| Sometimes, quite often in fact, we experience difficulties and
tragedies on this Earth that make us long for Heaven. One of the little
jokes that my wife and I have between us is who gets to go to Heaven
first. If I say I am ready to go, she remarks, “Hey, you’re not leaving
me here with the children and the house!” We have decided that our
preference would be to go together. Of course, that is completely in
the LORD’s hands to decide. But it is a fun little joke.
What is not such fun is to see people who apparently are getting away
with such atrocities. Greedy and getting richer. Murdering and
enjoying a life free from justice. Cursing God yet enjoying what we
sometimes call the “good life.”
How can we, as believers in the LORD Jesus Christ, be patient in the
face of such things? How can we live in a fallen world while such
things are happening all around us? We need patience … but how?
Main Point: To become an effective servant of the LORD, you
must patiently endure all things. You can have patience because of the
certain hope that our LORD Jesus Christ is coming again.
Outline:
- Patiently wait for God's Justice (James 5:1-8).
- Practice the patience of God's prophets (James 5:9-12).
- Work patiently with fellow believers during trials (James
5:13-20).
1. Patiently wait for God's Justice (James 5:1-8).
A. Look forward to the LORD’s certain justice toward those who
continually reject Jesus Christ.
1 Come
now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon
you! 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten.
3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a
witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have
heaped up treasure in the last days. 4 Indeed the wages of the
laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry
out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord
of Sabaoth. 5 You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury;
you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. 6 You have
condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.
(James 5:1-6, NKJV).
James speaks to the “rich” whose “miseries … ARE coming upon you” (5:1,
emphasis mine). Those he speaks about are unbelievers who have gained
wealth by taking advantage of others. These are people with a greedy
materialistic mind. All that satisfies such people is getting more
wealth.
What really makes me angry sometimes is that such people continue to
get richer! Do you ever wonder why God does not seem to do anything?
There is an abundance of fraud going on through the internet.
One of the current scams is the “Nigerian government” scam. Someone
writes an email pretending to be a government official in Nigeria.
He urgently writes of some funds that he has protected from some new
dictator coming into office. All he needs is an American bank
account to transfer the money out of the country. You get to keep a
small amount, say 10%, for yourself. Naturally, people are eager to
make easy money. When the funds are allegedly in the millions, 10%
would bring you a tidy amount of money to keep for yourself.
The scam is to first lure someone to an unfamiliar location --
usually London or Hong Kong. Once there, something happens and the
person is asked to provide some advance money, usually “only” in the
thousands. The advance money is taken and the funds are never
transferred. Often, people are beaten or killed in addition to
being robbed.
There are many variations on this scam. They even prey on
ministries with purported donations – in the millions of course.
All that is required is travel to London and a small fee for the
transfer – in the thousands of course. It is a dirty business. And
there are many unsuspecting people being duped out of thousands of
dollars.
Our Scripture passage brings us to the reality of God’s reckoning with
every person, especially the wicked. James says to “weep and howl”
concerning the judgment that God will render. Those who ignore God and
live such a greedy lives here on Earth will face a terrible eternity:
“5You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened
your hearts as in a day of slaughter” (James 5:5, NKJV).
Understand that I do not want anyone to go to Hell. That is why I
promote The Gospel of Jesus Christ. But I do look forward to God’s
ultimate justice. Those who reject the grace of the LORD Jesus Christ
make me angry – a righteous anger. God is a just God and I want His
justice. I want to see the wicked brought to justice. I may never see
it in my life but someday I will see it in the great white throne
judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). The Bible shows us that the righteous
will rejoice in God’s ultimate judgment (Psalm 9, 52, 54, 68, and
others).
10 The
righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance [of God];
He shall
wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,
11 So that
men will say,
“Surely
there is a reward for the righteous;
Surely He
is God who judges in the earth.” (Psalm 58:10-11, NKJV)
People may be unfair to you now but be patient. How? Look forward to
the day when our LORD Jesus returns. He will deal swiftly and justly
with every one of His enemies.
B. Rest confidently in the fact that Christ our LORD will return to
this earth.
7
Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See
how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting
patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You
also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord
is at hand. (James 5:7-8, NKJV)
You can be patient in time with an eye toward eternity. James exhorts
us to be patient "until
the coming of the Lord" (5:7). That is the blessed hope of
every believer -- one day Jesus will return! He also exhorts us to be
patient "for
the coming of the Lord is at hand" (5:8). The example is of
a farmer who, from experience, knows the cycle of planting seed,
watering, cultivating, and then seeing the plant produce its fruit. The
farmer patiently goes through the long summer of planting, watering, and
cultivating because he is certain of the outcome.
