WWUTT 292 The Coming of the Lord is at Hand?

Patience is a necessary quality for every Christian to have. We are patient with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

We are patient with those who are in the world, because our Lord God was patient with us and we are saved when we understand the text.

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Here's your teacher, Pastor Gabe. Thank you, Becky. Yesterday we were in James 4, beginning in verse 13, where he says,

Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town, And spend a year there, and trade, and make a profit.

Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

Instead, you ought to say, If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that,

Committing our every way unto God. Every moment has been given to us as a gift from the

Lord. Every breath that we breathe is because He has given it to us.

Psalm 90, we read this, Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world from everlasting to everlasting, you are

God. You return man to dust and say, Return, O children of man. For a thousand years in your sight are as but as yesterday when it is past,

Or as a watch in the night. You sweep them away as with a flood. They are like a dream, like a grass that is renewed in the morning.

In the morning it flourishes and is renewed. In the evening it fades and withers. For we are brought to an end by your anger, by your wrath.

We are dismayed. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.

For all our days pass away under your wrath. We bring our years to an end like a sigh.

The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength, eighty.

Yet their span is but toil and trouble. They are soon gone and we fly away.

Who considers the power of your anger and your wrath according to the fear of you? So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Return, O Lord. How long? Have pity on your servants. Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us and for as many years as we have seen evil.

Let your work be shown to your servants and your glorious power to their children.

Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us and establish the work of our hands upon us.

Yes, establish the work of our hands. What a beautiful song and a psalm, but it is a song being reminded of our lives and how limited they are, but how great and powerful

God is making the most of every opportunity that is given to us by the Lord. And we keep these things in mind even as we keep going today in James chapter five, verses seven through twelve.

And as far as our study goes this week, that is as far as we're going to get. We're going to spend today and tomorrow in that section of James chapter five.

Let's begin in verse seven. 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. 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 oath, but let your yes be yes and your no be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

Now you may have noticed as we went through that section, there's some portions of that there that sound like the

Sermon on the Mount. And indeed, James was taking words that were spoken by his half brother,

Jesus, that were taught by him in that famous sermon. We see that come about here in the words of James as well, teaching what

Jesus taught. Did you notice another theme that came about in that section of verses that we read, verses 7 through 12?

What word seemed to appear the most? Patience. In fact, it comes up three times in those verses.

We start at the very beginning, James 5, verse 7, be patient, therefore, brothers.

Can you think of another verse in the Bible that instructs patience as a virtue, as a quality that we should exhibit as Christians?

One of the first verses that you might have thought of was out of First Corinthians 13, the love chapter of the

Bible. What is the first quality of love as it is described? Love is patient.

That is that is something that we all must have, not only in the way that we love one another, because James here in this context is talking about the ways that we love each other and are patient with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

But this also must be the way that we display love toward unbelievers. Paul gave this instruction to Timothy in 2

Timothy 2, the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome, but kind to everyone, patiently enduring evil, correcting opponents with gentleness.

Keep that in mind, patiently enduring evil. God may grant him repentance, leading to a knowledge of the truth, and he may escape from the snare of the devil after being captured by him to do his will.

So we patiently endure evil. We preach the gospel. And it's with patient endurance that we do these things.

You know, Peter says about patience, count the patience of our Lord as salvation.

God was patient with us. He didn't smite us, wipe us out in our sin and our transgression and our rebellion against God because that's what we deserved.

But he was patient toward us. So we must be patient with others, not beating others over the head with with Bible thumping radicalism that that just comes out as noise instead of love and compassion.

If we are truly loving toward others, even those who don't know Jesus as Savior, then we must also be patient.

They have been ensnared by Satan. They have been following the lies of the devil and their eyes have been covered over by these untruths that have been presented by the devil's schemes.

So it's going to take some time. We've got to allow the spirit to do his work. And so patiently enduring, correcting opponents with gentleness, not feeling like we need to skewer them with our spiritual sword and stand over them shouting, ha ha.

