Be patient… [3 points]

• 1^st – The RICH… vs. 1-6
  • Come now – you RICH…
    • TWO Categories
      • As we come to the LAST chapter of this PRACTICAL epistle on Christian living…
      • We are given TWO possible categories we can BELONG to…
      • Either we will be the RICH or we will be the PATIENT…
    • COME now [imperative] – being called to give an account…
      • Like an accused FELON before a JUDGE making his PLEA…
      • The RICH [πλούσιος] – are being called out to give an ACCOUNT of their lives…
      • As we will SEE – being RICH – is NOT talking about those who have MONEY…
      • This is a LABEL given to those who TRUST in MONEY…
      • We are given FOUR ways those who TRUST in RICHES will COME!
  • 1^st – WEEPING… vs. 1
    • WEEP [imperative] and HOWL for your MISERIES that are coming upon you!
      • MISERIES – 2x in NT – trouble – hardships – calamity…
      • Tying together the commands from the previous sections…
      • Those deceived into believing the WISDOM of this WORLD – James 3:15
      • Who SEEK after the pleasures of this WORLD – James 4:4 
      • Who make their PLANS to buy and sell – make MONEY – James 4:13
      • Will WEEP and HOWL – because life WILL be MISERABLE!
    • No one to HELP…
      • They REJECTED the wisdom from above – James 3:17
      • They REFUSED to seek God – and become His ENEMY – James 4:4
      • THEREFORE – God will NOT come to their rescue when their life begins to unravel!
      • Often people choose to go their own way – NOT looking to God…
      • And when – as it ALWAYS inevitably does – that leads to MISERY…
      • They shake their first at God – as if He is to BLAME for the problems in life…
      • There is an old saying – we made our bed – now we get to sleep in it!
      • Galatians 6:7 – “God is not mocked – for whatever a man sows – that he will also reap.”
  • 2^nd – UNSTABLE… vs. 2-3
    • 1 – POSSESSIONS… vs. 2
      • Your riches are corrupted!
        • RICHES – speak of POSSESSIONS – the things we BUY…
        • CORRUPTED [σήπω] – only here NT – will ALWAYS [perfect] be ROTTEN…
        • If our main concern in life is getting STUFF – we are going to have trouble…
        • To get the latest toy / best car / prettiest house – all of which do NOT last [rot]
        • We will get lots of UTANG and – then DROWN in debt trying to pay it back…
        • We will compromise our MORALS to get an extra PESO!
        • All because we thought getting RICH would solve ALL our problems…
        • It does NOT solve problems – we are CORRUPT – it is the SOURCE of our problems!
        • Hebrews 13:5 – “Do not love money – be satisfied with what you have…”
      • Riches are NOT evil…
        • There are many RICH people who are completely sold out to Jesus…
        • Because they are NOT living for the money – they are living for the Lord!
        • Riches are not CORRUPT – it is the desire for riches that CORRUPTS!
        • I Timothy 6:10 – “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil…”
    • 2 – CLOTHES… vs. 2
      • Your CLOTHES are moth-eaten [perfect]!
      • CLOTHES speaks of STATUS – being concerned with how we LOOK…
      • Desiring to wear the finest clothes – the latest branded design!
      • Have you noticed that BRANDS and STYLES are ALWAYS changing…
      • What is in fashion TODAY – is on the discount rack and old news TOMORROW…
      • Because it is just a MARKETING strategy to get us to BUY more!
      • Spending MONEY – focusing our TIME on the latest styles and trends…
      • Is an EMPTY pursuit – it will NEVER satisfy us…
      • We just end with a closet full of OLD clothes – that we NO longer WANT…
      • CLOTHING that is MOTH eaten [σητόβρωτος] – they will ALWAYS [perfect] be useless!
    • 3 – MONEY… vs. 3
      • Your gold and silver are corroded…
      • CORRODED [κατιόω] – only here NT – to be RUSTED…
      • Interesting contrast – Gold and Silver are valuable – because they do NOT rust…
      • Yet here we see even MONEY – will eventually fail!
      • Because God loves us too much to let the riches of this WORLD fulfill us…
      • We were not created to be fulfilled by MONEY– we ALWAYS want more!
      • Ecclesiastes 5:10 – “Those who love MONEY will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness!”
      • Luke 12:15 – “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of POSSESSIONS.”
    • 4 – The EVIDENCE… vs. 3
      • Their corrosion will be a witness against you – and will eat your flesh like fire!
      • CORROSION [ἰός] – 3x in NT – better translated as POISON!
      • I have to stop for moment and CONSIDER the irony of this WORD…
      • IOS – not that there is any direct correlation – but that is the name of the Apple OS…
      • It is noteworthy that so much POISON – comes through our phones!
      • All three – POSSESSIONS  – CLOTHING – MONEY – can be POISON…
      • If we pursue them – they WILL come back to HARM us…
      • Be [future] the WITNESS [evidence] against us – and consume us like fire!
