James 5:7-12

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We respond when we meet injustice.

Well, James' readers were used to injustice.

Back in chapter 2, verse 6, James says,

the rich are the ones dragging you off into court,

harassing you.

We go into that again at the end of verse 6 of chapter 5.

Some of the poor Christians in this church were being exploited,

treated unjustly.

The powerless poor were helpless.

It's exactly the situation that many of our brothers and sisters around the world find themselves in,

like that church in Algeria,

with apparently no records,

where apparently Judge Hategood is in control of the court,

to go back to Vanity Fair.

So how are we to respond to that kind of injustice?

What are we to do?

How are James' readers to respond?

Well, James has just been highlighting,

verses 1 to 6,

a way not to respond.

Not to envy the wealthy and the powerful,

because they're going to lose everything.

Their money will rot.

They will be judged.

Not to emulate the envy,

the powerful and wealthy,

because that will not last.

It will not go anywhere.

This is God's world.

It does not belong to the elites.

It does not belong to the powerful nations,

or the powerful businesses,

or the powerful presidents.

It is God's world.

He is in control of it.

And the Lord Jesus will come back to judge.

That's really the point of verses 1 to 6

we looked at this morning.

Judgment is coming.

So how then should we live?

Well, James tells two things.

to us,

and these believers,

and these verses.

And the first is to live patiently,

because of the gospel hope.

Live patiently.

I'm sure you caught that in the reading.

Look at verse 7.

Be patient, therefore, brothers,

until the coming of the Lord.

See how the farmer waits

for precious fruits of the earth,

being patient about it.

And again in verse 8,

he will say,

be patient.

James is saying,

Christ will return.

A day will come

where everything is put right.

So be patient.

Wait patiently for that day.

Now does that mean,

be passive,

do nothing?

Well no,

look at the illustration he uses.

The patient farmer,

verse 7.

See how the farmer waits

for precious fruit of the earth,

being patient about it,

until he receives

the early and late rains.

Now what can the farmer do

to hasten the harvest?

Nothing.

He can't do anything, can he?

That's all in God's control.

When the rains come,

how the harvest grows,

that's God's job.

The farmer has to wait patiently.

So why does he wait?

Because it's a precious crop.

It's something he values,

it's something he's looking forward to.

And how does the farmer wait?

Is he passive?

Does he do nothing?

Well I'm sure we all know farmers,

even in a city like this,

we might not know farmers locally,

but perhaps we know some farmers,

or at least know something about farmers.

It's not like they sit there

and do nothing all the time

until harvest, is it?

There's work to be done

to kind of tend the crops,

to keep off the birds

that will eat them,

to kill off the weeds

that will grow up.

They're not passive.

They do things to facilitate

the crop, don't they?

They cooperate with the growth

of the harvest,

as they wait patiently for it.

And as Christians,

that's how we are to respond

to the trials and difficulties

of our own lives.

Be it injustice we experience,

or the everyday difficulties

that can affect anyone and everyone.

So if you remember how James

started this later,

it's worth turning back

to chapter 1,

verses 2 to 4.

Count it all joy, my brothers,

when you need trials

of various kinds.

How can we keep trials as joy?

Here's the reason.

For you know that the testing

of your faith

produces steadfastness,

and that steadfastness

have its full effect,

that you may be perfect

and complete,

lacking in nothing.

See, there is the harvest

that trials produce

in our own lives.

Steadfastness,

that as we cooperate with it,

makes us perfect

and complete,

lacking in nothing.

So there's what God,

in his grace,

wants to achieve in our lives.

He wants us to cooperate

with that,

with patience,

as he produces this harvest

of steadfastness,

and of maturity,

and completeness

in our lives.

So how exactly

do we do that?

How are we able

to wait patiently?

I find it hard enough

to wait patiently

for a bus when it's late.

I only wait patiently

during trials.

Well, look at what

James tells us

in verse 8.

Establish your hearts,

for the coming

of the Lord is at hand.

Establish your hearts.

