James 5, What Are We to Do Now?

James 5 and the Situation of the Last Days

James chapter 5, we're reading the whole chapter starting in verse 1, hear the word of the Lord. Come now you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten.

Your gold and silver have corroded and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields which you kept back by fraud are crying out against you and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.

You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned, you have murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you. 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 latter rains. You also be patient. Establish your hearts for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

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.

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 no so that you may not fall under condemnation.

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord and the prayer of faith will save the one who was sick and the Lord will raise him up and if he has committed sins he will be forgiven.

Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power in its work as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours and he prayed fervently that it might not rain and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.

Then he prayed again and heaven gave rain and the earth bore its fruit. My brothers is anyone among you one if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

May the Lord add his blessings to the reading of his Holy Word. Well what are we to do now? Have you ever found yourself in a situation? A new stage in life you don't know exactly what to do? Maybe you graduated you know you've known in school up to now and what do you do now?

Or you move somewhere new everything is you know new and you don't know what to do. You look around your new circumstances and wonder you know what am I to do now? Where do I go? You don't know what you know what stores to go to, where to get groceries, where to get your phone done, you know all that kind of thing.

You have no routine, you have no family or friends around you to kind of guide you. You don't know where the best places to go eat, where the post office is, the phone stores. You might look around for the Walmarts, the big things, the malls and maybe maybe look at go to the churches but it's all new to you.

You ever been like that? Kind of bewildered. When I first went to seminary in California I didn't know what to do. I I didn't even know where to you know where to get a California driver's license. I remember asking some guy in a McDonald's where do I go to get the driver's license?

I didn't even know what to call it. Oh it's the DMV they call it. Okay I had to find the stores, I had to find a bank, I had a place to live, I had to watch out for earthquakes. Wasn't expecting that.

What are you doing in an earthquake? That's a new circumstance for me. You know I'm from Alabama, the ground doesn't move in Alabama. It's kind of stable and you go to California, suddenly everything is not only everything is new, even the ground moves.

What well what ever you know one thing you don't do in earthquakes I found out is you do not run out of the house which is what I did the first time I had an earthquake. You're not supposed to do that.

At one point I needed to find a mattress and so I went to the office at the seminary that took care of foreign students. I figured well I'm from Alabama that's foreign enough. Through them not only did I find a mattress but I eventually got to know some of the foreign students on campus including one from Singapore.

When I went there, when I went to Singapore, I really didn't know what to do now. What do I do in this situation? You know oh okay take off your shoes at the door, eat with chopsticks, take the bus, take the elevator to the ninth floor where the apartment is.

Chinese New Year, give ang pao's, red packets. Eat what's put in front of you without asking questions. Don't ask what that is. Say how to delicious. If you're in Ethiopia what do you do? You do something for the kids who live right outside your compound.

If you're a missionary just don't spend all your time looking after your own comfort. Oh and eat what's put in front of you without asking questions. If you're in Chicago what do you do? Fortunately you don't have to eat what's put in front of you without asking questions.

What do you do? Well you get a snow shovel and a good heavy coat, right? What you need to do depends on the situation you're in. It's probably the same for northern Wisconsin I guess. Get a good snow shovel and a good heavy coat.

So what you need to do depends on your new situation. So know the situation first and know what you need to do. Well then what's our situation now? And that's what James describes in the first six verses of chapter 5.

He says come now. He's describing the situation now. Our situation. And we need to know what it is so we'll know what to do. First it's a time to come. Especially the rich. The corrupt rich. I don't think he's saying they're all rich or all the rich are evil but there's some get their riches through cheating and exploitation.

It's a time for them to come to weep and to howl. That's what this time is for. This era. A time for listening to an invitation that will make you weep and howl if we pay attention to it. It is in verse 3 he tells it the last days.

And that's a common phrase you hear you know but in Christian circles the last days and but people look at that here in James you know it was the last days. James is saying it was the last days written almost 2 ,000 years ago.

And they assume well that he means they assume that he means that there are only a few more days to come and then the judgment. And so they say well look it's been nearly 2 ,000 years since James talked about the last days and it still hasn't come to an end so he must have been wrong.