In a similar manner, the believer is told to be patient for the
coming of the LORD. The first exhortation “until the coming” is to
maintain patience and the second “for the coming” is to motivate
patience.
- The return of Jesus Christ is a fact – Revelation 19-20
is God’s prophecy about the return of Christ. Prophecy about the
future is simply God’s history written from the vantage point of
eternity. It is in the future to us but to God, who lives outside
of time and space, it is real and in full view now.
- The return of Jesus Christ is a certainty – It was Jesus
Himself who said, “1Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in
God, believe also in Me. 2In My Father’s house are many mansions; if
it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for
you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and
receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John
14:1-3, NKJV). It is hard to argue with someone who has risen from
the dead!
- The return of Jesus Christ is imminent – This means that
Jesus can return at any time. As the Bible says, “you yourselves
know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the
night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2, NKJV). We do not know when Jesus will
return. But we do know we are 2,000 years closer!
As the church of Jesus Christ, we should be able to maintain patience
until the coming of our LORD Jesus because of the fact and the certainty
of it. We must become patient because the coming of our LORD Jesus is
imminent.
Live your life with the expectancy that Jesus Christ will return today!
James says,
"be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at
hand. (James 5:7-8, NKJV). The word "establish" means to
settle the matter in your heart today -- because this could be the Day!
2. Practice the patience of God's prophets (James 5:9-12)
9 Do not
grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned.
Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! 10 My brethren, take the
prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of
suffering and patience. 11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure.
You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended
by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. 12 But
above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth
or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,”
“No,” lest you fall into judgment. (James 5:9-12, NKJV)
If you knew your team was going to lose, how would you play? I mean, if
you knew in advance the certainty of your loss, would you do your best?
A man named Jeremiah did. He was God’s prophet, called to preach to the
people of Jerusalem before it fell to the Babylonian army (the book of
Jeremiah). It was a horrible thing to watch. People were starved to
death. Those who survived were brutalized by the invading army. And
Jeremiah was told in advance by God it would happen. His job was to
preach God’s word to people who largely ignored him. But Jeremiah was
patient.
Indeed we
count them blessed who endure (James 5:11, NKJV)
What about Noah? He was told to build an ark because God was going
to flood the earth (Genesis 6-7). He patiently worked for over 100
years to build the ark. Certainly he was mocked and scorned for this
crazy work – after all, no one had ever seen rain, including Noah! But
Noah was patient.
Indeed we
count them blessed who endure (James 5:11, NKJV)
Then there is Job. He was a righteous man but suffered outrageous
tragedies in his life. His wealth was suddenly stolen. His children
were suddenly killed. His health was suddenly taken away. He could
have cursed God for these things – in fact his wife encouraged him to do
so! But Job was patient. He was not perfect, but he was patient
through this. Job looked forward to the coming of the LORD Jesus:
For I know
that my Redeemer lives,
And He
shall stand at last on the earth;
And after
my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my
flesh I shall see God… (Job 19:25-26, NKJV)
Though
He slay me, yet will I trust Him. (Job 13:15, NKJV)
So don’t be a complainer when tragedy strikes you but be patient.
Consider the example of the many saints who have gone before you. They
considered that the
“Judge is
standing at the door” (James 5:9, NKJV). They looked forward
to what God had promised for all eternity. They judged the events in
time by the certainty of eternity. This gave them patience. So it will
give you patience.
Be encouraged – you can be as patient as Job. Be encouraged as you see
the example of other believers who have persevered through great
suffering. And practice their patience.
3. Work patiently with fellow believers during trials (James
5:13-20)
A. Pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ who are tired,
discouraged, and defeated.
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful?
Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for
the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him
with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will
save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has
committed sins, he will be forgiven. (James 5:13-15, NKJV).
Sometimes we approach God and ask without any expectation that He can or
will help: “LORD, you don’t really want to help me out in this, right?
I didn’t think so…”
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of
God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be
given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he
who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from
the Lord; (James 1:5-7, NKJV)
What about this “prayer of faith” that “will save the sick?” Can we pray
people well?
- The question is itself is ridiculous – you do not have the power
to make anyone well yourself.
- A better question is: Can God make people well? The answer is
yes, of course. He does it all the time.
- How many of you have ever been sick in the past? You are well
now … how?
