WEBVTT 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:07.280 Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast. 00:00:07.599 --> 00:00:11.599 We exist to awaken this generation to new life in Christ. 00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:13.039 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:16.399 To find out more, go to awakeningchurch.com. 00:00:18.160 --> 00:00:24.800 If we haven't met yet, my name's Chris, and I'm one of the pastors here, and I just am excited to welcome you to this end of this series. 00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:27.280 And I want us to look at James chapter five. 00:00:27.359 --> 00:00:31.760 But before we get there, I just want to tell you there's a thought that he's going to close with. 00:00:31.839 --> 00:00:34.719 I want to give you kind of a sneak peek here. 00:00:34.960 --> 00:00:39.200 And the thought he's going to close with is moving from the question, like now what? 00:00:39.359 --> 00:00:40.159 What we've been looking at. 00:00:40.560 --> 00:00:46.640 What do we do now if we don't know our future, if we don't know the future of our finances, stuff we've looked at in the past in this series? 00:00:46.880 --> 00:00:48.799 He's now going to give an answer. 00:00:49.039 --> 00:00:55.600 And that answer to the question, now what might be a little strange for you to hear, but I think it's what we need to hear. 00:00:55.759 --> 00:01:00.640 You see, at the end of this letter, James moves from the question, you know, now what? 00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:02.159 To this answer. 00:01:02.399 --> 00:01:04.000 Well, now you wait. 00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:05.280 Now what? 00:01:05.680 --> 00:01:06.879 Now wait. 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:08.799 Are you there right now? 00:01:08.959 --> 00:01:12.239 Are you there realizing that you're going to maybe have to wait through something? 00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:14.560 Because we are waiting right now, aren't we? 00:01:14.799 --> 00:01:27.599 Um you've been waiting maybe for to hear about your kids' school, if it's going to open or what's going to happen with everything, your job, something personal, but we're also just waiting on an international level, are we not? 00:01:27.760 --> 00:01:32.079 We're waiting for justice in racial reconciliation. 00:01:32.319 --> 00:01:36.879 We're waiting for this global pandemic to come to an end. 00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:40.480 We are waiting for economic stability. 00:01:40.879 --> 00:01:49.200 And so James' answer to now what being now wait might be a little depressing at first because you might be like, well, I am waiting. 00:01:49.359 --> 00:01:53.920 So that leads me to tell you that James doesn't leave us with just that simple sentence, actually. 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:58.239 He gives us this closing passage where he says, this is how you wait well. 00:01:58.640 --> 00:02:01.439 Because I think that might be a question for us today. 00:02:01.599 --> 00:02:05.840 How do we wait well when we're given all these different timelines? 00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:11.199 Because truthfully, there's no clear understanding for the length of these things we are waiting for. 00:02:11.360 --> 00:02:13.360 It's like the days before GPS. 00:02:13.439 --> 00:02:14.240 Do you remember them? 00:02:14.319 --> 00:02:15.120 Some of you don't. 00:02:15.199 --> 00:02:15.759 It's sad. 00:02:15.919 --> 00:02:24.719 But before GPS, all we knew was on a map where we were and where we're going, and we kind of guessed how long it might take us. 00:02:24.960 --> 00:02:36.159 And that led uh many of us in our younger years to be in the backseat of various vehicles as our parents drove to an unknown destination to ask the question they despised. 00:02:36.800 --> 00:02:37.680 Are we there yet? 00:02:37.919 --> 00:02:39.120 Do you remember asking that? 00:02:39.360 --> 00:02:40.159 Are we there yet? 00:02:40.319 --> 00:02:43.280 Maybe you parents remember your kids asking that over and over again. 00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:49.439 You see, now with GPS, you have the estimated time of arrival always waiting, always knowing how long you have to wait. 00:02:49.759 --> 00:02:54.240 But you see, before we lacked the resources to know exactly how long a trip would take. 00:02:54.319 --> 00:02:55.439 And that's where we're at today. 