Patience

Summit today we have a very very special guest pastor Brian Moritz. Pastor Brian is the pastor, preaching the mission of Trinity Grace Church in New York City. I've known Brian for quite some time. He is anointed and gifted leader is one of the key visionaries and profits of the multicultural development in the American church.

So as we continue to grow in the area of diversity. I'm very eager to hear what Pastor Brian have to say for church today I want to have him here for quite some time.

So all of our campuses. Would you please join me in welcoming Pastor Brian Lorentz. Thanks a lot Pastor JD for that to a gracious introduction. Although I had to chuckle little bit so we just moved from Memphis to New York movement Pastor JD and all those books he had in the background and I had about as many of them keyword there's had because my wife kinda said those are going for 1200 ft.² apartment so I had to get rid of unbelievable but that was the cross I had to follow. I guess I could spin it that way, you got your devices.

Please meet me in James chapter 5 I know I'm driving the production guys crazy because I gave him another Scripture which we covered in the first service with the first service or distance Holy Spirit was we talk about some completely different to you guys when I talked about in the first service this evening so I will give you guys just a fresh word, not pop anything in the microwave, but something new that I really believe that God has all my heart to speak to this service specifically about that's found in James chapter 5. If you're new here, let me just say the search is over. If I were you. This is a great church to join and I say that in authenticity. I absolutely love love love the summer church. Love, Pastor JD in the way God is using him all over our nation and world for the cause and fame of Jesus Christ. Everywhere I go. Whenever his name comes up in all seriousness, it is just said with a sense of pride the way God is using a very catalytic way and this is our work with God's doing years absolutely absolutely special every greetings from New York City where our family just moved May 23 one way ticket there and landed there. My wife Linda and our three boys and were right there on the upper West side leading a church called Trinity Grace Church. Where were helping out to not only give holistic leadership but specifically to take this large church and to see it diversify becomes more an expression not just of New York City but of our future kingdom multiethnic reality itself.

That's why were there were excited voice quickens 14 is my most adaptable child. Miles is 12 introvert classic middle child, very compassionate. He's my most thoughtful child and then Jaden my youngest is the biggest child who's a spiritual gift is food voyages, lives in refrigerator. In fact I got it worked out already what to say to him when hope will come to me in his 20s ago that I met girl sees the bomb. How do you know she's the one I say to son, if you can look into her eyes were you looking at my refrigerator.

She is the one I you know, put a ring on it anyway.

So those that's our tribe, and I'm excited and just out to be with you all again. If you have devices click on your Bible. Apps meet me in James chapter 5 will lift up about four or five verses to you. Beginning in verse seven, James writes, be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord see how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth being here's that word again patient about it until it receives the early in the late rains. You all so here it is again be patient, establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

Verse nine James is going to show us that patient isn't just physical insights actually has to do with our attitude as well when he says to not grumble against one another brothers so that you may not be judged to hold the judges standing at the door. As an example of suffering.

Here's that word again in patients brothers take the profits when the name spoke in the name of the Lord will hold, we consider those blessed who remain synonym for patients, steadfast you heard of the steadfastness of Joe.

You have seen the purpose of the Lord of the Lord is compassionate and merciful and merciful. Fathers are centered in the service. I just really felt that this was the word you wanted for the 530 crowd tonight and so I just step out on faith I ask in the name of Jesus that you would speak your heart. I believe Lord God that you have sovereignly decreed that all of us here today would be here on this day to not only worship in this theme you what to receive from you, Lord God, a specific word from you so I pray that you would warm our hearts and deepen our affection for your privet person who's here who does not know you, does not know what it means to be a relationship your print your gospel would be proclaimed and that he would lovingly draw that person to faith in you said in your God am available to you, usually for your honor and glory. I pray in Jesus name, amen and amen. One of the most annoying things that can ever happen to an oyster is to have lodged with it, it shall tiny grain of sand. Now most times and this happened that that the oysters able to locate this grain of sand into expel it from its mitts finds a grain of sand meal located boom removes it oyster is good but there are those rare occasions maybe 1/100 times when it oyster. Try as it made to expel that grain of sand from within its premises just can't seem to do it works and it tries with all of his mind with all of its energy with all of its effort to expel this grain of sand.

