SERMON SUMMARY
To be a Christian is to daily walk the road of dependence and expectation. James reminds us of that in our stud today. The men and women to whom he is writing knew the sting of persecution, the uncertainty of what was just ahead. Because of that, James wants them to remember that the Lord upon whom they are dependent for hope will, indeed, return. And though they may not feel it or see it or understand the mind of the Lord, they are called to remain steadfast with the expectation that the Lord will come, and when he comes, he will vindicate and redeem them.
Farmers are a patient people. They must be. They can’t make the seasons turn, or the rain come, or the crops grow according to their schedule. So they wait, not wringing their hands with anxiety but with active anticipation. There are innumerable challenges in this life. We face uncertainty and, for some, genuine persecution. We are dependent for everything — strength, hope, purpose, provision — on a God who is immeasurably outside of our control. And yet that dependence must not drive us to hand-wringing anxiety, but the confidence that comes as we recount the truth that this God in whom we trust has promised that He is coming again, that he delights to meet the needs of his children, that He is a restorer of the broken, a lifter of the weary, a healer for the wounded. Our God is compassionate and merciful, and in these verses, we are called to trust him.
SCRIPTURE: James 5:7-12
SERMON SCREENSHOTS & KEY POINTS
"And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, he[c] will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil." Deuteronomy 11:13-14
"Count it all joy, my brothers,[b] when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." James 1:2-4
"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also." John 14:3
"But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!" Job 19:25-27
*We are a church located in Greenville, South Carolina. Our vision is to see God transform us into a community of grace passionately pursuing life and mission with Jesus.
COMMUNITY GROUP QUESTIONS
- Consider the surrounding context in James 5. Why do you think that James, in these verses, might be encouraging the believers to patient endurance?
- Why does James appeal to the coming of the Lord in verse 8 as a reason for the believers to remain patient and to “establish their hearts?” Consider 2 Peter 3 for an additional example.
- The examples that James uses to refer to patience in the midst of suffering, that of the prophets and Job, seems to indicate that James means something more than just waiting around for God to do something. It speaks of active anticipation. How can we live out the kind of patience that James encourages here?
- Why is regular time in God’s Word imperative for living with this patience and endurance?
- James is writing to a people suffering persecution and, in verse 9, he warns them against grumbling and judging one another. How does suffering contribute to conflict, in particular amongst those who might even be suffering together? How would the people with whom you’ve walked through hard times characterize your attitude in the midst of suffering?
- How does the reminder that the Lord is compassionate and merciful (seen in the example of Job’s story) serve to strengthen us in our suffering? How can we regularly remind ourselves, and those around us, that the Lord is sovereign and kind, even in those moments when he feels distant?