00:02:55.599 --> 00:03:02.800 Today, we lack the resources to know how long it's going to take us to get to these various destinations we're waiting for. 00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:08.719 A destination of justice, a destination of healing, a destination of economic stability. 00:03:08.879 --> 00:03:10.240 These are all things we don't know. 00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:13.759 And James is gonna give us two words, two words today. 00:03:13.919 --> 00:03:14.879 How do we wait well? 00:03:14.960 --> 00:03:18.639 We wait with patience and we wait with participation. 00:03:18.879 --> 00:03:20.960 So look with me at James chapter five. 00:03:21.039 --> 00:03:23.199 I'm gonna slowly walk through a lot of the text. 00:03:23.360 --> 00:03:24.719 James 5, verse 7. 00:03:24.960 --> 00:03:26.639 If you got a Bible, open it up. 00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:29.039 Um, if you're on your phone, open it up there. 00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:32.800 If you're on our church online platform, there's a Bible tab you can get to. 00:03:32.879 --> 00:03:36.240 But let's just open up James chapter 5 and start in verse 7 here. 00:03:36.479 --> 00:03:43.520 Says this Be patient, therefore, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. 00:03:43.759 --> 00:03:52.719 See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it until it receives the early and late rains. 00:03:52.960 --> 00:03:54.800 You also be patient. 00:03:55.039 --> 00:03:59.120 You'll notice, because I underlined and bolded it here on the screen. 00:03:59.360 --> 00:04:04.639 Uh, James uses the word patient three times in two verses. 00:04:04.879 --> 00:04:10.719 And this is where I'm getting my first point is that we must wait with patience. 00:04:10.960 --> 00:04:12.080 What is patience? 00:04:12.319 --> 00:04:17.920 Patience is the interior capacity to withstand delay or trouble. 00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:28.319 To be patient in the biblical sense, what James is talking about here is not what we talk about with patience in the daily inconveniences of struggling to be patient. 00:04:28.480 --> 00:04:31.759 It's actually this whole overarching picture of your life. 00:04:31.920 --> 00:04:33.839 You are living a patient life. 00:04:34.079 --> 00:04:40.560 You are not either patient or not patient, but you have a capacity to develop patience throughout your life. 00:04:40.800 --> 00:04:44.079 It's not like when you're hangry and you're waiting in line or something like that. 00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:45.920 That's not the patience in the biblical sense. 00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:53.279 Patience is a lifelong thing that we grow in, our capacity to withstand delay or trouble. 00:04:53.439 --> 00:04:55.519 That's why he likens it actually to a farmer. 00:04:55.680 --> 00:04:57.759 He says this in the verse we just looked at, right? 00:04:58.079 --> 00:05:00.160 See, patience is like a farmer. 00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:10.399 He says, until the earth receives its early and late rains, James's reference to the farmer is one who's waiting for harvest time, for the autumn and the spring rains. 00:05:10.480 --> 00:05:18.560 You see, in the Mediterranean area, there are two seasons rain is normal and necessary for a successful crop. 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:29.360 And the farmer lived with this kind of patience to help understand his himself understand the daily grind of farming, that there would be two major seasons where rain would come. 00:05:29.519 --> 00:05:39.680 The farmer must wait through the ups and downs of kind of the daily weather, understanding the seasonal changes of weather are coming or going. 00:05:39.920 --> 00:05:49.839 You see, he lived a patient life because he understood the larger determining factor on his farm was not the daily weather so much as the seasonal shifts of the weather. 00:05:50.079 --> 00:05:56.480 So farmers don't panic when there's no rain for maybe a day or two because they know what season they are in. 00:05:57.040 --> 00:06:07.519 See, likewise, as Christians, we wade through many seasons of life with daily weather changes, knowing the seasonal weather changes that are happening. 00:06:07.680 --> 00:06:11.040 Well, what are those seasonal weather changes in the life of a Christian? 