It's just at a real loss and whenever this oyster has found itself in a situation or circumstance. Here it is almost at your neighborhood that it can saying trying to change it can't change it. This oyster will find itself irritated and frustrated and exacerbated in every other kind of non-redemptive aided just can't do it.

So now this oyster will do the only thing you can think to do to provide itself with a semblance of relief.

The oysters that I can't get rid of it. So let me embrace it will start to coat.

This grain of sand over and over and over again with a liquid substance that we all know ends up being something we pay top dollar for called Pearl Tribune of the day. A pearl is nothing more than the fruit of a frustrated oyster. There was no frustration if there was no irritation there was no exacerbation if there was no patience there would be no Pearl I come all the way from New York City to tell the 530 crowd this evening. I want you to know God is trying to make a pearl out of your life God wants to lift you up as a pearl of great price he wants to put you on display.

In fact, in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10, Paul would write for you and I are God's workmanship. He's writing in Greek Greek word for workmanship.

Boy came up from which we get the English word poem. We are his master.

He wants to put us on display and right there that's themselves up. I mean if I was in the Catholic Church. We be going in right now but I did it on with Penelope Brian Rippon on you.

You contextualized your amen is a little bit more cerebral. It's like this, he preached longer. By the way you do know that.

Don't know if you're getting it. If you want to preach fast say a manner preach it brother.

She got to go to the club at seven we read for me to land the planes and bring him home will bring on home but see here for when you understand week we love to hear. Yes, he wants me to be a pearl trial me, Jesus, show me all we we want the destination.

We just don't want the prophet if I can mix my map my metaphors here. I need you to get this you don't get to God's delivery room of blessing without taking a pit stop at his waiting room called patient.

So we sit here we go. Joseph, that wonderful patriarch Joseph.

We want to see a man in Egypt. What I want one a pearl but look at the grains of sand.

He had to indoor being betrayed by his brothers sold into slavery by his own family who live on by Potter first wife forgotten about and left in jail. I wonder how many nights in which he just cried himself to sleep.

Please are grains of sand the patient. And finally, at some point God said you're ready, only look at Moses we say yes we want to be like most legendary liberator lobby. We Moses really before God elevates him 40 years, tending sheep on the backside of the dusty plains of Midian for years wondering if God had forgotten about 40 years of ambiguity in the wilderness 40 years of waiting, David O sweet psalmist of Israel second keying God's chosen servant who leads Israel toward Golden age. We love David will live there with him when I want to be really from the times anointed king for single 16 until the time he ascends the throne, second Samuel chapter 1 most scholars tell us teen years of waiting, go by 15 years running for his life 15 years hanging out in case 15 years in one episode he feigned acting like a madman 15 years dodging spears from the rain saw 15 years grains of sand until finally God says pearl of great pride. You do not Brian Moritz you to not get God's delivery room of blessing until you first take a pit stop in his waiting room called patient and that right there is an un-American sentiment because this is a fast food generation who wants God's blessings without the proper that's why we got so many people in our lives really happen to so-and-so translation too much too soon got the microwave. He wants to slow the way patients, one of the worst things that can ever happen to you is to get too much without the character infrastructure to handle below of success that crush so here comes James one things I love about James. As you read his letter that he writes. What distinguishes James's letter, among others from various other New Testament letters is the proliferation of what we would call in Greek construction imperatives and imperative to speak English is simply a command James's letter is filled with one command after another command after another command, and as our text opens up right out the gate. James opens up with the command. He begins by saying the sense James Lee says replacing being given a squeezable advice. He is not giving us something to contemplate. He is not recommending he is not suggesting he is absolutely grabbing her by the collar of anything Brian I know you want to get there quickly. I know you want to hurry up and see this church changed. I know you want to hurry up and see what your sons who you don't know if they even have a relationship with God.

