[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on the 1st Sunday morning of Lent, the 10th of March, 2019 at Pilgrim Reformed Church. Look for the video of this and our other services on our Vimeo channel: http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]
James was a half-brother of Jesus. They grew up together, played together, ate and slept together. James watched everything that Jesus did, and everything our Lord went through. So having seen all that his older brother endured in this life, I think James understood what it means to suffer trials, temptations, testing.
Listen and follow along as I read what James wrote in his letter to the church scattered abroad, chapter 1 verses 2 through 6, and chapter 5 verses 7 through 11, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
Listen and follow along as I read what James wrote in his letter to the church scattered abroad, chapter 1 verses 2 through 6, and chapter 5 verses 7 through 11, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
5:7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! 10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 11 Indeed 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.
--James 1:2-6, 5:7-11 (NKJV)
Let us pray… Father God, there are times when we think we have it so tough, but when we remember all that Jesus went through, we realize we have not suffered anything like He did. Father, Your Son set the example for us of how to persevere in the face of trying times. Please forgive us when we forget all Jesus went through, what He withstood just for us. Help us, please Father, to strengthen our faith through perseverance. Speak to our hearts and our minds this morning and imprint upon them the message we need to understand. This we pray in the blessed name of Your Son Jesus. Amen.
One day evangelist George Muller [pron. "Mule-er"] began praying for five of his friends. After many months, one of them came to the Lord. Ten years later, two others were converted. It took 25 years before the fourth man was saved. Muller persevered in prayer until his death for the fifth friend, and throughout those 52 years he never gave up hoping that he would accept Christ! His faith was rewarded, for soon after Muller's funeral the last one was saved.
When we pray for a friend or loved one, how quickly do we expect to see results? If we don’t see action within, say, a few months, do we begin to suspect that this just wasn’t in God’s plan? After 10 years, 25 years, let alone after 52 years, do we even still remember praying?
This story reminds us that all things must happen in God’s time, not ours. We can lift up our prayers, but then we must be patient for God’s answer. As in the case of Rev. Muller’s fifth friend, that answer might not even come within our lifetime. Just as a farmer plants his seed and then must wait for it to bear fruit in due season, so must we wait for God to act in His due season.
Today is the first Sunday in Lent, the season when we reflect on all that Jesus suffered for our sakes. Both the Apostle Paul and the author of the letter to the Hebrews compared the Christian walk to a race, a race to be run, a race to be won. But they stressed that this race is more of a marathon than a sprint. We have to be in this for the long haul, not the short term. We can’t be good Christians long enough to secure our salvation and then go back to business as usual.
For one thing, Jesus tells us our freedom from eternal death is not a license to sin. But when we do remain faithful and true to Christ, then the devil will get more and more aggressive in his attempts to pulls us away from Jesus, to pull us back into the world.
And this is where we need to persevere. This is when we need to be prepared and willing to endure all manner of trials and testing, of temptations from Satan. If the evil one had the nerve to try the Son of God, is he likely to leave us alone?
In the 4th chapter of the Apostle Matthew’s Gospel account, verses 1 and 2, we are told…
Forty days and nights of fasting, and then some very tempting offers from Satan. “You’re hungry? Turn that rock into bread and eat.” “Prove You’re God by jumping off that tall building and let the angels catch You.” “Worship me, and I’ll give You anything and everything the world can offer.”
Those are just the three biggies Matthew recorded for us, but I wonder how many people could have resisted that last one. Much less fasting for 40 days. We aren’t willing to endure that much for God. We don’t have the will to persevere.
Even a quick glance through the New Testament of our Bible will show that Paul was no stranger to trials and suffering. Arrests, plots on his life, beatings, shipwrecks… Paul endured much in service to Christ Jesus. Hear what he wrote to the Corinthians in his 2nd letter, chapter 12, verses 7 through 10…
As if he hadn’t suffered enough, Paul was afflicted with some infirmity that he also had to endure. After praying that this “thorn in the flesh” be removed, God answered his prayer, not by healing Paul, but by showing him that God’s grace was sufficient for any imperfection, for any weakness. Paul realized that his faith in God, even in his own weakness, proves the strength of God.
To remain faithful even when we have no discernable reason to be, shows just how powerful the One we have faith in truly is. Paul even went so far as to say that he took pleasure in infirmities, in afflictions, in trials and tribulations, because he was doing so for Christ’s sake, in Christ’s service.
Paul understood the Christian life is a marathon. He knew we would have to endure a lot, just as he suffered a lot. James saw the living example of enduring great suffering, the example set by his own brother, Jesus. Paul took pleasure from his suffering. James tells us to count it as joy when trials befall us. Because the testing of our faith produces patience.
Our faith gives us perseverance, and perseverance strengthens our faith. And we must persevere, at least for now, until the return of our Lord. When Jesus comes again, He’ll set things right. For us - His followers, His believers - our suffering will be over. Our perseverance and endurance will pay off on that day, our reward in heaven.