But the last days means only that there are no other days. That is not another time. Another time period. Another era. Another phase of history. This is the last stage before the end. After this time period the one next is the end.

Understand? It doesn't necessarily imply anything about how long these last days are. Okay so after this time period this epoch this era what everyone call it is the judgment. This is the last era before judgment.

So there's another part so there's not another prophet coming from a cave in Arabia or from the woods of America bringing a new revelation that will change everything and bring another age. No. That's over.

The only thing left after this is judgment. You know if I said for example I've married my last wife. Now you probably wouldn't think I'm predicting that she's gonna pass away soon. You'd understand that I'm saying that I don't expect to be marrying anyone else after this.

So the last days means that this is the last time period of the last epoch before the end. We don't know how long these last days are. We just know it's the last last of them. Okay we we just know that the only thing after this is the end.

And that end then he describes in verse 5. He describes it as a day of slaughter. It's a day of slaughter for some. A day of feasting celebration for others. Judgment is like a great feast prepared for the guest.

For God's people there will be a great banquet like the prodigal son who was returned who has returned home. Remember the story that the father declared prepare the fattened calf. So they're this calf they were particularly preparing celebrating.

They're gonna prepare it now for a salvation but they have been fattened this was one calf for a special occasion and now was the time. But the real guest of honor in the in the great feast to come portrayed in the book of Revelation is the marriage supper of the Lamb.

The real guest of honor is the son. It's his marriage feast after all and there are calves that have been especially prepared for this feast. They've been fattened. They've been fed everything they can take and they've been pampered.

They've been driven around the field. They've been allowed a lazy life and it's of course they're thinking these calves if they could think a man my life is great. I'm getting everything I want and they don't realize why they're getting everything they want.

It's to it's to eventually give people tender juicy veal. The fattened calves here in James are the corrupt rich. They're like the calves. They're thinking man this life is great. I'm getting everything I want.

Those those they've been thinking that these last days are not for preparing for judgment. There's not for weeping and for howling and and you know just repenting of their sins. It's they think it's for indulging themselves.

For grabbing all the money they can get. The nicest clothes they can wear. The designer brands made out of silk or satin. The fanciest gadgets that Apple or Samsung produces. It was all about enjoying all the luxury they could get.

Never mind about anybody else. That's what this time is for they think and if they had to exploit some poor people to get it. If they had to get their Aston Martins or Jaguars or BMWs or Italian suits or beach houses off the back and out of the sweat of poor workers that they cheated out of their pay.

You know telling them come work for a day's pay in my field and if at the end of the day you know they said we're deducting so much for the water you drank. Taking out for lunch fee. You dropped a few pieces of grain.

We're deducting for that and guess what at the end we owe you nothing. That's how they got rich by cheating people and you know so and then they would say well you don't like it. You can sue us in the courts where we bribe the judges or maybe you're illegal here.

You know you're illegal so good luck trying to get justice for you. You'll just get deported. Or maybe we want to enjoy our sexual indulgence without the bother of a child who might come about as a result and so we'll sacrifice that child in the altar of our comfortable lifestyle.

If they had to do that to have their luxury then they thought well this is the time to do it. It's not a time to come and to weep and to howl. They think it's a time to indulge to exploit to cheat others if they can get away with it they think and that's what they this time is for but meanwhile all the money that they've cheated out of others for their own greed is being counted against them.

It's being used as evidence. It's being stored away like you know in a court sometimes they get physical things as evidence. Here's exhibit A. There'll be things like that. Is this the money you stole from them?

It's what they'll be asked at judgment. The moans and the prayers of the poor that they've taken advantage of. The unborn that they've sacrificed is being heard against them. God Almighty is listening.

Now they're too distracted by the sounds blaring at them. Maybe they can't hear the testimony against them because of their sound canceling headphones. Expensive nice ones they bought but that's the testimony that is being gathered against them for their own judgment.

