1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:01,920 All right, good morning, church family. 2 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:04,760 Once again. As you find your seat, let me 3 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:08,000 invite you to open your Bibles to the Book of James. 4 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:12,160 And this morning we're going to be in verses 7:00 to 9:00 if 5 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:13,240 you're visiting with us this morning. 6 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:15,440 We've been going to the Book of James for several months and 7 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:19,120 we're at the last chapter and we're getting close to to 8 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:23,480 finishing the book, but the end of it is pretty dense. 9 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:25,440 And so we may be here for a few more weeks. 10 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:30,560 James 5, verses 7 to 9. Let me read the text. 11 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:32,320 I'll open it some word of prayer, and then we'll jump into 12 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:35,560 the sermon this morning. Here's what James writes to us. 13 00:00:38,480 --> 00:00:43,200 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. 14 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:48,240 See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, 15 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:53,160 being patient about it until it receives the early and the late 16 00:00:53,160 --> 00:00:58,440 rains. You also be patient, establish 17 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,920 your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 18 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:05,960 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you 19 00:01:05,960 --> 00:01:12,360 may not be judged. Behold, the judge is standing at 20 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:14,480 the door. Let's pray. 21 00:01:20,630 --> 00:01:24,430 Father, I pray this morning for our church body. 22 00:01:24,430 --> 00:01:28,470 Lord, I imagine everybody here is is waiting in some context. 23 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:36,280 Everybody here has something that they are struggling to be 24 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:41,160 patient about or, or waiting on. And maybe it's an answer from 25 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:43,760 you, Lord. Maybe it's direction, maybe it's 26 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:48,280 healing. Maybe it's something about the 27 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:51,280 future. Whatever it may be, God, I pray 28 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:55,280 that you would use the text this morning to help us to put into 29 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:58,680 practice what James tells us to do, which is to be patient. 30 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:02,760 Help us to know what that means, Lord, and how to do it. 31 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:06,520 And especially, Lord, we pray that you would give us the grace 32 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:11,560 to actually be patient, that you would be honored, Lord, that 33 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:15,960 that our patients would testify to the world that we trust you 34 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:20,400 and that we are content in you. God, I pray this in the name of 35 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:27,840 Jesus, Amen. I have always known that I am an 36 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:33,080 impatient person. I I don't believe I have ever 37 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:37,120 once thought in my life that I was a patient person. 38 00:02:37,920 --> 00:02:39,640 I don't think I thought has ever crossed my mind. 39 00:02:39,640 --> 00:02:43,360 I'm like, I'm pretty patient. I've never had that thought. 40 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:47,200 I have always known that I am an impatient person. 41 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:52,040 But I do believe that two things are true, which seems slightly 42 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:56,440 paradoxical. AI do believe that there are 43 00:02:56,440 --> 00:03:01,640 patient people. I do believe that and BI do 44 00:03:01,640 --> 00:03:06,640 believe that, given the right circumstances, everybody is an 45 00:03:06,640 --> 00:03:10,440 impatient person. I think of it like this. 46 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:15,040 People have various amounts of impatient buttons. 47 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:19,360 I'd imagine if if we can't see them, but if, if we could peel 48 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:22,480 back the layers. People have various amounts of 49 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:26,120 impatient buttons. Some of us, like me, have 50 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:30,240 hundreds of them, right? Some of us have maybe just a 51 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:33,760 handful, maybe just three or four or five, just a handful. 52 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:40,080 But when those handful get pressed, and it may be years 53 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:43,200 before they do, we become impatient. 54 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:46,440 It's just a matter of finding the right button. 55 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:50,560 Perhaps it's being interrupted repeatedly when you're trying to 56 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:54,680 get something done. Maybe it's becoming apparent, 57 00:03:56,480 --> 00:04:01,360 maybe when you are unfairly criticized, or maybe when 58 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:06,120 someone in your life feels entitled, or perhaps chronic 59 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:10,400 pain in your life, given the right circumstance. 60 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:15,640 We all wrestle with waiting, with contentment. 61 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:18,760 That's what the sermon is about this morning. 62 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:22,079 We're going to start with an exposition of the text. 63 00:04:22,079 --> 00:04:25,720 We'll look at it section by section, and then I'll give us 7 64 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:28,760 points of application. So let's start looking at James 65 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:34,040 57A where James writes be patient. 66 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:39,480 Therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. 67 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:45,800 It's unclear when we read this text if verse 7 is connected to 68 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:50,280 the previous section, but this word therefore be patient, 69 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:55,240 therefore leads us to believe that it is connected, which then 70 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:57,720 raises the question, how is it connected? 71 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:00,640 From what we looked at last week, if you remember last week, 72 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:04,640 there were these wealthy land owners who are rich. 73 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:07,960 Based on the context, it appears to me that they are lost. 74 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:12,760 They are wicked, lost, wealthy land owners and they are 75 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:14,760 oppressing the poor. And the way that they're 76 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:18,280 oppressing them is that they're not paying the laborers their 77 00:05:18,280 --> 00:05:21,640 wages at the end of the day. Now, the problem is, is that 78 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:25,640 these poor workers, they have no righteous recourse of action. 