James Be Patient, Until the Lord's Coming

 

James

Be Patient, Until the Lord's Coming

Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming.

See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop… James 5:7

Farmers know seasons change

They know there are years of plenty and years of lack

But farmers never stop farming

To be patient is to wait and not give up

To be patient is to not settle for second best

Never stop giving your best as you wait for the Lord’s coming

Your personal character is your fruit

Those around you are your fruit

Don’t give up on producing fruit until the Lord's coming

Fruitful farmers don’t give up and grumble about the hard times

They are wise and make the most of every opportunity Colossians 4:5

 

 

Be Patient, Until the Lord's Coming

 

To be patient is to wait and not give up.

 

To be patient is to not settle for second best.

 

James starts the letter encouraging us

to be patient and persevere under trial.

 

To endure hardship.

 

Now in Chapter 5, James is encouraging

us to be patient again…

 

 But this time until the Lord comes.

 

The illustration James uses is that of the farmer.

 

Year after year, season after season, a

farmer waits and works for one thing, “fruit”.

 

A farmer waits for his crop.

 

Jesus used the illustration of fruit over

and over again to tell us you recognize

the tree or plant by its fruit.

 Matthew 7:16-20

 

Trees can be made bad or good and

its fruit will produce what the tree becomes.

Matthew 12:33

 

There sometimes comes a point when a

tree shows leaves, but no longer is producing

fruit and it becomes unuseful and removed.

 Matthew 21:19

 

This is to my Father's glory,

that you bear much fruit,

showing yourselves to be my disciples.

John 15:8

 

Disciples are students.

 

Bearing much fruit comes

from learning and applying.

 

James says…

 

Be patient, then, brothers,

 until the Lord's coming

 

The Lord is coming whether you

wait till you are of an old age or

when He comes back for His Bride.

 

Many of us as we get older, talk about our past…

 

The accomplishments of days when strength

and youthful zeal filled our bodies.

 

As we get older producing fruit is still important.

 

Sadly, I know many who gave up as they aged.

 

Things they warned others of, they now do.

 

Their example to the youth is not good.

 

They may still call themselves Christians,

 but are not producing fruit like they use to.

 

On the other hand, I know many who

 are more concerned with being

fruitful that ever before.

 

They still read God’s Word every day, are

active in the church, share their faith with

the lost, and their wisdom with the youth.

 

I have seen the change of the land in the Toledo area.

 

Many farm lands have been sold off for retirement funds.

 

The land that used to produce crops no longer produce.

 

I am not saying we don’t need houses.

 

We are to be patient, until the Lord's coming

 

Working for a crop in all seasons of our lives.

 

Jesus gives us a strong warning for those

of us who are entering our latter years.

 

"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do.

 I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones,

and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

And I'll say to myself,

 "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years.

Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ' 

"But God said to him, 'You fool!

This very night your life will be demanded from you.

Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'

"This is how it will be with anyone who stores

up things for himself but is not rich toward God."

 Luke 12:18-21

 

As we wait…

 

 Don’t become discouraged and give up.

 

A friend of mine who is having some health issues

because of Covid 19 cannot share in the nursing homes.

 

I have never seen him discouraged.

 

My friend has always found his joy serving the Lord.

 

He is in a season where he is not sure

how God can use him to bear fruit.

   

One of the greatest women in the church I

pastored, in her old age was confined to a bed.

 

She said to me one day in the hospital…

 

 Look I cannot go anywhere,

I cannot even go to the bathroom

and have to wear a diaper.

 

She was in tears as in this season of her

life she could not experience the joy

of serving the Lord as she had.

 

I looked at her and said…

 

 “You are still full of strength,

you can still change the world.

Your children, grandchildren and great

grandchildren honor you and respect you.

They need your smile, your loving words

when they visit or you talk to them on the phone.”

Farmers know seasons change.

 

 They know there are years of plenty and years of lack.

 

But farmers never stop farming.

 

To be patient is to wait and not give up.

 

To be patient is to not settle for second best.

 

Never stop giving your best as

you wait for the Lord’s coming.

 

Your personal character is your fruit.

 

Those around you are your fruit.

 

Don’t give up on producing

fruit until the Lord's coming.

 

 

Scripture Reading

 

James 5:7-9 NIV

 

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. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. 9 Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!