Living A Lifestyle Of Trust

Living a Lifestyle of Trust

All right, it's good to be with you again the night. Why don't you turn your Bibles to James chapter 5. James chapter 5 in addition to The PTI ministry we've had the opportunity to work in some church planning ministries ourselves in Puna.

Sammy myself and Tom shuck have Been able to go to the northern part of the city of Puna where the PTI is in the southern part. We go to the northern part of Puna and we're working there to plant a church and by God's grace.

It's growing. I heard a good report that during our furlough the church has grown to about 25 or 30 people. So I thank the Lord for that not sure how that corresponds with our furlough. But you know God is sovereign and so we're happy to see that church growing.

Just recently we as a team taught through the book of James and it's a wonderful book. I don't know how many of you have been able to do a study through the book of James. But it is intensely practical.

It speaks to issues we deal with day in and day out and I thought tonight as we come together to look at God's Word. Once more we could look at just one of those jewels one of those wonderful practical passages That tell us how to live life.

God's Word teaches us how to live life. This is the manual, isn't it? For living both this life and eternal life. And so we thank the Lord for that. So, why don't we pray before we get into God's Word and ask his blessing on this time father.

We thank you again for this opportunity to come and to study your word. It is rich. It is full. It is deep. And so I asked Lord that as I Talk about it as these people here Lord that you would bless this time help us to understand help us to be clear.

Most of all Lord help us to be honest with ourselves and with you about Our lives and about what your word is saying to it. So Lord help us now by your spirit. We pray in Jesus name. Amen one thing that you almost immediately notice when you move to India when you hit the ground get off the plane in Bombay get out of The airport and start driving the three hours that it takes to get to Pune is the traffic.

The traffic in India is crazy. I think anyone who's been to India Mike others Can can attest to the same fact. It's one of the most scary experiences of your life to go. Anywhere in a city in India? I mean the traffic is just masses of cars driving here and there and weaving.

Am I not right pretty? It's a harrowing experience. Well, the same is true in our city of Pune and I want to tell you a story of a traffic incident that happened to us when we were there one day the whole family and I were driving down the road down one of the busier streets of Pune and We came to one major intersection in the city where several I think it's five major roads from the city all come together.

And there are cars everywhere and we as you normally do driving in traffic. We are just kind of Weaving our way through the traffic. It was our turn to go. But of course cars are still going in front.

So you just go ahead and you begin making your way through the intersection. We were doing that Going along we had cars on both sides and we're moving ahead and all of a sudden in my view straight ahead I see this man standing with a bicycle.

Cars all around but he was trying to go his own way through this particular intersection on his bicycle. And so I'm coming up to it and I'm trying to slow down and I'm thinking well How am I gonna get around this guy and for some reason he gets very very upset and he feels as though I am Threatening him I suppose to run him over.

So what does he do? But he takes his bicycle and as I'm passing just next to him. He takes his bicycle and he slams it into the side of my car in the right front Quarter panel I can still picture the dent that is there to this day.

And he slams it into the side of my car and I keep going. I didn't know, you know I didn't want to do anything. But what do you imagine was going on in my heart? You know, I mean the blood starts to boil and I'm thinking there's no call for that.

That is wrong. You know, I'm getting angry. How could he do that and I was getting angry and angrier and You know, sometimes those kind of things happen to us right in the in the heat of the moment. Someone does something to us and we get angry and it can ruin our entire day, right?

That was wrong and you get out and you look at the dent and it's huge and oh, man, you just get frustrated and Angry, you know, it's hard to respond rightly in those kinds of situations, isn't it? Have you ever had an experience like that?

Maybe recently and you know, what's wrong to get angry. Maybe you yelled. Maybe you lashed out violently. Maybe you were frustrated. Maybe you carried a grudge. For a week or longer because someone had abused you.

You know a dent in the side of the car may seem like something small, but in our lives we experience all kinds of wrongdoing and abuse. Right, maybe someone lied to you. Maybe somebody in work slandered you.

So that they could get ahead. Maybe someone used you. Maybe someone cheated you financially. These kind of things happen in the wicked world in which we live and the Lord's desire for us is to respond in a humble godly Peaceful way, is that possible?