      • The FUTURE tense of this warning – seems to be pointing to THE Day of Judgement…
      • When all men will have to stand and give an account of their lives…
      • Those who trusted in RICHES – put their FAITH in MONEY – POSSESSIONS…
      • It will be the EVIDENCE against them – that they did NOT live their lives for Jesus…
      • And as a result they will be consumed by FIRE – their eternal destiny decided!
    • 5 – The LAST DAYS… vs. 3
      • You have heaped up treasure in the last days…
      • HEAPED UP TREASURE [one word] – thinking MONEY will save them!
      • I saw a bumper sticker once – he who dies with the most toys wins!
      • That is pretty much the mantra of this age – people live to try and get more STUFF…
      • But what is never addressed is what happens when they come to the END of this life…
      • What happens to all the STUFF – it is all LOST – and sadly so are they!
      • Because they put their faith in somethings that does NOT last – CANNOT save them!
      • Matthew 6:19 – “Do not lay up [same word] for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.”
  • 3^rd – GREEDY… vs. 4
    • The WORKERS…
      • Look at wages of the workers who harvested your fields – which you kept back by fraud!
      • LOOK [imperative] – could also be translated BEHOLD – INDEED…
      • LOOK at those who WORK for you – they labor in YOUR fields – but you ROB them…
      • NOT paying them what they DESERVE – presumably so you can get MORE money!
      • The RICH are LIVING for themselves – NOT thinking about OTHERS…
      • They are so focused on their own lives – they do not care how it impacts others!
      • Worth noting in our current political climate – James is not advocating Socialism…
      • He is not saying we should take all the money from the RICH to give to the POOR…
      • He is saying those who WORK – should receive a FARE wage for their efforts!
      • God does promise to provide for us – give us food to eat – Matthew 6:26
      • But that does not mean we get to sit down and wait for the feast to arrive…
      • The most common way God provides – we work to put food on the table!
      • II Thessalonians 3:10 – “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.”
    • Lord of the SABAOTH…
      • [They] cry out – and the cries of the workers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth!
      • CRY OUT [κράζω] – to CRY for vengeance – and their CRIES have been HEARD…
      • Lord of SABAOTH – 2x in NT – the Lord of heavens ARMIES!
      • The bottom line if we are not thinking about others – God will…
      • And He will come and be their defense – the LORD of heavens ARMY will oppose us!
      • That sounds intimidating and threatening – and it is MEANT to…
      • The solution is simple – treat others the way we want to be treated…
      • If we do – then the Lord will NOT need to come to their defense – at our EXPENSE!
      • Colossians 4:1 – “[Employers] – treat your [employees] justly and fairly – knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.”
  • 4^th – The CONDEMNATION… vs. 5-6
    • Living in LUXURY…
      • You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury…
      • You have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter…
      • PLEASURE – only here NT – to live an EASY life – nothing lacking…
      • LUXURY – 2x NT – to dedicate ourselves to seeking pleasure…
      • Those who live for PLEASURE – LUXURY – FEED their desire for THIS life…
      • But the result is – like a calf who is being FATTENED for the slaughter!
      • They think they are living life to its fullest – but in truth they have NO life!
      • I Timothy 5:6 – “[the one] who lives in pleasure [same word] is dead while [they] live.”
    • Murderers…
      • You have condemned – you have murdered the just – he does not resist you!
      • CONDEMNED – to judge – and killed the INNOCENT [righteous]
      • GODLY men and women – who did not RESIST [stand against] them…
      • Why KILL them – to SILENCE the conviction!
      • When Jesus resurrected Lazarus – the RICH leaders wanted to KILL him – John 12:10
      • Because he was PROOF that Jesus was RIGHT – brought conviction!
    • The PURPOSE of life…
      • Life is not about how much STUFF we can buy – or how many people work for us…
      • Life is a GIFT – with only ONE purpose – it gives us the opportunity to make a CHOICE…
      • Where will we go AFTER this life – where will we spend eternity!
      • This is the CHOICE everyone makes – to live for THIS life / or ETERNAL life…
      • Sadly – many choose to ENJOY a couple years of RICHES in THIS life…
      • Rather than invest in the ETERNITY – the RICHES God has prepared for us in heaven…
      • But NOTHING this world can offer is worth an eternity separated from God!
      • Mark 8:36-37 – “What do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul. Is anything worth more than your soul!”