00:06:11.360 --> 00:06:15.600 James mentions twice something called the coming of the Lord. 00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:20.639 And you see, one thing we know as Christians is we live in two ages, right? 00:06:21.199 --> 00:06:22.240 In the middle of two ages. 00:06:22.480 --> 00:06:27.439 The age where Christ has come, he came and died on the cross, rose again in victory. 00:06:27.680 --> 00:06:30.240 But we also await the day he will come again. 00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:34.079 And our life is in between these two seasons. 00:06:34.399 --> 00:06:43.279 And we wait with patience because we understand there are two large determining factors, like the farmer was waiting for the autumn and the spring rains. 00:06:43.519 --> 00:06:46.639 The Christian knows Christ has come and Christ will come again. 00:06:46.879 --> 00:06:54.000 And we sit in that in-between, developing a patient life like a farmer because we know something else is going on. 00:06:54.160 --> 00:06:55.920 There's a larger thing happening. 00:06:56.079 --> 00:07:00.319 You see, patience, it's actually all about perspective. 00:07:00.639 --> 00:07:03.680 Patience is all about perspective. 00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:07.279 You and I are inundated with information. 00:07:07.600 --> 00:07:15.600 And then people interpreting that information from forming opinions and hot takes and recommending the latest docuseries you need to watch. 00:07:15.839 --> 00:07:23.920 But who's helping you sift through the information inside the larger context of the history and sovereignty of God? 00:07:24.319 --> 00:07:37.920 See, a terrible downpour of news is possible to take when you are able to understand that you as a human being live within larger determining seasons of Christ's once and future coming. 00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:41.199 Often older people will help you understand this. 00:07:41.439 --> 00:07:55.680 Older people have gone through many, many seasons, and they know maybe what it was like to live through the threat of nuclear war in the 50s or the civil unrest in the 1960s and the war in Vietnam and government corruption in the 70s. 00:07:55.920 --> 00:07:59.519 They have lived through decades where they have seen the ups and the downs. 00:07:59.600 --> 00:08:04.959 They have a larger purview on history so as to live a more wise life within it. 00:08:05.199 --> 00:08:08.639 And I wonder, uh, do we have that? 00:08:08.800 --> 00:08:12.959 You see, in our youth, we have trouble developing that kind of patience. 00:08:13.199 --> 00:08:20.639 That's why James says to actually look at some older people, not necessarily old in age, but some older people in the faith. 00:08:20.879 --> 00:08:24.079 He points to the prophets and to Job. 00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:26.800 Look at this, James 5, verse 10. 00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:32.240 He says that as an example of suffering and patience, there's that word again, as an example of patience. 00:08:32.559 --> 00:08:36.559 Take the prophets, like look at them who spoke in the name of the Lord. 00:08:36.799 --> 00:08:40.639 Behold, we consider those blessed who remain steadfast. 00:08:40.720 --> 00:08:48.240 And you've heard the steadfastness of Job and have seen the purposes of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. 00:08:48.480 --> 00:08:55.919 You see, James says, look at your Old Testament to understand how to live a patient life. 00:08:56.159 --> 00:08:58.799 The Old Testament has Job and the prophets. 00:08:59.120 --> 00:09:00.320 Do you remember Job? 00:09:00.559 --> 00:09:12.799 Job was the one who was righteous, who God loved and yet lost it all, lost his health, lost his housing, lost his family, and went through terrible, tremendous suffering. 00:09:13.039 --> 00:09:21.200 And then at the end, through his faithfulness, found restoration in his life with God and his life with others. 00:09:21.360 --> 00:09:31.120 At the end, actually, of the Job story, after he goes through tremendous suffering, he says, Therefore I have uttered what I don't understand, things too wonderful for me. 00:09:31.279 --> 00:09:41.440 When God shows up to Job in the midst of his suffering and God reveals himself to Job, Job says, I didn't get it, I didn't see. 00:09:41.919 --> 00:09:47.360 But now I have the perspective, and therefore I will gain the patience. 00:09:47.600 --> 00:09:53.440 The thing Job gains at the end of the story is not an answer to why bad things happen. 