“Patience…” – James 5:7-12 – September 24, 2020
“Therefore be patient, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.” James 5:7
* One piece of the fruit of the Spirit the apostle Paul mentions in Galatians that is to be present in the life of Christians is PATIENCE. But what is the origin of the word patience? It comes from Latin, and it means to suffer… to endure pain, hurt, and damage people inflict on us as we stand firm.
* Thomas Adams once said, “Patience must not be an inch shorter than affliction” meaning that we are to endure until the end even when life is really tough… to hang in.
* In his letter James explains that a farmer needs patience as he waits for the right time in order to harvest. Until the harvest patience needs to be the farmer’s companion. It cannot be an inch shorter. Many things can happen before the harvest comes… storms, hail, drought, pests…
* The Bible also tells us that the prophets needed lots of patience as many of them suffered to proclaim God’s message to the nations of Israel and Judah. So James also encourages us as he says, “Therefore be patient, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.” James 5:7. Our patience needs to be LONG! One synonym for patience is LONG SUFFERING! No “Short Fuse” allowed, because it can threatens our connection with the Savior and our eternal salvation.
* It seems that some of the members of the Christian church were complaining about each other when James writes. This group wanted to solve their differences by their own ideas and in doing so they put their eternal life at risk. Their complaints were bigger than their patience.
* But as we look at God… patience is one of amazing qualities. He does not loose heart as we do often. He is patient with us. He has enough reasons to complain and punish us, instead He is merciful. His patience is very long, and He is always ready to forgive & help us in time of need.
* Our God wants us to see everything we experience from a perspective that life is eternal… We need to understand that life is not limited to living here a few years… what we face here and now comes and goes… what is eternal… REMAINS… Never ends! That is why Paul said to the Christians in Rome, “What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.” Romans 8:18. God also wants us to fix our eyes on His Son Jesus who endured everything for us. He wants us to be connected to Him, because there is a harvest ahead… not of corn or soybeans, but a harvest of perfect eternal life… when all affliction, pain, and suffering will end!
* A patient sat down in the dentist’s chair complaining of his aching tooth. He asked, “Doc, how long will it take to pull this thing?” “Oh, don’t worry,” said the dentist. “I can have it out in less than ten minutes. I believe you can be patient that long” “And how much is this going to cost?” the patient asked. “A tooth extraction is about $150,” the dentist answered. “$150 for ten minutes work? That’s a bit steep, isn’t it?” The dentist replied, “Well, I can extract it very slowly if you’d prefer… I can make it last 1 hours. Do you want to suffer long?”
* God gives us patience to face pain and opposition. He never let’s us face anything stronger, bigger, or longer than what we can endure.
* Until when do we have to be patient? Until the Lord comes says James! … until He comes, those who love Him are patient and kind… enduring everything by faith, hope, and love! And then we will receive the crown of life. Be blessed and be a blessing!
Rev. Don Sonntag
“Patience…” – James 5:7-12 – September 24, 2020
“Therefore be patient, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.” James 5:7
* One piece of the fruit of the Spirit the apostle Paul mentions in Galatians that is to be present in the life of Christians is PATIENCE. But what is the origin of the word patience? It comes from Latin, and it means to suffer… to endure pain, hurt, and damage people inflict on us as we stand firm.
* Thomas Adams once said, “Patience must not be an inch shorter than affliction” meaning that we are to endure until the end even when life is really tough… to hang in.
* In his letter James explains that a farmer needs patience as he waits for the right time in order to harvest. Until the harvest patience needs to be the farmer’s companion. It cannot be an inch shorter. Many things can happen before the harvest comes… storms, hail, drought, pests…
* The Bible also tells us that the prophets needed lots of patience as many of them suffered to proclaim God’s message to the nations of Israel and Judah. So James also encourages us as he says, “Therefore be patient, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.” James 5:7. Our patience needs to be LONG! One synonym for patience is LONG SUFFERING! No “Short Fuse” allowed, because it can threatens our connection with the Savior and our eternal salvation.
* It seems that some of the members of the Christian church were complaining about each other when James writes. This group wanted to solve their differences by their own ideas and in doing so they put their eternal life at risk. Their complaints were bigger than their patience.
* But as we look at God… patience is one of amazing qualities. He does not loose heart as we do often. He is patient with us. He has enough reasons to complain and punish us, instead He is merciful. His patience is very long, and He is always ready to forgive & help us in time of need.
* Our God wants us to see everything we experience from a perspective that life is eternal… We need to understand that life is not limited to living here a few years… what we face here and now comes and goes… what is eternal… REMAINS… Never ends! That is why Paul said to the Christians in Rome, “What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.” Romans 8:18. God also wants us to fix our eyes on His Son Jesus who endured everything for us. He wants us to be connected to Him, because there is a harvest ahead… not of corn or soybeans, but a harvest of perfect eternal life… when all affliction, pain, and suffering will end!
* A patient sat down in the dentist’s chair complaining of his aching tooth. He asked, “Doc, how long will it take to pull this thing?” “Oh, don’t worry,” said the dentist. “I can have it out in less than ten minutes. I believe you can be patient that long” “And how much is this going to cost?” the patient asked. “A tooth extraction is about $150,” the dentist answered. “$150 for ten minutes work? That’s a bit steep, isn’t it?” The dentist replied, “Well, I can extract it very slowly if you’d prefer… I can make it last 1 hours. Do you want to suffer long?”
* God gives us patience to face pain and opposition. He never let’s us face anything stronger, bigger, or longer than what we can endure.
* Until when do we have to be patient? Until the Lord comes says James! … until He comes, those who love Him are patient and kind… enduring everything by faith, hope, and love! And then we will receive the crown of life. Be blessed and be a blessing!
Rev. Don Sonntag