COME TAKE A WALK: WAITING FOR THE LORD'S RETURN

Sermon Notes, July 8, 2018

Rev. Garry McGlinchy

            Pastor Garry's sermon, the fifth in the series Come, Take a Walk, a journey through the book of James,  was titled "Waiting for the Lord's Return."  It was based on James 5:1-10.

            As we conclude our series this morning we're going to talk about waiting for the Lord's return.  We've been waiting a long time.  There are many viewpoints about the Lord's return, but we all agree he will return.  Some misguided individuals have set a date for his return, sold their possessions and gathered on a hillside to wait for it.  Others have quit their jobs in anticipation of his immediate return.  But neither date-setting nor idleness are appropriate responses to the fact that the Lord will come again.  Here are a few of the responses we should take.

            Be Aware the Lord Will Judge the Unbelieving Rich (James 5:1-6).  He will judge their greed.  Wealth and possessions will perish at the Lord's return.  Proverbs 23:5 offers a warning about desiring riches.  It predicts their end. 

            He will judge their oppression. (verse 4) The rich landowners James indicted were guilty of withholding wages, but the cries of the workers reached the Lord's attention.  Perhaps you know the pain of working for an unscrupulous boss who abuses his or her workers.  The Lord is aware of all the injustice, and he will take retributive action when he comes again.

            He will judge their self-indulgent lifestyle. (v.5)   The wicked rich were living luxuriously at the expense of others.  Theirs was the so-called soft life, but it was gained at the expense of the hard life their workers experienced.  Like fattened sheep or oxen, the wicked rich were fattening up themselves for the slaughter, they would meet at the Lord's return.

            He will judge their inhumane, unjust treatment of others. (v6)  The rich were able to influence the courts to condemn and murder innocent men, probably to seize the innocents' property.  You many know someone who has reached the top of the ladder by stepping on the hands of others on the ladder.  At his coming the Lord will judge such unconscionable people.

            Be Patient (James 5:7-9)  Follow the farmer's example. (v. 7)  The farmer shows patience by planting and then waiting patiently for the land to produce crops.  We, too, need to patiently wait for the Lord's return.  we cannot hurry his coming, but he will surely come at the right time.

            The Lord's coming is near. (v. 8)  Every day brings us closer to the Lord's coming.  It is near.  Perhaps he will come today!  

            Be brotherly.  While we wait for the Lord's return, we ought to treat one another in a brotherly way.  Grumbling against each other is unacceptable.  We ought to put it aside because the Judge stands at the door.  How would you change your behavior if you realized the Lord, the Judge, was nearby?

            Be Like the Prophets and Job. (James 5:10-11)  James' readers had a rich heritage of prophets who spoke God's Word boldly in spite of persecution.  Christian author Kenneth Schenck writes: "James mentioned the prophets as an example of patience in suffering.  So many of them suffered as they spoke God's Word!" 

            Hebrews 11 gives a list of faithful witnesses from the Old Testament, many of whom died while being faithful.  According to one tradition, Isaiah died by being cut in half.  James knew these prophets were held in high respect and admiration by believers everywhere.  They were the heroes that Jews looked up to in their history.  In the same way, James urged believers to be the heroes of his day, to endure persecution and suffering even if it would mean death.  He ended with a reminder of God's compassion and mercy.  Suffering will not go on indefinitely.

            Job underwent a harsh, relentless, prolonged attack by Satan, who wanted to destroy his faith in God, but Job endured to the end.  He didn't understand why he was suffering, but he refused to curse God.  He knew that even if he died, he would experience resurrection and see God, his Redeemer, with his own eye. (Job 19:25-27)  Finally, the trials lifted, and God honored Job's faith. (Job 42:10-16)  May we keep our eye on the Lord through all our trials and remember that he is coming again.  All trials will end when we see Jesus!

            Be Honest and Trustworthy (James 5:12)  While we await the Lord's return, our honesty and trustworthiness should be obvious to everybody  When we say yes, we should mean yes, and when we say no, we should mean no.  We should always say what we mean, and mean what we say.

            We do not know when the Lord will come again, but we should live every day as though it might happen today.  Be patient, honest, and trustworthy, and believe God will settle all accounts when he returns.  Keep looking up!