A couple of weeks ago,

during the half-term break,

Mary, my wife,

took the kids down

to her mother

in Hampshire for a few days

while our kitchen

was being ripped apart.

And on their way back,

they got a flat tyre

on the M3,

and so had to pull in

just before the M3-M25 junction.

And Zoe,

being seven years old,

was somewhat upset

and perturbed

by the fact

they're now standing

next to a big motorway

with cars flying past.

I suspect

we can all

sympathise with her.

So what did Mary

all have to do

in that situation?

I don't phone the ADA,

she had to try

and establish

Zoe's heart

by reminding her

of the truth

of the fact

the AA man

was going to come

and they were going

to be top of the

priority list

because a single female

with two young children

and so the guy

came pretty quickly.

But her job

was to reassure her

with the truth

of the closeness

of the coming

of a rescuer.

To reassure her.

We even have

a greater truth,

a more imminent arrival

to look forward to.

The coming of the Lord

is at hand

says James.

So to establish

ourselves in that truth.

He is ready to appear.

He is close by.

The judge will come

to vindicate his people.

He's at hand

in the sense

that he has

nothing else to do.

Nothing else

for God

to complete

on his to-do list

other than

send the Lord Jesus back.

He is ready

to be revealed,

ready to come.

So James says

establish your hearts

as you wait

for his return.

If you're building

up a fence,

what do you do?

You have to dig down

deep to put the fence

pole in

to make sure

it's firm

and well established.

That's the idea here,

to establish,

to get this firmly fixed,

get our hearts

firmly fixed

in this truth.

So how do we do that?

Well, Paul

writing for Romans,

Romans 16, 25,

says that God

is able to establish

the same words,

establish or strengthen

our hearts

according to the gospel

and the preaching

of Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 3,

1 Thessalonians 3:2

verse 2,

Paul sends Timothy

to the church

in Thessalonica

to establish

and exhort them

in the faith.

It's the same word again.

Do you see how

we get established?

Do you see how

our hearts get established?

It's by the gospel.

It's by feeding

on the gospel.

It's by listening

to the gospel,

by speaking the truth

of the gospel

to one another,

by gathering

around the Lord's table

as he strengthens

our hearts,

using the bread and wine

to strengthen

our faith

as bread

strengthens our bodies

for life.

Through speaking

the gospel

to one another,

through meditating

on the great gospel

promises,

we establish our hearts

in this truth

that the Lord Jesus

is coming back.

Indeed,

the Lord God Almighty

establishes our hearts.

That's what Paul

prays for for the

Thessalonians

later on in 1 Thessalonians 3.

So first,

we establish our hearts

so the hope

of the return

of the Lord Jesus

becomes more real

to us.

But also,

as our hearts

are established

in the gospel,

we are less shocked

by the horrors

and injustices

of the world,

aren't we?

Francis Schaeffer

said that a Christian

should never have

the reaction designated

by the word

shocked to anything.

Why?

Because if we believe

the gospel,

if we understand

the gospel,

then we know

the depravity,

the evil,

within our own hearts

naturally.

And so nothing

about the world

will shock

or surprise us.

People who do not

understand the gospel,

the average secular

person on the street

is horrified

by injustice

in the Middle East,

horrified by

child abuse scandals

of Jimmy Savile

and the like.

They're right to be

horrified,

but they don't

understand it.

They have a category

for it.

Why?

Because they do not

have a category

for sin.

If we understand

the gospel,

if our hearts

are established

in the gospel,

then no evil

in the world

will shock us

because we know

what we are capable

of.

We know the evil

we have been

redeemed from

by our Lord Jesus.

We know the sin

of our own hearts.

So we need to

establish our hearts

in the gospel

so we're not

surprised and

shocked on the

one hand by

pain and injustice,

but also on the

other hand so we

have hope.

So we remember

firmly the Lord

Jesus will come

back and we'll

put everything right.

That one day

every tear will

be wiped from

the eyes of

Jesus' people.

But the question

for all of us

here is,

are our hearts

established in

the gospel?

