The Profit in Persevering

Read your Bibles to go to James Little James chapter 5.

As we continue look at the clear and very practical. J. Vernon McGee you say that where the rubber meets the road. Expectations of James to a church that some in many ways is the is a younger church scattered church on James had members because of the persecution against Christians scattered all over and the certainly suffering saints. As we just sang that song written by Andre Crouch and sing like 1971 I remember Andre craft a glorious day but Wallace long time ago by his power he has raised the million one, the way she raises us he raises us above the wisdom of the world.

We get to willing to put it this way be. We began in progressive sanctification this morning we began to learn to view things from God's perspective and God's wisdom.

Now we slip and we link but hopefully as time goes on, we have a more consistent pattern of looking and seeing our own lives, from God's perspective is going to talk about them suffering in James chapter 5 and some of the temptations that come when you're suffering now no doubt that the main context is suffering for the faith there suffering for their testimony of Christ.

There type suffering because they have submitted to believers baptism and join the local church and understand something in the New Testament era when you are baptized you became something of anathema to the present culture, both Jews and Greeks. It wasn't like today where to meaningless going to the motions and and by the way a lot of our evangelical churches and in southern Baptist churches in particular. I'm grieved over the gimmicks that are being used to my Baptismal service much like a pep rally and literally anyone in these big spontaneous baptism services they're having. Anyone can just come that morning and give a brief testimony and they'll put you under the water and is called spontaneous baptism. They base it on acts chapter 2.

The only problem is I'm not seeing anything of the power of the spirit that we see an act and so until you see God's regenerate power like they saw what your to be careful with who you baptized because first were you given them a false assurance. You must not give them if they don't know their of God's elect, and if there truly born again.

I didn't mean to get into all of that but just to say that some in this day baptism had a weightiness to it. You didn't have to teach it. They knew what it wants to go as a Jewish man in particular in James is a pastor to Jewish congregation. In this day take the day of Pentecost. For example, to be baptized publicly to identify as a follower of Jesus Christ and a member of is called out ones is a sibling that is his local church. You can literally put you be putting your life on the line of some people today argue about what you know in the Bible the Bible. They baptize quickly etc. etc. but look at the context it's almost like putting you on an airplane and going on a tote two-time grand ironic putting you in the public square and you proclaiming that Mohammed is a fraud and a liar and I'm a follower of Jesus Christ and being immersed in front of all those people not too many of us are signing up for that. So these people are facing lots of suffering just for being children of God similar scattered from homes, their relatives, etc. now certainly, there was the other types of suffering, the things that most all mankind face from disease and sickness and heart aches, marriage problems, whatever it may be, but primarily at suffering for the faith. But the truth applies to all types of suffering is what Jane says about James chapter 5 or seven therefore, be patient brethren, until the coming of the Lord talk the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soul being patient about it until he gets the early and latter range you to be patient, strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near to stop right there. He tells you to strengthen your heart, you will might say what may not finding the Lord to strengthen me.

Well he does. But you are commanded of God to disciple your heart disciple your heart to think right and feel right and believe, right if your thinking and your emotions are your feelings are not in line with truth, then talk to yourself talk truth to yourself, and tell your heart did with it and shut up about things that don't matter. I are you seriously discipling your own heart, and only when the struggles that your hardest already there know you have to disciple your own heart. Sometimes you get worried you get fearful you get anxiety and you gotta grab yourself and save lesson. This is not true things. You're troubled about like.told somebody one time I said you been through a lot of terrible things in your life and some of them actually happened because they just in our minds drained up every terrible thing that could possibly happen.

Some people live it. Talk to yourself well did many get off on that James is you strengthen your own heart that he says for the coming of the Lord is near the in other words, it's got all be over soon and Jesus will make it all good.

Verse nine.

Do not complain, brethren, against one another so that you yourself may not be judged.

Behold, the judge is standing right at the door. He's coming back quick diversity and as an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke the name of the Lord. We count those blessed who endured.

You've heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings of the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

But above all, my brother, do not swear either by heaven or earth or with any other oath, but let your yes be yes and your no no so that you may not fall under judgment. So evidently they were having some problems among them sales frustrations and anxieties.

In short tempers and eel spiritedness one toward another.

But what I want to call this is the prophet in persevering.

That's what James is bringing out you're going through some tough stuff.

