James 5:7-11
~18 min read
💭 Consider this: Knowing God’s purposes in sending Christians “trials”, describe a specific trial you’re currently facing that might be worth rethinking as less of a pain and more of a privilege.
TRANSCRIPT
I greet you in the blessed name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is inevitable that there will always be troubles in life. Perhaps you are facing some struggles and difficulties at this present moment. Basically, there are two kinds of trouble.
Firstly, there are those troubles that are common to both believers and unbelievers—the normal trials of life. As Job said: “Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7). In other words, as sure as the sparks always fly upward, man is born into this world of trouble. We are living in a fallen, cursed world whereby there are sicknesses, diseases, pandemics like the recent COVID-19, calamities, pestilences, and other challenges. No one is exempted from such trials of life.
Secondly, there are those trials which would not be experienced by unbelievers, but only believers would face such trials because of their faith. For example, you are persecuted for sharing the gospel, or you face troubles for speaking the truth, or you are ostracized by your colleagues and classmates for simply being a Christian. The more you are faithful, the more trials you will face for the sake of Christ. Jesus said in John 15:20, “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.”
At the beginning of this chapter, James was rebuking the wicked rich people who abused the righteous poor believers. Now he turned his attention to the victims—those who had been abused and suffered persecutions—in order to encourage them. He knew that whenever believers go through sufferings, there is this tendency to respond wrongly or to give up. Some of them who lose their patience with the situation, with the people, or even with God Himself. Therefore, James commanded, “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord” (James 5:7). But how could they be patient in difficult times, facing difficult people, and when the situation was so intense? This is what we want to learn from this passage in James 5:7-11. The title of our message is "How to Be Patient in Times of Trouble."
I. Understand The Lord’s Coming
In learning to be patient, there are several things we need to understand. The first thing we need to understand is that the Lord is coming. Let us begin with verse 7: “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord”. As we face trials, let us fix our eyes on the believer's blessed and greatest hope, which is the second coming of Jesus Christ.
You and I must understand that things will not always remain the same. Things will not always be like this. Our suffering will come to an end. Our situation will change completely—a 180° change the moment Jesus returns. The coming can mean the arrival or the presence. Our greatest hope is the arrival of Jesus Christ when He comes to bless us with His presence. This glorious truth is taught throughout the entire Bible.
Some people spend a lot of time trying to understand the events of the end times. That is well and good, but we should not just study the end times for head knowledge's sake. It must produce holiness. It must produce in us this eagerness to meet the Lord, this desire in our hearts to prepare ourselves to meet Him.
You see, the more we understand about heaven, the more we understand about what would happen to us after we die, what would happen when Jesus returns, and what would happen in the Rapture, the more we understand these things, the more we will look forward to these spiritual realities. Sometimes we hear a believer say, "I want to go home." We know that he or she understands what it means to die and go home to be with the Lord. He or she understands that heaven is the best place to be.
Through all the Gospels, especially in Matthew chapter 24, Jesus taught us that His return will be preceded by certain signs. There would be deceptions, political conflicts, wars and rumours of wars, calamities, pestilences, defections, and the gospel would be preached everywhere. Do you realize that today we have seen all these things happening? We are closer to the end than we think.
Soon the world will enter into the seven years of tribulation. It would be a most terrible time, unprecedented, the world has never seen before. But the believers will be spared because just before the tribulation, Jesus will come in the clouds, and the believers would be raptured to meet Him in the air. After the seven years of tribulation, Jesus would return together with all the glorified saints—that is His second coming—and they would rule the world for 1,000 years together with Him, known as the Millennial Kingdom.
If we understand and believe in the sequence of events in the end times, then we will patiently endure whatever trials that will come our way. Why? Because the Lord is coming soon. James went on to use a familiar analogy to explain this truth: “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.” (James 5:7).
