The Mature are Patient in a Hard World — James 5:7-12

[00:00:05] Thank you for listening to the Calvary Monterey Podcast. To learn more about our church, please visit Calvary.com.

[00:00:11] And for additional resources from our lead pastor, Nate Holdridge, please visit NateHoldridge.com.

[00:00:18] Teaching today is our lead pastor, Nate Holdridge.

[00:00:24] Alright, good morning everyone. Let's go to James chapter 5 and I'm going to read the whole text today.

[00:00:30] Today we're looking at verse 7-12 and I'm going to pray a prayer, not just for our time in the Word,

[00:00:37] but I also want to pray it's in my heart to just pray for the start of our life groups.

[00:00:42] I think this is an important quarter for us as we get together.

[00:00:46] I love that our people, that our church, we're revisiting the Word each week, you know, looking at it on Sunday,

[00:00:54] letting it look at us again in the middle of the week, talking about it, applying it to our lives,

[00:01:00] seeing how other people have interacted with God's Word. I love that.

[00:01:05] And so I want to pray for those interactions. I believe in the Holy Spirit.

[00:01:09] And I believe that the Spirit of God gathers together with His people as we open up His Word

[00:01:16] and that there are some Holy Spirit appointments that are going to happen in living rooms and coffee shops

[00:01:23] and here on this campus. I really believe that.

[00:01:25] So I just want to pray and ask for God to do that in our groups this coming quarter.

[00:01:31] But let's read the text first. James chapter 5, we're going to read it twice today once right now

[00:01:35] and then again as we're going through it verse by verse in the teaching.

[00:02:07] But verse 7, James says,

[00:02:09] As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

[00:02:16] Behold, we consider those verse 11 blessed who remained steadfast.

[00:02:21] You've heard of the steadfastness of Job and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

[00:02:28] But above all my brothers, do not swear either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath

[00:02:35] but let your yes be yes and your no be no so that you may not fall under condemnation.

[00:02:43] All right, let's pray together. Lord, we do want to ask you this morning for your help in studying your word,

[00:02:51] thinking about it, meditating upon it. We pray Lord that it would saturate our hearts and minds and souls.

[00:02:57] We pray that you remove distractions from us even Lord just within the realm of our minds.

[00:03:02] We pray that you'd help us to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ and to Lord hear from you

[00:03:09] and what you want to say to us today from your book.

[00:03:13] We also want to take a moment Father and pray for what I think is very precious in your sight,

[00:03:20] your people gathering together around your word, talking about it, applying it to their lives,

[00:03:27] encouraging each other, being a source of hope and help and ministry to each other's spirits.

[00:03:38] And so Lord I pray for this next Life Group quarter and ask Lord that you would really do a great thing

[00:03:45] as we gather together and Lord that you'd minister to us and that each night whatever it is

[00:03:52] that you're trying to accomplish would be accomplished. Your kingdom would come

[00:03:56] and that your will would be done in those groups as in heaven.

[00:04:02] And so Lord we pray for that and we commit that into your hands.

[00:04:05] We pray for all the leaders and all the hosts this quarter and ask that you'd fill them with your energy,

[00:04:11] your might, your wisdom, your perspective, your hope, your endurance

[00:04:16] and Lord that you would reward them richly for their labor of love.

[00:04:20] We thank you Lord and again we pray and ask that you'd speak to us today from your word

[00:04:25] in Jesus' name. We pray together. Amen, amen.

[00:04:31] Well I've told you guys before that a couple of years ago Christina and I dropped our oldest daughter off at college

[00:04:38] and anybody who's done that for the first time you know it can be an emotional experience

[00:04:43] and different families handle it in different ways and the school that we brought her to

[00:04:48] they actually had you know they did all the normal things that they do for kids

[00:04:52] you know the launch kind of stuff the orientation meetings and all that

[00:04:56] but they actually offered quite a few orientation classes for the parents

[00:05:00] and so you know we were there we didn't want to leave right away

[00:05:05] so we decided to go to these things and I wasn't all that like positive or upbeat about it

[00:05:11] because I don't like going to things so I just was kind of a little down about it

[00:05:17] but you know as we were attending I was like oh this is actually good

[00:05:21] this is helpful this is encouraging and all that but I started noticing this theme

[00:05:26] because I was kind of wondering like why do I need an orientation

[00:05:29] why do the parents need an orientation I started noticing this theme

[00:05:32] and all these different like little banquets they'd have

[00:05:34] and lectures that they would give and socials that they would have

[00:05:37] I started noticing that at some point someone from the school would get up there

[00:05:43] and basically say like leave your kids alone

[00:05:46] okay like that was basically the lecture it was like hey you know don't be that parent

[00:05:52] that when your kid is having a hard time in their class

[00:05:55] you try to call their professor for them don't be that parent

[00:05:59] and like at first I was like I was like looking around like who would do that

[00:06:03] and then I realized like oh I'm sitting with the people that would do that

[00:06:06] you know they're talking to us for a reason

[00:06:10] you know and I was thinking about that this week as I was thinking about the words

[00:06:15] that we just read here in the book of James

[00:06:17] James is depicting for us what Christian maturity looks like

[00:06:23] and he is coming at it like a spiritual father parent

[00:06:29] writing to a group of believers that are under pressure and hardship

[00:06:33] and here's what he wants to say to them he wants to say you got this

[00:06:36] you can do this

[00:06:39] I don't need to come down from Jerusalem and rescue you from your situation

[00:06:43] I want to help equip you to be the kind of person the kind of church that can endure

[00:06:49] hardship and difficulty until the day that the Lord comes

[00:06:53] that's really what this passage of scripture is about

[00:06:55] now a couple questions that we should ask about this text

[00:06:58] James is really leaning into this patience and suffering theme

[00:07:04] in fact you probably noticed that the word patience it's in there like seven times

[00:07:08] the word steadfastness is in there a handful of times

[00:07:11] so James is really getting on that theme if you were to think about what is

[00:07:15] what is James looking at in verse 10 he talks about the prophets and he says

