The Book of James Chapter 5:1-12
James 5: [1] Go to now,
ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that
shall come upon you. [2] Your
riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
[3] Your gold and silver is
cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat
your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
[4] Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you
kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them
which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
[5] Ye have lived in pleasure on
the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of
slaughter. [6] Ye have condemned
and killed the just; and he doth not resist you. [7] Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord.
Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit
of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and
latter rain. [8] Be ye also
patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the
Lord draweth nigh.
[9] Grudge not one against
another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth
before the door. [10] Take, my
brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example
of suffering affliction, and of patience. [11] Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the
patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very
pitiful, and of tender mercy.
[12]
But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the
earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be
yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.
Someone once said “LORD give me patience and give it
to me now.”
We live in a fast paced world in what seems to be the
busiest of days. We want it right now!!
BUT James writes to a people pushing & pulling,
persecuted, experiencing problems & difficulties
Jms1:3
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work
Ps
37:7 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him
5
times patience is mentioned
(4times from vs 7-10 makrothumeo-people)
(1 time vs 11 hupomone-trials)
There are 4 Exhortations for Patience
1) Anticipate the
Coming of the LORD Vs 1-9
We are to wait patiently for the LORD. He is coming back!
Do you long for His return?
People enjoy the world so much they are not interested in
HIS return anymore
BUT God sends trials, heartaches, burdens to prepare us
for HIS return
These trials remind us that things on earth are temporary
Tit
2:13 Looking
for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.
As we wait with patience we are to be busy, working for
the LORD … “Be
patient therefore, brethren”
A. Accumulating
for the City Vs 1-6
We are to patiently wait like a laborer for his wages
When Jesus returns money will be worthless to you
Matt
6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust
doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will
your heart be also.
500 references to faith, 500 references to prayer BUT
2000 references to money & possessions
Your relationship to money & material things shows
your true spiritual heart
1-3 Heaped
treasure on earth and hoarding them
All right to prepare for the future, to save and invest
But the wrong attitude to money will bring a curse
1923 Business Tycoons of the world met
Charles Schwab – President of Steel Co. lived off credit and
died penniless
Richard Whitney-President of NYSE served time in Sing,Sing prison
Albert Fall- Sect of Interior US Govt
took bribes went to prison was pardon to die at home
Jesse Livermore-Investment Banker committed suicide
Edward Hopson-Pres. Of Gas Co went insane
“the rust of them shall be a
witness against you”
John Rockefeller “I’ve made millions and they have
brought no happiness”
Cornelius Vanderbilt “caring for millions is too great a
load there is no pleasure in it”
Henry Ford “I was happier as a mechanic”
* Little lady died a pauper, ate oatmeal cold so as not
to pay for heat, found millions stuffed in draperies
Well
I am not rich, but compared to most 3rd world countries you are rich
Lk
12:15 for a man's life consisteth not in the
abundance of the things which he possesseth.
4-6 The rich have defrauded laborers, held and stole the money and it
looks like there is no justice
In
heaping and hoarding they have fattened themselves, are self indulgent for self
pleasure
BUT
God will hear the cry of the exploited laborer and defend them
We
are to patiently wait like a laborer for his wages (GOD has not forgotten you)
Our
wages may not be given on earth, but our rewards will be in heaven
Justice
will come
* Missionary
& wife coming home and saw a WELCOME HOME sign
* But
when they got off the ship they realized the sign and the band played for Pres.
Theo Roosevelt
* The
missionary whimpered, nobody cares & his wife said “Its ok we are not home
yet!”
B. Activating the Crop 7b
We are to patiently wait like a farmer
The farmer has to be patient as it a long process from
planting until harvest
He cant hurry the process….but
he must prepare the soil and sow!!!
He must be busy working in between
He must patiently wait for the early and latter rain
The farmer is willing to patiently wait for the precious
fruit
Gal 6: 7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked:
for whatsoever a man soweth
, that shall he also reap.
C. Abjudicating
the Court 9
We are to patiently wait like a defendant
The Judge is standing at the door ready to enter the
courtroom
Many are waiting for the justice, but justice does not
always happen on earth
* Rudy
Giuliani caught 106 officials accepting bribes
Justice
may not happen on earth BUT GOD will right the wrongs
As you patiently wait, don’t complain or murmur against
another or judge another
The judge at the door can hear you grumble and quarrel
2) Assimilate the
Champions Vs 10
Think about the OT prophets who waited patiently and persevered (let us be
likeminded)
Elijah patient with Jezebel & Ahab
Jeremiah patient with opposition that brought sorrow and
weeping
Ezekiel patient with captivity and his wife died (Ez 24:18)
Hosea patient with the heartbreak of an unfaithful wife
Amos patient with lies and scorn
John
the Baptist patient with prison and beheaded
All
will experience suffering BUT let their patient example encourage you
3) Appreciate the
Compassion Vs 11
Job suffered great difficulties, but in his patience GOD
proved compassionate
The Acknowledgment
of Faith Job 1:1
Country-Uz Character-
Feared God
Children-10 Capitol- Very rich
Consecration-Offered
burnt offerings for sin
The Accusation of
Faith Job 1:6-11
Satan
accused Job before God
The Adversity of Faith Job
1:13-19
Bankrupt,
bereaved, broken
The Affirmation of
Faith Job 1:20-22
Job
worshipped
The Adversity of
Faith Job
2 Boils,bride,buddies
4:12-17, 8:4-8, 11:3,4
The Administration
of Faith Job 42
Job
was rewarded with twice as much as he lost
4) Affiliate the Conversation Vs 12
“But
above all things”-
in relation to what has been said, remember this
Adopt this policy
Be a
person of your word even if you must be patient don’t be wishy
washy
Be honest and trustworthy in all things