The farmer, having planted the seeds, will wait patiently for the precious fruit to appear from the earth. The early rain is the rain that comes during the planting season. The latter rain is the rain that comes just before the harvest time. Notice these things are outside of the farmer's control. He is in no control of the rain, nor is he in control of the fruit. Only God alone is in control of the rain and the fruit. The only thing the farmer can do is to wait patiently.
Dear friend, we are not in control of the situation. We do not know what will happen today, tomorrow, or in the future. We do not know what kind of trials we will face. But one thing we do know, and that is our Lord is coming, and the only thing we can do is to be patient. God did not tell us to be worried, anxious, or be confident of ourselves. He wants us to be patient, just as the farmer waits patiently throughout the entire growing season for his crops. The believer waits patiently for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Another thing we can learn about the farmer is that he will not always be working non-stop. There will come a time when he will stop working, and that is the harvest time. That is the time he will enjoy the fruit of his labour. One day, not only our troubles will end, but our work on this earth will also end. Our preaching on the pulpit, our teaching in the Sunday School, our services in church, our playing the piano, our ushering, and our formatting of the bulletins will come to an end when Jesus returns. But until then, we must work faithfully, just as the farmer labours faithfully until the harvest time. "Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh" (James 5:8). The word ‘stablish’ means to be established, to be determined, and to have a firm courage to persevere, no matter how difficult it may be, because the coming of the Lord draweth nigh—it is approaching, coming closer and closer.
Some people may say, "But isn't it true that Jesus did not return during the time of James and the other Apostles? Millions and millions of other believers have lived and died, and Jesus has not yet returned." To that, the Apostle Peter said that in the last days there would be scoffers who would mock, “And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." (2 Peter 3:4). In other words, nothing has changed. Then Peter said, "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." (2 Peter 3:8).
The reason why the Lord has not yet come is because He is patient; He is longsuffering. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9). As we consider this verse, we must also think of our unbelieving loved ones and friends. God wants us to minister to them. He is patient, He is longsuffering, He wants them to turn to Him in repentance and in faith. Our responsibility, like the farmer, is to work faithfully and share faithfully until He comes. No one knows when Jesus will come, but it is imminent, which means it can happen at any moment. In fact, the return of Christ is the next event on God’s prophetic calendar. That is the meaning of “the coming of the Lord draweth nigh”.
Our attitude should always be, “Today is one day closer to the Lord’s return than yesterday. Today is one day closer to meeting our Lord than yesterday.” And to take this truth one step further, after this worship service, you and I will be one hour closer to meeting our Lord than when we first started the worship service. That should always be our attitude and perspective.
II. Understand The Lord’s Judgement
The second thing we need to understand is the Lord’s judgement. Look at verse 9: "Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door." When people are facing difficult circumstances, it will cause them to be frustrated, impatient, and intolerant. They will murmur and complain against others, especially those who are suffering less than they are. Somehow, some people have this strange mentality to expect everyone to go through the same experience. By that I mean, they feel better thinking that others are being persecuted just as they are being persecuted, or that others are sick just as they are sick. They may not say it aloud, but that is how they feel in their hearts. Such an attitude will create a bitter and resentful spirit that will destroy our relationships with others. God forbids that!
Here, James was describing Jesus as the Judge, about to enter into the judgement hall. Therefore, he says, “Grudge not one against another”. Do not condemn, do not complain, do not murmur against one another, "lest ye be condemned”. The word “condemned” means to be judged. As believers, we will not be judged for our sins because the penalty for our sins has already been paid on the cross of Calvary. However, we will still be judged for our works: "For we must all appear before the Judgement Seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:10).
Therefore, we do not need to fear facing the judgement of our sins, but because we love the Lord our God with all our hearts, our souls, and our strength, we do not want to lose our rewards. We want to hear Him say to us, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21). Have you ever attended a court hearing? Perhaps you have. The people will be seated, and everyone will be looking at the door, waiting for the judge to suddenly swing open the door and enter the courtroom, right? Imagine, the Judge is already standing behind the door. He’s ready to swing open the door and make His majestic entrance. That is the picture we have here.