[00:07:19] they're an example of suffering and patience

[00:07:23] alright that's kind of his perspective he's like it's a hard world

[00:07:26] it's filled with suffering there's some difficulty going on

[00:07:29] and I need you to have patience in it

[00:07:33] is what James is saying to the church

[00:07:35] so a couple questions we might ask one would be what is the suffering

[00:07:39] that the people that James is writing to were dealing with

[00:07:43] and it's hard to say with great specificity but this is clearly

[00:07:47] as you're looking at the letter that James wrote it's clearly got Jewish background

[00:07:52] and backdrop and culture within it probably was written very early on

[00:07:56] in the life of the church when the church was still predominantly Jewish in nature

[00:08:00] hadn't yet expanded into the nations or the Gentile world

[00:08:03] there's talk of like synagogue behavior and stuff like that all throughout this letter

[00:08:08] so probably what's going on is you got a group of people who said

[00:08:12] we believe that Jesus is the Messiah Christ

[00:08:16] that was promised in our Old Testament scriptures

[00:08:20] we believe that he came we believe that we killed him

[00:08:23] that we crucified him that he was buried and that he rose from the dead

[00:08:27] so that whoever believes in him would not perish but have everlasting life

[00:08:31] and we believe that when he did that he fulfilled the mosaic law

[00:08:36] and that it is now fading away and expiring because of the life of Jesus

[00:08:41] and for a lot of people who would have heard that from their culture

[00:08:44] those were fighting words

[00:08:47] like you're messing with Moses you're messing with the law

[00:08:50] you're messing with the messianic promise

[00:08:53] you're messing with us

[00:08:54] and it appears that inside the communities that they were living in

[00:08:58] these Christians began to experience some kind of persecution

[00:09:02] likely at the very least an economic persecution

[00:09:06] as we've been thinking about the last couple of weeks

[00:09:09] they weren't getting the jobs they would normally get

[00:09:12] they weren't being able to buy and sell and trade like they'd normally be able to

[00:09:16] and so James is talking to them about that brand or that type of suffering

[00:09:21] but just because that was their situation

[00:09:23] I think we can fast forward into our modern time

[00:09:26] and we can say yeah they're suffering today still

[00:09:29] not only the suffering that is common to all of humanity

[00:09:35] but it's like the news as a Christian is you get to go through all of that

[00:09:39] plus you get to go through a little bit of Jesus suffering

[00:09:42] you know there's the hardship and the difficulty of taking the gospel to the world

[00:09:47] of making disciples of all nations and being a legion to him

[00:09:51] in a dark world that isn't always going to be open

[00:09:54] and hopeful and excited to hear the message that is exclusive

[00:09:59] in the gospel of Jesus Christ

[00:10:02] and of course we know today that there are many nations and places where Christians

[00:10:07] are directly persecuted and we probably live in a place where

[00:10:10] we're beginning to feel some heat for following hard after Jesus

[00:10:16] and so James I think his words are very appropriate for us

[00:10:20] to be patient in suffering but here's another question that we should ask

[00:10:24] patient for what?

[00:10:27] What is it that he wants us to be patient for

[00:10:30] and you might have noticed throughout this little passage

[00:10:32] that James talks about the coming of the Lord

[00:10:36] be patient until Jesus arrives

[00:10:40] until Jesus comes or in another verse he talks about

[00:10:43] when the judge who is standing at the door comes through the door

[00:10:47] be patient as believers until that day

[00:10:51] now it's very clear that early on in the life of the church

[00:10:55] they developed a theology that said Jesus is going to come back

[00:11:01] in fact this was kind of like the very beginning of the book of Acts

[00:11:04] Jesus is there with his disciples he's risen from the grave

[00:11:07] he spent time with them it appeared with them for 40 days

[00:11:10] and he's beginning to tell them I'm leaving

[00:11:15] and they're like is but is this the time that you're going to restore

[00:11:21] the kingdom to Israel? Is this the time that you're going to bring in

[00:11:24] all the Old Testament promises? Is this the time?

[00:11:27] And Jesus said it's not for you to know the time

[00:11:31] but I'm going to return I'm going to come back

[00:11:34] and what they did is they took a very simple Greek word

[00:11:37] the word that we would translate arrival

[00:11:40] like if you were going to a party in that culture

[00:11:44] and you arrived you know people are like hey is Nate there yet

[00:11:48] like oh yeah Nate he arrived Nate's here

[00:11:50] he's present they took that word for arrival

[00:11:54] and they began applying it to Jesus

[00:11:57] they began saying there's a day where he will come

[00:12:01] where he will return where he will walk in the door

[00:12:04] they were excited for that moment and what James says here

[00:12:08] is that coming is at hand

[00:12:12] now that's exciting to me and might be exciting to you

[00:12:16] but then also that excitement might be curbed a little bit

[00:12:19] by the fact that James said this 2000 years ago

[00:12:21] and you're like okay that's not kind of bumming me out a little bit

[00:12:24] if he had wrote that like today I'd be really excited

[00:12:27] the other day of the Lord is at hand

[00:12:30] the coming of the Lord is at hand

[00:12:32] why does James say it like that?