00:09:53.519 --> 00:09:55.919 We would love that in the book, but it doesn't happen. 00:09:56.080 --> 00:10:03.519 Instead, he gets a perspective for how to view his existence as a human being when bad things happen. 00:10:03.759 --> 00:10:08.399 So it's not so much why do bad things happen, but when bad things happen, how do I view my life? 00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:11.120 And so, how do we wait well? 00:10:11.600 --> 00:10:19.200 Well, we wait with the perspective of farmers and the character of Job and the prophets. 00:10:19.519 --> 00:10:24.639 The prophets were the ones who spoke the word of God during the most chaotic times. 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:29.440 We wait with a perspective of farmers, but the character of Job and the prophets. 00:10:29.600 --> 00:10:35.360 The perspective of farmers, again, life has daily weather changes, but we understand the seasonal ones. 00:10:35.600 --> 00:10:46.799 The character of the Old Testament characters means that we live in life that is a small life in the midst of God's larger wisdom that can be trusted. 00:10:47.120 --> 00:11:06.879 James already promised us at the beginning of the ver of the whole book, which I told you about when we were way back in that series of holy contradiction, James chapter 1, verses 2 through 5, he says, Count it all joy when you endure trials of various kinds, because you will gain steadfastness. 00:11:07.440 --> 00:11:18.639 See, the book is book-ended itself with this message that if we remain faithful, we will develop in us a kind of character and patience in our whole of life. 00:11:19.600 --> 00:11:23.919 But James doesn't leave us to just sit and wait and receive character development. 00:11:24.320 --> 00:11:26.960 Biblical waiting is not passive. 00:11:27.600 --> 00:11:29.679 Biblical waiting is active. 00:11:29.840 --> 00:11:31.759 And so the first word is patience. 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:34.720 But the second word is participation. 00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:37.120 We will wait with participation. 00:11:37.279 --> 00:11:38.000 How do you wait? 00:11:38.159 --> 00:11:43.360 Well, you wait with a participation, which is the ability to join God's activity. 00:11:43.679 --> 00:11:47.039 You can join what God is doing because God is at work. 00:11:47.200 --> 00:11:49.200 While we wait, God is working. 00:11:49.279 --> 00:11:53.039 And so you can also join his work while you wait. 00:11:53.279 --> 00:11:55.759 That's the offering that James gives us. 00:11:55.840 --> 00:11:57.840 Look at this, James 5, 13. 00:11:58.320 --> 00:12:00.320 Is anyone among you suffering? 00:12:00.720 --> 00:12:01.840 Let him pray. 00:12:02.159 --> 00:12:03.519 Is anyone cheerful? 00:12:03.679 --> 00:12:04.720 Let him sing praise. 00:12:04.799 --> 00:12:05.600 Is anyone sick? 00:12:05.759 --> 00:12:10.799 Let him call the elders of the church and let him pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 00:12:10.960 --> 00:12:14.879 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. 00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:23.039 That doesn't necessarily mean that they will be healed physically in that moment, but that the Lord would save and raise them, whether in this life or the next. 00:12:23.919 --> 00:12:26.399 And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 00:12:26.639 --> 00:12:27.600 Verse 16. 00:12:27.759 --> 00:12:32.639 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another that you might be healed. 00:12:32.879 --> 00:12:37.600 The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 00:12:37.840 --> 00:12:40.960 Do you see all the verbs in this passage? 00:12:41.200 --> 00:12:42.799 Let me just read them back to you real fast. 00:12:43.039 --> 00:12:50.159 Pray, sing praise, call the elders of the church, pray, anoint, confess, pray. 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:56.080 I just circled, when I was studying this, I just looked through my Bible, I circled the different verbs, and there's they're all over. 00:12:56.559 --> 00:13:03.840 Because James is saying, while patience is being developed in you, there's work to do, there's things you can practice. 00:13:04.080 --> 00:13:06.320 So what can I do in the meantime? 00:13:06.399 --> 00:13:09.840 What do I do when I'm asking God, are we there yet? 00:13:10.159 --> 00:13:12.720 They're very simple things that Christians have always done. 00:13:12.879 --> 00:13:16.240 The first things he mentions is, can you praise? 