• 2^nd – The PATIENT… vs.  7-11
  • 1^st – Coming of the LORD… vs. 7
    • Therefore be patient [imperative] – brethren…
      • PATIENT– [μακροθυμέω] – compound word – LONG [μακρο] ANGER [θυμέω]
      • We are given FOUR reasons why we MUST be PATIENT!
    • Day of the Lord…
      • Until the coming of the Lord! 
      • In light of what will happen to the RICH – judgement and destruction…
      • We should be PATIENT – for what – the COMING of the Lord!
      • It is easy for us to forget that this is NOT our home – get caught up in the business of life…
      • It is easy to lose PATIENCE and forget that ANY day we could hear the trumpet sound…
      • ANY day could be the day when we get to go HOME – get to see Jesus!
      • Hebrews 11:13-16 – “[We are] strangers and pilgrims on the earth.  For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a home… that is, a heavenly country.”
  • 2^nd – The farmer… vs. 7-8
    • Waiting for the HARVEST… vs. 7
      • SEE the farmer wait for the precious fruit of the earth…
      • SEE [imperative] – the farmer that waits PATIENTLY [same word] for the FRUIT…
      • FRUIT does not grow in a DAY – it takes time and PATIENCE!
      • Rather than looking for the fruit – we just need to keep busy serving Jesus…
      • As we are faithful to ABIDE in Jesus – MEDITATE in His Word…
      • In His TIME we will bear much FRUIT – be used powerfully for the Lord!
      • Psalm 1:1-3 – “Blessed is the man… delight is in the Law of the Lord… he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water – that brings forth FRUIT in its SEASON.”

• The RAINS… vs. 8
  • Waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain…
  • You also be patient. Establish your hearts – for the coming of the Lord is at hand!
  • Israel has two HARVESTS – the LATER rains [spring] – and FORMER rains [fall]
  • Theses HARVESTS correspond to the SEVEN feasts of Israel – Leviticus 23
  • The four LATER rain feasts – WERE fulfilled in the FIRST advent of Jesus…
  • The three FORMER rain fests – WILL be fulfilled when Jesus comes again!
  • How can we – like FARMERS – be PATIENT [imperative]
  • When we LOOK at the SEASONS – realize the SIGNS – the coming of the LORD is NEAR…
  • ESTABLISH [στηρίζω] – where we get the word STEROIDS – we become STRONG!
  • We might not think Jesus will come back TODAY…
  • But when we look at the SIGNS – Jesus could come right now…
  • No one knows the day and the hour – so we need to be constantly prepared!
  • I John 3:3 – “Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself…”

