A man’s car stalled in heavy traffic. He tried and tried but could not get the car restarted. To make matters worse, there was a long line of unsympathetic and impatient drivers behind him honking their horns. He finally got out of his car and walked back to the first driver and said, “I’m sorry, but I can’t seem to get my car started. If you’ll go up there and give it a try, I’ll stay here and blow your horn for you.”  

If most of us were honest, we would have to admit that patience is a virtue that could use some improvement in our lives. There are not many that could boast that they are patient person.  

Many would be like the fellow who prided himself on being exceedingly punctual. He followed a precise routine every morning. His alarm went off at 6:30 A.M. He would jump right out of bed, shower, shave, eat his breakfast, brush his teeth, pick up his briefcase, get into his car, drive to the nearby ferry landing, park his car, ride the ferry across to the downtown business area, get off the ferry, walk straight to his building, march to the elevator, ride to the seventeenth floor, hang up his coat, open his briefcase, spread out his papers, and sit down at his desk at precisely 8:00 A.M. Not 7:59 or 8:01 , but precisely at 8:00 A.M. He followed the same routine without variation for eight years, until one morning his alarm did not go off, and he overslept for ten minutes. When he did awake, he panicked. He rushed through his shower, nicked himself while shaving, gulped down his breakfast, skipped brushing his teeth, grabbed up his briefcase, jumped into his car, sped to the ferry landing, jumped out of his car, and started running toward the ferry. It was then that he saw the ferry was a several feet from the dock. He thought to himself, “I think I can make it.” He ran down the dock as fast as he could. When he got to the edge of the dock, he jumped and amazingly reached the ferry. He landed with a loud thud on the deck. The Captain ran down to make sure he was all right. Assured that he was okay, the Captain said, “Man, that was a tremendous jump, but if you had waited another minute, we would have reached the dock and you could have walked on.”

As we continue looking at the Book of James we come to a section that specifically deals with patience. In verses 7-11 we are given three examples of patience:

• (Vs.7) The Patience of the farmer

• (Vs. 10) The Patience of the prophets

• (Vs. 11) The Patience of Job

In this study, I want to consider the patience of the farmer and as we do so we will look at patience as it relates to the Lord’s coming. The Lord’s coming is presented as a special inducement for patience. Twice in verse 7 and 8 the coming of the Lord is mentioned. In relation to the Lord’s coming, twice we are told to be patient. As we look at these two verses lets consider our uplook and how it should affect our outlook. Notice with me first:

1. THE UPLOOK THAT STIRS THE HEART!

James says in verse 7, “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord.” He says in verse 8, “Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” From these words let’s draw two thoughts about the Lord’s coming. First, we see:

A. The Truth Of The Lord’s Coming

James tells us that the Lord is coming. He is echoing the great truth found throughout the Bible that one day Jesus Christ will come again. Jesus gave the promise in John 14:3, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again.” We have our Lord’s own personal promise that He will come again. Just as sure as He came the first time, He will come the second time.

There are three words in the New Testament that are translated “coming.” There is the word epiphaneia that describes a manifestation. The Greeks used the word to speak of their gods coming down from Mt. Olympus . The idea is that Jesus will come and manifest Himself in all His glory and majesty.

There is also the word apokalypsis from which we get our word apocalypse. It is a word that speaks of an uncovering or revealing. It is the word used for the Book of Revelation that unveils the things that will happen in the future.

Finally, there is the word parousia that is the word found in our text. The meaning of the word is “a presence.” It is a compound noun coming from para that means, “along side of, close to” and the verb eimi that means, “to be.” Together they mean, “to be alongside of” or “to be present.”

The coming of the Lord means that He is personally coming for the believer and from henceforth, the believer will be in the presence of the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 tells us that when Jesus comes again both the living and the dead shall be caught up and “so shall we ever be with the Lord.” The coming of the Lord means that we will be in His presence.

The second truth about the Lord’s coming I point out from our text is:

B. The Time Of Our Lord’s Coming

We read in verse 8, “the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” A similar expression is found in Philippians 4:5. “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand,” and in Revelation 1:3, “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.”

2.  The idea is more than the Lord’s coming is near, but is imminent. His coming is subject to happen at anytime. The Bible never sets a date as to when the Lord will come, but always presents it as something that could happen at any moment.

3. Instead of trying to set dates or figure out when the Lord is coming, we should be looking for Him to come at anytime. Instead of looking for signs, we should be listening for the shout.

4. Our attitude should be that of G. Campbell Morgan’s who said, “I never lay my head on my pillow without thinking that, maybe before the morning breaks, the final morning may have dawned. I never began my work without thinking that perhaps He may interrupt my work and begin His own.”

5. We know by the Bible that our Lord is sure to come. There is not doubt about His coming. Furthermore, we should believe that our Lord is soon to come. His coming draweth nigh. His coming is at hand. He could come at anytime.

6. The promise of our Lord’s coming is a truth that stirs our heart. To know that He could come at anytime should both excite and encourage us as believers. It is indeed a stirring thought that before this day is over, we could be in the presence of the Lord.