Is it possible to respond rightly in those kinds of situations? Think about Joseph the story of Joseph just for a minute. He was wrong during his life, right? I mean think of all the things that happened to him.

He was hated by his brothers thrown into the pit sold into slavery. His brothers lied about him to their father. He went to the house of Potiphar, right? He was working hard. He was doing a good job and what happened.

Potiphar's wife lied up tried to seduce him lied about it and got Joseph thrown into prison. What did Joseph do he said that's it that was the last straw. God doesn't know what he's doing. This shouldn't be happening.

I've been wronged. I'm gonna throw in the towel now what Joseph did. No, he kept being obedient. He kept trusting the Lord. He responded rightly in that situation and eventually God did what? He exalted him and you remember what Joseph said at the end of the book of Genesis as his brothers come and now they're Trembling before him.

What was his attitude? What did he say? He said you meant it as Evil to me, but God meant it for good. How could Joseph say that when he had been wronged so terribly when he had been abused and mistreated his whole life.

Really up to that point. How could he say that? It's because Joseph had developed in his life in his walk with the Lord a lifestyle of trust. It was a lifestyle to him. Trust was not just something faith was not just something intellectual.

It became a day in and a day out habit in Joseph's life. And you know, that's the way the Lord wants you and I to live. When we're abused when the bicycles of life gets slammed into our cars. All right.

How does the Lord want us to respond when we're mistreated when it's unjust when it's wicked. He wants us to respond like Joseph and by God's grace. We can and the passage we're looking at in the book of James Helps us to have that lifestyle of trust in God a kind of trust in him.

That isn't just Nine to five Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays. But it's all the time. It's constant. It's a constant rock-solid assurance that God is in Control and he knows what he's doing and Jesus is coming back and it's gonna be okay.

And that's I believe what James is teaching us by the Spirit of God in this chapter 5 of James Verses 7 Through 11. How do we develop a lifestyle of trust in God? And I want to look at these verses with three commands.

There are three commands in this passage and I want us to see these they're really the keys to developing that lifestyle of trust. Three commands and we can express them this way. I'll just give it to you right now.

The first command is don't blow up. Don't blow up. The second command which we'll see in verse 9 is don't get fed up. You might want to write these down. Don't blow up. Don't get fed up. And the third command we see in verses 10 and 11 is don't give up.

Don't blow up. Don't get fed up and don't give up above all else. Let's read the text and look how it applies to our lives. James 5 verses 7 through 11. Therefore be patient brethren until the coming of the Lord.

The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil being patient about it until it gets the early and late rains. You to be patient strengthen your hearts. For the coming of the Lord is near. Do not complain brethren against one another.

So that you're so that you yourselves may not be judged. Behold, the judge is standing right at the door as. An example brethren of suffering and patience take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings. That the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. You know as James is coming up to this passage in this letter to these persecuted Saints He's dealing with their response to all kinds of worldly sinful things.

James realized that the world we live in the world that believers live in is wicked. There is sin there are people who will use you who will abuse you and To in order for God to be glorified in our lives.

We have to know how to respond to those things. So starting all the way back in chapter 4 and you can just glance there. He starts talking about all kinds of worldly sins. If you look there in verse 1 he talks about quarrels and fighting.

Verse 2 he talks about lusts and sinful desires as the basis of that fighting talks about selfish motives pride impurity gossip selfish ambitions. All of that is found in chapter 4 and James is saying all throughout that this is how you respond draw near to God.

Seek purity and holiness. Draw near to him love him repent of your sin be humble. He's telling believers telling us how to respond to each of these sinful worldly Things that we come in contact with whether it's people doing it to us or temptations that are coming against us.

How do you respond and so in that vein as he comes to chapter 5? He's he's working in those same lines of thought. How do you respond to? Sinfulness in this world. Chapter 5 he takes up particularly the evils of materialism of loving money of loving riches and Down in verse 6 he begins to talk about how wicked sinful rich people can even abuse Poor people and you believers may be some of those poor people.

So how are you going to respond when you are used and abused. That's the context in which James is talking here. When people are used and abused particularly in financial settings. And he says you can respond rightly even when you are mistreated unjustly by this worldly wicked world in which you live and.

So he describes here coming up to verse 7 how The Saints are to act when they're abused. And the answer to that comes in applied theology. I'm sure pastor Mike has taught you that theology matters, right?

