James: Patient and Steadfast through the Lord’s Compassion and Mercy

Well good morning.

We are in James chapter five today.

And happy Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving week.

Maybe your family will be together.

And when families gather, there's so much stress, love.

I don't know what you were thinking something because you started laughing.

There is stress though, right?

Because maybe you're hosting like 17 people.

And Jim can't sit next to Betty, and Judy still isn't talking to Billy and Brad's gluten-free, and Frank's vegan.

Michelle's on a cleanse.

And you gotta handle all that.

Or maybe there's just one person that's like actually did hurt you, and they're gonna be there.

So even the most thankful week of our year, we can end up stressed.

We have two family pictures this week.

Not one, I can handle one, but two.

So that's you just just be in prayer for two family pictures to see how that goes.

Life was stressful 2,000 years ago.

Life was stressful 20 years ago, life is stressful today.

Um difficult than we want it to be.

Um matter the cause of your stress, if you are stressed, you're stressed.

Like I have a lot of stress and anxiety, like that's something I struggle with.

And I used to think that I shouldn't be stressed about my stress because the circumstances, I've looked at the circumstances, like, well, that's not stressful.

I know some of the stuff y'all are going through.

I shouldn't be stressed, but then I'm only stressed about the fact that I'm stressed, right?

Like it's not a helpful thing.

If you're stressed, you're stressed.

So, how do we walk with God through our difficulty, through stress, through being overwhelmed when you just feel under it?

And James knows that we will have this.

We will feel overwhelmed and we will feel stressed for something as serious as persecution of our faith, or that kid of yours, that spouse of yours, that friend won't cooperate with you, or something incredibly first world because you're renovating your master bathroom and you haven't had a shower.

I mean, you've had a shower, you haven't had a like a shower in your bathroom for three months, and then the tile's out of stock, right?

And you're like, ah, like, ooh, you're so stressed about first world, still stress, still stress.

So we get stressed all sorts of things, right?

And when we're stressed, we become overwhelmed.

We become overwhelmed, we become inconsistent, and we become unkind.

Because life's difficult, James gives us two words.

He says, be patient.

Be patient.

He says, be steadfast.

Let's read this passage section by section.

Uh James 5, 7 and 8.

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.

See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.

You also be patient.

Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

Point number one is this patience flows from an established heart.

Establish your heart means to make stable, place firmly, set fast, fix.

It's an image of stability of heart.

It's steely resolution, not fear and inconsistency.

Doesn't that sound great?

Wouldn't that be great?

This week, as I drove around, just normal work week, driving around Marietta.

Everywhere we drive, our whole town has been built around Kinesaw Mountain.

The mountain itself is fixed.

We all have to adjust around this mountain all the time.

Because the mountain is established.

Everything else adjusts around that which is established.

It's stable, it's secure.

Imagine that sort of heart that is stable, secure, established, fixed.

Now remember, James assumes the gospel and James writes of the effects.

So we begin by remembering that the stable, fixed, steady heart is a heart that's at peace in Jesus.

For our full forgiveness, already handled in Jesus, our full righteousness already handled in Jesus.

Nothing for us to add, only for us to receive.

Our very identity, so we're relieved of trying to form our identities by other people's approval or our achievements.

We have it in Jesus.

We have life in God's provision and providence.

Verses 7 and 8, when James uses this language, the coming of the Lord, it's not fear-based.

So sometimes we hear that and we think, oh, you better, you better, or he's coming.

He's gonna get you know, he's gonna get you.

Like you better or else.

But this is actually not what this language is hopeful imagery of expectancy of the one who loves you and redeems you will come and make all things right.

We have to remember who is the one who is coming?

Well, that's Jesus, the one who said, All you who are weary and burdened, come to me.

So James is saying, yes, life is hard, it's disappointing, it can be stressful.

And James says, because of all of that, be like a be like a farmer.

Which to us is like, doesn't mean that much.

But in his time, James's time in ancient Palestine, farmers readied their land, and there were early rains and there were late rains.

So the early rains came in around October, and it readied the soil, and they planted the seed, and it helped the seed, those early rains, helped the seed get down in the soil.

And then months would pass.

The late rains would not come until March and April.

Those late rains would come and they would swell the grain and would guarantee a good crop.

So there were always these in-between months.

Do you know anything about in-between months?

Right?

Like you're hopeful, but you're waiting.

You're hopeful he will ask, but he hasn't called.

You're hopeful the job will work out, but the email hasn't arrived.

You're hopeful the medicine will work, but it's only been a week.

You're hopeful for restoration, but you're still waiting.

So the seed's in the ground in October, and then there's just no rain.

And the farmer just has to wait.

The farmer can't do anything else.

He can't control anything else.

