2.  7 Brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord comes again. A farmer patiently waits for his valuable crop to grow from the earth and for it to receive the autumn and spring rains. 8 You, too, must be patient. Do not give up hope, because the Lord is coming soon. 9 Brothers and sisters, do not complain against each other or you will be judged guilty. And the Judge is ready to come! 10 Brothers and sisters, follow the example of the prophets who spoke for the Lord. They suffered many hard things, but they were patient. James 5:7-10 (NCV)

3.  TBCD’s Theme, “Endurance.”  4 Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us. The Scriptures give us patience and encouragement so that we can have hope. 5 Patience and encouragement come from God. And I pray that God will help you all agree with each other the way Christ Jesus wants. Romans 15:4-5 (NCV)  How many of you have a problem with lack of patience?  Let’s see what the Bible said about Endurance and Encouragement.

4. I The Reward of Patience is Maturity/Strength James 5:7  7 Brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord comes again. A farmer patiently waits for his valuable crop to grow from the earth and for it to receive the autumn and spring rains. James 5:7  So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything. James 1:4 We can’t really know the depth of our character until we see how we react under pressure. It is easy to be kind to others when everything is going well, but can we still be kind when others are treating us unfairly? God wants to make us mature and complete, not to keep us from all pain. Instead of complaining about our struggles, we should see them as opportunities for growth. I normal called it a good problem, lets fix it.

5. IIThe Motivation for Patience is the Return of Jesus v. 8  8 You, too, must be patient. Do not give up hope, because the Lord is coming soon. James 5:8  In 1 Cor. 1:7, Paul says that we “eagerly wait for the Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed”. You know why we look forward to Jesus’ return?  Because of the reward that He is going to give to all those who have faithfully served Him.

6. IIIThe Spirit of Patience is Peace v.9  9 Brothers and sisters, do not complain against each other or you will be judged guilty. And the Judge is ready to come! James 5:9  When things go wrong, we tend to grumble against and blame others for our miseries. Blaming others is easier than owning our share of the responsibility, but it can be both destructive and sinful. Before you judge others for their shortcomings, remember that Christ the Judge will come to evaluate each of us.  Before you judge others for their shortcomings, remember that Christ the Judge will come to evaluate each of us.

7. Conclusion  Probably all of us should have a big sign hanging around our neck that reads, “Be patient with me; God’s not finished with me yet.”  As we wait for the Lord’s return, don’t allow your frustration to turn you against your church members and friends.  Jesus’ invitation for each of you…