Richvale Community Church
Palm Sunday
- Good morning,Three men were in the hospital waiting room, when the nurse came from the maternity ward.She said to the first man, "Congratulations, you’re the father of twins!""That’s wonderful!" he said. "And what a coincidence—I work for the Minnesota Twins!"A little later, the nurse returned and spoke to the second man. "Congratulations, sir! You are the father of triplets!""That is amazing!" he replied. "And what an incredible coincidence—I work for the 3M Company!"Suddenly, the third man turned white as a sheet, he jumped up, and started for the door.The nurse called out, "Sir! Sir! Where are you going? You haven't heard your news yet!"He yells back over his shoulder, "I'm getting out of here! I work for 7-UpToday is Palm Sunday. It is the day we remember Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem—the beginning of the Passion Week.Everything in Jesus’ ministry had pointed to this moment.For centuries, there was a deep, aching anticipation for His arrival.But there was a disconnection between their in anticipation..and the purpose of his coming... the crowds that lined the streets of Jerusalem waving palm branches, weren't wanting a redeemer they were expecting a revolution.They anticipated a King who would defeat the Roman Empire and fix their present world with all its problems..But God’s answer came in a way they didn't expect. Jesus didn’t come to establish a temporary earthly kingdom ;He came for a much bigger purpose: to defeat sin and death the grave ..and set up an eternal kingdom.Palm Sunday - reminds us that His coming is a Sovereign and certain..He will come again..— His entrance into Jerusalem 2000 years ago…..is just a foretaste of what it will be like in his millennial and the Eternal Kingdom.. where he will reign forevermore.We as Christian live today with .. the tension of the "Already and the Not Yet."That Gods kingdom is both Here and it is a coming Kingdom…This morning, we are finishing up our series in James…We talking about.. Real.. Faith that works..The final Chapter James frames our faith in the context of those who are waiting for His coming
James 5:7 ESV 7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.T/s in a James 5 we are going to see that real faith knows how to wait…First there is…1. The Posture of Faith: Trusting God with What I Can’t ControlThis week, there was a tragic plane crash in New York..A jet was on a routine landing—something the pilots had done thousands of times.But on that runway as they were landing , a fire truck crossed into its path.In an instant, the pilots faced a split-second decision.With incredible courage and selflessness, they put the nose of the plane down, colliding with the truck. Their actions cost them their lives—but they saved every passenger on board.That’s true bravery. That’s selflessness in action.As passengers, we are completely at the mercy of our pilots.We have no idea what’s ahead. We have no controls. And in life, it’s the same.We don’t know what’s coming up down the runway—but we do know the one who is at the controls..—in the book of James..James is writing to Jewish Christians ..scattered across the Roman Empire, a people living with constant uncertainty. James gives them hope..andIn his letter, he has been teaching them how to live authentic faith-filled lives…—how to have real.faith, faith that works… In chapter 5, James turns his attention to the wealthy elites—the ones are oppressing the poor.This was relevant, because many in the early church many were living below the poverty line ..and were directly impacted by the actions and injustices of the elite..So James shows them how to live in a world without controls..,James 5:1–6 ESV 1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.James introduces us to this group of wealthy elites..The Elites were landowners those outside the church.. who are mistreating their employees—The problem was not so much that they were wealthy but, how they misused their wealth —James has a series of inditement's…a. first is that they Spent their wealth on Luxurious living.. not only had they horded their....money.. through unlawful acquisition. they had Spent their money through self-indulgence..I saw this video of 100.00 hot dog that was being sold ..had caviar on top.. seems like a lot in a day when people are strugglingb.. second they had exploited their workers..In the ancient world, it was expected that workers be paid the very same day—because many of them depended on that money just to buy their next meal.But instead of paying them fairly, the rich would delay their wages…holding onto the money to gain more from investments and interest..Third…inditement ..they failed to discern the times.James says they were hoarding.. wealth in the last days—a time when God’s kingdom had already begun .Christ...had come ..many of this generation had seen him literally ..but..They were so focused on themselves that they couldn’t see what God was doing right in front of them.Fourth… they condemned the