79 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:28,600 There's no Department of Labor. There's no, you know, government 80 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:31,640 agency they can go file a report to and say you're not paying us 81 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:33,600 right. And, and even if there are 82 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:36,480 judges, right, the judges may be paid off by the the rich. 83 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:40,560 So they have no righteous recourse of action except one, 84 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:45,200 which is to cry out to the Lord. Now, anytime that we cry out to 85 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:48,920 the Lord for justice, we can be sure of two realities. 86 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:55,160 A we can be sure that God hears our cries, and B we can be sure 87 00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:57,400 that God is willing to do something about it. 88 00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:05,920 However, God's timing is often not our timing, meaning God may 89 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:08,720 not immediately intervene to bring justice to the poor. 90 00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:14,520 It could be days, weeks, months, years before God brings justice. 91 00:06:14,840 --> 00:06:17,440 And in light of this, James exhorts the church. 92 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:23,920 Be patient, brothers, Be patient until the coming of the Lord. 93 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:25,600 In other words, I think he's exhorting them. 94 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:28,360 Don't take matters into your own hands. 95 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:31,240 You can only imagine that some of these people would have been 96 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:34,520 tempted to get revenge. Find ways to seek revenge. 97 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:38,720 And James says don't do that. Instead, be patient. 98 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:42,200 Now the question is, what does it mean to be patient? 99 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:44,560 And we all have heard this term before. 100 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:46,760 We've all used it. We've all maybe told someone to 101 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:48,800 do it, right? But what does it actually mean? 102 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:51,800 What does it mean to be patient? The Greek word for patients 103 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:56,120 that's used here is defined as this, to remain tranquil while 104 00:06:56,120 --> 00:07:01,800 waiting, to bear up under provocation without complaint. 105 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:05,720 And what we see from these definitions is that patience is 106 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:08,760 not just waiting. Patience and waiting are not 107 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:13,640 synonymous. Patience is also how we wait. 108 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:19,480 Patience is waiting with faith and contentment. 109 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:26,360 For how long? James says, until the coming of 110 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:28,760 the Lord. Well, what is that? 111 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:32,040 And when is that? The Greek word for coming is 112 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:34,120 perusia. You may have seen that term 113 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:36,760 before if you've read any kind of scholarly works. 114 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:39,680 What is the perusia? This is the second coming of 115 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:42,080 Christ. And so James is telling the 116 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:46,320 church. He says be patient until the 117 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:51,160 Lord either calls you home or until he returns to the second 118 00:07:51,160 --> 00:07:55,000 coming of Christ. Look at verse 7B to 8A. 119 00:07:56,200 --> 00:08:00,920 See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, 120 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:05,680 being patient about it until it receives the early and late 121 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:10,320 rains. You also be patient. 122 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:15,880 So James takes an example from real life to illustrate to the 123 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:20,160 church the need for patients. He says, take a look at the 124 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:23,280 farmer. See how the farmer waits for the 125 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:26,480 precious fruit of the earth. Don't miss the imperative there. 126 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:28,640 There's an imperative there in the word. 127 00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:35,280 See, James is inviting them to see to see something, right. 128 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:38,720 Often we can, you know, you can look at a farmer and just like, 129 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:41,080 no, it's a farmer, right? And James is saying, don't do 130 00:08:41,080 --> 00:08:44,240 that. Stop and consider what this man 131 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:52,120 or woman goes through. They wait on the precious fruit. 132 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:54,600 Why is it precious? It's precious. 133 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:56,680 The word precious means valued. Why is it precious? 134 00:08:56,680 --> 00:08:58,200 Because that was the farmer's livelihood. 135 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:01,280 That was the only way that he made money. 136 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:06,560 So when he is waiting for his crops, this is his income. 137 00:09:07,160 --> 00:09:11,440 This is his way that he feeds his family and puts a roof over 138 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:13,760 their head. And all farmers have one thing 139 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:15,520 in common. They must all wait. 140 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:20,000 That is a universal quality that all farmers have. 141 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:23,320 They must all wait. I was looking up the 142 00:09:23,680 --> 00:09:27,280 agricultural cycle of many of their produce during this time 143 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:30,280 in the 1st century. Wheat would take around six to 144 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:35,520 seven months, barley 5 to 6 months, lentils 4 to 5 months, 145 00:09:35,560 --> 00:09:38,680 chickpeas and beans three to four months. 146 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:41,560 Flax would take about four to five months. 147 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:47,080 Olive trees would take 10 to 15 years, grapevines 3 to five 148 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:53,280 years, figs three to five years, and there's no way to speed this 149 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:59,560 up. After the farmer has planted, he 150 00:09:59,560 --> 00:10:04,120 has to be patient. It does no good for him to be 151 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:09,040 impatient. He must wait until the ground 152 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:13,200 receives the early and late rains. 153 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:16,480 The way that their cycle worked is that the early rains would 154 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:20,040 fall from October to November. This would soften the ground for 155 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:23,640 plowing and sowing. The winter rains would fall from 156 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:26,080 December to February. This is when the crops would 157 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:28,760 actually grow. The late rains would fall from 158 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:31,800 March to April and it would fill out the grain heads. 159 00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:35,760 And then the dry season would be from May until September when 160 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:39,640 they would harvest, thresh and store their crops. 