Some of you sit here tonight you're going through some tough thing some of your heart broken. Some of you have been mistreated just the truth. Some of your badly disappointed and all in all we could go but God says I know what I'm doing.

I control all things. And there's great profit for you in persevering on through this. Someone said mushroom spring up overnight, but their often poisonous mighty oaks take decades.

God's not growing mushrooms. God grows. Mighty oaks. Typically, he takes quite a bit of time and in verse 11, he uses the word new record standard translates it endured to endure. It needs to remain under difficulties without succumbing to sin in verse 10 he uses the word be patient for patients, it means long endurance that does not retaliate that James Exley started the book with these type of expectations about concerning all joy when you encounter various trials and eyes coming to the end of this writing received hit that theme theme again because again these are suffering people.

That isn't it interesting about the way the Texas bringing out they were really getting on each other's nerves and they were really beginning to sin against one another under the stress of the pressure of the suffering there going through.

Yes, suffering does help purifies but that pressure can also bring out the flesh and spills over in aggravations and sends one to another. One thing we have to remember this brothers and sisters as God is not going to make everything right in the world, God's not going to right every wrong until Jesus comes. Some of these social justice warriors who want to now disciple the church and how to fix all the injustices and inequalities and in the culture. First of all, they I need them to define what do you mean by social justice and what do you mean by inequality because they keep moving the goal post every other day. There's a new type of abuse. And there's a new type of victim out there is a new type of inequality of it that's what you say with the old book. It covers all the stuff perfect. This teaches us of what is just and what is unjust, so not everything is going to be fixed in the world. Not everything is going to be fixed in your life is somebody told you coming to Jesus is going to fix all the stuff in your life. They told you a lie. These people gave their lives to Christ and they suffered ever since they didn't and you and I cannot even enter into the level of suffering that these folks were enduring for their confession of faith in Jesus Christ. He does continually point them to the coming of the Lord to look look to the coming of the Lord three times in verses 5 to 8. I read the verses seven, eight and nine.

He talks about the Lord's return. In Titus chapter 2 verse 13 he talks about that blessed hope.

I just don't think we think about that enough today not talked about that quite a bit in my message this morning that a vital aspect of our daily discipleship is he's coming back. He's returning and he will right every wrong then, and somehow in the wonderful, marvelous, matchless grace when they retired us island here in for that wonderful marvelous matchless blessings. That's his job. So I may endure a lot now he's coming back. We should not expect everything to be easy and comfortable in this life. Even those who do not know the Lord have struggles and trials and disappointments in their victims. In some ways mistreated in some ways experience persecutions, in some ways it least we can do it knowing it all has to filter through a sovereign God who loves us enough to send his son to die for us and that these sufferings have a purpose there's profit in persevering. Not losing your faith faith and not falling into ruts of anger and sinning against one another. So there exhorted here. I want you to exercise patience and endurance in this thing you're going through now. He tells them this to be my first main point look around at the illustrations in the world.

Look around at the illustrations in the world. These can help you, and look what he says in verse seven.

Therefore, be patient brethren into the coming the Lord your first illustrated the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it until he gets the early and late rains. I mean the impatient better not become farmers no crop appears overnight except weeds.

I mean, there can be too much rain in your crop will rot there can be too little rain in your crop mayor burnout. There can be too early of the frost and it may greatly effect the harvest that the Jews they farmers they planted and fallen. They did the early race to soften the soul and the latter range to help things spring up to maturity and I just had to wait and hope that it will all be good but sure enough, the law of averages works out and if the farmer will keep doing what he supposed to do and all that he can do, he will reap a good harvest. Maybe not every year like he wants to put your rate but reminded me of the dustbowl was at back in the 1940s member. The dust storms of the Southwest Oklahoma Oklahoma blew away and I'll never forget watching a documentary about that. I'm a boring person in front of documentary black and what about 1940 dustbowl I'm just stuck. I just can't get away from it and know what actually happened was they in that region of the country is normally has very little rainfall, but for several years. They had an unusually heavy rainfall in the old Prairie areas became much more fertile and so they begin to plow up the prairie grass.

I had long kindly roots and held the soul in place and will save dry arid soul. They plowed it up begin to plant wheat and the first year. The rains kept coming that abundant wheat harvest there. Make it a whole lot more money than they were raising livestock on that land but the old-timer said you're making a huge mistake this souls not fit for farming. It's only fit for livestock. You need the prairie left grass to hold the soul in place.

They did listen.