If you and I understand and believe that our Lord Jesus, our Judge, is standing at the door, what should be our attitude? Will we still be murmuring and complaining? Will we still be fighting against one another? Will we still be jealous and envious of the things others are doing, that they are better than us? Obviously not!
Dear friend, surely there are times when we are tempted to throw in the towel and give up. There are times when we face one trouble after another. It may cause us to be discouraged and disappointed. It may cause us to doubt our calling. It may cause us to think, “Should I stop serving? Should I do something else? Or should I let someone else take over?” God reminds us we must never do that! The Judge is already standing at the door, and once the door is opened, He will come. That is just how close He is. Therefore, you and I have to be patient.
III. Understand The Godly Example
The third thing we need to understand is the godly example. Verse 10 says: "Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience." The name of the Lord represents who the Lord is, what He has done, and what He will do. The prophets were God's messengers. Essentially, the prophets preached the word of God to all. In Scriptures, we read about the prophets being constantly rejected, persecuted, and even killed.
Our Lord Jesus said in Matthew 23, when He confronted the religious leaders: "Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:". (Matthew 23:24) Finally, He cried out: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!"(Matthew 23:37)
Stephen, the first Christian martyr in the New Testament, when he was brought before the Sanhedrin council, he told the people, he explained to them that: "Your forefathers had persecuted the prophets; they had killed the prophets who prophesied the coming Messiah. And now you yourselves have crucified the Messiah who has come; you have become betrayers and murderers!" He was speaking the truth, and for that, he was stoned to death.
Do you realise that suffering is a very lonely experience? Whenever we go through trials, we tend to think that we are the only ones suffering, or that our suffering is unique, as if no one else is going through what we are going through. Well, James says: "Look, you are not the only one who is suffering for righteousness' sake. Look at the prophets of old who had faithfully preached the word of God. Look at their godly examples. They all endured great afflictions and patience."
Look at Moses: he had to endure the stubborn and rebellious Israelites whom he had brought out of Egypt. Look at Elijah: he had to endure the vicious attacks of King Ahab and the wicked Jezebel, his wife. Look at Jeremiah: he had to endure opposition throughout his entire ministry that brought him great sorrow, so much so that he was known as the "weeping prophet." Look at Daniel: he was thrown into the lion’s den because of his faithfulness to God. What about John the Baptist? He was imprisoned and then beheaded. Why? Because of his truthful testimony.
Hebrews chapter 11 gives us a list of all the faithful servants who had endured suffering. And God said, "Look, you are not the only one who is enduring trials as you live your Christian life for Jesus Christ. As you run the Christian race, you have this so great a cloud of witnesses; you just have to open your eyes to see."
IV. Understand The Lord's Blessing, Purpose, and Character
The final thing we need to understand is the Lord’s blessing, His purpose, and His character. Verse 11, “Behold, we count them happy which endure.” The word “happy” means blessed. But how can enduring trials be a blessing? Whenever we go through trials we always think that God has forsaken us. On the contrary, the opposite is true. God is actually working in and through us. That is the reason why at the beginning of this book, James 1:2, James says “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations”— the original greek word for “temptation” is the same word for “trials”. How can we count it all joy when we fall into different trials or experience different trials? Because “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." (James 1:3-4). That is what trials will do to us. Whenever we are being tested, our faith will become stronger, we will become more patient, and eventually, we will be spiritually mature. That is the meaning of the word "perfect."
Allow me to give you another example: the Apostle Paul had a thorn in the flesh, right? And then he explained the reason why he had this thorn in the flesh: so that he would not be proud of the abundance of revelation that he had received. He pleaded with God three times to remove the thorn. What did God say to him? "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9a). In other words, the more you are tried, the more you struggle and cry out to God, the more He will give you His grace and His strength. So Paul says: "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9b-10).