161 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:43,280 That's how it worked. There was no changing it. 162 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:49,960 And so James gives this familiar example to say, much like his 163 00:10:49,960 --> 00:10:53,480 brother Jesus, look at the farmer. 164 00:10:55,760 --> 00:10:59,160 Be patient. Just like him. 165 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:06,640 The crop will come. Look at verse 8B. 166 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:12,800 Establish your hearts. I want to look just at that 167 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:15,400 phrase. Establish your hearts. 168 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:16,960 James gives a second command here. 169 00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:20,960 Establish your heart. What does that mean to establish 170 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:23,160 your heart? We don't really use that phrase 171 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:24,680 right. I've never heard anybody, 172 00:11:24,680 --> 00:11:26,920 including myself, ever tell someone that counsel like what 173 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:29,080 counsel would you give me establish your heart. 174 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:32,840 What does that mean? It means to cause to be inwardly 175 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:38,320 firm or committed to confirm, to establish, to strengthen 176 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:42,200 probably the the the better translation be strengthen your 177 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:44,480 hearts. What's interesting is that this 178 00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:49,000 verb that's used for established can occur in three through three 179 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:52,920 different means. A The Lord himself first Peter 180 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:57,880 510 The God of all grace, will himself restore, confirm, 181 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:03,000 strengthen and establish you. B It can come through the church 182 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:06,240 body. First Thessalonians 32 And we 183 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:13,480 sent Timothy to establish and exhort you in the faith, and see 184 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:17,280 it can come from ourselves. Revelation 32 Jesus tells the 185 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:23,880 church wake up and strengthen, establish what remains and is 186 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:27,320 about to die. And James here gives this third 187 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:30,240 category. He is exhorting the church to 188 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:35,040 establish, to strengthen their own hearts. 189 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:37,720 Now why does he give this exhortation? 190 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:43,680 Why here and in a passage about being patient, does he exhort 191 00:12:43,680 --> 00:12:48,280 them to establish their hearts? Because the temptation and 192 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:54,560 waiting is always the same. When any of us are waiting, the 193 00:12:54,560 --> 00:13:01,400 temptation is always the same. To grow angry, to grow anxious 194 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:07,960 or to grow apathetic, That's always the temptation for 195 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:12,680 everybody. You either grow angry, anxious 196 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:19,120 or apathetic. And James tells them, don't let 197 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:28,520 your hearts drift into a sea of anger or a sea of anxiety or a 198 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:33,720 sea of apathy. Establish them, strengthen them. 199 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:36,400 And then look at the reason he gives. 200 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:42,200 Look at HC for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 201 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:46,000 That's the reason. The reason to establish their 202 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:49,360 hearts is because the coming of the Lord is at hand. 203 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:51,440 Now what does this mean? The coming of Lord's hand? 204 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:56,720 Reading this at first glance, we might wonder, was James wrong? 205 00:13:58,280 --> 00:14:03,000 It's 2000 years later, James, here we are, and the Lord has 206 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:06,480 not returned. I wouldn't call that at hand. 207 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:10,640 We see this phrase at hand several times in the New 208 00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:13,360 Testament. John the Baptist says it Repent 209 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:15,840 for the Kingdom of God is at hand. 210 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:20,240 Kingdom of heaven is at hand. Jesus himself preached Repent 211 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:22,360 for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. 212 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:26,240 Paul wrote in Philippians, let your reasonableness be known to 213 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:29,080 everyone. The Lord is at hand. 214 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:33,360 Peter wrote the end of all things is at hand. 215 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:40,280 Was John and Jesus and Paul and Peter and James all wrong? 216 00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:44,960 No. I think we can reconcile this in 217 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:50,080 one of two ways, or both ways. A to say that something is at 218 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:55,520 hand can simply mean that it's ready, that it's ready. 219 00:14:56,480 --> 00:14:59,680 In other words, all the conditions have been met for 220 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:03,480 this event to happen. Nothing else needs to happen for 221 00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:05,280 this event to happen. So think of like a volcano 222 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:07,120 earthquake. Somebody, you know, a 223 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:11,760 meteorologist or a volcanoist, I don't know what they're called, 224 00:15:11,760 --> 00:15:18,240 but they say a volcano eruption is at hand or that, you know, 225 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:20,520 they've been telling us that there's an earthquake is at 226 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:21,800 hand, right? We're supposed to have this like 227 00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:24,640 the next earthquake is supposed to like put us in the Pacific 228 00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:28,600 Ocean or something, right? An earthquake is at hand. 229 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:31,400 What do they mean by this? And they mean all the pieces are 230 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:36,360 there for this to happen. But it could be weeks, it could 231 00:15:36,360 --> 00:15:40,880 be years before it happens. Just means it's ready. 232 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:43,840 That's one way to reconcile this. 233 00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:47,840 The other way to reconcile this is perhaps to remember that 234 00:15:47,840 --> 00:15:51,400 God's timing is not God's time. God's sense of time is not our 235 00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:54,560 time. Peter tells us that one day is 236 00:15:54,560 --> 00:15:57,200 as 1000 years and 1000 years is as one day. 237 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:01,320 So for us, for for us humans, it's been 2000 years. 238 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:06,360 For God, it's been 48 hours. Look at verse 9A. 239 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:13,480 Do not grumble against one another, Brothers, do not 240 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:15,600 grumble. Now what's the connection there? 