A PROPER RESPONSE TO AFFLICTION
Text: James 5:7 – 12
Introduction:
• Affliction: a state of pain, trouble, or distress; misery (World Book Dictionary)
• James’ readers were being afflicted by wealthy landowners
o Becoming wealthy at poor’s expense (v. 3)
o Withheld wages from workers (v. 4)
o Took away means of providing for families (v. 6a)
o Poor were powerless (v. 6b)
• Proverbs 30:14 – There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.
• There were people in James’ day that tried to benefit by afflicting others, and there are people in our day that do the same
• At the end of 2007, Exxon posted the largest annual profit by a US company in history - $40.6 billion; previous $39.5 billion in 2006
• Exxon’s revenues increased 30% in the last quarter of 2007 to $117 billion up from $90 billion last quarter of 2006
• Revenue for 2006 - $404.5 billion
• According to the Energy Information Administration, average gas prices at:
o End of 2005 - $2.30
o End of 2006 - $2.20
o End of 2007 - $3.10
o May 14, 2008 - $3.80
o Yesterday - $4.19 at Speedway
o Some places in CA $5.00
• Price of everything going up
• Just like in James’ day, becoming wealthy at poor’s expense; taking away means of providing for families
• James suggests that Christians should respond to affliction such as this with patience; advice still good today
• Gives us 6 characteristics of the patience he has in mind
I. It is a patience that requires action (vv. 7, 8)
• “Be patient” - verb
• Farmer waiting on harvest works in meantime
• While we are waiting, need to be busy for Lord, working for families
II. It is a patience that inspires hope (vv. 7, 8)
• “Patience” – Greek word meaning quality that does not surrender to circumstances or succumb under trial; implies that hope is present
• Farmer waits for the rains because he knows they will come
• We should wait for the Lord to come back because we know He will come
• When he comes, our afflictions will be removed
III. It is a patience that is tempered with determination (v. 8)
• “Stablish” – be steadfast, determined
• Farmer waits for rains, plows, cultivates, plants, fertilizes, weeds, waits for rain because he is determined to have a harvest
• We need to wait for the Lord to come back, working in His kingdom because we are determined to have a harvest
IV. It is a patience that rests in contentment (v. 9)
• Contentment causes us to have a good attitude and keeps us from complaining and lashing out at others
• James – easy to curse those wealthy landowners and complain about the affliction, but what good does it do?
o It doesn’t stop the affliction
o It discourages everyone
o It harms your witness
• Philippians 4:11 – 13 “For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Paul in prison)
• Paul and Silas singing in prison
• You’d be surprised at the effect of a good attitude on afflictions; complement someone every time you start to complain; do something nice for someone every day; encourage someone
V. It is a patience that causes us to rely on God (vv. 10, 11)
• Jeremiah
o Called as a young man to deliver an unpopular message
o Opposed by kings, false prophets, religious leaders
o Charged with treason
o Imprisoned
o Survived plot to kill
o Thrown in a cistern and left for dead
o Witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem
o Forced to go to Egypt
o Prophesized for 40 years and no one listened
o Jeremiah 20:11 – “But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.”
o Jeremiah 39:17, 18 – God tells Jeremiah that he shall be protected because he put his trust in God
• Job
o Sabeans take oxen and asses and kill servants
o Lightning kills sheep and servants
o Chaldeans take camels and kill servants
o Wind destroys house killing children
o Job 1:20, 21 – “Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
o Job 2:9, 10 – wife tells him to curse God and die, Job says “Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?”
o Job 13:15 – “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him”
• In both cases, Jeremiah and Job remained faithful to God, trusted Him with their lives, and God saw their suffering and came to their help
o Jeremiah survived the destruction of Jerusalem and the attack of the Babylonians
o Job regained wealth, position, and children
• You may have to make sacrifices; you may lose everything that you have; keep your faith in God, not in the government, not in family, not in job
VI. It is a patience that should promote integrity (v. 12)
• Seems like it doesn’t fit; what is he talking about?
• James writing to Jewish Christians (1:1)
• They had habit of making oaths (promises, contracts) and breaking them if it didn’t serve their best interests
• If swore by heaven, or earth, or head, or any other object, oath was not binding (cross my heart, hope to die)
• If used name of God in oath, considered binding (swear to God)
• James restates what Jesus taught – Christians should be known for their honesty and integrity and not have to swear to add credence to their promises
• Yes should mean yes; no should mean no
• What does this have to do with afflictions?
• These believers were being afflicted by wealthy landowners that were dishonest with them; swore that they would be paid for work, but did not receive wages
• Since these believers knew firsthand what it was like to be on the receiving end of a broken promise, they should not break their promises to others
• Just because oil companies are being dishonest and oppressive toward you does not give you the right to be dishonest and oppressive toward others
• Pay your taxes; don’t cheat anyone out of what they have earned or been promised; be fair to your employees; don’t take what is not yours
Conclusion:
• Wish I had good news, but I don’t; gas will probably continue to rise
• Rethink spending habits; cut out unnecessary travel; carpool; sacrifice nonessentials
• Still better off that almost the entire rest of the world
• Afflictions are part of life
• Gas, illness, problems with coworkers or neighbors, wayward children, financial problem
• Instead of throwing up hands and giving up, ask God for patience and wisdom (v. 13)
• James 1:4 – 6a
• Have patience
o Keep doing what you should be doing for the Lord and for your family
o Remind yourself that these afflictions are only temporary; He’s coming back!
o Don’t give up
o Be pleasant and encouraging
o Trust God
o Be honest and act with integrity
• Psalm 34:19 – “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.”
