Well, if you have your Bible, you open it to James chapter 5,
James chapter 5 is where we'll be today as you're turning
there. Just want to say that the
Providence of God in expository preaching, which is where we
just pick a book. And we go verse by verse through
it, I am never disappointed by how the Lord orders his word and
what falls on what weeks and how it applies.
So Faithfully, the word truly is living and active.
Amen, as Hebrews 4 says, After when he passed the Elder, team
chose to break from our series that I had begun on worship and
they elected to preach through the book of James. and today 11
weeks from that day, I stand Here, prepared to preach James
chapter, 5 verses 7 and 12. A text, that is encouraging.
The dispersed Christians, largely Jewish, Christians to
have immovable patients in suffering, It's really
incredible. The Lord truly writes.
The best stories, doesn't he? he does, he orchestrates amazing
things and I have never attempted to preach under the
weight of such suffering. I don't even know really how
this is going to go. But it is my eager expectation.
It is my hope today to be able to edify, you all my brothers
and my sisters with God's word today.
The main point of today's passage, as I at least have
written it out, is this? And you can encourage you to
take notes today. I think it's going to be
helpful, but if you've got your notes in front of you and write
this down a fixed, a fixed Gaze on eternity.
Is that the key to immovable patience and suffering?
A fixed Gaze on. Eternity is the key to immovable
patience in suffering. This is what I believe James is
teaching, these Christians and us today.
I believe he also lays out a blueprint through giving five
commands to the people that we see in the passage today for how
we also can develop, how we also can walk in immovable patients
and our own lives. I hope to show you those this
morning. I will go ahead and read them to
you just so you're aware and then we'll walk through each.
One of them in a moment, the first is to be patient the First
Command he gives his be patient. The second that he gives is
establish your heart. The third do not grumble.
Go ahead and prepare your toes for that one.
That's that one's hard number for consider your examples.
And number five, do not swear. I'm excited to be in front of
you today and to preach these things, if you're able, would
you please stand to your feet and honor of the reading of the
Lord's word? When I finish this reading, I'll
say this is the word of the Lord, and I would like, for you
to respond. Thanks be to God.
Let me read to you. James 5 verse 7, through 12, 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 patients, 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.
But above all my brothers, do not swear either by heaven, or
by Earth, or, by any other But let your yes, be yes.
And your no be no. So that you may not fall under
condemnation. This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God. Let me pray for us.
Heavenly Father. We thank you that we are
gathered together today to hear your word.
Lord, would you open our hearts? Open our minds, what would you
Enlighten Us by the power of your spirit today to see your
word to understand it to believe it with all of our hearts?
Lord we come today, I come today with a heavy heart, a heart that
is simultaneously filled with joy.
And I asked for your help this morning, Lord.
Each time we open your word Lord.
We are dependent upon your spirit to speak to us.
And so, I ask that your spirit do what only he can do.
Lord, I intend to plant. I intend to water today.
But I'm trusting you for the increase.
We pray these things in the Name of Christ.
Our Lord, amen. Amen.
You may have a seat It's, it's been well-documented through the
series through the series and as each man has taught so well each
Elder Elder, Canada has come and preach.
So, Faithfully that James is writing to a largely Jewish
Christian audience. These people are living in what
was called the diaspora or the dispersion there outside of
Jerusalem is all that means, there's varying factors as to
why they could be outside of Jerusalem could be the They
settled there. It could be that they were
forced out of Jerusalem during the persecution of the early
church. We're not really told y but what
we know is that they're scattered from their Homeland We
know that they are suffering many trials because James has
made a point throughout the letter to encourage them a lot
in their trials. Telling them things.
Like, consider it all joy. My brothers, when trials and
tribulations come upon you. And our text today James is
really picking up his encouragement.
For their trials. After his just addressed, the
sins of the wealthy unbelievers that Jasper mentioned last week
was wealthy unbelievers were mistreating Their employees.
Were robbing them were starving them.
Literally They were contributing to their suffering for sure.
And James wants these Believers to develop immovable patience
and suffering. Immovable patience in suffering.
It seems so unnatural, doesn't it to think that I'm in my
suffering and therefore, I must just be patient in this.
It really is unnatural typically exercising, immovable patients
in the face of suffering. Is the last thing that we want
to do. It's the last thing, our heart
desires, we would much rather our situation be changed in a
moment. We would much rather be able to
go back to when things were the way they were supposed to be.
We want the situation to be made, right immediately.
And that's regardless of whatever situation you face.
Brothers and sisters, my family and I have been hurled.
By the Providence of God, into the depths of the Raging Waters
of suffering. And as with a lot of suffering,
it came in an instance, there was no warning.
There was no build up. Before we knew it suffering was
standing on our doorstep knocking.
And we were forced to open the door.
And you all by your love and your care for us, your love for
my daughter. Have been thrust into the waters
as well. But I want you to know that I
don't stand here, naive. I don't stand here.