241 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:17,800 James gives his fifth imperative in this passage. 242 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:21,680 Do not grumble against one another. 243 00:16:22,160 --> 00:16:26,680 Typically the word for grumble means to groan or to sigh, but 244 00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:30,680 it can also have the meaning of expressing discontent or 245 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:34,000 complaining. Now, why would James give this 246 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:37,480 command here? What is the connection between 247 00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:40,800 patients and grumbling? What's the connection there? 248 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:43,400 Douglas Moo writes this. He's a commentator. 249 00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:47,640 Douglas Moo writes this. Grumbling against those who are 250 00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:52,720 close to us is particularly likely to occur when we are 251 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:55,760 facing pressure or facing difficult circumstances. 252 00:16:56,400 --> 00:17:01,120 We vent the pressure from a stressful work environment or 253 00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:04,119 from ill health on our close friends and family. 254 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:08,119 So it would be quite natural if James's readers, under the 255 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:12,880 pressure of poverty and persecution, would turn their 256 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:17,880 frustrations on one another. Moreover, the exhortation to be 257 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:22,040 patient with the circumstances of suffering that the readers 258 00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:26,599 face could easily evoke the need for patients with fellow 259 00:17:26,599 --> 00:17:31,720 community members as well. What MU is saying is that we all 260 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:34,120 know this to be true, that whenever we are going through a 261 00:17:34,120 --> 00:17:38,480 trial, it's very easy for us. We went when trials have a way 262 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:41,600 of kind of squeezing us. And when they squeeze us, we 263 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:46,040 often then start complaining about people, sometimes our 264 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:48,680 brothers and sisters. That's one example. 265 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:52,720 The other example he gives is that these these poor who are 266 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:55,640 being oppressed and they're being persecuted. 267 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:58,840 Sometimes, you know, you ever had someone who's going through 268 00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:02,400 a trial and you just kind of get tired of of them moaning about 269 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:05,040 their trial and you start complaining about them. 270 00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:10,680 And James says we have a need to be patient with them to not 271 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:14,520 complain about them. We're all reminded of how the 272 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:17,240 Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron when they didn't 273 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:18,920 have water to drink. Remember when they didn't have 274 00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:20,080 water to drink? What did they do? 275 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:22,160 They grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 276 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:27,040 They were tired of waiting, and so they took their impatience 277 00:18:27,120 --> 00:18:34,400 out on Moses and Aaron. Look at 9B so that do not 278 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:37,400 grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be 279 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:40,120 judged. Behold, the judge is standing at 280 00:18:40,120 --> 00:18:43,160 the door. Notice the so that here he says 281 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:47,440 don't grumble against one another so that you may not be 282 00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:49,960 judged. In other words, James says 283 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:55,160 complaining will be judged. Judged by who? 284 00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:59,680 Judged by the judge, James says, behold, this again is an 285 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:02,080 imperative. He's exhorting the church to see 286 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:05,560 for the second time. He says, behold, see, notice 287 00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:09,680 this, the judge is standing at the door. 288 00:19:10,880 --> 00:19:13,760 Notice the the ESV capitalizes judge. 289 00:19:13,760 --> 00:19:16,120 Why do they do that? Because judge here is referring 290 00:19:16,120 --> 00:19:17,960 to either God the Father or Jesus. 291 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:21,560 Other one, the judge is standing at the door. 292 00:19:21,560 --> 00:19:23,440 What does that mean? This is basically the same 293 00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:25,320 meaning as the coming of the Lord is at hand. 294 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:30,720 Maybe the judge is is is here. He could come at any point and 295 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:36,360 it applies that the judge hears these complaints and we'll deal 296 00:19:36,360 --> 00:19:41,440 with them accordingly. I gave this, you know, analogy 297 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:43,960 years ago. Imagine if you were standing in 298 00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:49,480 this long line to apply for a job and as you're standing there 299 00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:52,280 like you're just complaining to the guy next to you about how 300 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:56,160 terrible of a company this is. Let me get the front of the 301 00:19:56,160 --> 00:19:58,000 line. Turns out it was all being 302 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:02,400 recorded. Kind of position. 303 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:03,680 Do you think you'll get at this company? 304 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:11,480 That's the idea here that James is saying we're all in this line 305 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:17,960 and the judge hears everything. He hears it all. 306 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:27,040 Complaining kills patients. But patience kills complaining. 307 00:20:28,360 --> 00:20:32,200 They both kill one another. We'll stop there with the 308 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:35,760 exposition application of the text 7 Truths. 309 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:43,240 I have 7 truths for us this morning #1 Patience is God-given 310 00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:48,280 grace to wait upon the Lord with faith and contentment. 311 00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:57,000 Patience is God-given grace to wait upon the Lord with faith 312 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:02,440 and contentment. Whenever I think about virtues, 313 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:06,480 any virtue, I like to break down the virtue and an attempt to 314 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:08,800 discover what it's true nature is. 315 00:21:09,720 --> 00:21:13,480 For example, kindness. What exactly is kindness? 316 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:15,200 My wife, I wrestle with my wife all the time. 317 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:18,000 You know, I'm like, what exactly is kindness? 318 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:21,760 Sometimes, you know, I'll be efficient. 319 00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:23,400 And she's like, no, you're being efficient. 