00:13:16.720 --> 00:13:18.639 Praise is the first thing he mentions. 00:13:18.879 --> 00:13:23.120 Praise is rejoicing and singing in response to God's goodness. 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:24.320 Are you singing? 00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:28.960 You know, when Gabe and Jess lead us or Taylor and Rachel lead us, like and you're at home, are you singing? 00:13:29.120 --> 00:13:33.600 There's something that happens to us when we sing, our countenance changes. 00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:39.120 Some of you know, nine months ago, my wife and I welcomed little baby Jude, our son. 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:46.159 And uh, I'm gonna throw up a picture of him now just to get you to pay attention again, because in case you've drifted off into your phone, come on back. 00:13:46.320 --> 00:13:48.080 Yeah, there's my cute baby. 00:13:48.320 --> 00:13:52.879 When he'll wake up in the morning, you know, this was maybe when he was a little bit younger or something like that. 00:13:53.039 --> 00:13:54.480 Um, but yeah, here he is. 00:13:54.559 --> 00:13:55.039 Yeah, I know. 00:13:55.120 --> 00:13:56.559 I'm just trying to get your attention back. 00:13:56.639 --> 00:13:58.639 So, you know, this is my cute son. 00:13:58.799 --> 00:14:05.759 And when he was, you know, having trouble, and even when he still has trouble, when I put him down, I sing worship songs to him. 00:14:05.919 --> 00:14:13.919 And um, you know, sometimes I'll sing like an old soul song or an oldies song, but I try in the mornings especially to sing a lot of worship to him. 00:14:14.320 --> 00:14:17.600 And I've realized, you know, by the way, I'm singing the classics. 00:14:17.679 --> 00:14:24.000 I'm like back in the 2000s, late 90s, I'm going delirious, you know, I'm I'm going audio adrenaline, I'm going Michael W. 00:14:24.159 --> 00:14:28.399 Smith, like, and because that's the stuff that stood the test of time, people. 00:14:28.639 --> 00:14:37.679 But as I've sung those songs, you guys, I've realized when I praise in the morning and I sing, my countenance changes. 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:42.960 Like my habit of mind, my habit of heart seems to reorient itself. 00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:48.080 And I'm not saying like there's any magic in this other than that's why God's people praise. 00:14:48.240 --> 00:14:52.399 God's people praise because while we wait, it can get discouraging. 00:14:52.720 --> 00:14:54.399 And so I don't, I don't have a good voice. 00:14:54.480 --> 00:14:59.440 You don't need a good voice, but praise is about singing to God in response to his goodness. 00:14:59.600 --> 00:15:01.039 Are you are you practicing that? 00:15:01.120 --> 00:15:02.639 Are you participating in that while you wait? 00:15:02.720 --> 00:15:05.200 What about the other thing James mess mentions? 00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:07.039 He mentions confession. 00:15:07.360 --> 00:15:08.879 He mentions confession. 00:15:09.039 --> 00:15:13.360 That's vulnerable sharing of sin and weakness in Christian community. 00:15:13.679 --> 00:15:17.200 And this is why we have virtual groups, by the way. 00:15:17.440 --> 00:15:19.600 Why you need to be a part of a virtual group. 00:15:19.759 --> 00:15:28.399 I'll tell you how to get connected in just one second, but I want to just ask you quite frankly and quite clearly, are you in a group? 00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:30.559 Are you in a virtual group? 00:15:30.879 --> 00:15:37.120 This stuff, vulnerable sharing of sin and weakness, is very, very important in the Christian life. 00:15:37.440 --> 00:15:41.519 It connects us to others, it connects us to God when we do that. 00:15:41.840 --> 00:15:43.679 Are you confessing your sin? 00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:52.879 It doesn't require a priest, it doesn't require me or any pastor, it requires another Christian to share life with and to say, I'm struggling. 00:15:53.200 --> 00:15:56.720 Do you know that while you wait, you can talk about how hard it is to wait? 00:15:57.039 --> 00:15:58.879 James says, that's perfectly okay. 00:15:59.120 --> 00:16:01.519 Can you say, I'm struggling to trust God? 00:16:01.759 --> 00:16:06.240 Yes, that is participating in the activity of God right now. 00:16:07.039 --> 00:16:09.039 The third thing he says is about care. 00:16:09.200 --> 00:16:13.519 He says, if anyone's sick or anyone needs help, call the elders of the church and anoint oil. 00:16:13.679 --> 00:16:19.919 And that's not only was a spiritual practice, then it was actually a medicinal practice in the Mediterranean area in the Middle East. 00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:26.639 And this is important for us to remember care is about giving and receiving support from the body of Christ. 