Theology truth about God truth about his word truth about man. Theology in all of his areas becomes the foundation for living and James is is saying that he says applied theology is the key to responding rightly in these difficult circumstances and In this case the the area of theology that needs to be applied is eschatology.

What is eschatology? The theology of end times the coming of Christ and he says that fact that Christ is coming back must make a difference in your life. And that's what he uses in each of these points to show us that we need to respond rightly when abused.

Let me just illustrate it this way and then we'll get into the text if you knew for sure That Jesus was coming back tonight at 830. How would that change your life? How would that change the hurt that you felt?

When someone ignored you during the potluck all right, or when somebody said a bad comment behind your back about how bad the Spaghetti was there was no spaghetti, right? I Picked something there. All right.

See it wouldn't matter why because Jesus is coming back. He's coming soon he's coming again and That kind of trust that kind of faith in the coming of our Lord and The goodness of God and the blessings that we'll experience when he returns.

Those are to be the attitudes. Those are to be the thoughts that govern our actions right now. Do you understand what I'm saying? That's what James is saying. He's saying look guys Jesus is coming back.

He can come back tonight and Aren't you gonna feel foolish if you were having bad attitudes and getting angry at the guy that slammed his bike into your car? Because you know what the car doesn't matter because the Lord is coming back soon and It's not gonna make any difference.

That's what James is saying. So he gives us these three commands in light of the soon coming of our Lord. Don't blow up. Don't get fed up and by all means whatever you do. Don't give up. Don't throw in the towel.

Let's look in detail how he teaches us this. Let's look first command in verse 7. Don't blow up. Verse 7 says therefore be patient brethren until the coming of the Lord. Now James in these two verses verse 7 and 8 gives us two descriptions two Perspectives if you will on this particular command of patience.

The first one is a passive idea. It's something you just need to sit back and Do the second command or the second aspect of this command in verse 8 is something that you can do actively. Let's look at the first one the the passive idea comes first there in verse 7 therefore be patient Brethren until the coming of the Lord now.

Let me just point your attention first of all to the the emphasis that James gives here notice that three times He says in these verses be patient be patient. Be patient that is a wonderful word patience in English.

I think it's an even more wonderful word in Greek because literally the word means long suffering. It's a word that is very much a personal word an inter relation word. It's used in context where it means that you can take a lot of abuse.

That someone can hurt you and hurt you and hurt you again. Before you blow up literally it has the idea of having a long fuse. All right, what is it going to take to make you explode? That's the idea that James is saying here he's saying be patient have a long fuse.

Be a person who can endure abuse Without Losing it disintegrating blowing up. It really refers to a hard attitude that will not of a person who will not retaliate quickly. You know what's interesting this particular quality is is a characteristic that is used of God Frequently let me just read to you Psalm 86 verse 5 it says, but you O Lord are a God merciful and gracious.

Slow to anger. It's the same basic word and Abundant in loving kindness and truth, you know, the fact is the Lord puts up with a lot. Doesn't he? From you and I. Unfortunately from his children. He is long suffering we use His grace and our Lord himself is patient with us.

And James is calling us here to the same kind of patience to not get angry quickly to not explode not to lash out. But to absorb and to Endure that kind of abuse. It's a characteristic of our Lord. But now we look at the key factor.

He says endure. Be Patient until the coming of the Lord. How long do I have to endure? It's almost like Peter saying to Jesus right? How many times do I need to forgive Lord seven times? Wow, that's really something.

But Jesus said no Peter you forgive seventy times seven same idea here long suffering how long until Jesus returns. Again, and again and again be patient endure. Remember the Lord Jesus is coming back for you.

Now James helps us to understand this. He knew it's difficult. He knew it's hard. So he gives us an illustration. He gives us an illustration as you see there in the text of who a Farmer, let's look at the text.

It says the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil being patient about it until it gets the early and the late Rains, you know a farmer is a perfect illustration of what James is saying here think about it for a minute.

There's at least three reasons I could think of why a farmer is the perfect Illustration of what James is commanding us to do here. First of all is because a farmer has to wait. Notice what he says here the farmer waits for the precious Produce of the soul literally that word means to await.