320 00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:25,680 I'm like, well, I think efficiency is kind. 321 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:33,040 What is kindness? What makes something kind or 322 00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:35,120 joy? What exactly is joy? 323 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:40,680 How do I know if I'm feeling it? The same is true with patience. 324 00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:46,080 What exactly is patience? What exactly is it twice? 325 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:51,360 In this passage, James commands the church to be patient. 326 00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:55,600 So what exactly is James telling them to do? 327 00:21:56,600 --> 00:22:01,200 Here's my best attempt at breaking down what patience is. 328 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:08,480 Patience is God-given grace to wait upon the Lord with faith 329 00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:11,640 and contentment. Let me break that down. 330 00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:18,600 A patience is a God-given grace. Even though James commands the 331 00:22:18,600 --> 00:22:22,040 church to do this, we must remember that patience is a 332 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:27,440 fruit of the Holy Spirit, which means only the Holy Spirit can 333 00:22:27,440 --> 00:22:34,360 produce this kind of fruit. If we try to reap fruit from our 334 00:22:34,360 --> 00:22:39,400 personalities, from our culture, from our upbringing, from our 335 00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:44,720 natural proclivities, it will only be so productive because 336 00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:49,320 this true fruit of patience, it only comes in one soil and is 337 00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:55,520 the soil of the Holy Spirit. B to wait upon the Lord. 338 00:22:55,520 --> 00:23:00,360 Patience is a God-given grace to wait upon the Lord. 339 00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:06,200 Patience is not simply waiting, it is a waiting upon the Lord. 340 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:10,000 This is key because we find ourselves in all kinds of 341 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:12,680 situations where we are waiting, right? 342 00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:18,000 Traffic jams, man, I hate traffic. 343 00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:23,320 I don't know about you. I, I, I hate traffic and this 344 00:23:23,320 --> 00:23:32,440 whole Revive I5 stuff. Long lines at Costco. 345 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:34,800 You ever been to a Costco on Saturday? 346 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:40,560 Good grief. Bubble tea shop the pharmacy. 347 00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:42,240 And have you all been to a pharmacy lately? 348 00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:48,840 It's like 12 deep calling customer service. 349 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:54,440 One time I was on hold with Molina Healthcare for an hour 350 00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:57,880 and 45 minutes. I was driving back. 351 00:23:57,880 --> 00:24:00,680 The drive was 2 hours, 15 minutes. 352 00:24:00,680 --> 00:24:07,800 Before I got home, they said Molina Healthcare waiting on a 353 00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:13,200 medical test or a lab test results, the doctor's office. 354 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:20,520 Is the doctor ever on time? TSA at the airport though I saw 355 00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:23,080 you can pay $45.00 to skip the TSA line. 356 00:24:23,080 --> 00:24:28,040 Now I don't know what that is. Not to mention flight delays at 357 00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:33,720 the airport. Waiting for a family or friend 358 00:24:33,720 --> 00:24:37,480 who always you ever had a family member who's just always late or 359 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:41,360 a friend who's always late? You're like, I am that I am that 360 00:24:41,360 --> 00:24:50,800 friend waiting for rain to stop, waiting on a package delivery. 361 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:54,760 I mean, Amazon's gone to two hour delivery. 362 00:24:54,760 --> 00:25:00,040 We we can't wait more than two hours waiting for someone to 363 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:04,120 reply to your text or e-mail. You ever had somebody, you know, 364 00:25:04,120 --> 00:25:06,200 that friend that you text or e-mail and they respond like a 365 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:10,920 week later? Waiting on food at a really busy 366 00:25:10,920 --> 00:25:14,640 restaurant. Waiting for a promotion at work. 367 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:18,640 Waiting at the gym for the squat rack to open up. 368 00:25:21,320 --> 00:25:25,400 Waiting at the business meeting or the church meeting that seems 369 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:29,360 like it's never going to end. Waiting nine months for a baby 370 00:25:29,360 --> 00:25:31,640 to come or waiting to get pregnant. 371 00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:34,640 Waiting for healing from an injury. 372 00:25:36,040 --> 00:25:40,920 Waiting on a spouse or waiting for a proposal? 373 00:25:43,120 --> 00:25:48,360 There are countless things that we're waiting on, but we must 374 00:25:48,360 --> 00:25:52,800 never forget that we are ultimately waiting on the Lord 375 00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:57,360 for everything. Why? 376 00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:02,480 Because if God is sovereign, He is sovereign over this traffic 377 00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:10,680 jam. See, patience is a God-given 378 00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:16,760 grace to wait upon the Lord. See with faith and contentment, 379 00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:22,440 patience is not simply waiting upon the Lord, it's waiting with 380 00:26:22,440 --> 00:26:26,640 a certain disposition. 2 elements must be present for it 381 00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:31,360 to be patience. One is faith and two is 382 00:26:31,360 --> 00:26:35,600 contentment. To wait with faith is to say I 383 00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:41,080 trust that God is in control. I trust that God's timing is 384 00:26:41,080 --> 00:26:45,280 perfect. I trust that God's plan is for 385 00:26:45,280 --> 00:26:49,920 my good. To wait with contentment is to 386 00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:54,320 say I can be happy and satisfied in the Lord while I wait. 387 00:26:56,000 --> 00:27:00,600 I don't have to get angry here. I am angry. 388 00:27:01,080 --> 00:27:06,240 I don't have to get angry. I don't have to be anxious here. 389 00:27:09,360 --> 00:27:12,080 Some of us have been anxious for so many years, we feel like we 390 00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:14,040 have no other choice. That's just who we are. 391 00:27:15,880 --> 00:27:18,160 The reality is, that's not who you are. 392 00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:21,120 You don't have to get angry. You don't have to get anxious. 393 00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:25,360 You don't. I don't have to take matters 394 00:27:25,360 --> 00:27:29,320 into my own hands. I don't have to create a backup 395 00:27:29,320 --> 00:27:36,840 plan in case God's plan fails. I can be content. 396 00:27:36,960 --> 00:27:42,440 I can be happy and satisfied while I wait on the Lord. 397 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:51,040 Patience is a God-given grace to wait upon the Lord with faith 398 00:27:51,560 --> 00:28:00,800 and contentment. Two, how long, O Lord, until 399 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:03,720 Jesus says stop? How long O? 400 00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:10,200 Lord, until Jesus says stop. For anybody who has ever. 401 00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:14,040 Played high school athletics or college athletics, or perhaps 402 00:28:14,040 --> 00:28:16,680 been in the military. There's a common statement that 403 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:19,680 we've all heard until I say stop. 404 00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:25,040 The coach says get on. The line and run you start 405 00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:27,800 running. How long, coach until I say 406 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:32,400 stop? Push ups everybody. 