The rains came again and I planted wheat again and boom bumper crop of insured of things turned back to normal long hard drive seasons all the crops wilted the prairie grass was all gone, and it all blew away in the wind's. They should have been patient with what was right for the soul. They lived on and done what those who been there for centuries had learned to do so and you jump to other conclusions outside of God's will. It may work for while you are impatient you were enduring people face a trial is facing difficulty are to face something troubling concerning following live in Jesus is going to cost me massive honor the Lord is good to cost me that you don't endure any bailout looks like this is working better. There may be a dry season coming in everything to blow away. Look, God has a blessing for us through the season of difficulty. Don't lose your faith and preach one time from the Gospel of Mark preach a sermon called stay in the boat or that certain you don't jump in swimming on your own.

You stated about Jesus in the middle of the storm's well the harvest you will reap ECS will be precious and that's what he's pointing to. We are spiritual farmers. You see, we are only co-op with God were on a mission with God down here on this earthly pilgrimage. Sometimes we have the cold season and God has to plow before he can plant the seed then he sends sunshine and rain to nurture the seed but we must be patient to wait for the harvest courseware in our season right now were getting ready for our true church conference in. I actually text Christina said how we been having the crew true church conference she said was between 11 to 14 years and reason we can't figure that out because we had the world impact conference before that minute, morphed into the true church but not exactly sure what that means between 24 and 27 years we had together before we did a real conference train passed, we had to be patient and endure that point even though we adopted our vision statement to be biblical church goblet uses a model for others.

Right at 30 years ago.

What if we given up the tag phone and the talent your father your Ater your 15 or your 21.

Whatever.

Well, it's like that in your life has to have this difficult marriage is really hard after have wavered rebellious children, it's really hard passionately.

Let me go at work and it's tough. Whatever it is God's word to you is I have not forgotten you, just like the farmer may do everything right, but the frost come early and kill half of this crop notice going to next spring musical start over because that's what farmers do what here's what God is telling you you just get up the next morning to repent of yourself. At this, you repent focusing on yourself repented being concerned about the circumstances I got here I go again to serve you today no matter what happened. The harvest will come blessing will soon come. Well, this is the secret of this kind of patience and endurance in our lives is realizing that God's plowing in God's sewing is his active work in our lives. And then he's nurturing us through the troubles in the trials so that he might produce a fruit in us through the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patient kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I've never seen a person who read radiated those attributes and genuineness of the consistency who had not walked through some fires God produces harvest and really a blessing.

Why don't not only look around the world. You can learn God's ways to look at the world, but he says very strong evolution could already look to the coming of the Lord, look ahead to the coming of the Lord in verse eight he says you to be patient, strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is soon strengthen your hearts focus on what God is doing these things since your life. Didn't just happen God's doing something another Scripture does not allow us to assign evil to God, but even the devil is God's devil. Things even Satan is able to do God limits human only allows him to do what God wants him to do so that you are eventually being done.

Good are good is brought to you and God's glory is brought through so focused on what God is doing. I got a call from a pastor in Illinois that been working with for some time.

He partners with us now and he just celebrated his 20th year and I've been talking to him out all those 20 years and he said you know what brother Jeff. You told me over and over and over. Don't give up. Don't give up keep going. Keeping patient keep enduring keep doing what the Bible says, then it would just woodworking anyone got equipment he want to quit many times, but he just told me since Locke would come of the bell curve now and we have the sweetest, most blessed fellowship now 20 years course.

Every pastor I work with out telling you, but have a 20 year vision, don't you think you will get this thing turned right in three or eight you could have a 20 year vision is about time you think in your three or your eight. While this is going great. We got this thing done Wham the dust storm come is like everything blows away again just devours discouragement. Well, what in your life is devouring right now you get through one challenge and you get through one trial and you get the one heartache and it's like there's another one please child of God.

Remember God loves you. He knows what he's doing. He knows what he's doing.

That's not in this text, but come the Bible supports asked God to remove it. God could please you and glorify you. I'm asking you to remove it not, I wouldn't demand him to remove it I would name and claimant, but I would plead with my Lord to remove it out of the story of Charles Haddon Spurgeon. He had a lot of illnesses much of a brought on by the stress of his work but he had gout in his knee. I've never had Galveston people told me it's very painful and that one day he said he was sitting in a study. This knee was just aching just killing him and he said at one point I just was hurting so bad I cried to God and your child you love me, would you remove this claim from me that I forgot about it. About 1050. Ms. Leonard allows the pain was great to subside. You never know. Asked the Lord crowd to the Lord, but don't lose your faith and endurance that God knows what he's doing. Just focus on what the Lord is doing and in Revelation 2012. The Bible says behold I'm coming quickly and my reward is with me one.