Arrogant enough to think that just my trial.
My suffering is also your greatest suffering.
I recognize that you all have your own sufferings, you all
have your own trials, you all have the things that you've
faced possibly in the past, maybe things you're going
through immediately or things that you'll face in the future.
But I do appreciate you being willing to weep with the Weeping
and to comfort those who are afflicted.
It has meant so much to us. In the event of suffering of any
kind that the key to making it through it all.
This is what I'm I'm being forced really, to find out, but
this is what we're finding out is that through it all That the
only way to make it through it, all should say, in a way that
God will be glorified in, you is to endure your suffering with
immovable, patience. It's to be job like So then we
must ask the question that I think James is answering today.
The question underneath the text is how can we develop immovable
patience in suffering? How can we be marked by this
kind of patients? This kind of Godly character.
And James is just going to shoot straight like he has a whole
letter. He's not going to beat around
the bush. He's not going to sugarcoat it
because the last thing you want in your suffering is a
sugar-coated truth. You're ready in those moments
for hard facts. You're ready in those moments to
know exactly what you need to do and to commit yourself to it.
And that's what James is doing here.
And so he just begins with Verse 7, be patient.
Therefore Brothers until the coming of the Lord.
He goes on. 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.
So again if you're taking notes and I encourage you to do.
So how can we develop a movable patience?
And suffering. Number one, be patience.
Commit yourself to patients the part.
The first command for developing immovable patience is be patient
until the coming of the Lord. But James isn't, he isn't being?
He isn't being rude isn't being forward with them.
He's not neglecting their afflictions, he's dealt with
their afflictions. Throughout this letter, he has
talked to them about their afflictions.
The things that have caused them, some of it has come to
them from outside of them. Some of them he says, is because
of their own their own lustful nature.
Their selfish desires, Right, we've seen throughout the book
that there are backbiting one, another they're using their
tongue for evil. James says, in chapter 3, verse
10, that blessing and cursing come from the same tongue.
My brothers and sisters think should not be this way.
And so he's acknowledged their afflictions, he's even encourage
them and how to get out of their afflictions. and so, the
afflictions that are caused by our sinfulness, Or a bit easier
to deal with. But because typically, you can
repent of your sin and turn and follow Christ, and things begin
to be made right now. There's consequences and there's
a spider web of those that can come from that.
But typically, if you've wronged a brother by your mouth, you can
go to your brother and say I was a fool.
I recognize that. Will you forgive me?
And your brother will offer forgiveness and you'll move on
you caused her, there's pain, there's those things but you've
moved on. But when suffering comes to you
from outside of you when suffering knocks at your door
step and it's the kind of suffering that you didn't do.
You couldn't prevent you couldn't predict, when that kind
of suffering comes to you. It requires patience and
patience is required in all suffering but especially in the
suffering that is outside of your immediate control.
Requires patience. And so James hasn't acknowledged
their afflictions in the previous verses and now he turns
to direct their response. Be patient Brothers.
Wait on the Lord. In other words, James is saying
bear your afflictions without murmuring which he's literally
going to say in just a couple of verses.
Bear your injuries without Revenge.
Wait on God. Even if you do not yet, see him.
Wait on God, let your patience. Be lengthened out until it
becomes long-suffering. Now you and I we don't like long
suffering, this is a fruit of the spirit.
We would rather not know But yet it is a fruit of the spirit that
you would become patient, or as the word literally means,
long-suffering that you would be able to suffer long that your
suffering would be drawn out, but that you would be patient in
it. Let your patience be lengthened
out until it becomes long-suffering.
James of saying, how can it become long-suffering because
your gaze is fixed on the day of the Lord.
Be patient Brothers until the coming of the Lord.
Be patient brothers, because there is a surety that lies
ahead of you that will create in you long-suffering be patient in
your suffering because what lies ahead is the Redemption of your
body's the Redemption of your souls, the Redemption of the
world, the time, when all things will be made, right?
The moment where weeping ceases were death, doesn't rain
anymore. The moment where sin does not
control, you any longer, the moment, we're suffering ceases.
Amen. So be patient until the coming
of the Lord, let it be lengthened out until it becomes
long-suffering. We're pretty soft people these
days patience for us. Typically just means we've
yielded to the necessity of what we're going through.
I guess I will bear this. Because what choice do I have?
We might say I guess I'm going to go through this because I
couldn't change it anyway. Brother sisters that does not
patients. That is barely veiled grumbling.
Biblical patience. The kind of patients that will
get you through your suffering. Through your Affliction, is
nothing less than a humble Acceptance in the wisdom and the
will of God That kind of patience possesses a serrated
edge, you might say and that serrated edge of patients will
cut right through the thick of suffering.
Biblical patients does not say. I guess I will bear this.
Because what choice do I have biblical?
Patient says this Affliction has come to me according to God's
perfect wisdom and will for my life.