407 00:28:33,520 --> 00:28:39,160 How many, Sir, till I say stop? Bear crawls. 408 00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:42,640 How long until I say? Stop. 409 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:47,280 Crab walks. How long until I say stop? 410 00:28:50,880 --> 00:29:00,280 James says be patient. Brothers for how long till the? 411 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:06,440 Coming of the Lord until Jesus. Says stop. 412 00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:11,080 Now I want you to. Think about how difficult this 413 00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:14,760 is. It's very simple to say. 414 00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:15,720 That. But I want you to think about 415 00:29:15,720 --> 00:29:18,720 how difficult this is. The context here is that there 416 00:29:18,720 --> 00:29:23,080 are poor Christians who are working all day in the hot sun. 417 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:26,800 It might have been 100°, maybe 120°. 418 00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:31,360 There, there, there, tireless working from sunrise to sunset. 419 00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:35,280 And at the end of the day, they go up to their their boss, their 420 00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:38,160 landowner. They expect to be paid so they 421 00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:42,000 can go to the market, buy some food, bring it home and feed 422 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:44,400 their family. But when they go to get paid, 423 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:47,120 the landowner says sorry, can't pay you today. 424 00:29:48,960 --> 00:29:56,800 Even though he could these rich. Wicked land owners are not 425 00:29:56,800 --> 00:30:02,880 paying them and James's response to them is this Be patient. 426 00:30:05,720 --> 00:30:11,760 Be patient. For how long? 427 00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:19,280 Until the coming of the Lord, I think one of the. 428 00:30:19,280 --> 00:30:23,440 Hardest times to be patient is when we don't know when it will 429 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:27,440 end, isn't it? It's like if I'm at the airport 430 00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:31,480 and I know that my flight departs in three hours, Man, I 431 00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:35,720 don't like waiting 3 hours, but there's an end insight. 432 00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:39,640 I know that in three hours I'm getting on this plane and I'll 433 00:30:39,640 --> 00:30:42,080 eventually get there. But when we're at the airport 434 00:30:42,080 --> 00:30:46,560 and our flight is delayed and we don't know if it will be 3 hours 435 00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:50,920 or six hours or 9 hours or it'll be cancelled all together. 436 00:30:52,800 --> 00:30:55,280 One time we we were. Waiting at a Mississippi airport 437 00:30:55,280 --> 00:30:57,680 one time we got there like early in the day. 438 00:30:57,760 --> 00:31:00,640 We waited all day long just for them at the end of the day to 439 00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:02,880 say sorry, the flight's not making it today. 440 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:08,240 I would have gotten a hotel. It but if I had known you were 441 00:31:08,240 --> 00:31:12,920 going to cancel it, it's difficult to be patient. 442 00:31:15,400 --> 00:31:21,640 How many times did the? Psalmist, cry out how long, O 443 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:27,040 Lord? Brothers and sisters, our end. 444 00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:32,240 Is insight. Our end is. 445 00:31:32,240 --> 00:31:36,320 Insight either through death or his second coming. 446 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:48,320 Be patient until he calls us home. 3 Just as no farmer can 447 00:31:48,320 --> 00:31:54,040 speed up his chickpeas, no Christian can speed up the Lord. 448 00:31:56,040 --> 00:31:59,200 Just as no farmer. Can speed up his chickpeas. 449 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:01,560 No Christian can speed up the Lord. 450 00:32:02,520 --> 00:32:05,480 I think it's interesting that James uses a farmer to 451 00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:08,080 illustrate patients. It's a beautiful illustration 452 00:32:08,080 --> 00:32:11,400 because farming is a work of patients. 453 00:32:12,240 --> 00:32:19,560 In most industries, if you're not first, you're what last? 454 00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:24,160 That's how the workforce is. If you're not first, you're 455 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:27,280 last. It's a race against time. 456 00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:30,600 Who can develop the next product the fastest? 457 00:32:30,800 --> 00:32:35,080 Who can be the first to market but. 458 00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:36,720 Farming is a work of. Patients. 459 00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:40,920 The farmer can't speed up. The rains. 460 00:32:42,800 --> 00:32:45,440 He can't get his crops. There a month earlier than all 461 00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:49,480 the other farmers. He can't figure out some system, 462 00:32:49,480 --> 00:32:51,000 right? Contrary to Pagan religions, 463 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:55,120 there was no rain dance that he could do to make it rain a month 464 00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:59,480 earlier so that he could get his crops to market before anybody 465 00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:01,080 else. Everybody buys his crops. 466 00:33:01,960 --> 00:33:03,880 The farmer can't speed up the rains. 467 00:33:04,040 --> 00:33:05,960 He can speed up the germination process. 468 00:33:06,080 --> 00:33:07,920 He can't speed up the seedling stage. 469 00:33:08,040 --> 00:33:09,680 He can't speed up the vegetative growth. 470 00:33:09,840 --> 00:33:12,720 He can't speed up the budding or the flowering or the fruit 471 00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:19,680 development or the ripening. He must be patient and wait. 472 00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:26,240 No farmer. Can speed up his chickpeas and 473 00:33:26,240 --> 00:33:29,040 no Christian can speed up the Lord. 474 00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:33,200 Now, I don't want to suggest that we can't pray and ask the 475 00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:37,040 Lord to speed up. God may very well answer. 476 00:33:37,040 --> 00:33:43,720 That prayer and speed things up, but for so many things in life 477 00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:50,560 we have to accept that this is the God ordained process and 478 00:33:50,560 --> 00:33:55,920 timeline. As parents, don't we wish? 479 00:33:55,920 --> 00:33:59,600 That potty training could be learned in a day or maybe even a 480 00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:03,880 week. As athletes, don't we wish? 481 00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:06,400 The torn Achilles could heal in a week. 482 00:34:08,159 --> 00:34:09,520 I. Was playing the other day. 483 00:34:09,520 --> 00:34:12,360 With a guy who tore his Achilles, he fell on the ground 484 00:34:12,360 --> 00:34:14,880 and, and, and, and if you ever seen somebody tear their 485 00:34:14,880 --> 00:34:16,760 Achilles, like it's just, it's so pain. 486 00:34:16,800 --> 00:34:18,920 Not, not doesn't necessarily even hurt all that much. 487 00:34:19,199 --> 00:34:21,120 It's so painful because you realize let's take a year. 488 00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:26,080 It's like a year recovery. As students, when you're 489 00:34:26,080 --> 00:34:26,920 learning. Something new. 490 00:34:26,920 --> 00:34:29,239 You're taking a a hard class and you're learning something new. 491 00:34:29,360 --> 00:34:31,440 Don't we wish that we could just pick it up in a day or two? 492 00:34:32,639 --> 00:34:34,920 That we were all just like savants and we could just, you 493 00:34:34,920 --> 00:34:38,080 know, be like Mozart and just pick it up like one day or two. 494 00:34:39,679 --> 00:34:41,080 I I was thinking about. The Kies. 495 00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:46,080 They spent three years learning a language. 