He brings up the Lord's return three times in this now. The reward of the Lord when he returns as a two-sided coin when he returns.

He's coming with wonderful blessings for his children look when we get with Christ, and finally were purged of our old fallen unredeemed nature, the pleasures we will enjoy in God's presence will be if you wrap all the pleasures of all people of all time together. All of that pleasure would not measure up to one second of pleasure when we see Jesus. He loves you so deeply. He is going to email you any good pleasure.

When you see was a child of God, look, this is but just a little passing shadow I think about us is your life Sameer breath sober, but you have eternal joys in Jesus Christ, just around the corner.

Hang in there for Jesus and then obviously they're beginning to show a safe this way get on one another's nerves. Do not complain.

Verse nine. Do not complain, brethren, against one another so that you yourself may not be judged told the Judge is standing right at the door. The scholar still store complain there means a murmuring in a grumbly intimate somebody that didn't respond right to a trial that came their way and they get better, they become sort of man said a word just, but that's what this means is kind of a groaning this kind of deal irritable snap at you little bit well shall so we just all admit were all prone to some of that some of us have natural disposition.

Sakana give into that more than others. Some of you sing to be born that way, but we all can get that way and what he's saying yes no, your external circumstances feeding that infield that don't know it know that though your suffering like you're suffering. The Lord has a purpose is reward is with image coming quickly. Don't bite and devour one another. That's what tough Galatians 515 reminds us, but if you bite and devour one another. Take care list to be consumed by one another. Thomas Manson, the Puritan said threading against God make us angry maketh us angry with men sitting in threading against God maketh us angry with me and probably the tensions in the church and I would guess.

And others agree with me here that there's a lot of tension between Jew and non-G within the confessing church at this point when things get tough when things get hard and you're stressed in the difficulties are mounting that the prejudices begin to arise, maybe were not arising before so there was some grumbling and some groaning and some complaining one against the other. Somebody said if we start turning the sickles on each other. We will miss the harvest we can become lambs that act like wolves.

This is something interesting.

Don't do that. Don't start turning each other that way because if you do you be judged exactly what that means, but is it not the same as Matthew 71 Judge not lest you be judged of this means that when you put yourself up as an elitist and you based on your own authority, condemn or judge someone if not on the God's authority. The word, but on your authority. You judge someone you're acting like someone who's not God's. You have the humility and the devotion to God strength of the child of God would have. So you're putting yourself in the category of those who will be judged or another thought is, it may be saying if you go to be judged in the sense of punishment that as you complain and grown against one another and you're all in the flesh, you're consuming one another and that is your discipline or your punishment is like the two snakes that grab the 200 others tales and swallowed themselves and that's kinda what he's talking about here and he says in verse 9B. The Judge is standing right at the door. The nearness of our Lord and Savior, who is the judge should provoke us to duty like the classroom of children awaiting the immediate return of their teacher. Just think how different would be if we really thought Christ's return is just around the corner. It would just make the things that trouble is so much less vital and penetrating to our hearts. In ancient days. She certainly didn't strike anyone in the king's presence.

And that's what he saying here. Remind yourself that the next event on God's calendar is the rapture of the church of the second coming of Jesus Christ. Remember today if you're ready to send God's ready to judge he's coming son.

Don't let these trials via pressure to put you in sin, then he says, look behind those who persevered before you look behind. To those who persevered before you look at verse 10 is an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We count those blessed who endured and you've heard of the inert to Job and you sing the outcome of the Lord's dealings at the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. I didn't compromise. They walked on with the Lord. They understood the righteous would suffer. Second 50 3/12 is all that live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. Think about Elijah.

He prayed it would rain for three and half years, but he did have to endure the drought himself to God. Medicine needs. Jeremiah was accused by by professing believers as a trader. He was thrown in the abandoned cistern and left to die. But God medicine needs. Daniel was thrown into aligns them but God protected him and he became an agent to bring revival to a pagan Babylonian kingdom Moses spends 40 years in the median desert. God took care of the music is a great deliver. Joseph had to journey through the Egyptian dungeon before he came to the Egyptian throne endured through suffering. Some of these never saw a reward on earth. Many did.