The indulgence they're wallowing in is making them soft like a fattened calf for the day of slaughter and that's the situation we find ourselves in right now. So if that's the situation we find ourselves in now the last days a time of exploitation and greed of oppression and indulgence a time of narcissistic people who won't listen to anything other than what flatters them a time that should be for repentance because judgment is is next because you know that's the next thing on the schedule is judgment but instead it's a time when the righteous person Christ himself though he was rich he became poor and he died like the poor like the oppressed like like the least of these.

If that's the situation we find ourselves in what are we to do. How do we live in a world like this what are we to do now. Well four things starting in verse 7 first be patient second be serious third be prayerful and fourth finally be involved.

First he says in verse 7 therefore he's described the world today this era. But then therefore because this is the situation we find ourselves in be patient verses 7 to 11 literally means to be long-suffering because you're gonna have to suffer for a long time.

How long. Well until the coming of the Lord he says until he comes there will be suffering that we have to patiently endure. The Lord Jesus said in John chapter 16 verse 33 that in this world we have tribulation.

Don't be surprised here in this world you get tribulation. That's the situation we find ourselves in now. In Acts chapter 14 verse 22 the Apostle Paul told us that it is through many tribulations that we enter the kingdom of God.

So be patient. And he says like like a farmer farmers had to be patient. You know they don't plant the crop one day and the next day it's all full-grown and they take it to the market and enjoy their money.

The farmer has to patiently wait. He plants the crop waits for the rain in Israel the early rain in October and then the latter rain in in March. So you know count the months October November all the way to March.

Meanwhile he has to patiently wait for the harvest to come. He's pulling weeds in the meantime keeping you know rabbits and other animals out of his crop. And the same way you have to be patient and long-suffering.

Our statement of faith says that perseverance steadfastness stick to it of staying in there. Perseverance is the grand mark. And it was that is the perseverance is the greatest sign. People often ask what's.

What's a sign that I'm saved. What. How do I can I know perseverance is the grand sign that separates true believers who endure who keep going from what it calls superficial professors. That doesn't mean particularly shallow teachers in the college.

Superficial professors. Those who have with a superficial profession of faith but aren't doers of the word. So be established she says be set be determined that although this is the way it's going to be there's some tribulation some things you have to endure.

But you're not going to stop. You're not going to give up. You will plod through. William Carey the great missionary to India who lost a son and a wife in the early years of his missionary work worked and suffered for seven years in India with no fruit to show for I mean not one convert nothing learning the language and teaching and all that translating and all that.

And his wife. Well first his son died his wife went insane then eventually she died. But he stayed at it stayed in his missionary work all all his life. I mean he wasn't like he's coming back every 104 years for a furlough.

He was there as he stayed in India the rest of his life. He said about himself that he was a plotter. I mean he kept plotting just moving forward. Wake up. He's gonna go forward today he said. I can persevere in any definite pursuit to this.

I owe everything. That's why today he's called the father of modern missions. Some people talk grandly about their dreams how they want to serve God. They want to reach out to the kids in the area maybe or to have a church.

That isn't just about buildings and routine services. And they'll seem to start out well enough. But when then they get tired and they give up. We've been given this picture of a ministry in the Christian life that it's like a sprint which is over fast and furious it is.

It's about coming forward in emotional invitation and saying a prayer. And that's basically it. Then you're set. Then you go about and live your own life. Ministry is about a few stirring sermons. The crowds come plucking plucking forward and then that's about it.

And you you thought it was all supposed to be thrills. The rush of adrenaline like crossing the finish line breaking the tape. Victory. You know the runners high on a sprinters get a runners high. I don't guess they have time to whatever you know but did the idea that we grow from success to success.

You know it's lifting your hands in ecstasy inspired to sing into praise. It's just you and the Lord strolling through green valleys. But it's not a stroll through green valleys. It's a march through the valley of the shadow of death.

It's not a sprint. It's a marathon. So while you're in this situation while you're in this marathon enduring suffering trouble he says then don't blame your frustrations on other Christians. The the one another.

The other members of the church those you've covenanted to walk or maybe run together with in Christian love. Don't blame the one another for the situation you're in start grumbling against them. You notice that don't be their judge lest you be judged.