Therefore I will hope in him. The kind of Godly patients.
We must cultivate is the ability to Bear our afflictions with an
eye, toward our future, glorious reward.
That nothing is wasted. Godly patients.
Recognizes that nothing Falls by the wayside nothing is wasted
especially not your sufferings all of it.
All of it is building for you an eternal weight of Glory beyond
all comparison. This is literally what Paul's
encouraging the Saints at Corinth with when he says.
So we do not lose heart though. Our outer self is wasting away.
Our inner self is being renewed, day by day.
Okay, so everything is coming down around us, our outer self,
our bodies even are wasting away.
But inwardly, the spirit of God is renewing us day by day.
And he goes on to write for this light, momentary affliction I
know I've said this before but Paul has in view your entire
life. When he says this light
momentary Affliction he's not talking about some specific
little moment. Now, how in the world can you
say that a life of suffering? A life of Affliction is light or
momentary? Well, the only way you get there
is when you consider what lies beyond what lies ahead waiting
on the return of the Lord. And that's exactly what he ties
it to, for the slight momentary, Affliction is preparing for us,
an eternal weight of Glory beyond all comparison, as we
look not to the things that are seeing.
So, we don't look at our sufferings, I don't look just
simply to the loss of my daughter.
And the difficulty of holidays without her, the difficulty of
waking up and sitting. At my table, eating my
breakfast, drinking my coffee. And wondering is when he Kate
going to come around the corner this morning.
I can't look to what see have to look to the things that are
unseen. For the things that are unseen.
Sorry, the things that are seeing Paul says are transient
They're changing, but the things that are seen are Eternal.
And here's what I know about my existence versus when he Kate's
current existence, My life is transient.
My life is full of things that will.
Blow to, and fro. The Lord will order our steps
will endure, all sorts of things, Lord willing.
Well, under a Joyce and gladness and sadness. but when he Cates,
Not a tear in the world. Not a, not a question about what
am I missing on Earth? Not a wonder about any of it.
She sees Christ in fool. And I'm jealous.
And Lord willing, Lord willin. I'll go to her one day.
And it'll be a beautiful reunions. but, until then, I
cannot look back at Egypt at my suffering.
And want to stay there. Got to press on because the
things that are unseen those truths that lie ahead.
Those are Eternal, amen. That's my reality.
And so James gives a beautiful illustration of what he's trying
to say. He says, see how the farmer
waits for the precious fruit of the earth.
You and I are these days we just wait on Walmart to put it on the
shelf for us. We get mad when they think
they're right, we're upset. I know they didn't leave this
out of my pickup today, right? I see y'all on Facebook.
I Know Who You Are. That's called grumbling.
By the way, we'll get to it in a moment.
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, I love what James is doing here.
It it's beautiful and it stings a lot.
Consider the farmer who awaits a crop of corn?
He might say he depends on the rain.
Who controls the rain, God? Hinders the storms.
Who controls the storms? God, who controls the droughts
when he's waiting for rain God. Eventually though, his patients
rewards him with a new crop, doesn't it?
And the question then has to be as I look at the farmer who
waits for the precious fruit of the earth.
Just merely something to be eaten something to help sustain
life. A gift.
No doubt. Will we not patiently waits for
a Crown of Glory? And Will we not endure the
storms of life? These providential afflictions
with patients, as we await our Heavenly Homeland and the
Eternal reward that goes with it.
Will we not wait? What else then is worthy of such
patients? Will a farmer show more patience
than God's people. I hope not.
Brothers and sisters, I urge you.
To join me in patients, waiting on the coming of the Lord and
the Eternal reward that he will bring to us.
Amen. A fixed Gaze on.
Eternity is the key to immovable patience and suffering.
The second command that we see here is establish your heart.
In verse 8, James writes, you also be patient just as the
farmer was UV patients. How establish your hearts for
the coming of the Lord is at hand.
You see? He grounds it again and you're
looking forward to the coming of Christ.
Establish your heart in faith and patience as you await the
coming of the Lord. And that coming of the Lord is a
doctrine that if you'll believe it, if you, if you'll truly
believe that Christ is going to return as king of kings and Lord
of lords. It can have a tremendous effect
on your outlook during suffering.
And so we now adds to it be patient, establish your hearts
for the coming of the Lord is at hand, faith in God.
And patience. In his Providence, will
establish your heart. Matthew Henry, the Bible
commentator Pastor said this, in his commentary says let your
faith be firm without wavering. Your patient of sorry.
Your practice of what is good constant and continued without
tiring and your resolutions for God and Heaven fixed in spite of
all sufferings. Isaiah 50 verse 7.
Says this as but the Lord, God helps me.
Therefore, I have not been disgraced.
Therefore, I have set my face like a flint.
And I know that I shall not be put to shame.
This is what it means to be steadfast.
In Matthew chapter 7, is Jesus. Jesus finishing up his Sermon on
the Mount. He raises a warning for his
listeners there. At the end of his sermon.