[00:12:33] We're saying it that way because Jesus' return

[00:12:37] is the next major event on God's promise timeline

[00:12:42] you know the Messiah came

[00:12:45] the Messiah will come again

[00:12:47] it's the next major event and I'll be honest with you

[00:12:50] there's a lot of Christians that quibble about

[00:12:52] if there are smaller less major events

[00:12:55] that need to unfold happen to occur before Jesus returns

[00:13:00] some people say yes some people say no

[00:13:04] it's not really the focus of my teaching this morning

[00:13:06] because James was not focusing on that in this passage

[00:13:10] his emphasis is one day Christ will return

[00:13:15] endure until that day comes

[00:13:19] James's focus, I'm not trying to knock anybody

[00:13:22] but James's focus wasn't on trying to figure out

[00:13:25] when's it gonna happen

[00:13:26] what are all the news events of the day

[00:13:29] and how do they fit in

[00:13:30] he wasn't getting into any of that

[00:13:32] and by the way if that's something that you're interested in

[00:13:35] all power to you

[00:13:36] but I would encourage you

[00:13:38] don't be a person who becomes distracted with that

[00:13:42] don't be a person who becomes unloving

[00:13:46] because you've adopted an escapist mentality

[00:13:49] and also don't be a person who's proud

[00:13:51] be humble understand that not every good Christian

[00:13:54] has held those views

[00:13:57] or that particular prophetic grid

[00:13:59] that you are likely holding

[00:14:01] good believers have debated these things

[00:14:03] for many many years

[00:14:05] but James's emphasis, James's perspective

[00:14:09] at least here is the day of the Lord

[00:14:11] the coming of the Lord

[00:14:12] it's going to happen

[00:14:14] he is going to return

[00:14:16] and we must be a people of endurance

[00:14:19] in suffering until the day that he arrives

[00:14:23] so what I want to think about this morning

[00:14:26] is I want to think about from the passage

[00:14:29] that we read today

[00:14:31] what are some ways that James thinks

[00:14:34] we can be a people who endure a hard world well

[00:14:39] does he give us any help

[00:14:40] any perspectives, any mentalities

[00:14:43] that we should pick up

[00:14:44] and I want to hold out four of them to you today

[00:14:47] from verse seven all the way to verse 12

[00:14:50] and the first one I want to hold out to you this morning

[00:14:53] I think this is really helpful

[00:14:55] when it comes to enduring well

[00:14:57] it's this, number one

[00:14:58] we need to adjust our expectations

[00:15:04] adjust our expectations

[00:15:05] and this comes from verse seven

[00:15:08] let's read it again together

[00:15:09] verse seven and eight

[00:15:10] he says be patient, therefore brothers

[00:15:13] until the coming of the Lord

[00:15:17] see how the farmer waits for the precious fruit

[00:15:21] of the earth being patient about it

[00:15:23] until it receives the early and the late rains

[00:15:27] you also be patient

[00:15:30] establish your hearts

[00:15:33] for the coming of the Lord is at hand

[00:15:36] for this exhortation to adjust our expectations

[00:15:40] James holds out a farmer

[00:15:43] as his example or illustration

[00:15:46] he talks about this thing called the early and the late rains

[00:15:50] James lived in a time

[00:15:51] in a society and in an area where

[00:15:55] what they would have is a time where they would plant

[00:15:58] then there would be a rainy season

[00:16:00] then there would be a dry season

[00:16:03] then there would be another rainy season

[00:16:06] and after that second dose of rain

[00:16:10] they began expecting the fullness of the crops to come

[00:16:14] they didn't have the modern irrigation that we have

[00:16:17] and all of that

[00:16:18] and so they were at the mercy really in a lot of ways

[00:16:20] of the weather system and weather patterns

[00:16:23] and what James is saying is that you would never imagine

[00:16:26] a farmer in that society

[00:16:28] or in any society really going out

[00:16:31] on day one and planting seed

[00:16:34] and then the very next day going out to those fields

[00:16:38] and wondering

[00:16:39] I'm gonna go out to the fields today

[00:16:41] I wonder if there's going to be a full crop

[00:16:46] of the thing that I planted yesterday

[00:16:49] today

[00:16:50] now you'd look at a guy like that

[00:16:52] he'd be like bro you're insane

[00:16:53] you need to get a new job

[00:16:54] you need another career field

[00:16:56] because that's not the way it works

[00:16:57] you would look at that farmer and say

[00:16:59] especially in that culture

[00:17:01] hey it's gonna take a little time

[00:17:02] you're gonna have to wait for the rain to come

[00:17:05] then there will be a drier season

[00:17:07] then there will be more rain

[00:17:09] you've got to wait for the early rains

[00:17:10] and the latter rains

[00:17:12] and after that

[00:17:13] there is going to be a harvest

[00:17:16] I think that what James is trying to say here

[00:17:20] is that as believers

[00:17:22] we need to understand that God is doing a work

[00:17:25] that sometimes to us from our vantage point

[00:17:29] feels like it is taking a very long time

[00:17:32] but we need to adjust our expectations

[00:17:34] and wait for the latter rain

[00:17:36] I think if I could just say it like this

[00:17:38] too many of us are wanting too much too soon

[00:17:43] we're wanting

[00:17:46] millennial reign of Christ

[00:17:48] kingdom of Jesus

[00:17:51] everybody loving and adoring

[00:17:54] and following after him

[00:17:56] we want that then

[00:17:58] but we think that it should happen right now

[00:18:00] man I would love for it to happen right now

[00:18:02] but the prophets from centuries past

[00:18:06] even before the New Testament

[00:18:08] on back into the Old Testament

[00:18:10] promised and predicted

[00:18:12] no the day is future

[00:18:15] when the nations will flow to God's mountain

[00:18:18] to love him and adore him

[00:18:20] and serve him

[00:18:21] and we have to adopt

[00:18:24] as we looked at in the book of Micah together

[00:18:26] that remnant mentality

[00:18:28] like man not everybody is going to be into this

[00:18:31] not everybody is going to long for Jesus

[00:18:34] not everybody is going to be devoted to him

[00:18:38] and we need to adopt that perspective

[00:18:40] and mentality

[00:18:41] we must adjust our expectations

