James 5:7-12 | Part 13
James 5:1-6
Come now, you rich people, weep and wail over the miseries that are coming on you. 2 Your wealth has rotted and your clothes are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have stored up treasure in the last days. 4 Look! The pay that you withheld from the workers who mowed your fields cries out, and the outcry of the harvesters has reached the ears of the Lord of Armies. 5 You have lived luxuriously on the earth and have indulged yourselves. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned, you have murdered the righteous, who does not resist you.
This is the word of God. You may be seated.
Wealth is not bad, our mindset of dependency and worship is
Wealth is to be used for the glory of God
James wasn’t getting on to them for being wealthy
He was getting on to them for being wealthy and predominately using their money for their own means
When we have, and choose not to give, it offends our maker
Using wealth and blessing to dominate others will be dealt with
What are you doing with your wealth, Mission Church?
Here are some quotes:
Rich people today practice last fruits
Warren Buffet, Bill Gates…maybe you..
Jesus calls us, as we studied last week, to give our first fruits
Then He gives us real riches!
James 5:7-12
Therefore, brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.
Why is patience a virtue?
Is the farmer waiting on the rain in this passage? Kind of…he’s really waiting on God. Being patient with the process
We tend to think patience is something that makes us wait. A passive response to God’s calling to be still
Scripture teaches it is something that empowers us through obedience
Psalm 37:5-9
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act,
6 making your righteousness shine like the dawn,
your justice like the noonday.
7 Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for him;
do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way,
by the person who carries out evil plans.
8 Refrain from anger and give up your rage;
do not be agitated—it can only bring harm.
9 For evildoers will be destroyed,
but those who put their hope in the Lord
will inherit the land.
9 Brothers and sisters, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door!
Complaining
Can be very destructive
To whom? To the one complaining
Your focus will be on the problem instead of the ONE you have been called to wait for
There will always be more stressful situations and difficult people
10 Brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name as an example of suffering and patience. 11 See, we count as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and have seen the outcome that the Lord brought about—the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
Suffering and Patience
It seems as if these two go hand in hand a lot of times
Ecclesiastes 7:8-9
The end of a matter is better than its beginning;
a patient spirit is better than a proud spirit.
9 Don’t let your spirit rush to be angry,
for anger abides in the heart of fools.
Luke 21:13
This will give you an opportunity to bear witness.
Suffering is an opportunity to bear witness THROUGH…patience.
22 more verses about suffering with patience
https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Patience-In-Hard-Times
We are impressed with other's patience and suffering
We don’t seem to think we need to do so
We are called to be like them
12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “yes” mean “yes,” and your “no” mean “no,” so that you won’t fall under judgment.
Don’t swear. This doesn’t mean so-called bad words
This means making a promise or threat based on something else
This gives the thing you are swearing upon power
James actually repeats what Jesus Himself had said about this:
Matthew 5:37
But let your word ‘yes’ be ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one.
Swearing on something, your ancestors, the temple, children, etc., is a bait-and-switch
Jesus is saying let your word stand on its own
If we are people of integrity, people who suffer with patience, people whose desire is to be honest and righteous, our word should be enough
Three things:
Greater things than money
Be patient and suffer with action
Be known for your word, not your fake promises