496 00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:52,159 As singles when you're. Looking for a spouse? 497 00:34:52,159 --> 00:34:55,480 Don't we wish that God would just give them a name tag that 498 00:34:55,480 --> 00:35:04,760 reads my future spouse? Save us a lot of heartache so 499 00:35:04,760 --> 00:35:08,280 often we. Spend so much time trying to 500 00:35:08,280 --> 00:35:12,640 figure out how can I make this go faster? 501 00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:18,320 How can I speed up this process when often I'm convinced we 502 00:35:18,320 --> 00:35:26,320 can't, We can't, and if we try to, we usually ruin it. 503 00:35:29,160 --> 00:35:32,480 It's like turning the oven. Up to 500 in the hopes that the 504 00:35:32,480 --> 00:35:35,640 brownies will bake faster when all. 505 00:35:35,640 --> 00:35:36,880 It does is just burn. Them. 506 00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:40,680 It doesn't make them. Cook faster. 507 00:35:40,720 --> 00:35:49,520 It just burns them. Brothers and sisters, learn from 508 00:35:49,520 --> 00:35:53,600 the farmer. Be patient with God's timing. 509 00:35:57,240 --> 00:36:00,920 Four. While waiting for the shore, 510 00:36:02,440 --> 00:36:07,400 drop your anchor. While waiting for the shore, 511 00:36:08,600 --> 00:36:12,760 drop your anchor. Waiting with patience is easier 512 00:36:12,760 --> 00:36:14,960 said than done. We. 513 00:36:14,960 --> 00:36:18,280 Should wait with faith and. Contentment, but we. 514 00:36:18,280 --> 00:36:20,480 All know that the reality. Is that waiting often produces 515 00:36:20,480 --> 00:36:23,160 one of three emotional responses, one of three sinful 516 00:36:23,160 --> 00:36:25,520 emotional responses. It either produces anger. 517 00:36:26,120 --> 00:36:31,240 It either produces anxiety, It either produces apathy, Some. 518 00:36:31,240 --> 00:36:32,520 Of us are prone to. Anger. 519 00:36:32,520 --> 00:36:36,320 When we wait, we get frustrated at circumstances or we get 520 00:36:36,320 --> 00:36:38,600 frustrated with people taking so long. 521 00:36:40,560 --> 00:36:44,600 Some of us are prone to anxiety. When we wait, what if it doesn't 522 00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:48,360 turn out the way I hope? What if everything goes wrong? 523 00:36:50,600 --> 00:36:52,080 Some of us are prone. To apathy. 524 00:36:53,280 --> 00:36:54,440 You know what? I'm done with waiting. 525 00:36:55,320 --> 00:36:57,320 I'm done with this. I'm I'm tired of waiting. 526 00:36:57,400 --> 00:37:00,720 Of what they never happened. I'm not going to wait anymore. 527 00:37:03,160 --> 00:37:08,080 When we are waiting, how do we keep our hearts from becoming 528 00:37:08,080 --> 00:37:14,160 angry or anxious or apathetic? By establishing them. 529 00:37:15,720 --> 00:37:19,760 By establishing them. Or in other words, while waiting 530 00:37:19,760 --> 00:37:25,560 for the shore, drop your anchor. You see, emotions are like 531 00:37:25,560 --> 00:37:28,480 waves. We're sitting our little vessel 532 00:37:28,480 --> 00:37:35,440 on the water, waiting for shore, waiting for shore of marriage, 533 00:37:36,600 --> 00:37:38,160 waiting. For shore of career. 534 00:37:38,880 --> 00:37:42,520 Waiting for shore of children. Waiting for shore of healing. 535 00:37:43,080 --> 00:37:45,640 Waiting for a shore of this season to be done with. 536 00:37:46,240 --> 00:37:49,920 We're all sitting in our vessel waiting for a shore. 537 00:37:50,000 --> 00:37:58,840 When is this going to be over? We have been rowing. 538 00:37:59,000 --> 00:38:01,000 And rowing. And rowing and. 539 00:38:02,240 --> 00:38:06,920 We're waiting for the shore. And as we wait, a wave comes. 540 00:38:08,760 --> 00:38:14,000 A wave called anger. And this wave will carry. 541 00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:19,000 Us, if we let it, it'll carry us or. 542 00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:23,880 Perhaps another wave? Comes called anxiety and this 543 00:38:23,880 --> 00:38:28,440 wave will carry us or. Perhaps even a third wave. 544 00:38:28,440 --> 00:38:35,320 Comes called apathy, and it too will carry us while we are 545 00:38:35,320 --> 00:38:39,400 waiting to see the shore. What should we do? 546 00:38:40,080 --> 00:38:46,880 Drop your anchor. Establish your heart. 547 00:38:48,920 --> 00:38:51,720 This is so important. Because it's only a matter of 548 00:38:51,720 --> 00:38:56,320 time before Satan finds the right wave to carry us. 549 00:38:57,320 --> 00:39:00,840 Just a matter of time you ever consider. 550 00:39:00,840 --> 00:39:04,000 That Abraham held. Out for 13 years, he was told 551 00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:09,280 he'd have a child. He held out for 13 years until 552 00:39:09,280 --> 00:39:11,160 he finally gave in to Sarah's request. 553 00:39:15,840 --> 00:39:18,280 The Israelites held out for. Moses for 40 days. 554 00:39:18,720 --> 00:39:20,920 They waited on the brother for 40 days. 555 00:39:20,920 --> 00:39:23,720 And at the end of 40 days, they said, we don't know where he is. 556 00:39:24,080 --> 00:39:26,120 We don't even know who this guy is. 557 00:39:26,840 --> 00:39:32,200 Let's just build a calf. Job held out for a while. 558 00:39:33,200 --> 00:39:36,280 You read the book of Job. Job held out for a while, and 559 00:39:36,280 --> 00:39:38,040 then he finally gave in to despair. 560 00:39:39,720 --> 00:39:41,360 Started questioning God's. Justice. 561 00:39:45,280 --> 00:39:52,680 Don't let waiting make you angry or anxious or apathetic. 562 00:39:53,720 --> 00:39:59,800 While you are waiting for the shore, drop your anchor. 563 00:40:02,080 --> 00:40:07,000 Five Life is like a roller coaster. 564 00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:15,000 Ups and downs, twists and turns, backwards and forwards, but it. 565 00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:20,480 Only lasts like 2 to. 3 minutes. Life is like a roller. 566 00:40:20,480 --> 00:40:24,040 Coaster. It's got ups and downs. 567 00:40:24,040 --> 00:40:27,560 And twists and turns backwards and forwards but it only lasts 568 00:40:27,560 --> 00:40:31,920 like 2 to 3 minutes. Can I? 569 00:40:31,920 --> 00:40:35,240 Get a show of hands. How many people here love roller 570 00:40:35,240 --> 00:40:39,760 coasters? OK, how many people? 571 00:40:39,760 --> 00:40:42,400 Here, hate them and would never get on them. 572 00:40:43,960 --> 00:40:47,000 It's about 5050. Maybe 6040. 573 00:40:48,840 --> 00:40:51,160 I love roller coasters. I love them. 574 00:40:51,200 --> 00:40:53,240 I will ride pretty much everything. 575 00:40:55,080 --> 00:40:57,920 But I got a taste. Of how some people feel when 576 00:40:57,920 --> 00:40:59,680 they ride roller coasters. Those who hate them. 577 00:41:00,240 --> 00:41:02,920 When I rode Guardians of the Galaxy at Disneyland. 578 00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:08,720 And the reason is is I. Thought this ride was going to 579 00:41:08,720 --> 00:41:12,600 slowly go to the top and drop US one time. 580 00:41:13,520 --> 00:41:17,520 That's what I was told. The ride slowly goes up, you get 581 00:41:17,520 --> 00:41:19,280 to the top and then it drops you once. 582 00:41:19,680 --> 00:41:21,720 So we get in, we strap in. I got my belt down. 583 00:41:21,720 --> 00:41:23,800 I'm like, yeah, you all ready? I'm with my boys. 584 00:41:23,800 --> 00:41:25,400 They're like, oh, and the lights turn out. 585 00:41:25,400 --> 00:41:29,280 I'm like, oh, you all ready? And we like took off. 586 00:41:30,760 --> 00:41:33,840 And then dropped. And it took off and then dropped 587 00:41:34,080 --> 00:41:39,160 and it went back and forth and I thought I just had it was my 588 00:41:39,160 --> 00:41:43,200 birthday and I just, I got my free Starbucks Venti white 589 00:41:43,200 --> 00:41:45,600 chocolate mocha. And I was like, this is about to 590 00:41:45,600 --> 00:41:47,360 all come up on this person in front of me. 591 00:41:53,700 --> 00:41:56,780 It went up and down and it felt like an eternity. 592 00:41:56,780 --> 00:42:03,260 I thought it would never end. It turns out it was. 593 00:42:03,260 --> 00:42:08,880 Only about 90 seconds. But it felt like 90. 594 00:42:08,880 --> 00:42:13,240 Years. That's how life. 595 00:42:13,240 --> 00:42:17,360 Is. It's like a roller coaster. 596 00:42:18,680 --> 00:42:22,280 It's filled with UPS and. Downs and twists and turns and 597 00:42:22,280 --> 00:42:26,440 backwards and forwards, and when you're in the most intense 598 00:42:26,440 --> 00:42:30,000 moments of your life, it feels like an eternity. 