[00:18:44] because the best is yet to come

[00:18:49] but when that latter rain does arrive

[00:18:53] God is going to do a beautiful thing

[00:18:55] we've got to have that perspective

[00:18:57] now some of you guys are saying to yourselves

[00:18:59] okay I think I got this one already

[00:19:02] I think I know this one

[00:19:03] and that is kind of the point

[00:19:05] really when we think about it

[00:19:07] it's like this makes a lot of sense

[00:19:08] recently I was at our family

[00:19:11] we were over at Target together

[00:19:13] we were actually just buying stuff for

[00:19:15] my daughter Violet

[00:19:17] who's going off to college for her first year

[00:19:19] in a few weeks

[00:19:21] and we were there at Target

[00:19:23] and I asked if I could be on the cart

[00:19:27] I like being on cart duty

[00:19:28] I don't like going to stores very much

[00:19:30] so I'm like I'll just be on the cart

[00:19:31] you guys know where you're going

[00:19:32] and I'll just follow you

[00:19:33] I'll just be the muscle

[00:19:36] kind of thing

[00:19:36] and so we're there

[00:19:37] we're cruising through Target

[00:19:39] and I looked down at my cart

[00:19:41] at one point

[00:19:41] there was this little cup holder

[00:19:43] that they had there

[00:19:45] and I noticed that on the perimeter

[00:19:48] of the cup holder

[00:19:49] there were these words

[00:19:50] and the words were

[00:19:53] caution

[00:19:55] contents may be hot

[00:19:57] and I was just like thinking

[00:19:59] about this whole situation

[00:20:01] it just kind of really spun me out

[00:20:02] I'm like imagining someone going into Target

[00:20:05] and going over to the Starbucks

[00:20:07] and being like

[00:20:08] I'd like a coffee

[00:20:09] and they're like what do you want it on ice

[00:20:11] or do you want it hot

[00:20:12] I want it hot

[00:20:13] and then they make it for you

[00:20:15] and you get it

[00:20:16] and you put it in your hand

[00:20:17] and then you put it in the cup holder

[00:20:19] and I'm just imagining someone that's like

[00:20:21] I forgot, I forgot

[00:20:23] is that hot or is that cold

[00:20:25] and Target was so nice

[00:20:27] because they put a little reminder there

[00:20:29] they're like hey

[00:20:29] you might have just put a really hot beverage

[00:20:32] right in there

[00:20:32] so be watch out for that

[00:20:34] I was like man thank you Target

[00:20:35] you guys really got my back

[00:20:37] it just felt like

[00:20:38] I think I got this

[00:20:40] I think I know this

[00:20:41] but I think that's what James is

[00:20:42] trying to communicate

[00:20:43] he's saying look

[00:20:44] I know that you know this

[00:20:46] I know that you're not thinking

[00:20:48] that you can have it all now

[00:20:49] you're not Veruca salting it

[00:20:51] you're not I want it now daddy

[00:20:52] you understand

[00:20:53] that the good stuff is coming

[00:20:55] you get that

[00:20:57] but sometimes that mentality creeps in doesn't it

[00:21:01] and sometimes we need that reminder

[00:21:03] no I gotta be like a farmer

[00:21:05] that is waiting for the latter rain

[00:21:08] I can't have it all now

[00:21:10] the best is coming

[00:21:12] and to adopt that perspective

[00:21:14] okay the second thing

[00:21:15] I wanted to say is

[00:21:17] I think James is also saying

[00:21:18] a way to adopt this endurance

[00:21:21] or this patience

[00:21:23] is to number two

[00:21:24] prepare for assessment

[00:21:28] prepare for assessment

[00:21:31] look at what he says in verse 9

[00:21:32] he says do not grumble

[00:21:34] against one another brothers

[00:21:35] so that you may not be judged

[00:21:38] behold the judge

[00:21:40] is standing at the door

[00:21:42] now first things first here he

[00:21:44] why would he have to give this little

[00:21:47] exhortation don't grumble

[00:21:49] against one another brothers

[00:21:51] why would he have to give

[00:21:52] that exhortation to the church

[00:21:54] well in the context

[00:21:56] I think what he's probably alluding to

[00:21:58] is something that we all know really well

[00:22:00] when there is hardship coming from

[00:22:03] outside into our lives

[00:22:05] that we can do nothing about

[00:22:08] we are tempted to lash out

[00:22:11] at the people that are around us

[00:22:13] whether it was their fault or not

[00:22:16] they call this projection or displacement

[00:22:19] and I think that James is alluding to that

[00:22:22] he's like look church

[00:22:23] there's nothing you could do

[00:22:24] about your economic persecutors

[00:22:26] but that doesn't give you the right

[00:22:28] to return fire

[00:22:31] to your own brothers and sisters

[00:22:33] in Christ he says watch out

[00:22:35] but then he gives a reason

[00:22:37] why they should watch out when he says

[00:22:39] because you don't want to be judged

[00:22:42] behold the judge is standing

[00:22:45] at the door

[00:22:48] what James is highlighting is he's saying

[00:22:50] look our lives are not our own

[00:22:53] they belong to someone

[00:22:55] they belong to the Lord

[00:22:57] and our lives will undergo

[00:22:59] some sort of evaluation process

[00:23:04] by Jesus

[00:23:06] look at what Paul said

[00:23:09] in 2 Corinthians chapter 5

[00:23:10] he said in verse 10

[00:23:12] we must all appear

[00:23:14] before the judgment seat of Christ

[00:23:17] so that each of us

[00:23:20] this is he's talking to Christians

[00:23:21] may receive what is due

[00:23:24] us for the things done

[00:23:26] well in the body

[00:23:27] whether good or bad

[00:23:29] Paul was a guy who understood the gospel

[00:23:31] he communicated it really well over and over again

[00:23:34] he understood that no one is going to get

[00:23:37] written in the Lamb's book of life

[00:23:38] based on their works

[00:23:40] but that when they are written

[00:23:41] in the Lamb's book of life

[00:23:43] they want to get to work

[00:23:45] and he says we will all give a report

[00:23:48] or an accounting of our lives unto God

[00:23:51] this shouldn't be like some big freaky

[00:23:53] scary thing for you guys

[00:23:55] this should be like an extension

[00:23:57] of what your every day is like

[00:23:59] in walking with him

[00:24:01] you know each morning for me

[00:24:03] it's like a I want to ask the Lord

[00:24:05] Lord what do you think about yesterday

[00:24:07] for Nate Holdridge

[00:24:10] you know we one of the cardinal prayers

[00:24:14] that were taught to pray is