You know, and in such case, we probably hardened their hearts to the truth even more. Nor can we invent things that we think will make it easier for a person to believe and accept, like, for example, evangelical tools such as altar calls and sinners prayers.

These things are worldly. They are fleshly. They are not patiently enduring evil.

Rather, they're they're very impatient because we think to ourselves, well, if we can just get this person to say these words or walk down this aisle in response to this invitation that we know that will that they will be saved right here in this moment.

And boom, we've done our work and we've protected them from hell. But but again, these are things of the flesh.

They are not things of the spirit. They are not patiently enduring evil. It's not loving impatience or counting the patience of our

Lord as salvation. Rather, they're rather they're very impatient and thinking that we have to get this person to do this right now because they're not going to get another moment.

That's up to the Lord. It is the Lord who numbers our days. And so as we read there in Psalm 90, teach us to number our days so that we may get a heart of wisdom.

It is up to the Lord. We submit to him if it be the Lord's will. We will live and do this or that, as James had said in chapter four, verse 15.

And so we need to faithfully endure, knowing the gospel, presenting it with patience and letting the spirit do his work.

Patiently enduring evil, correcting opponents with gentleness. And again, we also display this patience toward one another in kindness, in love and in the body of Christ.

We have constant calls toward patience throughout the scriptures. 2 Corinthians 6, 6, that we love with purity and knowledge, patience, kindness in the

Holy Spirit with genuine love. Patience is one of the fruits of the

Spirit. Galatians 5, 22, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience.

The instruction that's given to us in Ephesians 4, 2, that we need to love one another with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.

And Paul gives this charge of patience to the Colossians as well a couple of times.

In Colossians 3, 12, most notably, put on then as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.

So we have this call toward patience over and over again in the scriptures. James says it here three times in the section that we're looking at, be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the

Lord, patiently enduring, remaining steadfast in the faith. 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.

This is a reference back to the law, Deuteronomy chapter 11. And James is showing how the law applies spiritually because we are a spiritual people, not an ethnic people of the

Lord, not a physical people. We are spiritual by the Holy Spirit. In Deuteronomy 11, verses 13 and 14, it says, and if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today to love the

Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil.

Now, as this was delivered to the people of Israel, they received this as a material promise, as an earthly promise.

And indeed to them, it would have applied such a way. But as we are no longer a people of the flesh, we are a people of the spirit by the spirit of God.

It is not by an ethnicity, not because we're descendants of Abraham, but because we are united by the blood of Christ.

We understand this in a spiritual way. If we indeed obey the commandments of God that he has commanded to us to love the

Lord our God and to serve him with all of our heart, with all of our soul, he will give the rain for our land in its season.

In other words, reaping a harvest, a spiritual harvest of souls for the

Lord that have been transformed by the gospel. He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil.

The apostle Paul had also instructed Timothy in this way, preach the word, be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke and exhort with complete patience and teaching.

And there we have that charge again, the context of seasons and with patience preaching the gospel.

Jesus said the following, if anyone loves me, he will keep my word and my father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him.

Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine, but the father's who sent me.

That's John 14 verses 23 through 24. And so we endure in obedience with complete patience and teaching and the

Lord will give us in its proper season a harvest if we do not give up. And so James says,

James 5, 7, 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. Paul said this also to the Philippians to be steadfast.

The Lord is at hand. Be reasonable is the way that that Paul put that to the

Philippians. And we also read this in first Thessalonians three verses 11 through 13. Now may our

God and father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all as we do for you so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our

God and father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all of his saints being established in the

Lord. James goes on, James 5, 9, do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged.

Behold, the judge is standing at the door. Now, where else have we heard it said that Jesus is standing at the door?

Where else have you heard that? Well, there's a famous reference in Revelation chapter three, where Jesus says,

I stand at the door in knock, and this is his address to the church at Laodicea through the apostle

John, Jesus says to the angel of the church in Laodicea, right? The words of the amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.

I know your works. You are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot.