It's really his call to action. In verse 24, he he says this, he
says everyone then who hears these words of mine and does
them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock and
the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and
beat on that house, but it did not fall because it had been
founded on the rock. And then he continues and
everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them
will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand and
the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and
beat against that house. And it fell and great was the
fall of it. This is what it means to
establish your hearts. It means that you are making a
conscious decision to build your house, on the rock of Christ
Jesus, on his word that you are choosing in your suffering to
erect a base of foundation for your home.
That is the word of God Alone. You're not looking for worldly
wisdom, you're not looking for quaint sayings, you're not
looking for any of that nonsense.
You are saying that the only thing that will stand the test
of time. The only thing that will never
be undone, the only thing that will last forever is the word of
Christ and I'm going to stand on it.
Going to stand there. and let me tell you, when the rains come,
And the flood Rises and the wind's beat against your faith.
You will topple some you move, you'll sway back and forth at
times you'll feel robbed. Much like a fighter who gets
knocked around a bit in the early rounds.
But if you'll stand on the word of God, you will not fall, you
will not fall. This is about living a life of
Readiness and not laziness. It's about proactively saying
each day. I'm going to establish my heart
on the word of God today. I'm going to live it, I'm going
too fast from everything. I'm going to get rid of things.
I'm going to take things out of my life until I know that I have
firmly planted myself on Christ and then I might add some things
here and there. I strongly encourage you to
stablish your hearts on the word of Christ.
Before suffering comes and knocks at your door.
So that during your suffering, you have already formed good
habits, you've already built up some Faith.
You've already walked through some struggles and come out on
the other side. You are like David and saying,
wait saw? You don't understand.
I've beat a lion and the bear and no one.
Is going to mock Our God. I'll fight him.
You stand with faith. Tricia and I recognize now I
think. We've had some conversations
around this anyway, over the last several weeks.
But we recognize that the Lord has been preparing us over the
last 14 years will be married, 14 years and a couple of weeks.
He's been preparing us over this time for the day that he would
take when he Cates. We didn't fully know the
importance. Of building a habit of daily
Bible reading. Or prayer for one another, with
one another prayer with our children.
Prayer on our own. What?
I just called dependent prayer, praying like a child who is
dependent upon the father. We didn't recognize.
How our growth and our knowledge of God and his character.
Through reading his words, studying his word, over the last
14 years, how it would impact our lives so much as we endure
such heartache. I'll tell you this, it became
crystal clear to me. That I married correctly. in the
first moments of, when he's passing, The Lord comforted us
with scriptures with all these Spirit would bring to our
remembrance songs prayers memories of his goodness in
those six years with her and this wasn't preacher cow
pleading, with his wife to behave, we gotta have faith.
You just got a hold on, you know, like when none of that, I
don't stand before you even today as like preacher Kyle, you
know, trying to say all the right things to you today.
One, I don't want to be phony. The to do you.
No good. But as I'm sitting there holding
the Trish's hand and praise God for Daniel and Morgan.
We were on a trip with them and We learned all this and Daniel
drove us home. We were in New Orleans when it
all happened. Daniel drove us home.
And so I'm just sitting in the backseat and crying.
Pleading with the Lord. And Patricia just looks up at me
through tears. She says.
It's that verse in job. And she goes on to say it, the
Lord gives and the Lord takes away.
Blessed, be the name of the Lord.
And this isn't to celebrate Patricia.
It's really not. I'm she's worthy of my
celebration. I promise you.
This is what proverbs 31 says, when her husband Rises and calls
her blessed, I'll do it every day to celebrate What the Lord
Has Done in our lives, through all of this.
And I just can't think of a better reason.
To establish your heart and faith.
And patients. And to know that suffering is
coming. And we say it all the time that
one out of one dies unless your name is Enoch or Elijah.
And even if it was your name, you're probably not getting out
like they did so still going to die.
Unless we're fortunate enough to see The Return of Christ.
But one out of one people suffer also, One out of every one
suffers, even Enoch and Elijah. You're not getting out of life
in a fallen world without experiencing suffering.
You're not going to serve Christ as your lord, without going
through suffering. She's not going to happen.
You will suffer for the name of the Lord.
Either in persecution or by some other aspect of the Providence
of God. Because in your suffering, your
faith is tested. In the tested genuineness of
your faith is like gold going through a refiner, Peter says,
And so the Lord has kinds of us. In providentially granting us
suffering. At the end of Philippians 1,
Paul tells the Believers, this he says, it has been granted to
us, that we will both suffer and Belize.
Granted to us from the Lord that you will suffer and believe.
But even if you haven't yet faced suffering, even if
suffering comes first, even if you haven't yet, established
yourself and suffering hits, you that thing whatever it is, maybe
the thing that finally hurls you over the edge of self-reliance
maybe you've constructed a sandcastle and now the winds and
The Rains of suffering, according to the Providence of
God have demolished Is it too late to establish your heart on
Christ? And that moment not a chance.