What are you

and I putting

our hope in?

What are we

putting our hope

in?

During all those

floods and

storms that we

had and the

snow that was

coming to New

York a few

months ago,

people are often

told to get

out of their

houses because

it was going

to be dangerous

or there were

tornadoes coming

through the

area.

People are

told to get

out, get

somewhere safe.

The question

for us is,

are we standing

somewhere safe?

Given this

judgment is

coming, given

Jesus the

judge is at

the door, at

hand, ready

to come back,

are we somewhere

safe?

What do we

put our hope

in?

What makes

you feel safe?

The fact you're

better than

others?

The fact you're

not like those

people over

there?

The fact that

you've been to

church?

The fact that

you try to be a

nice person,

you're open

minded, you try

to treat people

fairly?

Where is it

you put your

hope?

The way that

judgment comes,

you will not

be destroyed

but saved.

The truth is

none of us

live up to

our own

standards,

do we?

Let alone

live up to

God's

standards.

So if we're

going to be

safe when a

righteous,

perfect judge

comes back,

we need to

make sure that

our sin has

already been

paid for,

otherwise we

will pay for

it ourselves.

God has

provided a

way for

that.

The Lord

Jesus came

to earth to

live the

life that I

could never

live, that

you could

never live.

He died a

death on the

cross that we

deserve to

die and was

raised to new

life, to offer

forgiveness and

life to each

one of us.

So there is a

safe place to

be and that

safe place is in

the Lord Jesus,

to turn to

him in faith

and in repentance,

turning from

living our

own way,

with all our

selfishness,

with all our

judgmentalism

towards others

who don't

meet our

standards, and

to come to

Jesus and

say, I am a

rebel, I

need your

forgiveness, I

need you to

be my king,

please take

my sin and

let me be

yours.

So that's a

safe place to

stand, we're

to establish

our hearts in

that truth.

faith.

So that's the

first way we

live in a

world of

injustice and

suffering, we

live patiently

because of the

gospel hope, the

hope of sins

forgiven and

eternal life to

come where every

tear is wiped

away.

But there's a

second thing

James says as

well, if we're

living patiently

with the gospel

hope, how would

you expect that

to be seen?

How do you

expect James

to carry on

here?

I guess I'd

expect it to be

seen in our

ambitions, our

attitudes, what

our goals in

life are.

But James has

something very

different to

say.

He says that

hope will be

seen, that

patience will be

seen in the

way we speak, in

our words.

So firstly, we're

to live patiently

in the gospel

hope, and

secondly, we're

to speak with

integrity because

of the gospel

hope.

We're to speak

with integrity.

So speech has

been a big issue

for James all

the way through

this letter.

So if you

follow it through

for a moment,

chapter 1,

verse 26,

James says,

if anyone

thinks he's

religious and

does not bridle

his tongue but

deceives his

heart, this

person's religion

is worthless.

He goes on,

chapter 3,

verse 8,

says that no

human being,

it's on the

same page,

no human being

can control

the tongue.

No human being

can tame the

tongue, it is

a restless evil

full of deadly

poison.

With it we

bless our

Lord and

Father, with

it we curse

people who

are made in

the likeness

of God.

From the

same mouth

come blessing

and cursing.

My brothers,

these things

ought not to

be said.

Then chapter

4, verses

11 and 12,

he warns

about speaking

evil against

someone else,

judging someone

else.

Anyone who

does is judging

the law,

makes themselves

a lawbreaker.

See, for

James, the

way we use

our tongues

is all

important.

Why?

Well, it's

because what

Jesus said,

Matthew 12,

Matthew 12:34

verse 34,

it is out of

the abundance

of the heart

that the mouth

speaks.

It's out of

the abundance

of the heart

that the mouth

speaks.

So we can

tell if we're

living patiently,

waiting patiently

because of the

gospel hope,

because of the

kind of things

that we say.

So let's

look at what

James says

about the

tongue there.

Speak with

integrity

because of

the gospel

hope.