Walk with the Lord but I am in a process of doing something you can't get there quickly be patient now James is going to just a little bit of the anatomy of patients from there were going to learn something of the analogies of patients and then will in with the aim of patients. Let's begin by looking at the anatomy of patients. The Greek word in James is writing in Greek, the Greek word patient is is is a compound word is the word macro Thomas. Thomas is the root word it's it's from Edward Thomas that we get words like thermometer it's it's the idea of anger. Macro means long or large. So literally watch this now be patient macro Thomas means to belong, or slow to anger, watch the implication this word be patient which means to be long or slow to anger us that I am in a situation where I am tempted to be angry domestics DA Carson in his wonderful book scandalous is the foremost theologian Prof. Trinity in the Deerfield, Illinois, DA Carson said the reason why most pray for patient is we are smart enough to know that the very prayer for patients implies that I will be placed into a circumstance I do not like you don't learn patients sitting in an air-conditioned Christian pew environment.

You don't learn patients by taking it in school. You don't learn patient on your cul-de-sac. You only learn patient by going through life time so the enemy of patients begins with adversity. If you have no adversity. You'll never be a pearl.

So what patient's assumes I am in the midst of something I do not like my PhD can get me out of it.

My relational network can't change it. The money in my bank account can't fix it on and in the midst of being and you can't fix it.

James is be patient, be patient and in the situation where you can just have a problem, but you when problems come to my address they never come by themselves they always bring their aunties and uncles and cousins and have a nice little ever been there by my called me not to long ago and as soon as I heard his voice I knew something was wrong. As the conversation progressed, he just just talk to me about his mother. They just found out she got out of radical aggressive form of cancer. They are going to do a double mastectomy and on top of that they found tumors wrapped around his spinal cord and you got a delicate surgery on top of that, his house was on the market in the 11th hour right when they're forced to close the deal fell through and I heard a voice. I got one ever been there ever ever been there ever been there. Keep living.

My grandmother used to say in you will find yourself in situation that you can't get out. I love it is the shouting stuff though. Look at the text. James says, be patient, therefore, brothers, don't miss it. My mama stop right there.

Patient… Until you missed. James says the patient you're in a situation you don't like the situation you can't fix but hang in there because of her situation is.

God says is gotten on till only and what that means is used to say the old Negro spiritual trouble don't last always going prosperity theology on you. I'm not saying your situation will in the way that you wanted to end.

James just says it will in in other words, there's only two places in the universe where you will not be patient well because there are no exit signs in heaven because there is no adversity but everywhere in between. You need patient but James said whatever it is you're going through it will in now. This brings up a question. The question on the table, though, is exactly this patient and I can't get out of this patient look like if patient is passive resignation. I can't do nothing sums will sit here no hate James now goes in the anatomy of patients from going from adversity to now he talks about patients as being active waiting. Watch it, he says, verse seven. Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Now he gives us an image of what patient's looks like he says see how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth being patient about it until it receives the early light ring if you want a picture of patient look at the farmer. The fire never comes to his field and says what you got do something I'm waiting James is this not patients.

Instead, what the farmer does is he does everything he can sign up to sundown. He takes any plows any seeds, any we are over and over and over again.

The end of the day he's going to do all that he can, but unless God does his part by sending the right so that the picture he's painting of patients is not passive resignation, active waiting to biblical example to hook up all it's amazing to me that many of the letters he writes are what we would call prison epistles. He's incarcerated. Talk about waiting. Talk about a situation you can change what is called 26 and imprisoned for the light now, wait on you want to do what you did in acts chapter 16 when me and Silas were injected to go ahead and bust us out in no you didn't do that is what I'm here and I'm think about these churches, praetorian guardsmen, do you mind if I borrow a pen and some paper to write some letters while he's very mentally write these letters but if you read these letters to Paul is always saying hey I want you to know, to the people he trying to bring in jail. I'm praying so that situation he cannot change. He writes and he prayed in chapter 1 he blows my mind. I think generalities is a flipping chapter 1. Thank you for the gift. I want you to know that since being here.

