Church Period: The Third Sunday In Advent
Sermon Title: Wait With Patience For The Lord’s Coming
Sermon Date: December 14, 1980
Rev. August Hauptman
Sermon Text: James 5:7-10
Dear Christian Friends:
During this year, 1980, we have many terrible events. Mt. St. Helens in Washington exploded, destroying much and killing many. Iraq began war with Iran. Russia invaded Afghanistan and now threatens to invade Poland. There have been several civil wars in Central America. Here in the U.S.A. our government seems helpless to control the rising inflation. Crime, especially murder, is up about 20% over last year. Here in Southern California we have witnessed the MGM Grand Hotel holocaust at Las Vegas,and forest fires at Duarte, and San Bernardino, started by arsonists while at the same time a devastating earthquake occurred in southern Italy. And this past week a queer man shot John Lennon of the Beatles Singing Group.
These are some of the things that Jesus predicted would happen near the end of the world, before He returns in glory to judge all the nations. (Matthew 24 and 25) We are saddened and depressed by these terrible events. We ask,
"Where is God? Where is His power and rule?
Why does Jesus delay His coming?
We perhaps even question,"What good is Christmas?"
Nobody seems to give attention to Jesus and His teachings. People of the world are becoming worse and worse. Well, Saint James has some good advice for us in our text today, which is the Epistle Lesson for this Third Sunday in Advent. James admonishes us Christians to be patient.
James shows us two examples of patience, and two things we can do that will help us wait patiently for the Lord's return.
The first example of patience is the farmer. James writes, "Be patient, Christian friends, until the Lord comes. See how patient a farmer waits for his crop to ripen. He waits patiently for the fall and spring rains." (v. 7)
If you want to be a farmer you must have patience. You can't grow a good crop of corn or wheat or soy beans without patience, faith and hope. First the farmer works and prepares the ground for planting. After he plants the seed he waits patiently several weeks to see if the seed will sprout and grow. After it is sprouted and growing he waits patiently for the rain. He will say his prayers and hope for the Lord to send the rains. Sometimes the rains do not happen, like this summer in the Midwest, and the farmer gets only a small crop or perhaps no crop. When the farmer gets no crop because of no rain, then he must be very, very patient and wait for next year. If you wish to be a farmer you must be very patient.
Well, James here in our text says that we Christians must learn to be patient, like the farmer, The Lord will come. He has promised that He will come and save us from this world of sin and suffering and terrible events. We must be patient and wait for Him with faith, prayer and hope, like the farmer patiently waits for the Lord to send the rains so he can harvest a large crop.
One good example is the prophet, Jeremiah. God sent him to preach to the people and tell them about their wrongs and evil ways. He said that God would let enemy soldiers come to destroy the city and the beautiful temple because they sinned too much and did not repent. The people were very angry against Jeremiah when he preached that sermon to them and they wanted to kill him. But Jeremiah patiently suffered their hate and enmity. He did not change his sermon to agree with what they wanted to hear. He trusted in God to save him from their enmity. He was prepared to die, if necessary, but he stayed true and obeyed God's command and preached what God told him, He said to the people, "Me? I am in your hands. Do against me as you think is good and right, but understand this: if you kill me, then you and this city are guilty for killing an innocent man. Because it is true the Lord sent me to give you this warning." (Jeremiah 26:8-15)
Jeremiah and the other prophets were very patient during persecution and trouble. They trusted in God and continued to obey God's Word although many people hated them and threatened to kill them. Some were killed, but they were freed in death and now enjoy God's glory.
We Christians must follow the good example of the prophets and wait patiently for the Lord to come and save us from all evils and from all enemies. The example of the patient farmer and the example of the patient prophet will help us to wait patiently for the Lord to come and save us.
There are two things we can do that will help us to wait patiently for the Lord to come. The first thing we can do is stay strong in faith. James writes, "Stay strong in your faith because the day of the Lord's coming is near." (v. 8)
St Paul tells us that we receive faith through hearing and attending to God's Word. (Romans 10:17) In God's Word, the Bible, we find God's precious promises to us that He loves us although we are sinners and do not really deserve His love and forgiveness, In the Old Testament we read how God promised to send His only Son to be the Savior for the world. In the New Testament we see how God kept that promise and let it happen exactly in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
This Advent Season we are now preparing our hearts and homes to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The birth of Jesus on the first Christmas shows that God keeps His promises to us. God will also keep His other promise to us, the promise that Jesus will come again on the Last Day to save us from all evils and bring us to glory in heaven.
So let us read God's Word daily in our Bibles and in our Portals of Prayer or Advent Devotional Booklet. Let us hear His Word at the church services. Let us join together with our Christian friends at the Lord's Supper. Then our faith can grow stronger and we can patiently wait for the Lord to come. We will not doubt or give up hope in Him, although we live in troubled times. "The day of the Lord's coming is near." (v. 8) The Lord will come quickly. We will not have to suffer much more. So stay strong in your faith!
BECAUSE JESUS IS NEAR AND WILL COME ANYTIME NOW WE MUST REMEMBER TO LIVE IN PEACE WITH ONE ANOTHER. THAT'S THE SECOND THING WE CAN DO.
You know that when we are suffering and waiting and waiting and when the Lord delays His coming we also are often not patient with one another. We criticize others and complain, complain. In our text James tells us not to complain against one another, "Don't complain against one another, Christian friends, so that God will judge you. You know the Judge is almost ready to come." (v. 9)
If we complain against our Christian brother or sister it shows that we have not really accepted Jesus and His teachings. Why? Because Jesus has accepted us and died for us and has forgiven our sins against Him. If we have really accepted God's forgiveness in Jesus, then we will be patient with our Christian brothers and sisters who may do wrong or sin against us, and we will forgive them and not complain against them. If we refuse to forgive our Christian brothers and sisters and complain, complain against them, it shows we really have no faith in Jesus. Then when Jesus comes He will judge and condemn us.
So wake up! Jesus the Judge is standing at the door. He is ready to come in anytime now. Forgive your Christian brother as God has forgiven you. Do what you pray in the Lord's Prayer:
"Forgive us our trespasses (wrongs) as we forgive those who trespass (do wrong) against us."
Do it now, today, because Jesus the Judge is at the door and ready to enter.
We must not complain against one another. We must not despair during our troubles and suffering during our wait for Jesus' coming. Be patient like the farmer and the prophets! Stay strong in your faith through hearing and attending to Jesus' promises in the Bible! Forgive one another as God has forgiven you and don't complain against one another. Jesus is waiting at the door. He is ready to come in.
"He will separate the wheat from the straw, The wheat He will bring into His barn, but the straw He will throw into the fire that continues burning forever." (Matthew 3:12)
Rejoice, then, ye sad-hearted, Who sit in deepest gloom, Who mourn o'er joys departed And tremble at your doom, Despair not, He is near you, Yes, standing at the door, He best can help and cheer you And bids you weep no more,
He comes to judge the nations,
A terror to His foes,
A Light on consolations
And blessed Hope to those
Who love the Lord's appearing.
O glorious Sun, now come,
Send forth Thy beams so cheering.
And guide us safely home.
AMEN
(The Lutheran Hymnal, Advent No. 58 verses 5 and 9)