• 3^rd – One another… vs. 9
  • PATIENT with each one another…
    • Do not grumble against one another – brethren – lest you be condemned!
    • GRUMBLE [imperative] – to SIGH – to get frustrated with someone!
    • Not to say there are not days when we might have EARNED a good GROAN…
    • But just as we are NOT perfect – neither should we EXPECT others to be perfect…
    • When mistakes are made – there is MORE than enough GRACE to cover them! 
  • The JUDGE…
    • Behold [imperative] the Judge is standing at the door!
    • If we are GROANING – about the mistakes of others…
    • We are FORGETTING – about the PATIENCE God has towards us…
    • The Judge ALWAYS [perfect] stands at THE door – if we are not careful – we will be judged!
    • There was a servant who owed the Master an impossible sum – Matthew 18:23-35
    • The master wiped away the debt – he was completely FORGIVEN…
    • But the man would NOT forgive – a fellow servant who owed a days wage…
    • The Master heard – how could you not FORGIVE – seeing how much had been FORGIVEN!
    • When we consider all that Jesus has forgiven us – everything!
    • How GRUMBLE over what LITTLE debt others may owe us!
• 4^th – The Old Testament… vs. 10-11
  • The PROPHETS…
    • My brethren – take [imperative] the prophets – who spoke in the name of the Lord…
    • As an example of suffering and patience!
    • EXAMPLE – to be a visible pattern – of SUFFERING and PATIENCE!

Hebrews 11:37-39 – “[The prophets] were stoned – they were sawn in two – were tempted – were slain with the sword… being destitute – afflicted – tormented – of whom the world was not worthy…  And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did NOT receive the promise…”

• Willing to endure unspeakable hardships – for a promise they NEVER saw fulfilled…
• Because they were NOT living for this life – they had their focus ETERNAL life!
• Example of Job…
  • LOOK – we count them blessed who endure…
  • You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord…
  • That the Lord is very compassionate and merciful!
  • LOOK [imperative] – we count them blessed who ENDURE…
  • ENDURE – the same word [verb form] as the word PATIENCE…
  • James 1:3 – “Knowing that the testing of your faith produces PATIENCE.”
  • [ὑπομένω] – to ABIDE – we are BLESSED when we LEARN to ABIDE in Jesus – John 15:4 
  • Speaking to a JEWISH audience – we are given the example of JOB…
  • He LEARNED to be PATIENT – ABIDE – through the TRIALS he went through…
  • God showed He is very compassionate [full of heart] – and merciful!
  • Job was a righteous man – but God allowed him to loose everything…
  • To get sick to the point he was covered from head to toe with terrible boils – Job 2:7
  • The reason was because Job only knew about God before his trials – but after…
  • Job 42:5 – “I had heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.”
  • Being PATIENT means we understand that living is not about this life…
  • We live with the HOPE of what is to come – looking to Jesus – and our eternal home…
  • Being PATIENT means understanding that EVERYTHING that happens in life has purpose…
  • Even the hardest things God uses to teach us to ABIDE – to CLING to Him!

Do not just SAY it – chose JESUS – and do it!

3^rd – Not just words… vs. 12

1^st – Do not SWEAR…

Above all…

Above all – my brethren – do not swear!

ABOVE all – more than NOT living for RICHES – more than being PATIENT…

Do not SWEAR [imperative] – to give a PROMISE – take an OATH!

Heaven of Earth…

Either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath!

Jesus said the SAME – do not SWEAR by heaven – it is the THRONE of God…

Do not SWEAR by the EARTH – it is His FOOTSTOOL – Matthew 5:33-37

Why would this be ABOVE all – having stated LIFE is about looking to ETERNITY…

It might be tempting to AGREE – and SWEAR – we will live for Jesus…

If we really want to emphasize our conviction – we may even SWEAR by heaven…

The only reason we have to take an OATH – is because men know we might not keep it!

2^nd – Just do it…

Let your Yes be Yes – and your No – No – lest you fall into judgment!

JUDGEMENT – the MAJORITY text reads – HYPOCRITE…

If we do not follow through with our WORD – we will live a HYPOCRITICAL life…

SAYING we want be PATIENT – to ABIDE in Jesus and live for ETERNITY…

But our ACTIONS show we want to be RICH – reject Jesus and live for this LIFE…