Dear friend, the strongest believer is the one who endures trials because he endures the trials by looking to God for his strength and His grace. Paul understood that, so he considered it a good thing to have the thorn in the flesh. He was blessed with humility. He was blessed with a heart to depend upon God. He was blessed with special grace that he had not previously experienced, and he was blessed with spiritual strength. Do you realise that the only way we can learn about humility, we can learn to depend upon God, that we can receive His special grace and spiritual strength is when we endure trials? That is what trials will do to us, and James says it in the same fashion: "We count them happy which endure."
God does not allow His children to go through trials without rhyme or reason; He has a sovereign purpose. James went on to say: "Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord."(James 5:11) We are all very familiar with how Job suffered. He was fiercely attacked by Satan. He lost his children, his wealth, his health. On top of that, he had to endure the misguided counsels from his friends. Yet, the Bible tells us: "In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly." (Job 1:22) And finally, he even said: "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in Him." (Job 13:15).
What was God’s purpose in allowing trials to come into Job’s life? It was for the purpose of testing his faith—that his faith might be proven genuine and true, to show that Satan could not destroy his faith, to strengthen his faith, and that his eyes may be opened to see God more clearly now. It was not to remove His blessings but rather to bless him even more because, at the end of Job’s life, the Bible tells us: "So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. He had also seven sons and three daughters.” (Job 42:12-13) His daughters became the most beautiful women in all the land, and he lived up to an hundred and forty years, he had sons and grandsons up to four generations. (Job 42:15-16)
Finally, James said that the Lord is "very pitiful, and of tender mercy" (James 5:11). In times of trouble, we must never think that God does not love us anymore, or that He does not care about us. He loves us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to save us from eternal damnation. How can He forget or forsake us? That will never happen. He is not only loving, but He is also very pitiful, meaning to say, He is full of compassion; He is full of mercy.
Dear friend, perhaps you are facing trial after trial. You have to go for one surgery after another surgery. You have to face one affliction after another affliction. One persecution seems to end, then another one comes along. When is it going to stop? I want to serve the Lord. I want to bear a good Christian testimony, but when I do that, I face rejection, hostility, and animosity. How can I do that? God has a sovereign purpose, and He is full of compassion and mercy. He knows everything about us better than we know ourselves. He allows trials into our lives for a sovereign purpose. And one of His sovereign purposes is to prepare us to meet our Maker.
Let's say you have only one more year to live—365 days. How will you live these 365 days? Some would go for holidays. Some would want to travel around the world. Some would want to do things that they had never done before. They want to spend so-called quality time in these 365 days. But God does not want us to do that. He wants us to be prepared to meet Him. And so, He allows trials and trials to come into our lives, so that we realise that we cannot turn to the world; we cannot look to ourselves. We turn around—no one else can help us. And then we cry out to Him. When we are weak, then are we strong. And then we become patient; we become humble; we trust God even more, and we look to Him. We are prepared, then He takes us home. Our latter end will be better than our beginning. God wants you and I to live in such a way.
We often say that we desire to hear our Lord say to us, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21). But we forget that our God desires to say that to us even more than we desire that commendation. He wants to say that to every one of His children: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." If it takes a trial to cause Him to say that, He will bring that trial to you.
He wants us to be patient. So He wants us to understand that He is coming soon. Our Lord Jesus is coming soon. He is already standing at the door with His rewards. He wants us to look at those godly examples recorded especially for us in the Holy Scriptures, so that we will not be discouraged but be encouraged to press on. He wants us to understand His blessings and His purpose—not to bring us down, not to take away our things, but rather to build us up spiritually to prepare us to meet our Maker. He wants us to know that He is full of compassion and full of mercy. When you and I understand all these things, then we will be patient in times of trouble. May the Lord help us, that we will apply these truths into our lives.