[00:24:15] forgive us our debts

[00:24:18] as we forgive our debtors

[00:24:20] it's just kind of like baked into Christianity

[00:24:23] like Lord I kind of biffed

[00:24:26] a little bit in this or that yesterday

[00:24:28] and I pray that you cleanse me

[00:24:29] I pray that you forgive me

[00:24:30] but I want to hear your voice

[00:24:33] evaluating my life

[00:24:34] what are the things that you celebrate Jesus

[00:24:37] about my yesterday

[00:24:39] what are the things that you look at

[00:24:41] and you say man I'm so thankful

[00:24:42] for the way that you behaved

[00:24:44] in that area of your life

[00:24:47] so Paul seems to be saying

[00:24:48] we're all going to go through that

[00:24:50] final assessment

[00:24:51] and another place

[00:24:52] Paul said it this way

[00:24:53] 1 Corinthians 3 verse 12 to 15

[00:24:56] after saying that our lives are built

[00:24:58] on the foundation of the gospel

[00:25:00] the work of Jesus Christ

[00:25:01] he said anyone who builds on that foundation

[00:25:05] may use a variety of materials

[00:25:07] gold silver jewels wood hay or straw

[00:25:10] but on the judgment day

[00:25:12] fire will reveal

[00:25:14] what kind of work each builder has done

[00:25:17] the fire will show if a person's work

[00:25:20] has any value

[00:25:21] if the work survives

[00:25:24] that builder will receive a reward

[00:25:27] but if the work is burned up

[00:25:29] the builder will suffer great loss

[00:25:31] the builder will be saved

[00:25:33] but like someone barely escaping

[00:25:36] through a wall of flames

[00:25:39] it's like he's saying

[00:25:40] look a day is coming where our lives are assessed

[00:25:43] and there are certain things we do

[00:25:44] that are of significance

[00:25:46] eternal value

[00:25:47] those things will pass through the fire

[00:25:49] and then all the silly stuff

[00:25:50] all the sillinesses of our lives

[00:25:53] will just be burned away

[00:25:54] thank the Lord for that

[00:25:56] and then he will graciously somehow

[00:25:59] I don't understand how this works

[00:26:01] reward us for the moments of faithfulness

[00:26:05] in our lives

[00:26:05] now I tend to believe that this is going to be

[00:26:08] one of the because I just because of

[00:26:10] who I know God to be

[00:26:13] one of the most grace filled experiences

[00:26:17] of our entire eternal existence

[00:26:20] I don't have you ever read the book of Hebrews

[00:26:22] and come to the great hall of faith

[00:26:24] Hebrews chapter 11

[00:26:26] and read the stories where they're recounting

[00:26:29] the great faith of Old Testament characters

[00:26:33] and heroes like I alluded to one

[00:26:35] a couple of weeks ago when I talked about Moses

[00:26:39] choosing to suffer

[00:26:41] with the people of God

[00:26:43] rather than to enjoy the riches of Pharaoh's household

[00:26:46] the passing pleasures of sin

[00:26:49] but maybe some of you even as I alluded to that

[00:26:52] last week you're like wait hold on a second

[00:26:54] we studied Exodus and I remember what happened

[00:26:57] he was like cruising along

[00:26:58] he killed a dude

[00:27:01] buried him in the earth

[00:27:04] under sand like

[00:27:07] not a genius move

[00:27:08] and people figured it out

[00:27:11] and he had to run for his life

[00:27:13] and go out into the backside of the wilderness

[00:27:16] for four decades

[00:27:17] and then God called him

[00:27:20] and he reluctantly went back

[00:27:23] but then we read about it in the New Testament

[00:27:26] and the Spirit, the Holy Spirit says things like

[00:27:29] yeah that Moses

[00:27:31] he chose to suffer

[00:27:35] with the people of God

[00:27:36] we're like I read the story

[00:27:38] it doesn't really look like he chose it

[00:27:39] it looked like he was kind of out of options

[00:27:42] I just think it's going to be a very grace filled moment

[00:27:46] and like our Lord is going to be looking for any excuse

[00:27:50] to celebrate

[00:27:52] even the nominal moments of faithfulness to him

[00:27:56] now I'm not trying to take the edge off of this

[00:27:58] for you guys in any way

[00:28:00] but what I'm trying to highlight

[00:28:01] is that at least when Jesus talked about

[00:28:04] this moment of his return

[00:28:07] and giving analysis for our lives

[00:28:10] yes there were those who were unfaithful stewards

[00:28:14] who grieved because they were

[00:28:18] found unfaithful in their lives

[00:28:20] but the master or the steward

[00:28:24] when he returns, when he comes

[00:28:26] he is looking for a way to celebrate

[00:28:31] those who are faithful

[00:28:32] with what God entrusted into their care

[00:28:35] what has God entrusted into your care

[00:28:38] what talents to borrow

[00:28:40] the New Testament terminology

[00:28:42] has God entrusted into your care

[00:28:44] what gifts of the spirit

[00:28:46] has God given to you

[00:28:48] and put into your care

[00:28:50] what opportunities and open doors

[00:28:52] has God given to you

[00:28:54] you're not to sit and daydream about other people's open doors

[00:28:57] and other people's opportunities

[00:28:59] but you're to think about your own

[00:29:01] and to say Lord I want to be faithful

[00:29:03] with those opportunities

[00:29:06] until the day that you return

[00:29:09] he is going to assess the quality of our lives

[00:29:15] and so that day is coming

[00:29:17] and James seems to tell us

[00:29:18] get ready, be prepared for that moment

[00:29:21] the third thing though that I want to say

[00:29:23] is that I think James would also tell us

[00:29:26] in verse 10 and 11

[00:29:27] that we need to get better heroes

[00:29:30] we need to get better heroes

[00:29:32] let's read verse 10 and 11 together

[00:29:34] he says as an example of suffering

[00:29:36] and patience brothers

[00:29:38] take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord

[00:29:41] behold we consider those blessed

[00:29:44] who remain steadfast

[00:29:46] you've heard of the steadfastness of Job

[00:29:49] and you have seen the purpose of the Lord

[00:29:52] how the Lord is compassionate

[00:29:55] and merciful

[00:30:02] okay what is James doing here

[00:30:04] you know he's like okay I'm trying to encourage these people

[00:30:07] to endure, to have patience

[00:30:10] and he just kind of looks around

[00:30:13] and he goes you know one thing that would be

[00:30:15] really helpful in that direction

[00:30:18] is if instead of thinking about