If you're American got any of those here. If you're American that includes your pastor. Don't reflexively blame him because every something goes wrong because someone leaves or because you're tired and discouraged.

And it must be his fault. You don't know why. But that's just what you've been taught by example to always blame the pastor. You know accept whatever rumors there are about him without asking questions.

And like the food and Ethiopia or Singapore. Don't grumble against each other because you're not the judge. Remember said that earlier. The true judge is standing at the door. He says he's next. So don't be caught when he opens that door all he has to do is push it open.

And he's he's here. Don't be caught taking his judging on yourself. Right. But I'm suffering. You think I I'm one of the poor exploited workers defrauded frustrated crying out for justice. That's my situation.

You will have to be patient. Don't take it out on the church. I'm grumbling dividing criticizing. Instead follow the example of the prophets. And the prophets were inspired to me by this visa the inspired Christian life.

It'd be filled with the Holy Spirit. Well the prophets weren't filled with the Holy Spirit. How easy was life for them. You think you want to know what they got for it. Jeremiah only gained one loyal follower that we know of man named his scribe named Baruch.

They accused Jeremiah of treason threw him into a cistern where he sank into the to the mud. And well they wanted to kill him. So I guess he got some blessing. He gave his whole life to speaking the Word of God.

And and he suffered for it for his whole life. Take him as an example or for an example of someone who endured the marathon until the end. Take Job. He was steadfast. He stayed at it now sure he was open and honest.

He wanted to argue with the Lord. But despite it all he said though he slay me yet will I trust in him. And finally when he heard from God you know he put his hands over his mouth and repented in dust and ashes.

He was steadfast undeterred from seeking God. Despite all his questions. Despite all he suffered he had patience. He was the model of endurance because he knew says here the purpose of the Lord the purpose of what's his purpose.

He's his hand is on this suffering you're going through. He has a purpose for it. What is it. Job knew that it wasn't just to torture him. He's not. He's not just out to torture his people. But the Lord is here in verse 11 compassionate and merciful.

His purpose is for us to is for his purpose for us is to show us compassion and mercy. And we might sometimes wonder why or how. Then why are we suffering this this whatever it is compassionate and merciful.

This this death this sickness this betrayal this miscarriage this loss this blood everywhere. How is this compassionate and merciful. We don't know. But we can endure if we trust that despite all we suffer he is compassionate and merciful.

That's his purpose for the suffering. So be patient. Second be serious. In verse 12 James repeat something the Lord Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount. In case you thought you've heard those words elsewhere.

Yeah. From there from Jesus on the Sermon on the Mount. Let you yes be yes. You're no. No. And in this situation these last days when only judgment is next but people are all around us are ignoring that they're fattening themselves up for the day of slaughter.

Be serious about your words. James is very. That's a lot to say about what we say. What we say is important. And here he's saying mean what you say. Be people of integrity people who keep your word in verse 12 above all think about that seems strange to you that you know of all the moral and spiritual challenges that we have in our what Bible calls elsewhere our present evil age this age this time all the challenges we face.

James says above all most importantly this. Be honest. Be promise. Keepers. Do what you say. Do what you say. You were gonna do this seems strange. That's most importantly. But that's what he says now.

It's easy when you're suffering in this present evil age to make a rash vow. Some people do that. You know you want to bargain with God. He'll get you out of your mess if I'll do this. God if you get me out of this.

The young Martin Luther was caught in a thunderstorm and almost struck by lightning and declared in his panic say dad help me. I will become a monk. Because he survived the storm he kept his word and became a monk.

Much to his father's anger the displeasure. A lot of people today make promises. When it seems when seems useful when it seems convenient. Maybe they're swept away by emotion. Maybe. But maybe by panic.

Maybe by sympathy for somebody. I'll give you this much or I'll do this for you. Maybe the passions of the moment they swept along. So they make a commitment. Then when the feelings disappear so do they.

They have no conception. Many people in our culture today have no conception. They're just supposed to keep your word. That the reason we make commitments you know understand what commitments are for.