The gospel have gone for the whole praetorian guard. As Paul says, I think she went guardsmen on either side, and I realize something I'm going anywhere and then going anywhere.

I might as well do something and maximize my situation so I turned to the right and I think Jesus Jesus Jesus and to the left. I say Jesus Jesus to Paul Byrd on maximizing his situation. What is patients. It is not passive resignation is not throwing up your hands this thing I'm going to make the most in this situation even though I cannot touch the situation. My little boy 2010 got diagnosed with hyper is sinful syndrome where blood disease don't have time to explain every single month. We took a trip to St. Jude's Children's Hospital where any given moment, we could been told that he's got cancer five years.

They told us his blood disorder has no cure. It will be rift with him for the rest of his life in most the times. If it doesn't turn the cancer returned to lupus five years on my knees every night with my son pray God heal worshiping God.

I've been there, this time letting feel like pray this time there's a gear right in my spirit as I prayed, God calls us, even when the situation I have no control over it. I can maximize it by being in my own waiting room and making the most out of it by giving God praise and taking him to do something in it. Then, my boy gets healed January 16 of this year. The doctors at St. Jude scratch their heads and said we can explain it, it's gone. Dear me, that ain't the punchline that in the punchline.

The punchline is not whether or not he got healed. God is still good punchline is my son coming to me this summer saying that one of the closest times I've ever felt to God's every night when we got on our knees and pray to him and begged him to do something God shows up in the waiting room. He shows up in valleys in a sweet way that he doesn't necessarily do on mountaintops. You do know that the bulk of the food found in the agricultural world is not found on the mountaintops. It's found in the valley what my son was saying is true that more than prayer changing things, prayer changes me. There's something that happens in the waiting room. Paul, the anatomy of patients rather James says that patients doesn't just assume adversity. It's not just active waiting, but it's also everything to do with your attitude. Verse nine. Do not grumble. These works Jewish background. Like many of James's rate of first thing that your mind is the Exodus event God saying to the people I'm moving you from Egypt. I'm sending you into the promised land. I've got good things in store for you, but a six week journey into a forty-year debacle.

Why because they murmur murmur murmur, grumble, grumble, grumble what the nation of Israel models for us that you can be patient in your body but impatient in yours. Grumble. Don't murmur this verse takes us back to chapter 1 verse two exchange for joy when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. James speaks to us in our attitudes eases no matter what it is you're going through Show as long as Jesus is joy not known about the say is going to not endear me to you but they were in infancy self together on the big Atlanta Falcons huge Falcons for group group nonself group in Atlanta love Atlanta Falcons love the dirty birds which means I'm used to waiting patients Atlanta Falcons men to pinnacle my experience Atlanta Falcons of thing happen in 1998 and behind tomorrow. I understanding and and are in our dirty birds remit to the NC championship game out in California at the time and I remember so excited for my dirty birds there wrapped up like the Minnesota Vikings. I even worked into my Benedict we prayer at Lake Avenue church in Pasadena. God bless the dirty bird go before them, lead guy didn't be with them. Well, they won the game course James going to say the prayers of the righteous avail of much we made it to the Super Bowl this Denver Broncos and yes I would live in holy that week because we lost but that's okay next year 1999. From here you will win it all else, not a trip the window when you know all that. That's us do it in then one of her first games Monday night game is dollars, forget it Jamaal Anderson or Starling back cuts blows out his knee in the first season man focus: my house. I didn't even know best what happened to you dirty birds talking junk to me. I'm going should we do church discipline on you. You are you talking trash is a rough year year anniversary rough year. I got depressed but in 1999 a good idea down in the dumps over my dirty birds I decided to pick up the phone in 1999 and call NFL films and asked them to send me the highlight clips of the 1998 Atlanta Falcons so 1999 when I would find myself frustrated the Atlanta Falcons in turning the game off with 14 minutes and 12 seconds left to go in the first quarter I would take the 1998 highlight clips in 1999. Watch the highlight clips of who they were in the past and allow that to give me some joy in the present is trying to say. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ and struggling for joy in the present. You have some nothing but Jesus highlight clips and you will be able to reflect on the goodness of God and what he done for you joy in the present grumble God into the fact that your breathing is a sign of his mercy on your lie. Patient is adversity waiting, but now he goes to the analogies of patients he says is an example of suffering, impatient brothers verse 10, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord's work of the prophets. My other son Jake is basketball, not basketball.