[00:30:22] and setting your mind in affection

[00:30:24] on people who have it all right now

[00:30:27] instead get better heroes

[00:30:29] and set your mind and heart in affection

[00:30:31] put your attention on people like

[00:30:34] and then he holds out two categories

[00:30:36] the prophets and Job

[00:30:39] now this is like nobody wants to hear this okay

[00:30:43] okay the prophets like

[00:30:45] you might think like oh yeah that's amazing

[00:30:47] I would love to think about the prophets but here's the thing

[00:30:49] if you were a young man in Israel

[00:30:54] back in the Old Testament era

[00:30:56] and you said to your mom

[00:30:58] I think I want to be a prophet

[00:31:03] it'd be very similar to

[00:31:04] a young person going to their mom today

[00:31:08] and saying I think I want to be

[00:31:11] in the elite military special forces

[00:31:14] there might be pride

[00:31:17] in the mother's heart

[00:31:19] but there'd also be worry

[00:31:21] and anxiety because the prophets

[00:31:23] they went straight into battle

[00:31:27] Stephen in Acts chapter 7

[00:31:29] asked the question to the religious leaders

[00:31:32] which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute

[00:31:38] they killed them all

[00:31:39] they rejected all of them

[00:31:40] it wasn't until later that people were like

[00:31:42] oh yeah that was a good prophet

[00:31:43] now that he's dead we really like that guy

[00:31:46] you know he was really good

[00:31:47] I mean they had a hard life in ministry

[00:31:50] when Isaiah got his ministry started

[00:31:53] God's like here's what you're going to have to say

[00:31:55] Isaiah you're going to have to really confront

[00:31:56] a lot of sin there in Israel among my people

[00:31:59] and Isaiah says how long will I do this

[00:32:02] and he's like well you're going to do it

[00:32:04] for a really long time

[00:32:05] probably 40 or 60 years somewhere around there

[00:32:07] and you're going to do it until

[00:32:09] everything is destroyed

[00:32:11] like they're just not going to listen to you

[00:32:15] Jeremiah he launched out into ministry

[00:32:17] his message nobody liked it

[00:32:19] his message was we're going into exile

[00:32:23] into Babylon

[00:32:23] it's going to be for 70 years

[00:32:25] the terrible wicked Babylonians

[00:32:27] are going to win for a while

[00:32:29] we're going to be in exile

[00:32:30] all these false prophets rose up

[00:32:32] and they're like nope that's not going to happen

[00:32:34] the Babylonians are so bad

[00:32:36] God is going to judge them not us

[00:32:39] in like two years we're going to be free of them

[00:32:42] and Jeremiah got thrown in prison

[00:32:44] he got thrown in dungeons

[00:32:46] he got thrown down at the bottom

[00:32:47] a big fat muddy pits

[00:32:50] like he got forgotten

[00:32:51] like he suffered greatly for his work

[00:32:54] Ezekiel was like a living

[00:32:58] manifestation of the sorrow

[00:33:00] of God's heart

[00:33:02] because he had had a bride

[00:33:04] who had betrayed him

[00:33:06] and Ezekiel just had to like live it out

[00:33:08] he literally watched his wife die

[00:33:10] he had to mourn her death

[00:33:13] as a way of tapping into

[00:33:16] the mourning that God was experiencing over Israel

[00:33:21] I mean they suffered greatly

[00:33:25] and then there's Job

[00:33:27] this is the part nobody wants me to get into this morning

[00:33:30] he's like remember Job

[00:33:31] you ever get to that point when you're doing

[00:33:33] through the Bible reading

[00:33:34] and you're like and then it's Job 1

[00:33:36] and you're like oh no God is this going to happen to me

[00:33:38] please don't

[00:33:39] you're just everybody's terrified

[00:33:42] if you've ever read the book of Job

[00:33:43] you've read a very confusing book of the Bible

[00:33:46] there's a lot of mystery in there

[00:33:47] there's a lot of head scratching

[00:33:49] what's going on

[00:33:51] I wonder if what was happening with Job

[00:33:54] is that Job was keeping the covenant of Yahweh

[00:33:58] that's what it appears he's doing

[00:34:00] in Job chapter 1

[00:34:01] he's faithful

[00:34:02] and in Deuteronomy God said you keep the covenant

[00:34:05] you're gonna be blessed

[00:34:07] and Job's like I'm keeping the covenant

[00:34:09] and I am not being blessed

[00:34:12] what's happening

[00:34:13] what's going on

[00:34:16] you know he's like the exception

[00:34:18] rather than the rule he's like really going through it

[00:34:22] but I think that what you have with Job

[00:34:24] is like Job lived out human history

[00:34:28] in his own little life

[00:34:30] a great beginning

[00:34:33] a really long terrible middle

[00:34:35] filled with arguing with God

[00:34:37] and suffering and all this stuff

[00:34:39] and then a beautiful end

[00:34:42] and really that's humanity's story

[00:34:45] if you believe in Jesus

[00:34:47] you know great beginning

[00:34:49] go back to Genesis 1 and 2

[00:34:51] great beginning

[00:34:52] beautiful beginning

[00:34:53] really ugly middle

[00:34:55] filled with lots of arguing with God

[00:34:57] but if you trust and believe in Jesus

[00:34:59] a beautiful wonderful day

[00:35:02] is going to arrive when he comes

[00:35:04] and I wonder if that's what

[00:35:07] James is highlighting here

[00:35:08] he's like look think about these people

[00:35:11] think about these people

[00:35:12] but again I think we spend a lot of time

[00:35:15] not thinking about people like this

[00:35:17] but thinking about people who

[00:35:19] seemingly have it all right now

[00:35:22] and I tell you what the more you consume

[00:35:24] stories like that the less stories

[00:35:26] like the prophets and Job are going to resonate

[00:35:28] with your heart

[00:35:30] but I think we would do well

[00:35:33] to find those who it's not glory now

[00:35:36] pain later but willing to endure hardship

[00:35:39] now because glory is coming

[00:35:42] in their lives

[00:35:43] I think if we spend a little less time

[00:35:46] idolizing athletes and actors

[00:35:47] and influence and more time celebrating

[00:35:51] missionaries and martyrs

[00:35:53] people of prayer

[00:35:55] I think we'd be better equipped

[00:35:58] to endure this hard world

[00:36:00] okay so you got it

[00:36:02] you just got to get better heroes

[00:36:03] you got to set your mind on better people

[00:36:05] one of my favorite TV shows right now

[00:36:09] is Bluey

[00:36:10] you guys ever watch Bluey?