We make commitments when we feel like making them so that we'll keep them. When we don't feel like keeping them. That's all purpose of them. Otherwise they're just empty words that were blathering. And that's why James is talking about here.

What are you supposed to do in this situation. We find ourselves in now a time when people use words not because they're true not because they mean them but because they the words get them what they want.

Get them the result they want. Get them in the votes they want or the contract they want. The sale they want the approval they want whatever it is they want the relationship they want. What do we do in this situation.

James says do not swear now. He doesn't mean don't use profanity although I guess he wouldn't be favor that either. But don't know. Make a promise with an oath like I you know I swear on a stack of Bibles.

I'm gonna do this or that. I swear on the memory of my blessed mother on the head of my children whatever it is. No don't do that. Why. Because your yes should be yes and your no no. Now I think if you're called upon in some situation we have to go to court and they ask you to raise your hand and swear on the Bible.

I think it's okay to do that. Could you understand. In this culture we have to do that because people are so dishonest and in the in the in the legal system needs to find a way to make people tell the truth.

But we should be such people that if we have to go to court to raise our hands and put our hands on the Bible and we're not telling we're not any more likely to tell the truth then then we are at any other time because we are always telling the truth we always mean what we say.

That's what this is about. Don't be yes be yes. Because your yes should should always be yes. And you're no no. That is you're so honest. You're such a person of your word. You don't need to be bound by an oath to swear on something that is sacred to you in order for you to be trusted.

You're trustworthy. You keep your word. You do what you say. And if you don't James says you may fall under condemnation. Judgment is coming and the judge is gonna hold you to account for every promise you made.

Psalm 15 says the Lord looks to the one who who keeps his word even to his own hurt. Now in our situation you sometimes find professed Christians who who who won't keep their word for their own benefit.

You have a hard time you know trying to convince them to do what they say even when it would be the best thing for them. I saw a professed Christian comment that if I had something like if I had known that I was supposed to keep that commitment I never would have made it.

What in the world. Yeah that is what James calls worldliness. That's coming from a Christian. That's worldliness. That's a professed believer thinking and talking just like the culture around us a culture that doesn't take its word seriously.

So neither do we. We just kind of say things that we're not really gonna follow through. That's double-mindedness. Maybe thinking biblically about some doctrine the Reformed. You may love the doctrines of grace wanting to hear about justification and imputed righteousness.

But you can't believe their commitments their yeses. When they say they're gonna do something any more than you can believe those of non-believers. James says above all don't be like that. Be serious.

Third be prayerful. What are we to do in this situation. We find ourselves in in a time of suffering. Pray any of you suffering lonely or depressed or betrayed disappointed bereaved. Then pray. What are things going well for now.

You're on the other end of the scale of life on the happy end. So you're cheerful. What do you to do. Well pray. In particular sing praise to God. That's a kind of prayer. That's why we do that in church.

In church in this situation we sing praise to God because we have a lot to be cheery about. That's what Thanksgiving is about. Now more on that next week. So now sing praise. So no matter where you are the whole range of experiences of life from suffering to celebration pray.

Have a have a prayerful life. If you're sick maybe you're so sick you can hardly pray for yourself. So you need help for that. Then call for the elders of the church. Notice that membership in the church is kind of expected here it's just assumed these people he's writing to have a church that they're attached to.

They have elders that they know they can call on. They know who they are. They know who to call. Then let them pray over you over you. The anointing with oil anoint you with oil. That's maybe partly soothing was perhaps one of the few medicinal solutions they could resort to.

And the now the oil is it magical. Maybe also a symbol for the Holy Spirit. You want the blessing of the Holy Spirit on the person. It's not. It's not a magical thing. In other words use whatever medicine is available and pray.

Pray for the sick now. I'm sometimes critical of the way prayer meetings or prayer requests are often too consumed with prayers for health as though the most important thing in life is to be physically healthy.

It isn't. But here we see that we do need to pray for the sick. We're not disembodied spirits or we're not just spirits and our bodies this encumbrance we want to get rid of. No we do pray for the sick.

