Am I like the Farmer – able to wait patiently?
Yesterday
We LOOKED at the command to wait patiently!
Seeing 1st, we must remember the Lord Jesus is coming!
Today
We’ll continue to scope out ‘how’ we wait patiently in trials.
Open GODcha to the Book of James.
NOTE:
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Let’s Ask For Help
Lord, we come today earnestly seeking You, to be taught, to learn, to be convicted and encouraged. Open our eyes and ears, and grant us the understanding we need. May we put into practice what You teach us. Thank you.
LOOK at What God Says 
Let’s pick up where we left off yesterday.
Let GODcha guide us.
Where will you begin?
Begin LOOKING by READING
Let’s read James 5:7-12 together, asking the 5W’s and H questions.
What does James command?
Have you thought and reasoned why these commands are important?
James explains how we can be patient by giving us 3 examples.
Let’s look at the 1st example.
LOOK and REASON
Incorporate All Our Strategies
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Fine Tune Your Ears!
In verse 7, What do you learn from the illustration of The Farmer?
The farmer patiently waits for his crop and waits from the early rain (perhaps October) to 7 months later to the late rain (perhaps April or so).
Remember what patient means?
Long-suffering, patiently endure, slow to anger.
THINK: How painful for a farmer to wait for the rains, most especially if there is a drought!
And as I write this the farm lands of the mid west are being flooded with too much rain!
Do you know any farmers? What are they doing while they wait?
1. According to Luke, what are we to ‘do’ while waiting patiently in our trials?
In the context of earthly anxiety and coveting.
Seek 1st the Kingdom. (Luk 12:31)
What does this mean?
Let GODcha help you check this out quickly.
Do you see this is a command?
In the context of watching and being ready.
Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so ‘doing’ when he comes. (Luk 12:22-43)
LISTEN…
What am I doing? Seeking? What do I give my life to?
Is Christ 1st in all that I do? How so?
What will my Master find me doing when He comes?
What will I do to be about the Father’s business and seek His kingdom 1st?
How will I:
Put God 1st, pursue God, live for Him?
Cultivate faithfulness?
Love well?
Repent daily?
Share the gospel?
2. How does Galatians encourage us about ‘doing’?
Don’t lose heart in doing good,
don’t grow weary,
in due time we will reap. (Gal 6:9)
LISTEN:
Am I in a dark season? Has doubt come? Do I question – ‘will this ever end’?
Have I lost heart in doing good?
What will I do to not grow weary in this season?
Will I pursue godliness? Get serious about prayer? Use my gift to serve the Lord, by serving others?
In verse 8, What does James say we must do?
Like the farmer, so you and I must wait patiently!
Strengthen your hearts,
Why?
For the coming of the Lord is near.
James repeats the command to be patient again!
When God repeats something, we want to pay close attention.
Patience is of upmost importance.
What do we do while we wait patiently?
What does it 
mean to strengthen our hearts which is 
key?
Strengthen, stērízō; to turn resolutely in a certain direction, establish. III. Of persons, to make steadfast in mind, confirm, strengthen …James 5:8.
Steadfast means to be immovable, firm, secure.
Hearts, kardía; As the seat of the desires, feelings, affections, passions, impulses, the heart or mind. Used for the person himself in cases where values, affections or passions are attributed to the heart or mind (…Jas 1:26; 5:5…).
Grammar: This is a Aorist Imperative Active, aima.
This is a command!
“Strengthen (turn resolutely in a certain direction; be steadfast, immovable, in mind) your hearts (thoughts, feelings, mind, values, affections or passions).”
We see: In the midst of our trouble, trials, we turn resolutely in a certain direction. We are steadfast in mind — have minds of conviction about all God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are and have done. Minds of courage and commitment!
Remember Jam 5:5 the rich were fattening their hearts.
But James says we are to strengthen our hearts.
THINK about our physical hearts – what must WE do to strengthen them?
Eat right, exercise, perhaps train with weights!
How do we do this spiritually?
How do we get hearts, minds, of courage, conviction, and commitment?
1. What makes our hearts, our minds, strong?
a. Eph 3:16
God strengthens us with power through His Spirit in the inner man. (Eph 3:16)
b. 1Th 3:13
Christ will establish our hearts. (1Th 3:13)
c. 1Pe 5:10
God will strengthen and establish us. (1Pe 5:10)
2. How does God do this?
What must WE do to be fit?
What’s our food, our exercise plan?
a. Act 18:11, 23
Paul was teaching the Word, strengthening the disciples. (Act 18:11, 23)
b. 1Ti 4:6-8
Nourish on the Word of God and discipline, exercise/train, yourselves for godliness. (1Ti 4:6-8)
Do you understand you won’t be fit and strong if you don’t pick up God’s weights for a healthy heart and mind?
LISTEN…
What am I doing to strengthen my heart in the midst of my trouble?