He actually

gives us

two commands

to speak

with integrity

in verses

9 and 12.

First of all,

do not grumble

and secondly,

do not swear.

Look at verse

9, first of all.

Do not grumble.

Do not grumble

against one another,

brothers,

so that you

may not be

judged.

Now that word

translated grumbling

is also used

of groaning

in other parts

of the Bible.

So the word

Paul uses

in Romans

Romans 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8,

23,

we're talking

about the

difficulties of

life.

We groan

inwardly,

waiting for the

redemption of

our bodies

when Christ

Jesus is

revealed.

But that's a

groaning upwardly

to God

in hope.

Whereas here,

James is talking

about a groaning

or a grumbling

that goes out

to one another.

See,

when we're under

pressure,

when life is

difficult for us

as individuals,

who do we

take it out

on most?

It's the people

closest to us,

isn't it?

If I'm having

a stressful day,

it's my wife

and my children

who sadly

will get their

brunt of it.

Because that's

what we're like.

Under pressure,

we say things

to the people

near us.

And that's what

James is

commanding us

not to do.

And there are

all sorts of

reasons people

could have

groaned and

grumbled against

each other

in this Christian

community James

is writing to.

The poor

could have

grumbled against

the rich who

are often

oppressing them.

The rich may

have grumbled

about the poor

and didn't

understand the

pressures they

were under.

And in churches

when life is hard

it's very easy

to grumble

about other

people.

If only they

would do what

they're supposed

to be doing.

If only they

would play their

part.

If only they

understood me.

And grumbling

is such an easy

thing, isn't it?

It's the lowest

common denominator.

I remember

a place I used

to work,

every lunchtime

pretty much,

what was the

conversation about

in the workplace?

It was kind of

good natured

grumbling about

the management

or about the

latest stupid

bit of advertising

the marketing

department had

put out or

whatever it was.

It was grumbling

because it's so

easy to find

things to grumble

about together.

Well at least

it is if you're

British anyway.

That's kind of

the way we are.

But James

says don't do it.

Don't do it.

Do not grumble

against one another

brothers so that

you may not be

judged.

Behold the judge

is standing

at the door.

I went to a

boarding school

for better or

worse and in

the door tree

at night there

would often be

a lot of chat

and people moaning

about the teachers

and moaning

about one another

as you'd imagine.

I still remember

those horrible

moments where we

were talking to

each other and

saying what bad

man our house

master was and

the door would

open and he'd be

standing there.

And you think

what have I just

said?

What did he just

hear?

Oh no!

Well that's the

idea here.

James is saying

the judge is at

the door.

Now that's a

good thing.

He's at the

door because he's

going to put

right what is

wrong.

He'll put the

end to all the

oppression and

injustice.

But it also

means he's

listening into

your conversations.

Be careful how

you speak.

It's a reason to

hope because he's

close.

It's a reason to

be careful.

Now that doesn't

mean that you say

the wrong thing

and you're going to

miss out on

eternal life.

No, we're not

saved by what we

say or we don't

say.

We're saved by the

grace of our Lord

Jesus Christ, by

faith in Christ

Jesus.

But scripture is

clear, there are

some levels of

rewards in one way

or another.

So we need to be

careful in what we

say.

And James uses a

couple of examples

to help us to not

grumble.

First of all, the

example of the

prophets, verse 10.

As an example of

suffering and

patience, brothers,

take the prophets

who spoke in the

name of the Lord.

Now the Old

Testament prophets

often had a really

hard time.

Jeremiah was so

hated by the

people he was

put down a

well and kind

of left there

to die, although

someone else dug

him back up

again.

There was a

legend, a

tradition had

arisen by the

first century that

prophet Isaiah was

sawn in two.

We'll read a bit

about that in

Hebrews chapter

Hebrews 11:37

11, verse 37.

So prophets

often suffered

terrible injustice

and yet how

did they respond?

They spoke in

the name of the

Lord, James

says.

They spoke God's

message.

Very often that

was denouncing the

injustices of the

day.