Not a chance that maybe its intended purpose.
Maybe the grace of the Lord coming to you.
I've had many people come to me and say my sin blank was found
out. I'm embarrassed hurt.
And I've learned to look, those mostly, it's men in the eye and
say. I know you can't see it yet.
It's hard to understand in this moment, but this is the grace of
the Lord on your life. He's bringing you back.
If you humble yourself, if you will not Harden your heart, if
you will humble yourself, and submit to him.
Make him Lord of your life. You'll know his peace.
Is joy. And so crying out to him and
your despair may be the beginning of establishing your
heart, on his word, in Psalm 121.
The psalmist says, I lift up my eyes to the hills from.
Where does my help come my help comes from the Lord who made
Heaven and Earth and Psalm 109 26.
The psalmist writes help me O. Lord my God save me according to
your steadfast love and Psalm 44. 26 rise up come to our Help.
He says to God redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love.
I have gone back to such prayers time and time again in the last
11 weeks, when despair rises in my heart.
And in my mind, when Agony takes my breath away, I have called to
God. Lord help me save me according
to your steadfast love. The Lord has been so kind to
show new depths of his love, his care, his Mercy, his grace, his
peace, his hope, through all of this as we've called to him.
He always answers are Christ. I do not want anyone to know the
Pains of suffering, though. It is inevitable in this world.
But what I do want every believer to know what I want,
every believer to experience is the depths of the love of God in
the midst of your suffering. To find yourself in suffering
and be able to trust that God is there.
It's in comprehensible at times and it's incomparable to
anything else in the world. His love transcends, your
suffering. He is near to you in the midst
of it. Psalm 23:4 even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil
for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me
for you are with me, David writes, Your Rod and your staff,
they comfort me That's what awaits the one who will
establish his heart in the Lord. The comfort of God in the middle
of your suffering. A fixed Gaze on.
Eternity is the key to immovable patience in suffering.
All right, let's at least get the three verses in here.
James 59, do not Grumble third command.
We see. Do not Grumble against one
another Brothers. So that you may not be judged
behold. The judge is standing at the
door. Grumbling, in the middle of
suffering is a huge temptation. And the kind of grumbling that
goes against your neighbor is to fold here.
When he says, do not Grumble against one another on one hand,
it might be malicious, grumbling it may be outright grumbling
against your brother or sister in the Lord.
They've done something and you're letting everybody know
about it, maybe they didn't do anything, but you're letting
everybody know about it. On the other hand it may be that
your grumbling causes a brother or sister to stumble in their
faith and so therefore it goes against them in that way though
you were not intentionally malicious.
This is the kind of grumbling that were not usually aware of.
We don't typically understand or even think through the effects
of getting on Facebook and going on a rant.
About parenting. Shopping experience.
Marriage struggle. Problem in your job.
We don't think about the effects of that on our own faith in
Christ, as well as the effects of that on others, potential
faith in Christ. And in so doing you're tearing
one another down. Whether your grumbling is
perfectly, sorry purposefully against your neighbor or merely
causing them to stumble. James is saying You must not
Grumble at all. Don't be a grumbler.
You will receive God's judgment for your grumbling against
others. Now, I think there's various
kinds of grumbling that you must avoid like to.
So let's just bring this into a bit of a clearer picture.
So that we understand what we mean, there are murmuring
grumbles which is where you complain about, what happens to
you. And so, it's important for you
to remember that. Nothing comes to you apart from
God's Providence. So, do not Grumble about the
events of your life. so, what the pickup took longer than you
thought, So, what the fast food employee didn't get your order,
right? The lady ahead of you in line.
Wanted to write a check and it took a while.
Some of the ones that are the hardest to hear, especially now.
Just parents grumbling about their children.
That's hard. You need to be careful.
That's how you think about your children.
You need to be careful. Of the things you say.
Of expressing all of your feelings just because we feel
something doesn't mean it's right to express it sometimes.
It's sinful to express it. Oftentimes it's sinful.
This isn't the guilt trip anyone.
I promise. It's just that one.
Stings. A little extra right now.
It's something Patricia. I've always said, Lord, help us
not to be grumblers about our children.
Your children are a gift from the Lord.
The Bible literally calls them a Heritage from God.
They're an incredible opportunity.
For you to leave a legacy of christlikeness.
If you'll take the job, seriously. if you commit
yourself to, if you give up worldly Pursuits to be with your
children, Where are the time calls for it and it's right.
that's something for you and your your family to decide.
But murmuring grumbles are really bad.
This is what the Israelites were guilty of.
God. We're hungry.
No God. We don't want Mana.
We want meat? No God not that meat.
That's too much meat. God, can we just go back to
Egypt? Please?
Don't be a murmur. James is literally saying that.
You may be judged in the judge is standing at the door.