righteous.Vrs 6 James says, “You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.”Now, this isn’t just about one individual act—it’s about a pattern… They practiced continual injustice, their oppression,This put them on the same side as those who rejected and crucified Jesus—the Righteous One.It is interesting..History hasn’t changed much There is still unfair dispersement of wealth…Today .. it is still the poor who get exploited by the wealthy..The theologian and scholar..N.T Wright ..in his commentary on James.. makes this observation… often when the poor ask for their debts to be forgiven the world laughs…— He reminds us what happen..The great credit crisis of 2008 , Enron crisis...where the rich lined up to have their debts forgiven, at the cost of the taxpayer; and several governments did what they were asked.Wright..says..One law for the rich, another for the poor. It has always been like this..This is the kind of unfairness that James says is out of our control..The wealthy get wealthier and the poor get poorer…James teaches the church How to Handle injustice…He says that God will vindicate the poor…James says..their lavish lifestyles were "fattening their hearts" for a day of reckoning,… their gold and silver—things that normally don’t rust—will be corroded and worthless on the day of judgment.Every coin hoarded and every paycheck withheld was another brick in a wall of judgment they built for themselves.Faith says..God sees every injustice, and He will make it right.God will vindicate injustice..God will do justice ..All wrongs will be made Right…in his time.... God will come back in justice..Because History is all about Christ..The theologian J.I. Packer tells us thatThe Bible is not primarily about man at all. Its subject is God … Its main theme is not human salvation, but the work of God vindicating his purposes and glorifying himself in a sinful and disordered cosmos.J. I. PackerWe need to remember…that God stands at the center of History.. he the. just judge who stands at the door ….We live in faith expectation… of his coming..the last words of the revelation of scripture..”come lord Jesus come..T/s James shows us that real faith is Patient Faith—a faith that knows how to wait…First there is…1. The Posture of Faith: Trusting God with What I Can’t Control2. The Process of Faith: Enduring What I Don’t UnderstandWe as humans have incredible brains—we can think, reason, and understand. But we also have limits.There are things we simply cannot comprehend.Psychologists call this bounded rationalitywe don’t have all the information, we can’t see the future, and our minds can only handle so much.So what do we do? Our brains start filling in the gaps.Here’s a simple example:Can you read this.."If yuo can rdae tihs you are truly mazinga."Amazing, right? "If you can read this, you are truly amazing."Your brain made sense of scrambled letters. But notice—sometimes it gets it wrong.Sometimes filling in the gaps leads to mistakes.Life is like that. We try to connect the dots with incomplete information, and we often get it wrong.James tells us what to do in those moments: when we don’t understand,we don’t have all the information. we trust the Lord and wait patiently.…James 5:7–8 ESV 7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.James, shows us how faith develops ..faith is patient….. he says, be patient like the farmerA farmer.. plants, he works, he invests… and then he waits.He waits through the early rains (in later October) that help the seed grow… and the later rains (late April) that bring the crop to maturity.It’s a long process—months, not moments..James says that the farmer waits in Faith..His heart is established in the waiting room…James says Be like the farmer when it comes to the spiritual harvest..What is the Harvest?Jesus describe Harvest —as an evangelistic opportunity.Jesus said in Matt 9 that the fields are “white for harvest”The field represent ed people ready to receive the gospel,Jesus says pray that Lord of the Harvest send laborers to reap what has been sown…James shows us the process of waiting for the harvest..Be Patience in eschatological hope..it is knowing thatGod is working all the time — his purposes will prevail,.. he is going to make all things ..We are New creations in Christ..designed for new heaven and new earth....so..James tells us how to live with expectation in the now.James 5:9–12 ESV 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. 