Not absolutely loves it gets pretty good.

I actually call him a retirement plan to kick a ball got written out written on his wall with my wife and I just found that the top 10 colleges. He was 10 years old is kind of envisioning every drop basketball as you walk into his room to see posters as Lebron James posters is Kobe Bryant. Posters this Michael Jordan I walked into the room and caught Jane on his bed, just looking at these posters and drawing inspiration.

Verse 10 James says you've got some posters when it comes to call the prophets when you're struggling with patience when you're in the middle of something and I can't fix this patient with my wife starting with patience with my finances. If one more person tells me I'm I'm I'm I'm over employed somebody in the nose I'm struggling with patient school and burning the midnight oil started with patience and this this season of singleness that I mean it is cute as me but she didn't. I'm struggling with patience. James as you got some posters fuming to one posters Ezekiel got for John, what use you have a picture of my covenant faithfulness to Israel of my patience with them.

Here they are for years just running after whoring after other gods and I'm patient with them.

So here's what you do.

Ezekiel strip down naked where your loincloth and lay on your left side for 390 days medical service Hosea.this Hosea my people don't get it. I'm patient with them.

Here they are whoring after other gods breaking their covenant with me, but I can't patient with his go to the other side of town going to marry this girl name, now she will break your heart. But when she leaves.

Don't you let it go go back in the same way I go back and get my patient closer.

This is the Michael Jordan of patients right here in the text. We look at it with me.

He says, verse 11. Behold, we consider those blessed to remain soon and for patients that that spirit is here comes Michael Pickens number 23 impatient you have heard of the steadfastness of show something the economic downturn in 2008 had nothing on the economic downturn. Job chapters 1 and two loses everything covered from head to toe boils goes to a funeral, not just with one casket holding one of his kids, but 10 caskets holding tinnitus kids in the middle of all that is your wife chirping. It is here cursed God in diet and he responds.

Shall we take good from the Lord and not taking full and in the middle of all this in Job chapter 19 he blows my mind Job chapter 19 I love it. Job chapter 19 he says covered from head to toe.

Boils sitting in ashes from scraping the skin off of his body. In Job chapter 19 grieving over his kids. He has the audacity to say in Job chapter 19 I know my Redeemer. My mind says I in the midst of not feeling it discourage the press down but he says I know he live if you get nothing else. I think it best when going through life difficulties always let what you know how you joking I feel depressed when I know he lives. I feel discouraged, but I know he lives. I feel down I know he lives don't you buy the lie of Satan when going through life difficulties that God ain't good now are Texans by the patient's since you have heard of the steadfastness of Job.

Here it is, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord.

James is saying Brian when you go through what you go through what you go through is not happenstance your trial. Brian is not off the rack.

It's custom-made that what you're going through, has a purpose to it. It's tailor-made for you.

It's custom-made.