- Healing always comes from the LORD through various means – God’s
supernatural touch (a miracle), or by giving understanding of
sickness and provision of medicines, or through the marvelous
recuperative processes He built into the human body. But all
healing is an act of mercy on God’s part – never take it for
granted.
This passage has many divergent interpretations. Depending on your
theological bias (the church doctrine you have been taught all your
life), much is read into this passage and much is ignored. Here are
some things to consider:
- There are many different forms of sickness. The word for “sick”
(v14) is derived from a root word meaning “to be weak, feeble,
without strength, powerless.”
- Also “the sick” (v15) is a different Greek word that also refers
to being tired and weary.
- So the type of sickness that James is talking about is not
disease or infections or other physical ailments we normally think
of when we hear the word “sick.”
- Consider that if James 5:14-15 did mean any physical illness,
then the elders (pastors) of the church could go to every hospital,
pray and anoint with oil in the name of the LORD, and clear out the
hospital beds!
- But that is not the kind of sickness James is talking about. The
two different words used for “sick” mean to be tired and weary.
- Tired and weary of what? Put this in context – this chapter is
largely dealing with the suffering we face trying to live for Christ
in a fallen world. This is a world where the bad guy can win and
bad people can live the good life for a long time. We need patience
in the to wait for God’s deliverance and His justice in this world.
- Also, we will grow tired and weary as we suffer – that is a
natural consequence of going through the fiery trials of the
Christian life (1 Peter 1:6).
- Further, consider how James started this book:
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3
knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4But let
patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and
complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:2-4, NKJV)
You will grow tired through the trials of life, the suffering you face,
the pursuit of patience in your walk with the LORD Jesus. James offers
this resolution: the prayer of faith. He says that you, the tired and
weary one, should call the elders in the church to pray for you AND with
you. All of you should pray with faith in the LORD Jesus for His
strength and grace to continue living the life.
Can God answer this prayer? Yes.
Will God answer this prayer? Yes.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may
obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16,
NKJV)
The prayer of faith for those who are physically, spiritually,
emotionally, and mentally drained from the trials of life – “the LORD
will raise him up” (James 5:15, NKJV).
B. Work at prayer for your brothers and sisters who are tired,
discouraged, and defeated.
The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James
5:16b, NKJV)
Have you ever prayed for someone in your life but over time you just
stopped praying? I mean, God just did not seem to be doing anything so
you gradually stopped asking.
The phrase “effective, fervent” is from a Greek word “energeo” related
to an English word “energy.” It means to be at work, to put forth
power, making a diligent effort. Powerful praying requires energy,
work. In fact, Jesus told us to pray and never give up:
1 Then He spoke a parable
to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying:
There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard
man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him,
saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4 And he would not
for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not
fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will
avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’” 6 Then the
Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not
avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He
bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them
speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really
find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:1-8, NKJV)
James uses an example for effective, fervent praying: Elijah prayed
earnestly – literally “prayed with prayer” and God stopped the rain:
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly
that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three
years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave
rain, and the earth produced its fruit. (James 5:17-18, NKJV).
Elijah was the most spectacular of God’s prophets in his feats of
faith. This is why James chose to use him as an example to you and I.
You see, Elijah was just a man, just a normal human being like you and
I. His prayers were powerful because Elijah was also a just man, a
“righteous man.” He was righteous not because he was perfect. But
Elijah was righteous because he turned from his sins and placed his
faith and trust in the living God and in the Christ (Messiah) that God
had promised to deal with the penalty of our sins (Genesis 3:15).
Your prayers will never be powerful until you are righteous before God.
God has sent His Son, the LORD Jesus Christ, who has paid for your sins
for all time so that you can be righteous. Be sure you are right with
God by confessing your sins and trusting in the LORD Jesus Christ.
C. Patiently work with the backslidden to point them to Christ.
Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone
turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the
error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude
of sins. (James 5:19-20, NKJV)
Some have interpreted this passage as an evangelistic passage –
referring to saving the soul of a lost person. Most likely, this is a
misunderstanding of the Authorized King James Version of this passage:
“Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him…”
(James 5:19, KJV). The Greek word translated
“convert” does mean to turn back or turn towards something. Certainly,
you can make application of verses 5:19-20 in regard to evangelistic
activity.
The primary meaning here refers not to evangelism but restoration. The
verb tense is important because it indicates that someone has caused
this turning back. This verse speaks of the “Brethren” meaning the body
of believers in a local congregation. So “anyone
among you” refers to one within that body of
believers. This speaks of brothers or sisters in Christ reaching out to
rescue another brother or sister who has wandered away in sin.