But they spoke

with integrity,

speaking God's

truth.

So their patience

certainly wasn't

passive.

It meant speaking

out.

And they suffered

for that and yet

James says, verse

11, behold we

consider those

blessed who remain

steadfast.

We look back

on the

Jeremiah's and

the Isaiah's and

the Amos's and

the Hosea's of

the day.

We consider them

blessed now because

their words were

used to build up

the church.

So James is

saying, keep

persevering in the

trials, speaking

truth.

I wonder, can you

think of people in

your own lives?

I know I can.

People who suffered

greatly as

Christians.

Maybe through

persecution, maybe

through ill

health.

And yet their

perseverance has

been a blessing

to others and we

consider them

blessed now.

Blessed by the

Lord God who

looked after them.

So that's

example one, the

prophets who

spoke in the name

of the Lord.

The second

example is Job,

down there in

verse 11.

You've heard of

the steadfastness

of Job.

Now Job in some

ways is an

unusual example.

If you've read

the book of Job

you'll know he's

a man who's

suffered hugely

in many ways.

Yet he spends a

lot of time

groaning.

But Job's

groaning was to

the Lord rather

than to other

people most of

the time.

He groaned to

the Lord in

prayer rather

than grumbling

about those

around him.

And he spoke

what was right.

So for example,

right at the

beginning of the

book, Job's

wife tells him

to curse God

and die.

But he said

to her, you

speak as one

other foolish

women would

speak.

Shall we

receive good

from God

and shall we

not receive

evil?

In all this,

Job did not

sin with his

lips.

And at the

end of the

book of Job,

Job chapter

Job 42:7

42 verse 7,

as the Lord

appears to

Job, the

Lord then

turns to

Job's

comforters,

who'd spoken

lies all the

way through,

and says

this to

his comforters,

to Eliphaz

the Temanite,

My anger

burns against

you and

against your

two friends,

for you

have not

spoken of

me what

is right,

as my

servant Job

has.

See why

James is

using this

example?

With all

the pressure,

with all

the suffering,

with all

his complaining

to God,

and praying

to God,

Job spoke

what is

right.

Not like

his counsellors,

who are mere

moralists,

who assumed

Job must have

done something

wrong to be

suffering.

And we've

got people

like that

today,

don't we?

The health

and wealth

prosperity

gospel people,

who will

say if

you're

suffering,

it's because

you don't

have enough

faith.

That's

speaking a

lie about

God,

it's not

speaking with

integrity

because of

the gospel

hope.

Also some

other theologians

who will

speak lies

about God,

trying to

make life

easier for

people.

So a few

years ago

there was a

movement called

the openness

of God.

They said God

isn't really in

control of

everything,

God just

kind of

mix it up

as he

goes along.

So if

something bad

happens to

you,

it's not

God's brought

that into

your life,

it's just

God's going

to pull a

few other

levers and

make things

work out a

bit differently.

And what

they were

trying to

do was

kind of

make God

sound nicer

or something.

Yet what

they were

actually doing

was distorting

God's

character.

They were

not speaking

the truth

with

integrity.

But you

see how

James reminds

us of

God's

character

here.

There's

another

reason for

hope.

You've

seen the

purpose of

the Lord,

how the

Lord is

compassionate

and merciful.

And what

was the

purpose of

the Lord?

Well in

Job's

life,

Job never

found out

the purpose.

But the

reader does

at the end,

Job chapter

Job 42 · chapter mention

42,

he says

of the

Lord,

I had

heard of

you by

the hearing

of the

ear.

Now my

eye has

seen you,

therefore I

despise

myself and

repent in

dust and

ashes.

What was

the Lord's

purpose in

Job's

life?

So that

Job could

know the

Lord better.

What is

the Lord's

purpose for

suffering and

injustice and

trials in

our lives?

Miserable as

they can be?

That's what we

read earlier

from James

James 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1.

It is so

that the

testing of

our faith

will produce

steadfastness

and that

steadfastness

will get

full effect.