What does my regular sincere time with the Lord, being nourished in His Word, look like?
What has He taught me lately that has given me strength during my trial?
Respond to God…LIVE it out!
3. What might you nourish on specifically to be steadfast, immovable, in your heart?
Truths about:
a. God, His will and ways.
b. Jesus and the promises of the His Return.
c. Us and what God requires of us.
d. How to handle trials according to James.
e. Patience.
In verse 9, What does James instruct them to do?
Do not complain against one another.
THINK: What is the temptation if things aren’t going our way?
Don’t we grumble, complain, blame others.
Do not complain, stenázō; to grumble from impatience, ill–humor (James 5:9).
Grammar: This a Present Imperative Active.
It’s a command!
THINK: What causes us to complain, grumble against others, especially under persecution?
Is it our impatience? Or, our lack of strong hearts?
THINK: One of the consistent marks of a farmer is their willingness to help one another.
Do you remember James 4:11?
We are not to speak against, judge, another brother or sister because then we are judging the law, playing God.
LISTEN…
Have my sufferings caused such frustration, bitterness, that I complain against others?
How can I stop complaining against others?
What would motivate me to obey this command?
In verse 9, Why are you not to complain against another?
So you won’t be judged.
Understand: We’re not only looking forward to the coming of the Lord, but we need to recognize when He comes, He will judge.
1. What do you learn about this judgment?
How will the Lord judge?
Act 17:31
God will judge the world in righteousness thru Jesus. (Act 17:31)
2. Who will God the Judge, judge?
What will be judged?
We looked at this earlier. Do you remember?
God will judge everyone. (Rom 2:6)
Those with Dead Faith, the ungodly:
a. 2Th 2:12
Those who did not believe the Truth will be judged. (2Th 2:12)
b. Rev 20:11-15
Their final eternal judgment (krino – to condemn, damn, punish) will be at the Great White Throne Judgment. (Rev 20:11-15)
We see: We those who do not believe will be judged, and thrown into the Lake of Fire for all eternity.
Those with Genuine Faith, true believer’s:
a. 2Co 5:10
Will appear before the Judgment (beama – seat) Seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.(2Co 5:10)
b. 1Co 3:10-15
Works will be judged. (1Co 3:10-15)
All that has been done that was useless and not for His kingdom will be burned up.
THINK:
All we have done for the Lord’s Work and His kingdom purposes, furthering the gospel will be rewarded.
We know what our works are from James – these 50 + commands.
This is all about how we:
pursued and obeyed the Lord;
used our gifts for God’s purposes;
loved and served others; etc.
Remember we saw this back in Jam 2:12-13?
James 2:12-13 Judged By The Law Part 2
God will judge us according to:
Our words;
Our actions [deeds, works];
Whether we kept the law or not (loving God and our neighbor);
If we showed mercy to others. (Jam 2:12-13)
c. 1Co 4:5
Hearts will be judged. (1Co 4:5)
We see: Believer’s will be judged, and receive their rewards.
THINK: How are you going to be patient?
Remember that Christ is coming and that He’s going to reward you – your hope is eternity with Him.
Be patient fearful of being disobedient, of sin.
Understand, if you, or I, sin we lose our reward when the judgment comes.
LISTEN…
My life is the field, and I am the farmer, what is the condition of my field?
Am I being patient like the farmer, with my hand to the plow, doing what the Lord has commanded?
Shall We Call It A Day!
What darkness are you in right now?
Give the Lord your burdens because He is there for you!
Hebrews tells us Jesus knows, and we can draw near to the throne of Grace to find help!
Set our lives on God’s time table.
Your sufferings are all worth it – nothing can separate us from His love and purposes.
Note Your Discovery
Mark your Bibles and put your discovery in your Notes.
Turn What You Learned Into a Prayer
Perhaps. . .
GRACIOUS FATHER WHO IS FULL OF COMPASSION AND MERCY, thank you that we can draw near to Your throne of grace for help! Right now, no matter what we are going through, would You please pierce through the darkness! No matter how we have been wronged, help us to truly be patient understanding You, Lord Jesus, could come at any time, and You will make things right when you come. Father, help us to be obedient to this command to be patient like the farmer. Strengthen our hearts as we commit to being disciplined to make and take time to be with You, feeding on Your Word, exercising and training ourselves for godliness. May we truly be doers of Your Word, doing all that we have learned in James while we wait for Jesus to return! May we be stirred to put You 1st! Seeking 1st Your Kingdom, cultivating faithfulness, loving well, repenting daily, and sharing the gospel! Oh help us not to grow weary, not to lose heart in doing good. May we learn to rest in Your love and compassion and mercy! We ask these things in Your name Jesus! Amen!
I am so proud of you, for you are doing the one thing that is necessary, learning to sit at the feet of Jesus, in His presence, listening to what He has to say to you!
Next: we will LOOK at the other 2 illustrations: The Prophets and Job.
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