The Israelites were judged for their murmuring and we're left
out of the promised land because of it.
So I encourage you strongly be very careful about your
murmuring. Distrustful grumbles are another
kind. And if you're the kind of person
who grumbles about the events of your life, your murmuring about
things that happen to you, you're very quickly going to
become the kind of person who grumbles about what might happen
as well. And in so doing you show a
distrust for the Lord, I'll be honest with you in this I have a
new fear of God. and I, Find myself wondering what else might
the hand of Providence? Bring to my life. and then, that
way, I fear Him, and a healthy way.
In a way that causes me to love him more in a way that draws me
to him and rather than turns me away from him.
But I do have a new healthy fear for the Lord.
There are revengeful grumbles This may show up in threats
against the ones who have caused your sufferings.
If he cuts me off again in line, I'll tell you what I'm gonna
write, be careful, not to take Vengeance into your own hands.
It looks great in movies, right? When we loved the movie of the
guy who's exacting Revenge, he's taking judgment into his own
hands. What is unbiblical at times?
Be careful, not to take Vengeance into your hands.
Vengeance. Belongs to the Lord alone.
We're reminded in Romans, 12. remember the judge stands at the
door, he's coming soon, he sees all evil and it will pay He'll
punish the wicked. He will redeem the righteous.
Be found among the righteous. There are envious grumbles as
well as you look around and see others who are not suffering.
Like you are, you may be tempted to Grumble from Envy.
Why has this happened to me while the wicked seem to
prosper? Be careful of that, sort of
heart. Learn to accept what the Lord
brings to your life to be content in it and to follow him.
The point that James is making is that you are to be patient to
establish your heart, not to Grumble against one another.
Do not make one another uneasy by your groaning, which brings
grief to those around you and do your hardship, with an eye to
heaven await, the return of Christ, trust God's Providence.
Believe that the God of all Comforts Will Comfort you in the
meantime, Remember the Lord, the judge is at the door.
Consider him who sets all things rights by his righteous
judgments and Redemption be patience.
Therefore, establish your heart. We only bring more problems on
ourselves when we become grumblers.
If we will avoid these evils, if we will be patience, then God
will not condemn us. But such considerations as I've
given you today examine cause you to examine your affections,
your thoughts, your actions. Commit yourself to live
according to Philippians, 2:14 where Paul writes do all things
without grumbling or disputing? Is everybody, okay?
I'm really at a Crossroads here. I, I want to keep going.
And I probably should. Can I finish with consider your
examples? I love that three of you feel
that way, but there's a lot more of you in here.
Some of you might not be as vocal as others, I'll give that.
So maybe half of you want to keep going, half of you're like
no I'm really hungry. I just came to watch.
The baptism. Can I go home and know what I
was signing up for today? I apologize.
You know, it's the old bait and switch.
Let me finish with consider your examples.
Thank you. My wife.
Scarlett, you're usually so supportive.
I don't even know what to do now.
The fourth command, he gives the fourth command, he gives us
consider your examples. Consider your examples.
And this is for me, this is the, the icing.
I mean, this is this is gold. James 5, 10 through 11 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. so James is saying, listen, do you
want health and your sufferings Do you want encouragement and
your sufferings, do you want? Hope that transcends all
momentary affliction. And they're saying, uh-huh.
He says consider those faithful Christians who have gone before
you. I am.
The scriptures pour forth with story, after Story of men and
women who endured great suffering unto the glory of God
and the good of others. Throughout history, we celebrate
those men and women who have remained steadfast during their
sufferings. We consider them blessed those
who Suffer. Well, become are examples of
immovable patience and suffering.
We look to them and we say sometimes, we'll just say, wow.
James encourages the Saints to look back.
And the beauty of this is, is having been 2000 dish years
removed from when this was written.
We have 2,000 years of more history to look back upon. and
another beauty is, when we look back through years of History,
we're simply reading the stories that have been written down for
us to see, but I can look around this room and could call out
story after Story of men and women in this room who have
stood faithful in their suffering.
And so what we have are thousands if not Millions, even
of Stories We Could Read. But beyond that.
We have the stories that we're never even written down that
were fortunate to see because we're near to those and they're
suffering. Like I said, everyone suffers.
and so there's a lot of stories of steadfastness and suffering
that you can look at And you consider those people blessed
and so, he's encouraging the Saints, the same.
Look, back to the prophets, look back to job.
See those who stood for the name of the Lord, see their suffering
and their patience and be encouraged to remain steadfast
just as they did. Now, what's happening here is
really two things are going on on one level.
And I would say, it's more of the surface level thing.
James is saying Beach, steadfast like those who have gone before.
Because the steadfast are considered blessed.
It's the whole when you see a model of something that you want
to be you try to emulate it right.
Try to become like that. And this is what he's saying.
Look at those who have stood steadfast, we consider them
blessed, be like them. And that's a real motivating
factor in suffering to run the race.