[00:36:12] I love Bluey

[00:36:14] we don't have any little kids in our house

[00:36:16] but we still like Bluey

[00:36:17] and what we do is on Holdridge Family Movie Night

[00:36:20] we throw on the next episode

[00:36:23] of Bluey right before the movie

[00:36:25] it's like the little like previews

[00:36:26] so we watch an episode of Bluey

[00:36:27] and there's this one episode

[00:36:29] if you've never seen Bluey

[00:36:31] I rebuke you in the name of Jesus

[00:36:34] and you just need to go watch it

[00:36:36] I guarantee you you could really learn a lot

[00:36:39] and it's like a little cartoon

[00:36:41] about these Queensland healer dogs

[00:36:44] and the little family

[00:36:46] and Bluey is this girl dog

[00:36:49] and she, there's one episode where

[00:36:51] she's scared to ride a bike

[00:36:53] and her dad is trying to help her

[00:36:56] and encourage her but she won't do it

[00:36:58] she's just terrified

[00:36:59] and then her and her dad go to the park

[00:37:01] and they just start watching

[00:37:03] all of Bluey's friends

[00:37:04] all these other dogs

[00:37:05] and they're doing all these brave things

[00:37:07] at the park

[00:37:08] and as she's watching them

[00:37:10] she gets stirred

[00:37:11] and she's like

[00:37:12] I got this

[00:37:14] I'm going to ride my bike

[00:37:17] and yes I did just give you a Bluey illustration

[00:37:19] this morning

[00:37:21] James is saying to us

[00:37:22] you got this

[00:37:23] but you're not going to feel that way

[00:37:26] if you're looking at the wrong people

[00:37:29] but if you look at people

[00:37:30] like the prophets and Job

[00:37:32] and the godly people that God has put

[00:37:34] in your life

[00:37:34] if you look at them

[00:37:36] that will be a help

[00:37:37] or an aid to you

[00:37:39] and being a person of endurance

[00:37:42] alright the last thing I want to show you though today

[00:37:44] is the fourth thing

[00:37:46] that I think James would say

[00:37:47] and it's this

[00:37:48] you need to watch your commitments

[00:37:51] you need to watch your commitments

[00:37:53] where I get this is from verse 12

[00:37:55] let's read it again

[00:37:56] James says

[00:38:04] and you're no be no

[00:38:06] so that you may not fall under condemnation

[00:38:09] okay this

[00:38:10] I don't know if this feels this way to you or not

[00:38:13] but as I'm moving through this text

[00:38:16] I get to verse 12

[00:38:18] and he's like

[00:38:18] but above all

[00:38:20] and I'm like okay here we go

[00:38:22] this is going to be his final

[00:38:25] exhortation about having patience

[00:38:28] and endurance

[00:38:28] and a difficult era in time

[00:38:30] what's he going to say

[00:38:32] and then he throws out this like

[00:38:34] yo don't make commitments by swearing on

[00:38:37] heaven or earth or any other oath

[00:38:39] but be a person of your word

[00:38:41] when you say yes

[00:38:42] it means yes

[00:38:43] when you say no

[00:38:44] it means no

[00:38:46] so that you may not fall under condemnation

[00:38:48] it just feels a little weird to me

[00:38:50] you know like what's he saying

[00:38:52] why is he putting that

[00:38:54] right here in this spot

[00:38:56] why is he

[00:38:57] I don't know

[00:38:58] I'm asking you guys

[00:38:58] no I have an answer

[00:38:59] I'll throw it out there

[00:39:04] in the setting that James was in

[00:39:07] people were making all kinds of oaths

[00:39:10] in ways that they could then break those

[00:39:13] oaths later

[00:39:14] Jesus knew this as well

[00:39:16] that's why he that's why

[00:39:17] James is basically quoting Jesus

[00:39:19] from the Sermon on the Mount

[00:39:20] when he says this kind of thing

[00:39:21] James and Jesus are not saying

[00:39:23] don't ever sign a contract

[00:39:25] don't ever you know pull out a loan

[00:39:27] or he's not saying those kind of things

[00:39:29] but what he's saying is

[00:39:31] be a person who you keep

[00:39:33] you're a word keeper

[00:39:35] you keep your word

[00:39:36] why would he throw that here

[00:39:38] well I wonder if what James knows

[00:39:41] is that when pressure is mounting

[00:39:46] especially the kind of pressure

[00:39:48] that these people were experiencing

[00:39:50] it's pressure from an unbelieving world

[00:39:53] against the church

[00:39:54] I think James knows that

[00:39:56] when that is happening

[00:39:57] that's when Christians are tempted

[00:40:01] to say really dumb things

[00:40:04] that's when Christians are tempted

[00:40:06] to fudge their convictions

[00:40:09] and their beliefs

[00:40:10] that's when Christians are tempted

[00:40:12] to wander from the truth

[00:40:15] and into as the Bible calls them

[00:40:16] myths

[00:40:18] because they're so tired

[00:40:20] of being different

[00:40:22] that they then go along

[00:40:24] with the mainstream of thought

[00:40:26] and culture and society

[00:40:28] perhaps James saw how easily

[00:40:31] times of pressure

[00:40:32] can induce compromise into the church

[00:40:36] and was saying if you want to be mature

[00:40:40] you have to learn to become patient

[00:40:43] in a hard world

[00:40:44] by keeping a close eye

[00:40:47] on what you agree with

[00:40:49] look I'm all about

[00:40:51] if we find something in the Bible