Let us pray. Our Father in Heaven, indeed Thou hast taught us this morning, even as we consider this portion of Scripture, how we ought to live our lives. We are living closer to our Lord's coming than we think. Indeed, our Lord Jesus is coming, and He is coming soon. We must prepare ourselves to meet Him. As we face trials and troubles in life, this understanding will prepare our hearts, for Jesus is coming.
We also understand the Lord's judgement. Our Lord Jesus is the Judge. Though we may not be judged for our sins as believers, we will be judged for our works. We want our works to be gold, silver, and precious stones—not wood, hay, and stubble that will be burned up. So we always consider the Lord's judgement and His rewards as He comes to receive us.
We also understand the godly examples that were set before us, especially recorded in the Holy Scriptures, of the prophets of old who had persevered in times of trouble. We look to those examples as we persevere and press on.
We also understand His blessings, His purpose, and His character. With all this understanding, we ought to be patient in times of trouble. The question is not how to, but how can we not? So help us with this understanding. This is the way we ought to live our lives: “be patient, therefore, in times of troubles.” We pray all this in Jesus' name, Amen.
THE BOOK OF JAMESFacing Trials With A Joyful Spirit [Part 1]Facing Trials With A Joyful Spirit [Part 1]James 1:1-4
Facing Trials With A Joyful Spirit [Part 2]Facing Trials With A Joyful Spirit [Part 2]James 1:1-4
The Need For Wisdom In Times Of TrialThe Need For Wisdom In Times Of TrialJames 1:5-8
Trial Is No Respecter Of PersonsTrial Is No Respecter Of PersonsJames 1:9-12
How To Deal With TemptationHow To Deal With TemptationJames 1:13-15
Remember Who God Is And Who We AreRemember Who God Is And Who We AreJames 1:16-18
Be Receptive To The Word Of GodBe Receptive To The Word Of GodJames 1:19-21
Doers of the WordDoers of the WordJames 1:21-25
Be Responsive To The Word Of GodBe Responsive To The Word Of GodJames 1:22-25
Are You Transformed By The Word?Are You Transformed By The Word?James 1:26-27
The Sin Of Showing Partiality [Part 1]The Sin Of Showing Partiality [Part 1]James 2:1-4
The Sin of PartialityThe Sin of PartialityJames 2:1-13
The Sin Of Showing Partiality [Part 2]The Sin Of Showing Partiality [Part 2]James 2:5-13
Show Me Your Faith, And I Will Show You MineShow Me Your Faith, And I Will Show You MineJames 2:14-20
Faith In ActionFaith In ActionJames 2:21-26
A Warning To Want-To-Be TeacherA Warning To Want-To-Be TeacherJames 3:1-2
Seminar: The Role of the Sunday School Teacher (Part 2 of 2)Seminar: The Role of the Sunday School Teacher (Part 2 of 2)James 3:1-13
The Power Of The TongueThe Power Of The TongueJames 3:3-6
The Taming Of The TongueThe Taming Of The TongueJames 3:7-12
The Danger Of False WisdomThe Danger Of False WisdomJames 3:13-16
The Blessing Of Heavenly WisdomThe Blessing Of Heavenly WisdomJames 3:17-18
Dealing With Conflict In The ChurchDealing With Conflict In The ChurchJames 4:1-6
What Constitutes True SalvationWhat Constitutes True SalvationJames 4:7-10
Speak No EvilSpeak No EvilJames 4:11-12
God’s Plan Or My Plan?God’s Plan Or My Plan?James 4:13-17
Physically Rich But Spiritually PoorPhysically Rich But Spiritually PoorJames 5:1-6
How To Be Patient In Times Of TroubleHow To Be Patient In Times Of TroubleJames 5:7-11
Simply Speak The TruthSimply Speak The TruthJames 5:12; Matthew 5:33-37
What To Do When It HurtsWhat To Do When It HurtsJames 5:13-18
The Value Of The SoulThe Value Of The SoulJames 5:19-20