November, December, January, February, four months of waiting every single year.

Completely dependent.

It just feels like when we're in that season, doesn't it just feel like life's passing by?

Hurry up, God.

Like get on my timetable here.

James knows life is filled with waiting.

And James says, hey, be like that farmer.

Be like that farmer.

You're gonna get these seasons.

Be like the farmer.

Have an established heart in God's provision and God's providence.

James 5, 9, and 10.

Do not grumble.

Okay, so this is like, well, how do we wait?

How do we wait?

We're waiting.

How do we wait?

Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged.

Behold, the judge is standing at the door.

As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

Point number two, kind words flow from an established heart.

You're waiting.

It can be frustrating.

Don't grumble.

James ties our impatience to our grumbling.

To grumble means to groan or murmur.

It's negativity toward each other.

It's just, yeah, that's what it is.

It's just all over each other.

Negativity.

A few months ago, our family was headed out for pizza.

It was dinner time.

We got a little late starts.

Dinner time, we headed to the pizza place.

We got there and it was closed.

Not a good moment for a hungry family.

The grumbling starts.

Why didn't we go to Chipotle?

Why don't we go to Chick-fil-A?

Why don't you shut up?

Right?

That's just what's going on in the family.

So we head to another pizza place, which takes too long to get there.

We get there, it's not like a pizza hut.

I look at the menu, it's more money than I planned on because I thought we were going to be at the first restaurant, now we're at the second restaurant, and that price is not what I wanted.

So then I say, hey, why don't we just grab two pizzas to go?

You would have thought I hit their grandmother.

They turned on me.

Family turned on me.

Why can't we sit down?

Why are you being cheap?

Why didn't we go to Chipotle?

You know, like over and over again.

Right?

And then I'm on them.

I'm on them, right?

Nobody's happy.

We're all hangry.

Just getting hangrier and hangrier.

Weary, overwhelmed, stressed.

And then what happens when we're like this?

Our words.

We grumble.

And James says, don't grumble.

All that awaits us when we do it, and you know, because you've done it, all that awaits us is more brokenness and more frustration, and eventually an apology is needed.

I mean, the fact is it can get a lot worse than that, right?

I mean, some of us are not looking forward to going to Thanksgiving because of a word that was spoken sometime in the past.

Our words matter.

James keeps revisiting this subject, and James motivates us with the idea of judgment.

Which is odd.

It's an interesting way to motivate us.

A lot of us can struggle with doubt and worry about the idea of a judgment to come.

But if you're a Christian, you have to remember Revelation 14, the end of the story.

The judge is the Lamb.

Jesus is our judge.

And in Christ's work for us on the cross, not our work for him is by what we're judged.

So we never have any fear of judgment before God.

Because God sees us as he sees his own son.

Fully accepted, fully loved, fully righteous, fully forgiven.

And yet, James uses this idea of judgment for our motivation.

Now, some theologians think he's probably maybe hinting toward some sort of rewards in heaven.

And Paul hints toward this as well.

2 Corinthians 5, 10.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

This isn't speaking about whether you're forgiven or not.

This is speaking about some sort of rewards, and like there's lots of you can go read forever about this.

But as soon as we start thinking about rewards in heaven, the question pops up will some people be happier in heaven than other people?

I mean, if Cindy Joe's getting a whole bunch of rewards and you get none, I mean is she going to be happier?

But that can't be, right?

Because Revelation 21:4 says every tear is dried up.

Revelation 21:4

There's no sorrow, there's no sadness.

Psalm 16, 11 says God's presence is the fullness of joy.

See, at first we think if Cindy Jo gets more rewards than we do, then she's going to be increased in joy and we will be decreased in joy.

But that's worldly.

That's actually sinful because it has to do with envy and regret.

And there's no regret and there's no envy.

That's already gone.

Heaven is a place without those things.

So meaning when Cindy Joe gets a reward in heaven and you didn't get it, Cindy Joe's reward and increased joy only increases your joy.

It's only a place of joy and increasing joy.

And James says, as Christians, let that coming judgment be a reminder, and he's speaking it with intensity.

Let it be a reminder to live with intentionality.

That this world is not all there is.

These days are not all the days we have.

Two implications of living with patience and steadfastness in these days.

Live patient and kind, knowing this world is not all there is.

Your story is bigger than this moment or circumstance.

And that's the doctrine of providence.

That your life is guided by his goodness.

Second implication: live steady and hopeful and sustained readiness for all will be restored.

Your story is not over, and all will be made right.

That's the doctrine of restoration, that all the sadness will come untrue.

So we're called to live patient and kind, steady and hopeful, patient, steadfast, like that farmer.

James 5, 11 and 12.