So because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

And some of you may even have a translation that says, I will vomit you out of my mouth for you say, I am rich,

I have prospered and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked.

That sounds familiar, right? James has said very similar things in his letters as in his letter here as well.

In James chapter four, nine, be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.

Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you. And then the warning that he gave to the rich, he said a very similar thing.

James chapter five, verse one, 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. Very similar charge that Jesus is giving to the church at Laodicea here.

You say, I am rich and have prospered and I need nothing. But what you don't realize is that you're wretched, you're pitiable, you're poor, you're blind and you're naked.

And this is the way that we need to come before the Lord, humbling ourselves before God and he will exalt us being wretched and weeping over our sin.

He is the one who forgives and covers over us with his righteousness. So Jesus goes on to say to the church at Laodicea, I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich, spiritually rich, not materially rich and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

These are all things that are given to us spiritually by the Lord Christ, by the power of his spirit that is within us.

Verse 19, those whom I love, I reprove and discipline.

So be zealous and repent. These are the words of a judge, wouldn't you say?

But a loving judge who disciplines those he loves. Then in verse 20, behold,

I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,

I will come into him and eat with him and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne as I also conquered and sat down with my father on his throne.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches.

And so with that context in mind, we read in James 5, 9 once again, behold, the judge is standing at the door.

So the picture that we have here in James 5, 9 and in Revelation 3, 20 is not the picture of Jesus knocking on the door like a guest and saying, please, please let me in begging us to open the door and welcome him in.

This is the master of the house that is knocking on the door. And in fact, we've made a what video that says that very thing.

I would say that of all the what videos we've done, this is one of my absolute favorites. This is the video explaining

Revelation 3, 20. In Revelation 3, 20,

Jesus says, behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,

I will come in and eat with him and he with me. Jesus is such a polite guest, isn't he? He stands at the door of our hearts if we just open up and let him in.

At least that's the picture we paint with that verse, but that's not the context. Jesus is addressing the church at Laodicea to whom he gives another famous verse.

I know your works. You're neither cold nor hot. So because you're lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth. And he rebukes them for their complacent faith.

Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline. So be zealous and repent. That's verse 19 right before he says,

I stand at the door and knock. This is not the picture of a guest looking for someone to welcome him into their heart.

Jesus Christ is the master of the house. And when the master comes back, because remember, this is the book of Revelation.

We're talking about the return of Christ here. When he comes back, he expects to find alert and working servants.

Not lazy, complacent freeloaders acting like they own the place. Such persons will be thrown out into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

In Matthew 24, Jesus says, be ready for the son of man will return in an hour you do not expect.

Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom his master has set over his household to give them their food at the proper time?

Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. And when he comes, it will be as a conquering king.

And we will sit with him and all of the faithful at the wedding feast of the lamb. That's a much more glorious picture than that of a passive Jesus knocking on the door of our hearts when we understand the text.

What a mighty God we serve who has shown patience toward us and loving kindness toward us that he would discipline us and make us more like him.

We have these words that are said to us as well in Hebrews chapter 12. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself so that you may not grow weary or faint -hearted.

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.

For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son whom he receives.

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons.

For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the father of spirits and live?

For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them. But he disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.

For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Let's finish up there and wrap up with prayer. And we'll pick up there tomorrow. Our great

God, thank you for the love that you have shown us through Jesus Christ, who has died on the cross for our sins, that we might be forgiven, that we might be given his white garments, clothing, our nakedness, and our shame, that we might stand before you as justified, forgiven, holy by the holiness of Christ, sharing in his holiness.

What a wonderful God you are. And may in these things, we endure all trials.

And may we give you praise for every moment that we are given, glorifying

God in all things, the giver of all good things. Lord, I pray that we would remember these words.

We would apply them to our lives. May they lift us up and give us hope and peace for every coming moment and trial.

Whether we are living in moments of happiness or in sorrow, may we know what it means to have the joy of the

Lord as our strength, giving you glory for all things. It's in the name of Jesus we pray, amen.

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