Well, Time and time again. I've just poured over the
scriptures at my Bible reading has for the year has had me in
the prophets and so I've just seen one after another the
steadfastness of the prophets in the last 11 weeks.
And it's encouraged. We should want to be considered
blessed by the Saints around us as well as by our God and our
Saviour Christ. However, on another level, and
this is where I think the anchor lies.
Like I think I'm one hand. It's pursue this because this is
what it means to be blessed and on the other hand he anchors it
in truth, it's not just look to them.
It's again, he's saying look to God.
There's an encouragement here to remain steadfast because of the
purpose and the character of the Lord, what'd he say?
You have heard of the steadfastness of job, but don't
miss this part, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord,
how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
There it is. That's the anchor.
That's the anchor for your soul in the midst of stormy waters.
I hope that you see it. Clearly James is anchoring his
motivation for steadfastness, not only in the examples, but to
remember the anchor that the examples had themselves That is
the Providence of God. A Providence is just simply the
purposes of the Lord, which are always good.
They're full of mercy and compassion.
And other words. What he's saying is that nothing
happens apart from God's. Merciful and compassionate, Rule
and job. 1:21 job says this at the beginning of his suffering,
Naked. I came from my mother's womb and
naked shall I return? The lord gave and the Lord has
taken away blessed. Be the name of the Lord.
Job, 2 verse 10. But he said the heard his wife
you speak. As one of the foolish women
would speak. I praise God, I don't have jobs
wife, I've got basically job for my wife, a lot prettier and
female, but, but he says to his wife because she was telling him
Curse God and die. You speak as one of the foolish
women would speak. Shall we receive good from God
and shall we not receive evil? Also, And then it says, this of
job, in all this job did not sin with his lips.
And Proverbs 16:4. We read this.
The Lord has made everything for its purpose.
Even the wicked for the day of trouble.
Now, there are naysayers out there concerning God's
Providence, believe it or not, they will accuse people like
myself. And like you, if you are a
believer in the Providence of God, they will accuse you of
succumbing to. Typically they use the words
fatalism or determinism. And I don't have much time to
get into all of those things. I don't really have any time
we've already established that, right Scarlett.
But but here's some quick definitions.
Determinism. Says that everything happens by
some impersonal force in nature and that that cannot be
overcome. So everything comes to us by
some impersonal force of Nature and there's nothing you can do
to stop it. Nature causes a response which
we would call an effect. T' and therefore nature rules
and we can't do anything to stop it.
That view. Is a form of idolatry.
Nature is God, nature is God. Fatalism says that all things
are predetermined by blind irrational forces.
So there is no point in human effort to change anything.
This view results in the creation of a somewhat similar
false god, but a bit different. And we would call that God
faith. You hear phrases like as fate
would have it? Or fate brought this person to
my life. Both views fatalism determinism
are satanic counterfeits to the revealed truth of God's word
that are all-knowing all-powerful all present.
God has planned all things according to the counsel of his
own wisdom and his own will which James says here is
merciful and compassionate toward his people.
Psalm 100 verse 5 says that the Lord is good.
And his love endures to all generations.
Romans 8:28. And we know that for those who
love God, all things work together for good.
For those who are called according to his purpose.
Genesis 50:20 Joseph. Looking at his brothers after
all that, he had gone through. If you've been in Sunday school,
you know what I'm talking about and he says this them.
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for
good to bring it about that. Many people should be kept alive
as they are today. And then he James here, just use
his job considered Joe, steadfastness of job.
I love when the text gives me my illustrations and I don't have
to come up with terrible at it. Job.
Endured great loss at the hand of God.
He went to God with his questions.
And he got some responses. He wasn't quite ready for When
God says to you dress for Action like a man, You know, you're in
for it. But God was merciful and
compassionate in his response. This wasn't one of those like
come to Jesus meetings. Like your parents had with you
when you her child, you know, and Jesus was never even in the
conversation correctly. It was just you almost got to
meet Jesus, right? This wasn't one of those
moments. In their exchange, he walks away
having seen the merciful and compassionate.
Purposes of God, love when Patricia was up here earlier and
she just said, I have known about him before but now I have
seen him. I've known about his goodness
before, but now I have seen his goodness.
What a testimony And joke, 42 job site and says this in job,
answered the Lord. And if Godly, if you haven't
read the end of job, you have your assignment for today.
I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of
yours can be thwarted. So I've had to remind myself of
often that when he Cates passing was, not in, some way, God being
thwarted in a moment. It wasn't a lapse of his
goodness. Be easy to think that.
It'd be easy to think that God got busy.
That he forgot that he's all presents.
He decided he wasn't going to be all powerful in a moment that he
wasn't going to be all-knowing and he just missed on Winnie,
Kate. God didn't miss on me.
Just like he doesn't miss and you were suffering and then you
were paying and in your trial your struggle.
Those things come to you. As a result of the goodness of
God, he means for something good to come out of it.