Our passage in James (5:19-20, along with 5:15-16) provides some insight
into how to relate to a believer who strays from God. Like a lost
sheep, the believer who strays from God knows where the security and
comfort of the fold can be found. Yet for many reasons, the believer
wanders off the narrow road. Quite often, like a lost sheep, such
brothers or sisters cannot see the way back. They may not think they
can get back. There may be things in their path – people or situations
– that make it impossible for them to get back on their own. That is
why it is so important for you to work patiently to turn around such
brothers or sisters.
Importance of Doctrine:
So how do you provide accountability? First, the issue is one who
“wanders from the truth” (5:19). If you are to turn
back someone who has wandered from the truth, what will you do for
them? Present the truth to them! Each believer in the LORD Jesus
Christ is accountable to His commands in Scripture.
14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and
carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men,
in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking
the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the
head—Christ. (Ephesians 4:14-15, NKJV)
There is much to trick and deceive us in this world. The devil has been
around a lot longer than you and is skilled in such deception. We must
get the truth about the sinning brother or sister in front of that
brother or sister for God’s word to have its maximum impact. God can
get your attention in many ways. But one of the most merciful ways He
gets our attention is through our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Importance of Confession.
And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the LORD will raise
him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess
your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you
may be healed. (James 5:15-16, NKJV)
The Protestant church has somewhat resisted the idea of confession of
sins to anyone but God. This is no doubt due to the resistance to the
Roman Catholic tradition of confessing your sins to a priest. I agree
that a priest cannot offer absolution for your sins – Jesus Christ did
this on the cross at Calvary 2,000 years ago. And it was our LORD who
pronounced from that cross,
“It
is finished!” (John 19:30, NKJV) – debt paid in full!
Yet there is spiritual power to be gained in the accountability of a
small group where you can be vulnerable, expose your weakness, and –
amazingly – gain strength through the spiritual vitality of others who
love you and pray for you.
“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.
Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless indeed
you are disqualified” (2 Corinthians 13:5, NKJV).
Promise Keepers has made a tremendous impact on strengthening the faith
of men in this country -- not just through the public stadium rallies
but specifically through the use of small accountability groups.
It is not easy to open up before other people. But among your brothers
and sisters in Christ, you can find people who will love you and hold
you accountable. Chuck Swindoll, for example, has seven questions that
he and a group of fellow pastors challenge each other with periodically:
- Have you been with a woman anywhere this past week that might be
seen as compromising?
- Have any of your financial dealings lacked integrity?
- Have you exposed yourself to any sexually explicit material?
- Have you spent adequate time in Bible study and prayer?
- Have you given priority time to your family?
- Have you fulfilled the mandates of your calling?
- Have you just lied to me? 1
The purpose of this, of course, is to help each of us to focus on
whether we are indeed walking in the light or covering up a dark spot.
It is NOT an opportunity to learn the juicy, secret sins so you can
gossip about it. You need to be sure you engage in accountability with
people who can build you up, not tear you down.
Our lives are to be lived with purity and integrity. Confidential
confession to your brothers and sisters in Christ is a way for you to
become spiritually sensitive and brutally honest with yourself. As the
Scripture says, “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the
countenance of his friend” (NKJV).
D. Rewards For Restoration
Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone
turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the
error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude
of sins. (James 5:19-20, NKJV)
For the wandering brother or sister, you need to provide accountability,
allow confidential confession, and pray earnestly for their repentance.
Working hard to bring the wayward soul back to God and His fellowship is
a painful work, emotionally draining, but a spiritually rewarding one.
The Bible says:
- You will save a soul from death.
- You will cover a multitude of sins.
God will deal most severely with a Christian who willfully sins and
continues in sin. Yet the Bible makes it clear that
“whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He
receives” (Hebrews 12:6, NKJV). If His correction
along the way is ineffective, there may come a point when God God’s
patience wears out. He may decide it is better for His kingdom if the
sinning Christian is taken out of the world (1 Corinthians 5:5).
Neither you nor I are qualified to make that assessment of an
individual. But with that warning, let us work that much harder to try
and bring revival to the sinning Christian. If you are successful, it
will cover a multitude of sins in that the wayward soul stops sinning.
That is revival. As Charles Finney once said, “Revival is simply a
new beginning of obedience to God.”
To become an effective servant of the LORD, you must patiently endure
all things. You can have patience because of the certain hope that our
LORD Jesus Christ is coming again. With your patience, you can have a
dramatic impact on the body of Christ.
End Notes
1. Colson, Chuck. The Body.
End Notes |
