Maturity in Patience

James 5.7-18

I. Introduction

A. Apparently these saints were suffering

1. James 1:2-4, NAS95 "2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

2. God never promised us that He would make all the troubles in this world go away.

3. Rather, we are encouraged to be patient and endure.

a. John 16:33, NAS95 "33 "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.""

b. Acts 14:22, NAS95 "22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.""

B. But we know the suffering is limited

1. 3 Times reminded that Jesus is coming.

C. Three Examples of Patience: Farmer, Prophets, and Job

D. There is a great reward for those who patiently endure

Lets start with the first example of patience in suffering then we will turn to prayer.

II. The Patience of the Farmer (7-9)

A. Impatience has no place in farming

1. No crop grows up overnight, except weeds

2. No control over the weather: too much rain, too little rain, and too hot, too cold, early frost.

a. Early rain: soften the soil

b. Latter rain: help mature the crop.

3. One who is impatient for the harvest will give up much too quickly

B. Why does farmer wait so long and stay patient despite so much out of his control?

1. "precious produce of the soil" (7)

2. Harvest is worth waiting for

a. Mark 4:28,29, NAS95 "28 "The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. 29 "But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.""

b. Galatians 6:9, NAS95 "9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary."

C. God is producing a harvest in our lives.

1. Establish your hearts (8)

a. 4741 to make stable, place firmly, set fast, fix; to strengthen, make firm; to render constant, confirm, one's mind

b. Those who are immature are not strong enough to wait.

2. Our hearts are the soil, the seed is the word of God

a. Luke 8:11, NAS95 "11 "Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God."

b. But we are easily distracted: Satan, temptation, worries, riches, pleasures of life

i. Luke 8:12, NAS95 "12 "Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved."

ii. Luke 8:13, NAS95 "13 "Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away."

iii. Luke 8:14, NAS95 "14 "The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity."

iv. Luke 8:15, NAS95 "15 "But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance."

c. Farmer is not idle, waiting for the rain: constantly works toward harvest.

Luke 12:43, "Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes."

d. Do not complain against one another.

i. When things do not happen on our time schedule, we tend to lash out at others: blame others.

III. The Patience of the Prophets (10)

A. Prophets both suffered and were patient

1. Matthew 5:10-12, NAS95 "10 "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

2. Jews would have been familiar with their suffering.

B. What do we learn from the prophets?

1. Despite doing what is right, they suffered.

a. Faithful to teach the word of God.

b. 2 Timothy 3:12, NAS95 "12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."

c. The immature will see suffering as God abandoning them, they will stop doing right and turn away from God.

2. God cares for us when we are suffering

a. Elijah

1) 1 Kings 17:6, 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he would drink from the brook."

2) Kings 17:9, NAS95 "9 "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.""

b. Jeremiah was arrested as a traitor, thrown into a pit to die. God provided for him.

c. Ezekiel and Daniel had many hardships: God provided.

IV. The Endurance of Job (11-12)

A. Maturity and growth often is a result of suffering and enduring

1. Paul's Thorn : 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

a. "Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me--to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong."

2. Blessing comes after we endure.

B. Job's endurance

1. Loss of wealth, health, and family

2. Friends attacked him as a hypocrite and a sinner.

a. Must be some terrible sin in your life, or God would not be making you suffer.

3. Job even began to wonder if God was against him, and he cried out for God to answer him.

4. Satan predicted that Job would abandon his faith and turn against God

5. Job didn't!

a. Job 13:15, NAS95 "15 "Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him."

C. Job learned about God: compassionate and merciful.

1. Job 42:1-6, NAS95 "1 Then Job answered the LORD and said, 2 "I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. 3 'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?' "Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know." 4 'Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct me.' 5 "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You; 6 Therefore I retract, And I repent in dust and ashes.""

2. And God Blessed Job's faithful endurance:

a. Job 42:10, NAS95 "10 The LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the LORD increased all that Job had twofold."

b. Job 42:12-17, NAS95 "12 The LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had 14,000 sheep and 6,000 camels and 1,000 yoke of oxen and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 He had seven sons and three daughters. 14 He named the first Jemimah, and the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. 15 In all the land no women were found so fair as Job's daughters; and their father gave them inheritance among their brothers. 16 After this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations. 17 And Job died, an old man and full of days."

D. Some of our suffering is because of Satan trying to destroy our faith in God!

1. God's grace is sufficient:

a. 2 Corinthians 12:9, NAS95 "9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me."

2. Grace to Endure:

a. Hebrews 4:14-16, NAS95 "14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

E. Do not swear (12)

1. Does this seem out of place?

2. During suffering it is easy to say things you don't mean or bargain with God.

a. Job 1:20-22, NAS95 "20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 He said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD." 22 Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God."

b. Job 2:9,10, NAS95 "9 Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!" 10 But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips."

3. Speak the truth.

V. Conclusion

A. Suffering is very real and will happen to those in Christ.

B. The immature will allow the suffering and their shortsightedness to destroy their faith comes.

C. Be Steadfast and Depend on God for help!

Modified from Dave Stewart’s lesson