With eagerness anticipation to look forward to to long for. That's what a farmer he has to wait. There's nothing he can do. It's out of his hands. So he has to look forward to he's a man of hope. He's a man of trust.

Second reason why a farmer is a good illustration here is because he has a lot at stake. He has a lot at stake. Do you see what the text says? He waits for what kind of produce the precious produce of the soil, you know the farmer he works hard.

He puts a lot of effort investment time and money and sweat. He buys the seed. He has to to protect the the new plants that are growing up from disease and weeds. He invests invests invests invests. He has a lot at stake.

Just like you and I we're not fooling ourselves. We're not saying that when someone slanders you to get ahead in his job, that doesn't hurt. There's value there. That's livelihood. That's life, right?

We're we're not just saying oh, you know, we're we Christians. We're happy. We're joyful, you know. We don't understand the difficulties of life and what's really at stake. No, these are life issues right.

God understands that. We understand that it's tough. It's hard. It's difficult and The farmer he sweats he works. He's got a lot invested. And James is saying but you know what he waits. And then the third point why a farmer is so good is because illustration of this is because his control is very limited.

Look at the end of that verse. He waits for the precious produce of the soil being patient about it until It gets the early and late rains. Farmers are at the mercy of the weather. Do you imagine a farmer?

What of a what of a farmer got frustrated every time it didn't rain for a few days? What kind of life would he lead? You know if he if he got, you know. Struggled and fighting in his soul because he was worrying about well, you know, is there gonna be a frost?

Is there gonna be enough rain? He'd be a wreck. What does he gain from worrying about the weather? The best he could hope for would be a headache, right? And that's what James is saying the farmer is a man who is out of control of the very essence of his life.

And then isn't that who we are isn't that where we stand. Ultimately in our lives as we understand the sovereignty of God. He our Lord sits in the heavens. He does whatever he pleases. We are at his mercy.

He is powerful. He is in control and We must wait our lives are out of our control, but they are in the hand of Almighty God. So James is saying be like the farmer. Work hard invest. Understand the issues at stake.

But wait and trust in him. Don't get a headache every time something goes wrong that you don't understand. Because God is in control of even the weather storms of your life. Do you believe that? Isn't it true?

Do you have control over the words the actions the feelings the responses of other people. Absolutely, not. You and I have no control over what they do and what they say, but you know what our Heavenly Father does and He is working all things together.

For good for those who love God who are called according to his purpose. You know James moves on to to the same idea in verse 8, but from a different perspective as we said in verse 7. It's it's the passive perspective.

You need to be patient. You need to wait like the farmer, but there's something you can do while you're waiting. And that's what he says in verse 8 look at it. He says you to be patient strengthen your hearts.

For the coming of the Lord is near. What is James saying here. He's saying while you're waiting. While you're patient don't do nothing, but be active in strengthening your hearts literally fortify your heart.

Build yourself up. You know if we look in the Bible most of the time this word is used as referring to God strengthening you God. Fortifying your heart, but here James put the James puts the responsibility Squarely on our shoulders he says you while you're waiting on the Lord while you're trusting in him.

Strengthen your heart build it up with the truth of God. With the with theology with the facts about who God is that are found in his word. The one that James particularly focuses our attention on is what?

Fortify your hearts. Strengthen your hearts for the coming of the Lord is near. Jesus is coming back. He could come back tonight and all of the worry and all of the grudges and all of the frustration.

Will be foolish, right? So James is saying remember the Lord is coming back so strengthen your hearts with that truth. You know I just want to mention briefly that we can't get into this in depth, but Jesus Christ coming back soon time after time.

In the Word of God we see the scriptures telling us that Jesus's return is near. Let me just give you a few verses to that effect, and you can look them up later. Philippians 4 verse 5 says the Lord is near and Paul says.

Be aware of that let that change your thinking first. Peter 4 verse 7 Refers to the soon coming of the Lord. 1st John chapter 2 verse 18 says the same thing in fact Jesus himself Taught us that his coming is going to be soon unexpected imminent.

It could be at any time. We see that in Mark 13 verses 32 to 37. The scripture teaches that Jesus's return could come any time when we're not expecting it. And we need to be ready in our hearts and our attitudes and allow that truth and our trust in that fact.