Behold, we consider those blessed who remain steadfast.

You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your yes be yes and your no be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

Point number three is this as we gaze upon God's compassion and mercy, we are empowered with steadfastness.

We come into steadfastness because we've gazed and we continue to gaze on his compassion and mercy.

Verse 11, the word steadfast means to remain or persevere or endure.

I mean, Job is the story of this.

Job has the dream.

He has the wealth, he has the health, he has the family, he has the friends, he's got it going on.

He's got it finally.

He accomplished it, and then it begins to fall.

And he loses it all.

And his friends try to give him explanations for this.

But in it all, Job remains, he endures, he waits and he waits in those four months, right?

The four months the farmer has to wait at.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

I mean, who who says that kind of stuff?

Who lives through pain like that?

Well, verse 11 tells us you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

Right?

It's those who have put their gaze on the Lord's compassion and mercy.

And then James takes us in verse 12 back to our words again.

Our mouths and our words are so important to James.

He knows how much destruction we can cause, or how much life we can create.

James says, be setfast in character and word.

When it comes to this idea of swearing and oaths, this is speaking to the habit of people that were making promises and commitments, knowing they're gonna weasel out.

See, when we say yes, we need to mean yes and we need to live yes.

And when we say no, we need to mean no and we need to live no.

That's about character, that's about integrity.

And that's that's it's period, it's done.

That's not for sell.

We're not gonna sell it.

Not for more money or convenience or pressure.

None of those things can alter our word.

Without the steadfastness of character and word, relationships erode, families erode, churches, organizations, they erode.

There's nothing for them to stand on.

And James is calling us to a wholehearted faith free of division, with established hearts, where we're patient and steadfast, and character and integrity matters.

Verse 11.

Again, how do we how do we do this?

How do you do this?

How do you become like this?

And you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

See, James connects our steadfastness and our character to our gaze.

Where are we putting our minds' attention and our heart's affection?

What have we seen?

Twenty-two years ago, I was fresh out of college, the church I was going to was going on a ski retreat to Colorado.

And I just entered seminary and I was also working full-time, so I finally had some money so I could go.

I was so excited.

I had never seen the Rocky Mountains, I'd never seen the mountains of the West.

And I can remember at the Denver airport, getting in a car with my friend Tim and driving out of that airport and getting on I-70, headed toward the Rocky Mountains and the Rockies, being on the other side of Denver, going through Denver and just seeing that wall of mountains, driving up through those foothills, driving up through the pass.

I was in the Rocky Mountains, I've never gotten over it.

Have you ever seen anything?

Have you seen something and you just haven't gotten over it?

You just seem to keep talking about it.

I can't get enough.

Like I talk about, I promise I tried to find other sermon illustrations.

I work really hard trying to find, and I just keep coming back to the Rockies and the Tons.

It's bad.

I mean, somebody will text me about the Toms.

I can be in a conversation with my lovely wife about the future of our marriage.

If somebody texts me about the T Ton, I'm like, sorry, like this, this is important.

I've got to get to this right now, right?

I've seen something.

I can't get enough.

I mean, during the week, that's I I look at pictures of mountains.

I want to go to the mountains.

I can't wait to plan the next trip to the mountains.

Like, I've seen something.

I'm fixated with a fixed heart.

It's my gaze, it's my heart's affection and my mind's attention.

Now that's worldly, right?

Like that's there to send my heart onward.

My heart can't stop there.

My heart has to go onward to the Creator.

To his compassion, to his mercy.

That's where our hearts are established.

So, how do we grow to an established heart so that we might be steady, stable, fixed, secure?

How do we grow to an established heart?

We gaze upon the Lord's compassion, his tender-heartedness toward us.

We gaze upon the Lord's mercy, his moving, loving heart toward us while we are amess.

So all the ways we fail, the ways we gaze upon things we shouldn't, the ways we're not patient.

Anybody else impatient?

The ways we're not steadfast, the ways we don't use our words kindly, and we grumble.

I love to grumble.

All the ways we do that, it breaks us into our need of Jesus.

So we turn our gaze from ourselves, our circumstances, this world, our merit, our ability to control, to the wisdom and the tenderness of Jesus for us.

His provision and his providence.

Remember, James says, You have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

Let's pray together.

God, thank you for the call this morning for us to be people of character.

We say yes when we mean yes.

We say no when we mean no, we live it.

People of patience, steadfastness, stability of heart.

God, would you give us greater stability of heart?

Would the inner core of who we are be even more established in your provision and providence for us?

That we are loved not as we should be, but in your grace, we are loved as we are by Christ's record for us.

May that give us such a great establishment and foundation that from that source, Christ Himself, that we might be empowered to live with patience, with steadfastness, and kind words.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.