And we

may be

perfect and

complete,

lucky and

nothing.

See,

God is

compassionate.

He will

use trials

and difficulties

in our

lives so

they know

him better

and be

perfect and

complete.

And the

Lord's

character is

an encouragement

in that.

He is

compassionate and

merciful.

So James

says,

don't grumble.

Don't grumble.

Speak with

integrity because

of the gospel

hope and

don't grumble.

And secondly,

verse 12,

do not swear.

Above all,

my brothers,

do not swear,

either by

heaven or

by earth or

by any

other oath,

but let

your yes

be yes,

your no

be no,

so that you

may not fall

into condemnation.

Now why does

James say that

here?

What's that

going to do

with suffering

and trials

and injustice?

Well,

it could be

that some of

the poor

who are being

oppressed

by the rich

would say,

look,

we promised

to pay that

debt.

I swear I'll

pay it.

And they

would get

themselves into

even more

difficulties.

Or it may

be people

within the

Christian community

were promising,

swearing to

help one

another,

and then were

failing to meet

those demands.

Maybe even the

rich were promising

to let people

off and they're

not doing it.

Truth is,

we don't quite

know if any

one of those

things are

possible,

aren't they?

what can

happen to

us when we

see people

in difficulties?

We can promise

to help,

but then fail

to do it.

Because we

promise more

than we can

deliver.

We can promise

to pray,

but then we

fail to.

See,

what's underlying

all this is

the need to

speak with

integrity.

The Lord

Jesus himself

said,

Matthew

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5,

Do not

swear by

heaven or

by earth.

Do not

take an

oath by

your head

if you

cannot make

one hair

white or

black.

Let what

you say

simply be

yes or

no.

Anything

more than

this comes

from evil.

The point

is we're

to be people

of integrity,

that we do

what we say

we'll do,

whatever the

pressure is

upon us,

because we're

Jesus people,

we're people

who simply

say yes or

no.

We speak

with integrity

because of

the gospel

hype.

And that

is possible

because as

we trust in

Jesus,

we're made

into new

people.

James said

back in the

beginning of

the letter,

chapter 1,

verse 18,

that God

has brought

us forth

by the

word of

truth.

We might

be a

kind of

first fruit

of his

new

creatures.

God is

making us

new through

the gospel.

So to speak

with integrity

because of

the gospel

hope,

and to

live patiently

because of

the gospel

hope.

because one

day,

Jesus is

coming back.

The judge

is at the

door.

He is

ready to

come back.

And what

will happen

when he

does come

back?

Let me read

to you

from 2

2 Thessalonians 1 · chapter mention

Thessalonians

chapter 1,

a little

reminder of

what will

happen on

that day

for all our

oppressed

brothers and

sisters around

the world.

What is

going to

come?

Paul says

there,

they,

those who

oppress

you,

those who

persecute

you,

will suffer

the punishment

of eternal

destruction

away from

the presence

of the

Lord,

from the

glory of

his might,

when he

comes on

that day

to be

glorified in

his saints

and to be

marveled at

among all

those who

believed.

That is what

is going to

happen one

day.

The judge

is at the

door,

ready to

come back.

the oppressors,

the governments

who oppress

the church

like that

church in

Algeria,

will face

judgment.

Everyone who

does not

obey the

gospel,

as Paul

puts it

here,

he will

reflect vengeance

on those

who do not

know God

and on those

who do not

obey the

gospel of

our Lord

Jesus Christ.

Those who

have not

vowed before

Jesus,

the Lord,

and repented

and believed

in him,

will face

judgment.

So in the

meantime,

how do we

live?

We live with

patience because

of the gospel

hope.

The world will

be put right

when Jesus

comes back.

We speak

with integrity

because of

the gospel

hope.

Because we

are being

made into

new people

through the

word of

truth.

And if you

have not yet

bowed the

knee to

obey the

gospel of

our Lord

Jesus,

then please

do it now.

The judge

is at the

door.

Turn to him

tonight before

it is too

late because

he is coming.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.