James
Be Patient
James tells us to “Be Patient”
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3: 9
The Judge is standing at the door!
Don’t give up on the autumn and spring rain
It may be another year or more before the Lord comes
Maybe the person you hate because of the evil you see in their life
May repent and be saved
Don’t bad talk the evil and settle for a life of complaining
Pray for a harvest no matter how bad the winter and summer gets
“Are we there yet?”
No, not yet
Keep praying for the lost and do good
Sow your seed / Sow God’s Word
The farmer never knows whether he will receive 40, 60 or 100 times Mark 4
Be Patient
James says “Be Patient”.
One of the first things that come to
mind is taking trips with our kids…
Why do children lack patients?
Are we there yet?
When you hear that question with children
you know the trip is going to get uncomfortable.
Children get irritable when they have to wait.
They may through a fit or complain.
Whether on a trip or trying to finish up
your shopping, an impatient child
will only make the longer process worse.
James in the verses before he says…
“Be Patient”
Is telling us of the oppression of the rich.
Telling us the rich have condemned and
even murdered innocent people,
people who aren’t even opposing them.
The world in James’ time was full
of evil like the time we are living in.
I am sure you are hearing people like
me who are asking the question…
“Are we there yet?”
“Is Jesus coming back soon?”
James uses the illustration of a farmer.
He says farmers are patient for
the autumn and spring rains.
If you live in a climate like Ohio,
you have four seasons where winter
and summer can be hard…
Too cold or too hot.
I have to confess I complain the most in
cold of winter and the heat of summer.
The farmer knows the seasons.
No matter how bad the winter or summer gets…
He knows the autumn and spring
rains will bring a valuable crop.
Farmers do the same thing every year no
matter how bad the last winter or summer was.
Every year they are optimistic
about the next valuable crop.
James may have been thinking of Psalms 84…
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.
Psalms 84:5-7
The Valley of Baca means a place of tears.
The Apostle Paul reminds the leaders of
the church that he wept for three years,
day and night as he warned them.
Paul knew that after he died there would
be those who would come in and rise up
within the church and bring destruction.
It would become those leaders’ responsibility
to wept and warn the people.
Acts 20:25-31
Jeremiah says when the spring
rains don’t come, wickedness increases.
Jeremiah 3:3
If God’s people don’t wept over the wickedness
of the land how can there be a crop.
Jeremiah goes on to say in Chapter 5:24…
Those who do not fear the Lord and
assume God will send the autumn and
spring rains, will not see the rain.
Our time of being patient is a time of grief and mourning.
It is a time of repentance and evil will become more evil.
Joel reminds us that no matter
how bad things get, there is hope.
When all seems to have been destroyed…
God will send the autumn and spring rain as He
did before, or as the KJV says, in the same month.
God made a promise to His people
when they went into the promise land…
So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today —
to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and with
all your soul — then I will send rain on your land in its season,
both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain,
new wine and oil.
Deuteronomy 11:13-14
No matter how evil and bad things get…
We are to never stop loving the Lord our God.
Be patient.
You too, be patient and stand firm,
because the Lord's coming is near.
James 5:8
Don’t grumble and complain.
Keep praying and doing good.
Don't grumble against each other,
brothers, or you will be judged.
The Judge is standing at the door!
James 5:9
You and I do not know
the times or the seasons.
James thought Christ’s return was soon.
We, too, believe Christ will return soon.
But we should not give up weeping for the lost…
Repenting and doing good.
God is collecting our tears.
Who knows, maybe God will prolong His
coming so that He may show His power to
save and bring in another great harvest.
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise,
as some understand slowness.
He is patient with you,
not wanting anyone to perish,
but everyone to come to repentance.
2 Peter 3: 9
The Judge is standing at the door!
Don’t give up on the autumn and spring rain.
It may be another year or
more before the Lord comes.
Maybe the person you hate because of the evil
you see in their life may repent and be saved.
Don’t bad talk the evil and
settle for a life of complaining.
Pray for a harvest no matter how
bad the winter and summer gets.
Are we there yet?
No, not yet.
Keep praying for the lost and do good.
Sow your seed / Sow God’s Word
The farmer never knows whether
he will receive 40, 60 or 100 times.
Mark 4
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!
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