Or if you're sick you call for the elders of the church. You have a responsibility and we'll pray for you. That at verse 15 there's here's a controversial verse. The prayer of faith will save the one who is sick and the Lord will raise him up now.

Some say that in this situation we find ourselves in now in this age we can have perfect health to a good old age. If you just have enough faith you name it and claim it. You'll always be perfectly healthy until you just pass away really really old in your sleep and never have to suffer a pain in your whole life.

But notice first that James just assumes that some of the Christians with faith will get sick. You notice that some of you are sick. He doesn't say if you pray in faith you'll never get sick. He doesn't say that he says some will be sick.

And the prayer of faith is is the is one with faith in the Sovereign Lord he described earlier in this letter. Remember the Sovereign Lord is so in control that every this or that he determines is under his control.

The prayer faith is his faith. And that Lord sees all the things as under his control even the sickness. So will every sick Christian be healed if they pray the prayer of faith. Well every sick Christian be healed.

Yes they will. There is the promise of healing. The health of both preachers are right about that. But in the situation we find ourselves in now in this age before Christ has come some of that healing is now and some is not yet in this present evil age.

Sometimes the Lord will will that you be healed now and you will and you'll be raised up to continue on with life in this age. But sometimes in this age the Lord won't raise you up until the next age until the resurrection.

But Jesus is Jesus promises that all those he calls to himself all his sheep he will raise up at the last day. And for now in this situation before that last day what we do is pray and believe. Pray even more importantly he says about your sins.

If you're sick maybe ask yourself. Well you know what are what are my sins. It's God putting you on a sickbed to get you to see your sins. Maybe the time to reflect on your sins. So he's giving you a time out.

Maybe. But don't be like Job's friends. You know who think of someone suffering. They obviously they definitely did something wrong. Don't be like that. And think of someone is suffering and sick is definitely it's just a product of their their sins that just acts automatically.

God is not like that. He is not a blessing and cursing machine who just responds automatically to our inputs. You know we we put out sin and he automatically responds with striking us with sickness. No he's not like that.

He wants us to be humble and dependent and and believing him not thinking we can manipulate him with our what we put out. I just need to put out more faith and he'll put on. He'll give me more more health and wealth.

No it doesn't work like that. So in verse 16 confess your sins to each other. It's a scary thought for many of us in there. Don't be afraid of not looking perfect and pray for. Pray for each other. Pray.

Pray. Pray for healing for avoiding temptations for overcoming sin. He says that the prayer of a righteous person has great power in its working. It's powerful and effective. And notice in particular in this context is powerful and effective for one another.

For members of the church know their needs and pray for them which implies about what the church is. Isn't it your relationship to them. More about that later. But pray for each other. Pray for the bees that going in alphabetical order here if you're wondering why or for Robert that he will have a profitable time with his residency here and be empowered in its devotional time.

Pay for Rachel that she'll get through her studies gotta be hard studying all by yourself at home through the internet. Pray for Joshua that he'll have guidance and for his future. He's graduating next May Lord willing.

I pray for Mary for blessings on her work for fruit from all that she does from Jim jr. working with the Chinese people. Everything. For Micah for every need of his to be met. He's smiling now. Pay for the child's for Carmen and John for wisdom about their new business that the new shop would be prosperous and make them prosperous and blessed.

Pay for Mary Griffin not able to be here today because she's not feeling well. Pray for her health and for joy with her family. Pay for Wayne that he would be blessed as much as he blesses others with his service.

Don't take advantage of him. Okay he's likely to say yes if you need help but don't take advantage of him too much. Mary and I will take advantage of him the rest of you. Don't. Pray for Mike and Nancy that Nancy would be in good health and and they would be blessed with their children and their son would come to believe in the Lord.

Pray for Tina. There's Tina hi. That she and her family would have wisdom about particularly about their business which is required their shop is being required to do some refurbishment or maybe this is a sign from the Lord that they need to find a better landlord in town but we want you to stay in town and and that their husband and children would hope put their hope in the Lord and not in uncertain riches.