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:51.440 We have this texting number that I want to put on the screen right now because I want you, if you're in the middle of this confession or care, like you want to be a part of a group or you need help, or you want to give help to somebody else, this number is on the screen for you to enter into your phone right now, for you to take a screenshot, take a picture of it, or just put it in your phone right now to help you know that we are here. 00:16:51.519 --> 00:16:53.360 You text this number, it's not a robot. 00:16:53.519 --> 00:17:03.600 Someone on the other end is telling you uh live right away, they'll get back to you to say, we'll get you a part of a group, we'll help you with whatever we can right now. 00:17:03.840 --> 00:17:10.799 Right now, our leadership council has set aside a good number of dollars to help those who are in need during this time. 00:17:11.039 --> 00:17:15.279 And this church, we always have some resources that God has given us. 00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:24.880 And that's why it's so important for us to contribute to the church because we're able to receive these texts and go, we will do what we can, how we can, to help you. 00:17:25.039 --> 00:17:29.680 One thing you can do is care in the midst of waiting. 00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:31.839 Fourth is prayer. 00:17:32.160 --> 00:17:36.400 You know, did you notice prayer was repeated three times in the chunk I read you? 00:17:36.480 --> 00:17:38.000 There's a ton of prayer. 00:17:38.160 --> 00:17:42.799 We might not notice this, but this is the primary way we will participate when we wait. 00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:45.279 As we're waiting, as we're saying, are we there yet? 00:17:45.359 --> 00:17:46.559 How do you wait well? 00:17:46.799 --> 00:17:49.759 You wait by praying because that's what Christians do. 00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:52.799 There's no such thing as a Christian who doesn't pray. 00:17:53.039 --> 00:17:58.640 You might not think you're good at it, you might not think that you're passionate about it, but it doesn't matter. 00:17:58.720 --> 00:18:02.960 At the end of the day, we just need to pray, which is talk and listen to God. 00:18:03.119 --> 00:18:09.839 We have an amazing prayer team that would love to pray for you if you don't feel like praying, if you're having trouble praying. 00:18:09.920 --> 00:18:11.920 Again, get in touch with us. 00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:18.640 There's prayer available if you're on the church online platform, but any way you can get in touch with us, we would love to pray for you. 00:18:18.720 --> 00:18:20.799 Our prayer team would love to pray for you. 00:18:20.880 --> 00:18:22.319 Because look at what James says. 00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:26.559 He says, the prayer of a righteous person has great power because it's working. 00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:39.279 And then in verse 17, he says this Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain. 00:18:39.519 --> 00:18:45.039 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. 00:18:45.200 --> 00:18:49.759 I love he brings back the rain analogy with the farmer that he was talking about earlier. 00:18:50.079 --> 00:19:01.039 If you're struggling to wait for the next season and you're having trouble with the perspective that seasons will change, like I was talking about earlier, do you know you can ask God for the seasons to change? 00:19:01.279 --> 00:19:03.440 You can ask God for rain. 00:19:03.599 --> 00:19:05.759 You can ask God to make it stop raining. 00:19:05.920 --> 00:19:09.519 I'm not talking about actual weather, I'm talking about the seasons of your life. 00:19:09.839 --> 00:19:14.880 Are you praying to God about the seasons of life and who is praying for you? 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:18.960 You see, Elijah was just a man, it says. 00:19:19.119 --> 00:19:24.480 He was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain. 00:19:24.559 --> 00:19:26.000 Like he was just a guy. 00:19:26.160 --> 00:19:26.799 I love that. 00:19:26.960 --> 00:19:30.079 Elijah, this amazing prophet of God from the Old Testament. 