To govern our lives and our responses in our everyday life. So I ask you before we move on to the second command does the fact of Jesus's soon return make any difference in your daily life. Do you think about that fact?

Let me suggest just a couple of ways how that truth should impact our lives first. Way is don't hang on to things so tightly right? We get so our Our hands get so tight hanging on to things right and when those things are ripped out of our grip We feel the pain of it right.

Oh. You know I lost my job. I Lost this or someone broke in and Someone stole the car or whatever the case may be we hang on to things so much. That's one way Jesus soon return should make a difference in our lives.

Secondly when someone slanders you. Remember that the same was done to our Lord, and he and God still managed to use it for his good purposes. Jesus when he died on the cross it was murder. But God caused that to work for good.

So that's just a few examples of how we should apply this truth to our life. First command. We see in this passages don't blow up. Why. Because Jesus is coming back. Trust in his goodness trust in his soon return.

Now the first command we see in this text is Probably the most basic the most foundational command on how to respond when we are treated mistreated. But the second command we see is Added to it because of the sins which the pressures of those.

That kind of suffering Tempts us to do when we're put in places. We're abused. We are tempted to sin in Certain ways and James realizes that and so he leads us to the second command. Second command. We'll see in verse 9 and we can say it this way don't get fed up.

Don't get fed up. Now let me give you an illustration before we get into this text. Imagine yourself having a bad day at work. Does that ever happen. Sure, it does. You're having a bad day at work. Maybe the boss yelled at you because you missed your deadline.

You lost the bid with a very important customer perhaps. You drop the coffee on your keyboard just as you're about to go home. Traffic was heavy. Right and you get home and what happens. You yell at your wife.

All right. You're you're short with your kids. I don't know. Maybe you kick the dog, right? That happens is It's you know, things are going wrong. We're mistreated. We're cut off in traffic and We respond and we let that frustration of that anger because we're not responding to it rightly.

We're not being patient. It boils and it simmers and it sits there. And that's what James wants to address. When we do respond wrongly in those situations when we're not patient like the farmer look what he says in verse 9.

He says do not complain Brethren against one another so that yours so that you yourselves may not be judged. Behold the judge is standing right at the door. Now what is this complaining he's talking about literally the word can mean to sigh or to groan.

To be something like this in human terms. Right. I'm angry. I'm not gonna let it out. You know to people I respect. It's just boiling. It's simmering. I'm frustrated. I'm upset. I'm not happy about how things are going.

It's complaining but it's complaining in the heart. It's an internal Negative emotion. That's what that word means which boils which simmers which can lead to a bitterness a resentment feelings of criticism against another Person and that's why it's translated to complain.

It's to complain really in the heart about the abuses of that person. He did that to me and I'm not gonna let it go. I'm gonna carry a grudge. And even though I may not get physical, I may not even say something, but I have this anger in my heart.

That's what James is addressing in the second command. He says don't do that. Don't complain about another. Don't let those that anger ferment in your heart. Now, why does he say we should not do that?

Notice what he says. He says brethren Don't do that. Don't complain against one another why so that you yourself May not be judged. Do you see that as interesting? He says don't complain Here so that you may not also be judged.

What's the implication? The implication that James is saying here is that that kind of complaining that kind of Attitude towards another person maybe a brother in Christ even is in a is a form of judging.

Right now we like to say to one another, you know. You shouldn't be judgmental, right? You shouldn't judge you shouldn't be judgmental. But I think what James is saying here is that kind of judgment judging and pointing out the faults of others it begins where?

In the heart. It's my discontent. It's my anger. It's my frustration of that person because he keeps doing that thing that really irritates me and it's wrong. He shouldn't do it. When is he ever gonna get a clue?

Right. And these kind of thoughts can go through our minds the feelings can can roam around in our hearts and. And James is saying don't do that. Don't complain against one another so that you will not be judged.

The Lord can see those issues of our hearts and he himself will judge and that's what he brings us to at the end of verse 9 he says Don't complain against one another so you yourselves may not be judged.

Why behold look don't you see it? The judge is standing right at the door judge big J right the judge Jesus Christ the judge is coming back. You know very often when we're harboring these kinds of attitudes in our hearts against one another.

