on Christ’s return motivates believers to __________________ _________________(godly living).

 

·        James reference to the early and late rains shows just how long farmers had to patiently wait.

 

·        The early rains in Palestine arrive at the time of fall planting season (October and November)

 

·        The late rains come just before harvest time (March and April)

 

Gal 6:9 says:

 

9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Gal 6:9

 

2 Peter 3:3-4 says:

 

 3First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." 2 Peter 3:3-4

 

  • In the Mediterranean two seasons of rain are normal and necessary for a successful crop.

 

  • The emphasis here is double, not only on patience, but also on the surety of the farmer that the rains and the harvest will indeed come, each in its due season.

 

  • The farmer is helpless, but the waiting also involves a good deal of hard work and encounters with obstacles of normal existence.

 

  • Just like the farmer has to wait for the rain and for the harvest, so too the Christian community must wait patiently for the coming of the Lord.

 

  • The waiting is hard.

 

  • Difficulties within the community must be dealt with, and the correct understanding and practice of the faith ands works dynamic must be taught and maintained.

 

  • James is calling on Christians to allow God to patiently judge the wicked, to arrogate ourselves this task is to call down God’s judgment on ourselves.

 

  • The point here is that as Christians, we are to live in community with one another as if the new day was already here.

 

  • Everyday ought to be lived with the same devotion to Christian principles and morals as if it were the last day…Otherwise, we will be guilty of sloth in the day of slaughter.

 

  • THE CHRISTIAN IS CALLED TO LIVE EACH DAY ONE EARTH AS IF IT IS THEIR ________________(LAST) BECAUSE ________________(ONE) DAY IT WILL BE!

 

  • The obvious idea of James exhortation was that believers should realize that their trouble is ______________________(temporary) – it will _____________(end) when Jesus returns.

 

2 Peter 3:3-4 says:

 

9Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! 2 Peter 3:3-4

 

  • Living with difficult circumstances can cause believers to become frustrated, lose patience, and complain against one another.

 

  • James then gave his readers a simple but powerful motive for avoiding such bitter complaining, so they themselves may not be _________________(judged).

 

Phil 2:14-16 says:

 

 14Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16as you hold out[a] the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. Phil 2:14-16

 

  • The sobering reality that Christ will return to “judge the living and the dead” cautions those tempted to _________________________(complain) about their ______________________(trials) here on earth.

 

  • James is commanding Christians that In spite of the abuse you have endured, do not _________________________(grumble) about other people or God will judge you for such sin when he comes again.

 

  • OUCH/NUTS! - James mentions nothing about “healthy venting” to a spouse or close friend!

 

 

·        “THE JUDGE IS STANDING RIGHT AT THE DOOR”.  V. 9

 

·        NOTE: Christ, the divine judge is depicted as ready to throw open the doors and burst onto the judgment scene and ____________________(condemn) those who have grumbled, ___________________(whined) and complained about their sufferings others have imposed on them.

 

·        Only Christ, the judge, has the right to criticize.

 

·        Internal _________________________(bickering) is an evil that can easily beset and occupy the church, thereby preventing it from its primary task.

 

·        James focuses on the need to avoid ___________________________(judging) others, specifically the ones ______________________(causing) the _______________________(adversity).

 

·        Life does bring trials of course, but the church body is severely handicapped and thwarted by the cultivation of a ____________ ________________(complaining spirit).

 

·        James would have us remember that complaining does not lead to peace, but disorder, nor does it do anything to _____________________(alleviate) the real _______________________(problem).

 

Illus – Pg. 258 (Mac)

 

WE CONSIDER BLESSED THOSE WHO HAVE PERSEVERED.

 

  • James expects his readers to be familiar with biblical examples of patient suffering.

 

  • The idea that blessedness is a reward for those who endure is widely represented in the New Testament and is found on the lips of Jesus as well.

 

Matthew 5:10-12 says:


 10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
      for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.  Matt 5:10-12

 

·        The example of Job encourages those suffering trials to patiently endure, realizing the Lord’s purpose is to strengthen them, perfect them, and in the end to richly bless them.

 

Romans 8:28 says:

 

 28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,[a] who[b] have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

 

·        It is not uncommon for those in the midst of severe trials to, like Job, question whether God really cares about them.

 

·        But in all their trials, believers can take comfort in the indisputable truth that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

 

·        God is merciful is the unmistakable teaching of scripture.

 

Psalm 86:15 says:

 

15 But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,  slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Psalm 86:15

 

1 Pet 5:7 says:

 

7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Pet 5:7

 

  • Suffering is used by God to produce Christians who are mature, who understand the dynamic of faith and deeds, and who pursue peace and not disorder.

 

GOD USES SUFFERING TO _______________________(MATURE) THE BELIEVER IN TO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST, SO IT IS _______________________(USELESS) TO _______________________(GRUMBLE) AGAINST SOMETHING __________________(GOD) AND NOT MAN BROUGHT ABOUT!

 

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 says:

 

 7To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

 

 

 

  • Those who follow Jesus are to live as if the Kingdom were already fully realized.

 

  • James wishes the poor to do more than wait expectantly for the Lord’s coming. He wants them to take advantage of this time of suffering.

 

  • For this reason he uses the image of the farmer, who waits patiently during the growing season, knowing this is the only sure route to harvest.

 

  • Each Fall the seeds were planted and through the long winter the plants sprouted, and then grew strong and tall.

 

  • Finally, in the heat of June began the harvest, but the harvest was not possible without the growth accomplished during the long, hard months of winter. So it is with the spiritual life.

 

  • Our destiny is to be with Christ, but it is often in the crucible of difficulty that God prepares us for that day.

 

  • James uses the example of the prophets and of Job, persons who lives were marked by difficult circumstances they often did not understand, but in which God forged their spiritual character.

 

  • James desires to ___________________(shift) our ______________________(attention) from what is ________________________(happening) _______( to) _________(us), to what God is ______________________(forming) _______(in) _________(us).

 

 

 

James concentrates on two teachings in this passage:

 

1)     ________________________(Patience) is important because it allows for Christian _____________________(growth) in the midst of _____________________(difficult) times.

 

2)     We should not __________________(judge) others or _________________________(complain) about others, even if they are the ___________________(source) of our ________________________(difficulties).

 

·        Difficulties are normal and necessary.

 

·        In the “Dark night of the Soul” by St. John on the Cross; the book describes the fashion in which God works on the human soul, through sorrow and darkness, not only through joy and light.

 

·        One of the difficulties we moderns have with spiritual disciplines is our addiction to ease and to the “feeling good”.

 

·        But how we “feel” has little, if anything to do with the spiritual benefit of a situation.

 

·        If we bear with hardship in prayer and wait patiently for the time of grace, we may discover that mediation and prayer are very joyful experiences.

 

·        We should not, however, judge the value of our meditation by “how we feel”.

 

·        A hard and apparent fruitless meditation may in fact be much more valuable than one that is easy, happy, enlightened, and apparently a big success.

 

·        Tribulations can be useful to us even though they seem to cause nothing but pain.