I had had a hold on to this promise that God in his sovereignty is up to something and what he's up to, is fashioning a pearl out of my life, but in order to get there. The sovereign God who intricately made in created me knows what I can and can't handle and places just enough on me so that it doesn't crush me. But I can look to him for relief in the middle of it. If what you're going through. If your neighbor went through exactly what you went through. They may have committed suicide, but you're still here, God is up to something, don't you forget that my mom grown up. She had an annoying hobby cross-stitch cross-stitch cross-stitch and simply involves taking a piece of fabric and weaving in and out of the fabrics and spreads not call this annoying because I was a little boy my mom and first embarked on this topic and she would sit there on the sofa in her home in College Park, Georgia, and she cheats it on himself and do it and I will sit at her feet and I would be sitting at her feet watching mama cross-stitch but from my vantage point, I was looking at it from the bottom up and when you look at cross stitching from the bottom up.

It makes no since it has no rhyme or reason to it. There is no pattern. There is no rhythm. All you see are chaotic dangling jumbled to looking out for my vantage point from the bottom up going mom LOST her mind doing it doesn't make sense and mama and her wisdom said sit down next to me son with a smile on her face when I sat down next to mama no longer seeing things from the bottom up but seeing it from the top down what I now saw was not chaos but order I now saw a pattern in a rhythm being stitched together.

I saw an image being formed. The problem with humanity in this side of heaven is we only see things from the bottom up and seeing it from the bottom up going God. Do you know do you see it makes no but God is saying tonight on my lap up to something in your life to something through the pain to something through the divorce. I'm up to something through the bankruptcy. I'm up to something in your life. I see I hear I know I care be patient which are going through is not be me being mean. Sometimes I think we humored out with her prayers for informing him as if God's Holy Spirit. Did you know that CC knows and cares for Matthew chapter 6 he says three times. Don't be anxious about your life.

He says you need to know.

Not a single sparrow falls to the ground.

Not one without me knowing about what we would call in rhetoric and for your sheet argument, an argument from lesser to greater is if I can see and know and care for sparrows how much more so do I not see and know and care for you who have been made in my image. I want to pray. I have in my gut that this work tonight was a 530 Saturday night July 18 kind of word if you're here tonight you're going man that's me.

I'm in the middle of something right now. The same word I need to store up to put this word on layaway I'm in it right now and I will note that it is if you're going, I just need some prayer for patients is what I'm going through right now I'm going through right now.

Would you stand your feet and I love to pray for you going through it right now you're just going through it right now. It is maturing in it right now could be something that's relational it could be something that's financial. I don't know what it is, but God knows what it is… Call on God.

I want to encourage those of you weren't standing your free field to extend a hand toward the person next to feel free to stand with them with the body of Christ. However, the Spirit of God moves you, but I don't want to be the only person here right now praying for our brothers standing up. Pray with me in the spirit room. Father in the name of Jesus I pray right now for your kids, your children were standing were standing because they're saying words that I heard tonight describes where I am right now I'm in the middle of something that it could be something related to their kids. It could be something related to a child, or the lack thereof. It could be something that financially could be something Lord God as it relates to justice season of life. It could be something healthwise. I don't know what it is but I call on the sovereign God does know God, you are the all seeing God what theologians call your omniscience.

You are the all knowing God.

You know it all, there's not a single thing that happens in the universe that surprises you. We rest in metrics tonight.

God, the Lord God.

We also need to know that not only do you know all you care you care the opening chapters of Exodus, God is your people are in bondage. Your word says that you yourself you have heard their groans. See the care and that you're sending your servant Moses down to do something about it.

You air about the financial burden you care about the lump on the breast you care about that child out in the far country you care about the marital stress you care about the separation you care about the infertility you care. Father got me preach that to ourselves and we bind the enemy who would seek to have us believe. You don't care that is a live from the pit of hell. You care rest father got me. We do pray that you would step. We do pray that you get a job.

Pray Lord God that you would remove that lump. We to pray for healing in our bodies.

We do pray for the restoration of that merit. We do pray for you bring that we child back home we pray pray pray God do it but father not only do we pray that you would change thing's as we wait change. Would you take that greenness turned it into a precious asking in the name of Jesus and Damien