00:19:30.160 --> 00:19:34.640 If you don't know his story, he had incredible faith, incredible moments. 00:19:35.200 --> 00:19:38.559 And James just goes, he's just like us. 00:19:39.119 --> 00:19:41.839 He he's there's nothing different about him than you. 00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:44.480 The only thing, he prayed fervently. 00:19:44.960 --> 00:19:47.920 I wonder, are we praying fervently? 00:19:48.319 --> 00:19:51.039 Are we praying the way that Elijah prayed? 00:19:51.200 --> 00:19:56.400 Because it seems like if we do, we can pray and watch the seasons change. 00:19:56.799 --> 00:20:04.960 The final thing James is going to invite us into, and these are the closing lines of his whole letter, he's gonna invite us into mission. 00:20:05.359 --> 00:20:09.039 Mission is proclaiming Jesus to all people. 00:20:09.920 --> 00:20:12.960 And he closes his letter like this, James 5, 19. 00:20:13.200 --> 00:20:25.839 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. 00:20:26.559 --> 00:20:32.799 If you bring somebody back from wandering, you will join Jesus in his mission. 00:20:32.960 --> 00:20:38.559 Because you notice it says that the person who brings somebody back is the one who receives the salvation. 00:20:38.880 --> 00:20:43.839 It's because when we wait, you guys, life is not on pause. 00:20:44.160 --> 00:20:46.880 We wait, but God is working. 00:20:47.119 --> 00:20:52.480 And so while we wait, should we and could we join God's work? 00:20:52.880 --> 00:20:54.400 We absolutely can. 00:20:54.720 --> 00:21:01.119 You see, we join the mission of Jesus and we are reminded of the activity of Jesus. 00:21:01.440 --> 00:21:06.880 When we don't give up on our neighbor, we realize God has never given up on the neighbor. 00:21:07.039 --> 00:21:14.480 When we don't give up in the fight for injustice, we realize God has not given up in the fight against injustice, right? 00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:18.160 We realize that God is bringing about his kingdom. 00:21:18.319 --> 00:21:25.920 And when we join with that mission, we are filled with excitement and energized by the his work and not necessarily ours. 00:21:26.079 --> 00:21:30.400 We realize Jesus is coming into this world and people are meeting him. 00:21:30.720 --> 00:21:39.680 You share your faith with your neighbor, you talk to somebody about Jesus, you join in the fight against injustice, you care for people who are sick. 00:21:39.920 --> 00:21:45.119 You will realize Jesus has been active this whole time doing his work. 00:21:45.279 --> 00:21:50.000 And it's with him that we partner and receive the hope of salvation. 00:21:50.160 --> 00:21:54.720 Once we do that, we realize man, God is so good and God has been at work. 00:21:54.799 --> 00:21:58.000 You see, we also realize what we're actually waiting for. 00:21:58.559 --> 00:21:59.599 You're waiting for justice. 00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:01.759 Are you waiting for healing? 00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:03.440 Are you waiting for provision? 00:22:04.240 --> 00:22:06.480 You're actually waiting for Jesus. 00:22:06.559 --> 00:22:07.680 You realize this, right? 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:11.279 See, you're not really waiting for justice and healing and provision. 00:22:11.519 --> 00:22:12.160 You are. 00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:15.440 But Jesus brings justice. 00:22:15.759 --> 00:22:17.680 Jesus brings healing. 00:22:17.920 --> 00:22:20.079 Jesus brings provision. 00:22:20.319 --> 00:22:23.039 And so you're actually waiting on Jesus. 00:22:23.200 --> 00:22:27.839 You see, here we are in the backseat of the car of life saying, Are we there yet? 00:22:28.000 --> 00:22:29.039 Are we there yet? 00:22:29.279 --> 00:22:34.400 And that question is suddenly silenced by the realization of who's driving the car. 00:22:34.799 --> 00:22:41.839 It's God Himself, the orchestrator of history, driving history and your life to its inevitable destination. 00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:42.799 Him. 00:22:43.119 --> 00:22:44.240 His life. 00:22:45.519 --> 00:22:48.960 You see, we ask, are we there yet? 00:22:49.759 --> 00:22:54.720 And Jesus replies, I am here and I will come again. 00:22:55.279 --> 00:22:58.000 I have arrived and I will arrive again. 