12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.How do we build Faith?He starts with a negative imperative..James says don’t grumble with one another. In other words..Manage your disappointments…Disapointments are inevitable -we live in a fallen world…We disappoint ourselves and we disappointed by others…James points out that the problem withGrumbling and complaining..it never changes or solves anything..John Piper saysGrumbling only adds to the darkness because it obscures the light of God’s gracious, all-controlling providence.John PiperWhen we complaining is passing judgement..James says don’t get caught up in judgement…Rather know this that God will vindicate the righteous in justice…James then gives us examples…— James says if you want to learn how to have Faith… learn form the prophets—Prophets confronted Powers in their day with truth and they were met with hostility-they were were opposed, , hated, and ridiculed and persecuted..and martyredFirst-century Jews believed Isaiah had been sawn in two after hiding himself in a hollow tree -James saysLook at Job..In the book of Job, Satan went looking for the most righteous manto prove that even the godliest person, under enough pain, would turn from God.He found Job ..Satan challenged Job’s faith, He took everything from him his family, wealth, and comfort and his health..But..Even though Job didn’t understand why he suffered,but..he trusted God’s character, endured the pain, and kept his faith..Lastly James says..Build Faith by being steadfast in your commitments -Keep your oaths....Don’t be wishy-washy. Let your "Yes" be "Yes" and your "No" be "No."No undercurrents, no manipulation—just steady, honest integrity.James theology is simple…live authenticity regardless of what is happening around you..Faith and deeds..T/s James shows us that real faith is Patient Faith—a faith that knows how to wait…First there is…1. The Posture of Faith: Trusting God with What I Can’t Control2. The Process of Faith: Enduring What I Don’t Understand3. The Practice of Faith: Turning Waiting into Prayer“I don’t know about you, but lately I’ve found myself feeling a little disconnected from what’s happening overseas with the war in then middle east.Not because it doesn’t matter… but because it just feels far away. Constant headlines. Ongoing conflict.After a while, it’s easy to grow numb…But…If there was ever a moment for us to be praying it’s today..There are needs everywhere—right here…so many needs..James invites us to Pray..James 5:13–16 ESV 13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.James askAre you suffering?Go to pray —Are you happy?Sing praises.Are you sick?Call the elders. Let them pray and anoint youJames is saying develop a posture of prayer..in all circumstances..Many prayers in the Bible come out of the act of waiting.Abraham and Sarah waiting for just one child.Jacob waiting seven years for a wife and then seven more years after being tricked by her father.The Israeliteswaiting four centuries for deliverance,andMoses waiting four decades for the call to lead them,then four more decades for a Promised Land he would not enter.David waiting in caves for his promised coronation.Prophets waiting for the fulfillment of their own strange predictions.Mary and Joseph, Elizabeth and Zechariah, Anna, Simeon waiting like for the Messiah.So over and over we see that Gods people wait for God to answer..N.T Wright..We wait with patience, not like people in a dark room wondering if anyone will ever come with a lighted candle, but like people in early morning who know that the sun has arisen and are now waiting for the full brightness of midday.N. T. WrightJames want us to know that prayer works.There’s no waiting for the right moment, the perfect conditions, or resolution of all problems.Prayer begins now, in the midst of suffering..James says we don’t need clarity or resolution—we need to pray.James says..If we think that Prayer is just for the intercessors think again…James gives us another example.He points to Elijah. Elijah was just a man like us—he had a sinful nature,he got tired,he got discouraged.But he prayed fervently that it wouldn't rain, and for three and a half years, it didn't.Then he prayed again, and the heavens opened.Elijah understood that while we are waiting, prayer is our greatest labor.James — invites us into the waiting room of prayer-CONCLUSION Have you ever watched a movie that was so good—but the ending didn’t quite resolve the conflict?Sometimes they leave a cliffhanger for the sequel.James could have ended his letter with instructions.Instead, he closes with —Unexpected way.. (some would say abupt)a commission to the church: a ministry of reconciliation—bringing home the wanderer.James 5:19–20 ESV 19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 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.James ends with action.If you see someone wandering from the truth—tired, frustrated, or impatient—bring them back.To bring someone back to Christ is to save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.James says it begins simply with one.This is the spiritual harvest. It just takes reaching one.. When God’s Word is sown in good soil, guilt gives way to forgiveness, despair lifts into hope, and wandering hearts find their way home.this morning let’s be people of faith.. people of prayer.. in these last day.. let us be those who sing hosanna hosanna..blessed he comes in the name of the Lord.. James 5:7ESV
James 5:1–6ESV
James 5:7–8ESV
James 5:9–12ESV
James 5:13–16ESV
James 5:19–20ESV
Richvale Community Church
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