We're thinking oh man, he's gonna get it. You know, I wish pastor would preach on that topic once in a while because he really needs to hear that right. And the Lord is saying, you know, that's not your job To have those kind of thoughts Against one another.

Jesus Christ the judge he is coming and when he comes he will make all the injustices, right? He will deal with his own. Maybe you've been mistreated by an unbeliever. When the Lord comes back he will set those things, right.

Do you see how that takes faith and trust in the coming of the Lord and the goodness of God if I am NOT to judge another if I'm not to complain about him. I Have to trust that God even even when it's a righteous truth thought in my mind I have to trust that Christ will make it right that he will do right.

He will make Just decisions in these situations that takes trust that takes faith. Think about Joseph when he was lied about by Potiphar's wife and sent into the prison. It took faith. He had to trust that God is good and he will make things right in his time in his way.

And that's what James is saying here. Look the judge is coming. In fact, he's standing right at the door and you don't want to be judging your brother in your heart when the real judge comes to do his job it's kind of like If you've ever been speaking something negative about a person and you didn't think they were around have you ever done that?

Maybe you haven't. I'm sure nobody here has ever done anything like that. The saying something, you know kind of behind the back and then you turn around and there they are. Right, I remember one time I was in band in middle school played the trumpet and we were at a band recital and They had a few solos and one of the children one of the students got up and played their piece.

And it had its problems, you know, and we were sitting there in the audience. And after the person finished we were my parents and I are kind of talking and I was saying, you know, wow you know, he's a little off-tune and I was a little shaky and You know, I you know, he did okay, and then we realized we turned around and his parents Are sitting right behind us and you can imagine the sinking feeling that I had in my heart, right?

I Think that's what James is saying here. He's saying, you know you judge. You feel like you can righteously say. Oh that person's wrong that that really irritates me and I'm complaining about this and Clint complaining about that.

You know what the Lord of the church is coming back. The true judge and you don't want to be caught. He's right outside the door. He's coming soon, so let's not judge let's not get fed up let's not get in to those kinds of selfish proud complaining attitudes towards one another.

James calls us to look at the bigger picture. To say yes, there are wrongs in the world that are done to me that are done to you, but God is on the throne. He is righteous. He will set all things right.

The judge is coming wait for his judgments. Don't you take the responsibility? Upon yourselves. Don't get fed up. But trust in the Lord the third command we see comes in verses 10 and 11. And It's really a fitting conclusion.

I think to everything that James has told us so far first He says don't blow up, but patiently wait for the Lord. Don't get fed up, but patiently wait for the justice of the Lord. And finally he says don't give up.

When you decide to wait patiently when you decide to trust in the Lord's righteous dealings and then don't stop doing those things. That's what James is saying. Look at verse 10 as an example brethren of suffering and patience take the prophets.

Who spoke in the name of the Lord? We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

The emphasis in these two illustrations that James give us is a Example of endurance. Don't give up. You know it's easy for us to have endurance to kind of be patient just Have a long fuse trust the Lord on the short term all right.

Okay, I'm gonna. I'm gonna give him a week. You know he's gonna get his act together. And I'm gonna be nice to him, and I'm gonna love him. I give him a week. And when that doesn't happen and when it gets a little further down the road, that's it.

I throw in the towel. All right, and by my actions. I say God is no longer in control and James is saying don't do that. Don't make that mistake don't give up. Now the command he gives here is to take an example don't you think that's interesting?

I think that's interesting in verse 10. He says as an example brethren of suffering and patience take. Take it. James was writing to people here who knew the Old Testament. He's writing to Jews. Probably people who are similar to us.

We know quite a bit about the Bible. You folks are pretty well taught you know about the prophets. You know about Job. Right and so James is saying to them and to us. You know you need to lay hold of those examples.

You know what the prophets were like how they endured patiently being faithful to the Lord. You know about Job and what he went through and how he didn't give up on God. And he gave up his faith in God.

He's saying so lay hold of it. It's one thing to know it and to see it. It's a whole nother thing to make it mine. And so that's James concern for us as he teaches us this final command. He says take it think about it.

Make that your own conviction and your own purpose in life to be like these men now. Let's look at the examples. He gave us. He says first of all take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. You know the prophets had a hard job didn't they they had a tough job.