00:22:58.160 --> 00:23:02.880 I have brought justice through my cross and I will consummate that justice in my second coming. 00:23:03.119 --> 00:23:08.720 I have brought healing in my cross, and I will bring healing when I come again in fullness. 00:23:08.960 --> 00:23:14.799 This is the kingdom of God to live in between, to live in between Christ's once and future coming. 00:23:14.960 --> 00:23:17.759 And we wait with that inevitable hope. 00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:20.720 You know, many years ago I was driving my nephew. 00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:25.519 He's now 18, but he was like five or six at the time. 00:23:25.759 --> 00:23:32.559 And I was driving him around, and upon arriving at our destination, I began looking for parking, circling the block. 00:23:32.720 --> 00:23:40.079 And as I'm circling the block, my five-year-old nephew at the time says, Uncle Chris, do you know where you're going? 00:23:41.599 --> 00:23:43.359 Do I know where I'm going? 00:23:43.680 --> 00:23:46.880 I was laughing and amused at his question. 00:23:47.039 --> 00:23:49.680 I wanted to say, Do you know where you're going? 00:23:50.559 --> 00:23:55.519 I actually, I remember, I turned back to him, I said, You're six, or however old he was. 00:23:55.599 --> 00:23:56.000 I can't remember. 00:23:56.160 --> 00:23:56.880 I just said his age. 00:23:56.960 --> 00:24:00.799 I was like, bro, you don't even know what a stick shift is. 00:24:00.960 --> 00:24:03.039 You don't even know how to drive a car. 00:24:03.200 --> 00:24:05.759 Okay, and you're asking me where I'm going? 00:24:05.920 --> 00:24:06.720 Like, chill. 00:24:06.880 --> 00:24:08.000 I will find a spot. 00:24:08.160 --> 00:24:09.039 We're good. 00:24:09.440 --> 00:24:11.759 Do we not do this with God all the time? 00:24:12.079 --> 00:24:17.279 He's driving the car of our life and history forward to its conclusion. 00:24:17.440 --> 00:24:20.000 And we say, God, do you know where you're going? 00:24:20.400 --> 00:24:22.480 God, are we there yet? 00:24:23.279 --> 00:24:29.519 And God more kindly and gently replies to us, Do you know who I am? 00:24:30.960 --> 00:24:33.359 Do you know my nature and my character? 00:24:33.599 --> 00:24:36.240 I am the one who has come and will come again. 00:24:36.400 --> 00:24:39.200 I am the one who will bring the things you're waiting for. 00:24:39.519 --> 00:24:41.039 I will do it. 00:24:41.279 --> 00:24:42.240 Trust me. 00:24:42.960 --> 00:24:50.480 You wait well when you wait with the awareness of the presence of Jesus Christ in your life. 00:24:51.039 --> 00:24:54.160 Perhaps it's best here at the end to change my metaphor. 00:24:54.960 --> 00:25:00.319 Away from the car, because Christianity may be less like that, less individual. 00:25:00.559 --> 00:25:03.279 Not like a car, but maybe more like a battleship. 00:25:03.519 --> 00:25:08.880 With Christ as our captain, we all play these various roles to keep the ship moving. 00:25:09.119 --> 00:25:18.319 But he makes the commands and has given us autonomy and trust for us to navigate the different roles we play on the battleship, all under the guide of his direction. 00:25:18.559 --> 00:25:31.759 As we await the great and final destination of his victory, we develop patience like a farmer, like the Old Testament prophets, and we participate through all of the various ways he's invited us to be on his team. 00:25:32.000 --> 00:25:33.599 We're not left to sit. 00:25:33.759 --> 00:25:36.400 Instead, we take our role on this battleship. 00:25:36.559 --> 00:25:44.240 We await patiently the certainty of his victory, joining the battle cry the church has had for generations and generations. 00:25:44.880 --> 00:25:47.519 Come, Lord Jesus, come. 00:25:48.400 --> 00:25:50.079 Can I pray for us? 00:25:51.200 --> 00:25:55.119 Heavenly Father, we ask you to come. 00:25:55.759 --> 00:26:00.720 We ask you to come near to us now through the power of your Holy Spirit. 00:26:00.960 --> 00:26:04.559 And we ask you to come again and make this world right. 00:26:05.680 --> 00:26:10.079 In the meantime, as we ask the questions, are we there yet? 00:26:10.720 --> 00:26:18.160 We ask you to be the one who can silence us and calm us the way that a parent can silence and calm a child. 00:26:18.960 --> 00:26:29.920 Father, we trust you in and recognize we are in your arms and help us, God, as we participate and as we develop the patience we need through these difficult days. 00:26:30.079 --> 00:26:30.960 In Christ's name.