7. James not only speaks of our uplook, looking for the Lord to return, but also our outlook. Notice with me secondly,

2. THE OUTLOOK THAT STRENGTHENS OUR HEART!

1. Not only does James speak of the coming of the Lord in both verse 7 and 8, but also admonished us to be patient. In verse 7, he tells us to be patient as we await the coming of the Lord. We are to expect the Lord to come at any time, but we also are wait patiently for His return.

2. In verse 8 he takes the truth of the second coming to inspire us to be patient. Life can be difficult and discouraging at times, but the knowledge that Jesus could come at any time helps us to be patient.

3. Let’s look closer at what James has to say about being patient. First, he speaks of:

A. Patience Seen In Our Actions

1. Verse 7 says, “Be patient therefore, brethren.” The word “patient” literally means to be “long-tempered.” We would use the word “longsuffering.” It speaks of refraining from hasty retaliation in the face of provocation. David Jeremiah says that it stresses nonretaliation and means to hold one’s spirit in check.1

2. If you recall in our last study, we saw how rich were persecuted these believers (Cp. 5:1-6). Now James calls for these believers to be longsuffering, to refrain from revenge and retaliation.

3. When we are done wrong by others our nature wants to exact revenge. I think of a story I read about a little boy named Jack. His mother heard him screaming and ran into the bedroom to find his two-year sister pulling his hair. She got the little girl to let go of his hair and then said to Jack, “I’m sorry. She didn’t mean it. She doesn’t know that hurts.” The mother was barely out of the room when she heard the little girl scream. She ran back into the bedroom, “What happened?” Jack said, “She knows now!”

4. Whereas our tendency is to want to get even, our text admonishes us to be patient, longsuffering, and to refrain from retaliation. Instead of retaliating, we are to keep our spirit in check.

5. The Lord is coming, but until then, we may find ourselves the targets of others attacks and abuse. Instead of retaliating, knowing the Lord is coming we should refrain from retaliation. As we shall see in our study of verse 9, the Lord is the judge. Instead of getting revenge ourselves, let the Lord take care of the matter.

B. Patience Seen In Our Attitude

1. In verse 7 James uses the illustration of a farmer. We read, “Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.”

2. The word “husbandman” simply means, “one who tills the soil.” James is speaking of a farmer who plows and plants his field and then waits for the growth and harvest of his crop.

3. He describes how the farmer waits for the early and latter rain. The early rain would come around the last of October and the first of November. This rain would soften the hard-baked soil for the plowing and planting.

4. The latter rain would around the last of April and first of May. This rain was essential for the growth and maturing of the crops.

5. James speaks of how the farmer “hath long patience for it.” The words speak of a constant attitude of expectancy. The farmer knows that when he plants the seed his crop will not be ready for harvesting overnight or in a few days. He knows there is a period of time that he has to wait. Yet, he waits with the expectancy that in time his crops will grow and be ready for harvesting.

6. Therefore, James says in verse 8, “Be ye also patient.” As we wait for the Lord to return, we are to wait with expectancy. We are to live with an attitude of expectancy. Just as the farmer waits expectantly for the day to harvest his crop, we are to wait expectantly for the Lord’s return.

7. He could come today, but if not, we should look for Him tomorrow. He could come this week, but if not, we should look for Him next week. He could come this year, but if not, we should look for Him next year. His coming may even be years away, but nonetheless we are wait and expect Him to come just as He said.

C. Patience Seen In Our Affliction

1. In verse 8 we read, “stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” Let me remind you that James is writing to a people that are undergoing great trials and persecution.

2. If you remember our first study, we saw in verse 1 that he addressed his letter to a “scattered” people, not a sheltered people. They were suffering much because they were Christians.

3. The word “stablish” literally speaks of, “strengthening your hearts.” The word means, “to fix, to plant.” We would say, “prop up.” One writer gave this definition: “You must put iron in your heart.”

4. James was saying, “Don’t let the things you are going through cause you to fall or fail. Don’t let these things uproot you. Be firm, be fixed; be like a tree planted in the ground with its roots reaching deep in the earth.

5. What were they to prop their hearts up with? It was with the truth that the Lord could come at any moment. When we are going through hard times, look up! Jesus could come at any moment and remove us from all our trials and sufferings.

6. The thought that Jesus could come at any moment ought to be iron in our hearts. It ought to encourage us to keep on keeping on, no matter how dark or difficult things may be.

7. Several years ago I went out to the stables at the foot of Raccoon Mountain . I rented a horse to ride some of the trails. I got this horse that looked like it had just lost its best friend. It just “limped” along. I tried to get it to pick up the pace, but all kicking and slapping and yelling was no avail.

8. After I abandoned my dream of riding tall in the saddle and my images of riding in the Kentucky Derby faded, I settled in for a boring ride. But then I started back for the barn. It was like the horse had received a B-12 shot or caught a new lease on life. It perked up, picked up its pace, and when I came in sight of the barn it took off running. I even tried to slow it down, but it ran all the way to the barn. It was like it was saying, “I’m finally home.”

9. May I say that as we near the coming of the Lord, instead of letting the things we go through in life get us down, we should let it out iron in our heart. The nearer we get to the Lord’s coming, the more excited we ought to be that our race is just about over. If I can put it this way, the barn is in sight.