But some did not. But it will all be worth it when we see Jesus my fact in verse 11. What is you say we count those blessed are blessed who endure. There is a blessing you know the world is miserable and their happiness, but we are happy in our misery to persevere, one has to face trials. I remember a young preacher telling an older preacher one time said man I wish I had your wisdom.

He said you won't go through what I've gone through to get this was it is a blessed thing to get through it. You got to understand that the sovereign God that loves you has your good in mind as you face disappointment set as you face trials.

Paul saw the third heaven, God gave them a thorn in the flesh to keep himself from resulting himself never there no victories without battles and no peaks without without valleys God balances the privileges with the responsibilities God balances the blessings with the burdens he does not want us to be's bold, pampered children and then lastly, he ends with the example of Joel Dixon notes and thoughts about Job.

Think about Job again noticed that Job there were blessings after he endured Job Loftus family except for his wife. He lost his wealth, he lost his health. Job endured the false accusations of his friends and bow that's tough part of it that's tough when those you thought would stand with you actually stand against you. God humbled Job and then God honor. Job Job did not know the behind-the-scenes arrangement between God and Satan is difficult to find a greater example of suffering circumstances where were against him. His wife was against him.

He lost his wealth is health his children. His friends turned against him and it seem like God was against him because he cried to heaven. At times, and he heard no answer, but he never lost his faith might affect him look over it Job real quick.

Job 1315 would you do that. Job chapter 13 and look at verse 15. Now I'm not saying Job lived at this point. The whole way through. But he thought to this point any got to this point and that's what he said strengthen your hearts, James tells the church is writing to Job 1315 though he slay me. I will hope in him. Nevertheless, I will argue my ways before him while though he slay me, yet I will hope in God. I know this is coming through you, but my hope is still you. The Lord is so full of compassion and mercy. Job was a righteous man, but he suffered and Job teaches us that God has a higher purpose for suffering than just the punishment of sin. Suffering does help cleanse us, but it's bigger than even that he has more in store for us than that in verse 11 be back in our original Texan James Jenks of the Lord is full of compassion and mercy might affect go to the end of Job were done. Job 42. You will Job chapter 42 and look at the end result of Job going through these terrible ordeals of suffering. James is this all encourages Job 42 verse 12. The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning and he had 14,000 sheep and 6000 camels in the thousand yoke of oxen, and 1000 female donkeys.

He had seven sons and three dollars made that he named the first Jemima the 2nd to 0 in the third.

Karen happened in all the land. No women were found so fair is Job's daughters and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers and after Job lived 140 years. He saw his sons in his grandsons and for generations and Job died an old man full of days. Could it be child of God that more of us are not seeing rich blessings in our latter days because we didn't endure through the middle days we bailed out on God. We lost our faith out of nothing. You lose, you lost your salvation but you may have lost some of the blessing you were supposed to get an untenured. There's nothing worse than getting to my age are little older. Think about retirement or whatever you think about. I don't plan to retire but slow down a little bit off and retire and you get to that point and you finally got stuff was a pretty good retirement account. Whatever it is but the stuff you have is not blessed God. It came at a cost of godliness and righteousness. There was compromise to get there. Don't do that. That's what James is saying don't do don't do it don't do it.

Don't cut the corners don't compromise don't lose your ethics. Don't lose your convictions and values to try to gain a better place in this life looking Job. Just stay with God in he can bring blessings you know not of Job 42 verse one look at that one. Then Job answered the Lord and said I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge, therefore, I declare that I did not understand these things too wonderful me, which I did not know here now and I will speak and I will ask you and you instruct me. I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes see you. Therefore I retract and repent in dust and ashes. Job says I'll learn something through this trial.

I see you, and I think what he means is I see and understand your ways. Now I see what you are accomplishing now so Job was purified to the trial, God was glorified. We have to understand that when we go to the trial, God faithfully keeps his hand on the thermostat. God made person permits Satan to try his children but he limits Satan's influence. Satan wants us to get impatient. Satan wants us to get fearful and resort to the flesh all be mindful child of God, that in inpatient Christian is a powerful tool in the devil's hand's endurance of the trials builds character and brings blessings. Job begins the book by saying, count it all joy when you encounter various trials, he begins to in the book by saying endure and persevere. God will see you through it. He knows what he's doing. He has blessings for you,