And that's what job saying. I know that there is no purpose
of yours which can be ordered. Who is this?
That hides counsel without knowledge?
Therefore I have uttered. What?
I did not understand things too. Wonderful for me which I did not
new here and I will speak. I will question you and you make
it known to me. that's what God had said to job and now jobs
repeating it back and he's saying I had heard of you by the
hearing of the ear, but now my eyes, see you Therefore, I
despise myself and repent in dust and Ashes.
Job suffered well and the Lord proved he is compassionate and
merciful, he allowed job to see new depths to God.
And then after that, he returns everything to job even doubling
it. But let's not forget that job
still. I mean, if I had lost
possessions, that's one thing and job lost a lot of
possessions But losing a daughter is a completely
different job loss, multiple children.
And though things were doubled, he still dealt with the loss of
his children. But he was still able to say
that the Lord is compassionate and merciful before I had heard
of you. But now my eyes have seen you.
This is what providence does. We could recall the names of
many men and women in our Bibles, examine their stories.
We would see that they endured suffering for the glory of the
Lord and the good of others, and we call them blessed for it.
Well, the scripture speak highly of those men and women you can
read Hebrews 11 if you're curious.
There is one greater. There's one greater to whom we
must look to as our example. Hebrews 11, we call the Hall of
Faith. The writer of Hebrews takes us,
through example, after example, of those who endured hardship
and exercised faith, He Praises them and he even mentions.
There's so many we could name and we're not naming them all
because he was running out of time.
Also, and then in chapter 12, immediately after he says that
he says, therefore Therefore since we are surrounded by so
great, a cloud of witnesses. Let us also lay aside every
weight and every sin, which clings so closely and let us run
with endurance, the race that is set before us.
Looking to Jesus, the founder and the 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, the only perfect, Man to
ever live endured suffering was well acquainted with grief.
You're not alone in it look to Christ looked across the best
way to suffer with a movable patients is to look to Christ
into the end of your sufferings, once God's purposes for your
suffering or answered. He brings an end to them.
And his Mercy is such that he carries with him and abundant
reward for all their sufferings that is an unfading Crown of
Glory for all who call on the name of Christ.
Matthew Henry said this, he said God's bowels, that is his inward
Parts. They wrote different back then,
right God's bowels are moved for them while suffering.
You're like my removed every time I eat Mexican but God's
Bowser mood for them while suffering, his Bounty is
manifested afterwards. John 11:33, Jesus is responding
to a call to come because Lazarus has passed. it says when
Jesus saw her weeping, The sister of Lazarus.
He saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her also
weeping. So there's a throng of weeping
going on. Listen to how he was moved, says
he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.
Greatly trouble. And then in verse 35, two verses
later. We read shortest.
Verse in all scripture. Jesus wept.
Short verse massive impact. What are we?
What are we saying? Christ looks on death.
And weeps Christ looks on death and said, this is not the way
things are supposed to be. And now you know a little bit
more about the joy that was set before him.
It was the Redemption of his people, it was the Redemption of
the world. It was to set all things, right.
One day when Christ returns and so the only way brothers and
sisters that you're going to have immovable.
Patients is to fix your Gaze on eternity.
Fix your gaze. There look to Christ be patient.
Establish your hearts. Do not Grumble.
Consider your examples. See them, see their stories.
See their God who abounds in steadfast love and faithfulness.
Let their example, and their character that you see in God,
let that character spur you, on during your sufferings, his
purposes are always compassionate and merciful even
if you cannot yet, see that way, hold on, be patience.
Remember that? The hope of Christ is with you.
And it will not put you to shame.
Just as it did not put our examples in scripture to shame
either. So brothers and sisters, I'll
leave you with this. Let us serve our God, let us
endure our trials, as those who believe that the end of all
things will Crown, all of God's people.
Amen, let me pray for you. Heavenly Father Joy to be in
your house today. I praise you for the patience of
this people today. Their encouragement.
They're allowing me to preach your word today.
It is my hope, Lord. That we will know in movable
patients in our time of suffering.
Lord, I Thank you for the grace and the mercy that you have
shown to my wife and our boys and myself.
To when his grandparents and family members to her church
family and her friends. Lord, we would be lost without
you. I thank you, Lord, that we get
to grieve as people with hope. You get to look to Christ always
we get to trust the Lord that your providential hand orders.
All things for our good, Even if we can't quite see it.
We trust that it's true because your word has spoken and your
word is true. Lord made the Saints here today.
Be edified encouraged strengthened by Your Word.
May we go from this place now. Into the world to proclaim the
gospel of Christ to live for you to love you and to love others
as you show us. And we honor your name and all
that we say and do forgive us of our sins, Lord help us to be
honest. Today in our evaluation of
ourselves to be repentance if we have failed, you if we have
failed to obey your word, Lord, we thank you that you are
faithful even when we are not. Praise you father, in Christ's
name, we pray. Amen.