James
5:7-11
Patience
in waiting for the Lord’s return
Introduction:
Do we possess the virtue of patience during these days before Christmas? We
have grown so accustomed to getting what we want, when we want it. Instant
information. Instant coffee. Instant replay in televised sports. 24-hour news.
Served up in an instant.
We sometimes might expect God
to respond in kind. We tend to forget that God has eternity while we have only
time. God is never in a hurry as we are. He does not need to be in a hurry with
eternity at His disposal. Our Epistle for this evening deals with the problem
of Christ’s return.
Why does He not come now? It
helps to be patient – if we agree that He will be worth the wait. The coming of
the Lord often appears to be tardy. It’s been 2,000 years and the Lord still
has not come! James urges us to be patient and reminds us that the Lord’s
coming is indeed near—if we can only perceive the Lord’s timing.
1.
Know that He surely is coming – V. 8 – “You to, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.”
For James, “patience” means not
despairing over the return of Christ, which is “near” or “at hand”. When
Jesus comes, all these other problems are solved. Meanwhile, hang in there! “Be patient . . . until the coming of the
Lord."
Patience is not something we
seem to value anymore. We value speed and efficiency. When have you had to be
patient? When has patience brought you something better than what you could
have gotten right away? James encourages us to slow down, be patient. Rely on
God.
2.
Follow the example of the patient ones – Vv. 7,
– “Be patient, then brothers, until the
Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop
and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains…
In Israel, the autumn rain
comes in October and November soon after the grain is sown. Planting was in the
fall, after the first rains had softened the ground. The spring rain comes in
March and April just prior to the harvest. Early rains came in autumn, latter
rains in spring.
See how many times James uses
the word patience. He mentions a farmer - What happens when crops are harvested
too soon? I remember pulling up onions in the garden to look at them, and
carrots; way too early in the season, 'just to check'. It usually meant bad
news even when they were ready! Oh that I should have been patient...
As
an example of patience in the face of suffering take the prophets who spoke in
the name of the Lord.” Circumstances will end. James
reminds us. It looks so dark and unending now. You needed to be reminded - your
situation will not last forever. In the same way, James has encouraged his
persecuted readers with the hope of Christ's return. And so, he has helped us
choose a stance of patience. - The practice of Christian patience is need by
all!
3.
Accept the fact that He is coming to judge – V. 9 “Don’t grumble against each other, or you
will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door.” In discussing patience, why does James insert
a seeming odd thought about grumbling against one another? Probably a lot of
grumbling stems from our impatience with life and with people.
When things don’t go as you
hope or expect, it’s tempting to blame someone else. Blaming others is easier
than taking responsibility. By “grumbling”,
James means blaming someone else and not taking responsibility for your actions
or lack of action. Remember, Christ the judge will come -- no ifs, ands, or
buts about it -- and will judge each of us.
He will not let us get away with shifting the blame to others.
When we are grumbling against an,
our focus is not on God’s reality and work in our lives but on the differences we
see as we focus on those around us. James doesn’t qualify this. He doesn’t say,
“don’t grumble unless you have a good reason to.” When we are grumbling, we
are unable to receive God’s peace and we are unable to give or receive a
blessing from another person. When we grumble we are not content with God’s
work in our lives and in those around us.
Conclusion:
We sometimes forget that God has eternity while we have only time. God is never
in a hurry as we are. He does not need to be in a hurry with eternity at His
disposal. In your preparations for the coming Christmas celebration recall that
your Father is making all things new and has your destiny planed. With the
Psalmist we can say, “My times are in Thy
hands.”