[00:40:53] that disabuses us of notions

[00:40:56] that we previously held to

[00:40:58] we need to go through that process

[00:41:00] our minds need to be renewed

[00:41:02] not every idea that we bring

[00:41:05] to church is God's idea

[00:41:09] but too many people in our modern time

[00:41:13] have just frankly wandered away

[00:41:15] from the Lord

[00:41:16] and wandered away from the truth

[00:41:18] simply because

[00:41:19] maybe they've tried to say

[00:41:20] I've got some biblical justification for it

[00:41:23] I've got some reasons for it

[00:41:24] but at the end of the day

[00:41:25] it's a pressure that they're feeling

[00:41:28] a pressure from our world and world system

[00:41:31] and James seems to be saying

[00:41:34] no be a person

[00:41:36] who when you know something is true

[00:41:39] you stand for that thing that is true

[00:41:41] don't buckle to that pressure

[00:41:43] don't make a commitment

[00:41:45] that you should not make

[00:41:47] I was reading recently a book by Scott McKnight

[00:41:49] and the book itself was fine

[00:41:52] but he used this illustration

[00:41:54] at one point in his book

[00:41:56] where he talked about doing ministry

[00:41:58] over in the UK for a little bit

[00:42:00] and he said he was talking about

[00:42:02] driving on the right side of the road

[00:42:05] which to us feels like the wrong side of the road

[00:42:07] right and he was talking about

[00:42:09] he said you know I went

[00:42:11] we got there I rented a car

[00:42:12] the wheel was on the right side

[00:42:14] instead of the left side

[00:42:15] the road we were driving on the right side

[00:42:18] instead of the left side

[00:42:19] he said we had like a three hour trip

[00:42:20] to get to where we were going

[00:42:23] and it was just a long drive

[00:42:25] it was very simple

[00:42:26] but he said I was wiped out

[00:42:28] at the end of that drive

[00:42:29] because it just took so much

[00:42:33] concentration

[00:42:34] not to just do the wrong thing

[00:42:36] I just couldn't go on autopilot

[00:42:38] and just get in the left side of the road

[00:42:40] I had to really focus

[00:42:42] and doing something that

[00:42:44] normally was easy

[00:42:46] was exhausting for me

[00:42:48] as a result

[00:42:48] and I think

[00:42:49] that is so much what it's like

[00:42:51] to be a Christian in our modern time and world

[00:42:53] it's just like

[00:42:54] man

[00:42:55] constantly

[00:42:56] I'm having to stay alert

[00:42:58] stay awake

[00:43:00] stay vigilant

[00:43:01] lest I believe something

[00:43:03] ascent to something

[00:43:04] agree to something

[00:43:05] that I shouldn't be agreeing to

[00:43:08] that is unbiblical

[00:43:10] but James seems to be saying

[00:43:11] I think

[00:43:12] watch out

[00:43:13] for your commitments

[00:43:16] as we wrap this up today

[00:43:18] and I know I took a long time

[00:43:19] to move through this passage

[00:43:20] so thank you for your patience

[00:43:22] but

[00:43:23] when I think about this passage

[00:43:25] I talked about the prophet Jeremiah

[00:43:27] a little bit earlier

[00:43:29] to me James is like Jeremiah

[00:43:33] Jeremiah came out and he said

[00:43:34] look

[00:43:36] we're going into exile

[00:43:38] we're gonna be doing this for a while

[00:43:40] and we need to prepare mentally

[00:43:43] for that time of exile

[00:43:46] and you guys know

[00:43:47] like I've been kind of preaching

[00:43:49] that message the last few years

[00:43:51] if you've been around

[00:43:52] like I don't know when the Lord is going to return

[00:43:54] I used to

[00:43:55] I used to and I still feel this way

[00:43:57] I used to like

[00:43:57] when I was a youth pastor

[00:43:59] I would be talking about the coming of the Lord

[00:44:01] and I'd be like

[00:44:02] the Lord could come at any time

[00:44:04] and then I'd be like

[00:44:05] he could come right

[00:44:06] and I'd smack my pulpit

[00:44:07] and just freak everybody out

[00:44:09] like now

[00:44:09] and like he didn't

[00:44:12] but he could have

[00:44:12] like I'm still about that

[00:44:15] still how I feel

[00:44:16] but I look at like a ministry

[00:44:19] like from Jeremiah saying

[00:44:23] we got to prepare for exile

[00:44:26] and I think

[00:44:27] you know maybe our exile is like a week from now

[00:44:31] it's over

[00:44:33] but I think it's better for us to take the James perspective

[00:44:37] the Lord is coming is at hand

[00:44:40] but I'm gonna prepare

[00:44:43] and live

[00:44:44] and be strong

[00:44:45] as if it could be

[00:44:47] hundreds of years from now

[00:44:49] because God is looking

[00:44:51] for faithful people

[00:44:53] here on earth to carry out

[00:44:55] his mission

[00:44:56] so I love what James said

[00:44:58] adjust your expectations

[00:45:00] prepare for assessment

[00:45:02] get better heroes

[00:45:04] and watch what you commit to

[00:45:06] during times of hardship

[00:45:10] Thank you for listening

[00:45:11] If you would like more teachings

[00:45:13] and information about Calvary Monterey

[00:45:15] please visit Calvary.com

[00:45:17] You can also find books, teachings through the Bible

[00:45:20] and articles from our lead pastor

[00:45:23] at NateHoldridge.com

[00:45:24] Thanks again for tuning in

[00:45:26] We'll see you next week