599 00:42:32,480 --> 00:42:35,320 And yet James reminds us. It's only a short time. 600 00:42:37,320 --> 00:42:43,400 James writes the coming. Of the Lord is at hand, meaning 601 00:42:43,480 --> 00:42:48,320 it could happen at any point. I think one of the reasons that. 602 00:42:48,320 --> 00:42:53,600 We are so prone to get angry or anxious or apathetic is that we 603 00:42:53,600 --> 00:42:58,680 forget how short this life is. We forget that we are. 604 00:42:58,680 --> 00:43:02,520 A mist that appears for a short time and then vanishes. 605 00:43:04,120 --> 00:43:06,760 We forget that Jesus could. Return at any moment. 606 00:43:09,440 --> 00:43:11,240 And when we stand in. Glory. 607 00:43:11,320 --> 00:43:15,440 On the day that we stand in glory and in heaven and all its 608 00:43:15,440 --> 00:43:20,120 glory, and we see the Savior seated on the throne, I have to 609 00:43:20,120 --> 00:43:24,040 believe that we are going to righteously laugh at all the 610 00:43:24,040 --> 00:43:28,560 times we got so worked up. About earthly things. 611 00:43:32,120 --> 00:43:35,360 Why was I so angry? Why was I so anxious? 612 00:43:40,400 --> 00:43:45,680 6 Patience and complaining cannot coexist. 613 00:43:47,000 --> 00:43:49,920 Patience and complaining. Cannot coexist. 614 00:43:50,960 --> 00:43:54,640 I was thinking about this. If you could go out into society 615 00:43:54,640 --> 00:43:57,480 and see people in various contexts, right, If you can 616 00:43:57,480 --> 00:43:59,720 just, you know, kind of do an experiment, go to the post 617 00:43:59,720 --> 00:44:03,040 office, go to the mall, go to the bank, go to the airport, go 618 00:44:03,040 --> 00:44:07,920 to the library, the school, the workplace, the gym would. 619 00:44:07,920 --> 00:44:11,600 We be able to spot. Patient people like could you, 620 00:44:11,600 --> 00:44:14,760 can you watch people and spot who is patient and who is not 621 00:44:16,120 --> 00:44:19,040 and and if So, what would be the litmus test that we would use to 622 00:44:19,040 --> 00:44:22,600 determine it? There are many criteria that. 623 00:44:22,600 --> 00:44:26,120 We could use in our assessment, but here is one that would be 624 00:44:26,120 --> 00:44:30,880 foolproof. Complaining, complaining. 625 00:44:32,440 --> 00:44:39,400 If a person is complaining, they are not being patient, James 626 00:44:39,400 --> 00:44:43,360 writes. Do not grumble against one 627 00:44:43,360 --> 00:44:46,040 another. You see, much of our complaints 628 00:44:46,040 --> 00:44:47,880 are rooted in impatience, are they not? 629 00:44:50,040 --> 00:44:54,240 Now I say this, I am. A type A person you know. 630 00:44:54,280 --> 00:44:57,240 Like type A, type BI. Am type AI tell people I'm type 631 00:44:57,240 --> 00:45:00,600 A with a capital A because some people tell me their type A and 632 00:45:00,640 --> 00:45:01,640 then I know them for a little while. 633 00:45:01,640 --> 00:45:06,360 I'm like, you're not, you're like lowercase A I'm type A, 634 00:45:06,360 --> 00:45:10,320 like capital type A, my wife. Likes to joke with. 635 00:45:10,320 --> 00:45:13,560 Me that my top core value in life is efficiency. 636 00:45:14,400 --> 00:45:16,640 Like what do I value outside of spiritual things? 637 00:45:16,640 --> 00:45:19,040 What do I value most in life is efficiency. 638 00:45:21,600 --> 00:45:24,160 I like just. One example, this old lady came 639 00:45:24,160 --> 00:45:27,400 up to us in Costco the day Moses was publishing a card around and 640 00:45:27,400 --> 00:45:29,680 she was like, is that your son? And we're like, yeah, she's 641 00:45:29,680 --> 00:45:32,480 like, I was wondering because I was like, that's a young man to 642 00:45:32,480 --> 00:45:34,960 be shopping at Costco by himself, right? 643 00:45:36,080 --> 00:45:40,080 We, we divide and conquer at Costco, like all six of us. 644 00:45:40,080 --> 00:45:41,800 I'm like, I give you each three items. 645 00:45:41,800 --> 00:45:43,480 They all go out and spread out Costco. 646 00:45:43,480 --> 00:45:47,720 My goal is to get out like sometimes they will let us in at 647 00:45:47,800 --> 00:45:50,080 like 10:00 with others in at 9:50. 648 00:45:50,080 --> 00:45:53,240 My goal is it can I get out of here before 10:00? 649 00:45:53,560 --> 00:45:57,760 We've done it three times. We got in at 9:50, we got out at 650 00:45:57,760 --> 00:46:03,040 9:59. When I say that efficiency. 651 00:46:03,040 --> 00:46:04,760 Is a top. My wife's not joking. 652 00:46:09,930 --> 00:46:14,890 I like things to. Get done ASAP and. 653 00:46:14,890 --> 00:46:16,610 When that doesn't. Happen. 654 00:46:17,040 --> 00:46:20,800 Do you know what happens? I simply complain about the 655 00:46:20,800 --> 00:46:23,960 person. Why? 656 00:46:23,960 --> 00:46:25,320 Can't they just get this? Done. 657 00:46:27,400 --> 00:46:29,120 Why are they taking so? Long. 658 00:46:31,160 --> 00:46:33,000 Why are they being so? Difficult. 659 00:46:35,160 --> 00:46:36,560 Why is? This not a priority. 660 00:46:36,560 --> 00:46:42,840 For them you see if. Patience is a. 661 00:46:42,840 --> 00:46:48,160 Fruit complaining is a fungus that eats away at the fruit. 662 00:46:50,480 --> 00:46:52,560 It reveals the fruit to be rotten. 663 00:46:53,280 --> 00:46:57,200 That's what complaining does. It shows that the fruit is 664 00:46:57,200 --> 00:47:03,160 rotten. Last .7. 665 00:47:05,360 --> 00:47:08,880 This call is being recorded for Kingdom and eternal purposes. 666 00:47:11,560 --> 00:47:12,840 You know when you call customer service. 667 00:47:12,840 --> 00:47:16,160 They always give you that line. This call is being recorded for 668 00:47:16,160 --> 00:47:18,360 quality and and training purposes. 669 00:47:21,040 --> 00:47:23,640 I heard a comedian the other. Day he was sharing about he was 670 00:47:23,640 --> 00:47:25,560 calling the the cable company which have you ever called the 671 00:47:25,560 --> 00:47:28,000 cable company that's like the worst called the cable company. 672 00:47:28,000 --> 00:47:30,520 They said this call is being recorded for quality and 673 00:47:30,520 --> 00:47:32,880 training purposes. And he said and I want you to 674 00:47:32,880 --> 00:47:36,880 know that I am recording this call for quality purposes. 675 00:47:37,160 --> 00:47:42,400 So behave right? Last week I asked the. 676 00:47:42,400 --> 00:47:46,520 Question What if every cent was made public? 677 00:47:49,160 --> 00:47:51,880 Credit card statements. Bank statements, brokerage 678 00:47:51,880 --> 00:47:55,680 accounts, checking accounts, savings accounts, Cash, PayPal, 679 00:47:55,680 --> 00:47:58,760 Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, Apple Cash, Google Pay. 680 00:47:58,920 --> 00:48:00,480 What if all of it was made public? 681 00:48:00,840 --> 00:48:04,520 What if, like, you know, every single cent that flowed in and 682 00:48:04,520 --> 00:48:08,480 out of our hands was made public to everybody and we all knew how 683 00:48:08,480 --> 00:48:11,480 much we had and what we did with that and how we what if that 684 00:48:11,480 --> 00:48:13,240 were true? Here's another question. 685 00:48:13,480 --> 00:48:19,720 What if everything we said was recorded and made public? 686 00:48:22,920 --> 00:48:26,680 What if every single thing we said was recorded and made 687 00:48:26,680 --> 00:48:30,240 public? Every argument with our spouse 688 00:48:30,400 --> 00:48:34,640 or our housemates. Every late night conversation. 689 00:48:36,600 --> 00:48:39,840 Every comment at 5:00. PM in rush hour traffic. 690 00:48:42,200 --> 00:48:44,640 Every joke in the locker. Room or hair salon? 691 00:48:46,120 --> 00:48:48,280 Every whisper. Over tea. 692 00:48:50,600 --> 00:48:52,560 Every unkind word to. Our children. 693 00:48:54,440 --> 00:48:56,240 Every heated moment in. Our life. 694 00:48:57,360 --> 00:49:02,720 What if everything was recorded and made public? 695 00:49:06,960 --> 00:49:08,920 The reality is, is that everything is recorded. 696 00:49:12,240 --> 00:49:13,800 And one day will be made. Public. 697 00:49:17,920 --> 00:49:19,800 Everything we say is being. Recorded. 698 00:49:21,720 --> 00:49:23,240 And one day will be. Made public. 699 00:49:25,720 --> 00:49:28,640 James says the reason. We are not to grumble against 700 00:49:28,640 --> 00:49:32,440 one another is so that you may not be judged. 701 00:49:32,680 --> 00:49:38,680 Behold, the judge is standing at the door, meaning that this life 702 00:49:39,160 --> 00:49:43,800 is 1 long call that is being recorded for Kingdom and eternal 703 00:49:43,800 --> 00:49:48,000 purposes. And the judge will use. 704 00:49:48,000 --> 00:49:55,320 This recording in his courtroom. Someone once said that trials 705 00:49:55,320 --> 00:50:00,840 have a way of squeezing us and what's on the inside comes out. 706 00:50:03,240 --> 00:50:08,560 Church family, be careful. What you let come out, that's 707 00:50:08,560 --> 00:50:08,720 great.