Our Lord is very compassionate and merciful. So let us have no doubts, let us endure in our faith, let us persevere through our trials. For the coming of our Lord is at hand. In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, only You know the time when You will send Your Son back to earth take His church home. Thank You, Father, for giving us faith that we might be part of that church and its homecoming. Please help us persevere against Satan’s trials and endure until the very end. Please forgive us when we are weak, when we have doubts, when we are impatient.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, seeking Your forgiveness for our disobedience…
Lord Jesus, You set the example for how we should live our lives. You endure so much, yet You persevered through it all. Thank You, Jesus, for giving Your all for us. Forgive us when we fail to wait patiently for You and God to act. Forgive us when we grow weary, when we lose our will to resist Satan. Please help us gladly suffer through our trials, knowing our reward in heaven awaits us. Help us remain faithful to the end.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord, our Master, our Savior. Amen.
One day evangelist George Muller [pron. "Mule-er"] began praying for five of his friends. After many months, one of them came to the Lord. Ten years later, two others were converted. It took 25 years before the fourth man was saved. Muller persevered in prayer until his death for the fifth friend, and throughout those 52 years he never gave up hoping that he would accept Christ! His faith was rewarded, for soon after Muller's funeral the last one was saved.
When we pray for a friend or loved one, how quickly do we expect to see results? If we don’t see action within, say, a few months, do we begin to suspect that this just wasn’t in God’s plan? After 10 years, 25 years, let alone after 52 years, do we even still remember praying?
This story reminds us that all things must happen in God’s time, not ours. We can lift up our prayers, but then we must be patient for God’s answer. As in the case of Rev. Muller’s fifth friend, that answer might not even come within our lifetime. Just as a farmer plants his seed and then must wait for it to bear fruit in due season, so must we wait for God to act in His due season.
Today is the first Sunday in Lent, the season when we reflect on all that Jesus suffered for our sakes. Both the Apostle Paul and the author of the letter to the Hebrews compared the Christian walk to a race, a race to be run, a race to be won. But they stressed that this race is more of a marathon than a sprint. We have to be in this for the long haul, not the short term. We can’t be good Christians long enough to secure our salvation and then go back to business as usual.
For one thing, Jesus tells us our freedom from eternal death is not a license to sin. But when we do remain faithful and true to Christ, then the devil will get more and more aggressive in his attempts to pulls us away from Jesus, to pull us back into the world.
And this is where we need to persevere. This is when we need to be prepared and willing to endure all manner of trials and testing, of temptations from Satan. If the evil one had the nerve to try the Son of God, is he likely to leave us alone?
In the 4th chapter of the Apostle Matthew’s Gospel account, verses 1 and 2, we are told…
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.
--Matthew 4:1-2 (NKJV)
Those are just the three biggies Matthew recorded for us, but I wonder how many people could have resisted that last one. Much less fasting for 40 days. We aren’t willing to endure that much for God. We don’t have the will to persevere.
Even a quick glance through the New Testament of our Bible will show that Paul was no stranger to trials and suffering. Arrests, plots on his life, beatings, shipwrecks… Paul endured much in service to Christ Jesus. Hear what he wrote to the Corinthians in his 2nd letter, chapter 12, verses 7 through 10…
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
--2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NKJV)
To remain faithful even when we have no discernable reason to be, shows just how powerful the One we have faith in truly is. Paul even went so far as to say that he took pleasure in infirmities, in afflictions, in trials and tribulations, because he was doing so for Christ’s sake, in Christ’s service.
Paul understood the Christian life is a marathon. He knew we would have to endure a lot, just as he suffered a lot. James saw the living example of enduring great suffering, the example set by his own brother, Jesus. Paul took pleasure from his suffering. James tells us to count it as joy when trials befall us. Because the testing of our faith produces patience.
Our faith gives us perseverance, and perseverance strengthens our faith. And we must persevere, at least for now, until the return of our Lord. When Jesus comes again, He’ll set things right. For us - His followers, His believers - our suffering will be over. Our perseverance and endurance will pay off on that day, our reward in heaven.
Our Lord is very compassionate and merciful. So let us have no doubts, let us endure in our faith, let us persevere through our trials. For the coming of our Lord is at hand. In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, only You know the time when You will send Your Son back to earth take His church home. Thank You, Father, for giving us faith that we might be part of that church and its homecoming. Please help us persevere against Satan’s trials and endure until the very end. Please forgive us when we are weak, when we have doubts, when we are impatient.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, seeking Your forgiveness for our disobedience…
Lord Jesus, You set the example for how we should live our lives. You endure so much, yet You persevered through it all. Thank You, Jesus, for giving Your all for us. Forgive us when we fail to wait patiently for You and God to act. Forgive us when we grow weary, when we lose our will to resist Satan. Please help us gladly suffer through our trials, knowing our reward in heaven awaits us. Help us remain faithful to the end.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord, our Master, our Savior. Amen.
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