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[0:00] Would you please stand with me now as we read God's word.

[0:18] ! In James chapter 5, verses 7 through 11. 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.

[0:35] You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged. Behold, the judge is standing at the door.

[0:46] As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those who remain 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.

[1:03] May God add a blessing to the reading of his word. Would you please be seated? Phillips Brooks was a pastor during the 19th century. He's best known for authoring the Christmas carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem. One day, Brooks was in his office, and a friend stopped by, and he saw him nervously pacing back and forth across his office. And so his friend realized this is uncharacteristic behavior of his pastor. And so he asked him what was the trouble. And without looking up, Philip Brooks said, the trouble is that I'm in a hurry and God isn't.

[1:43] I'm sure that you've felt that way before. Maybe you feel that way right now. It's hard to be patient, isn't it? Our natural response to adversity and interruption and a change of plans isn't peace and tranquility. It's agitation and frustration. Patience is not something we are born with.

[2:10] Take a baby, a hungry baby, or a little child, for example. They don't sit calmly with their hands folded while they're waiting for mom or dad to bring them their food in their high chair.

[2:25] They scream. They shout. They cry as they pound their fists, demanding that they be fed, and they be fed right now. And I'll confess, and my children will testify, that when I get stuck behind a slow driver, even if I'm not in a hurry, I get pretty irritated. Come on, move it. Let's go. Pick up the pace. I confess that little things, like when I struggle to connect to the internet, or something is taking too long to load on my computer. I get angry. It rankles me when I order something off Amazon and it doesn't arrive on time. The worst is when I'm in line at Quick Trip and the person in front of me is buying lottery tickets and scratch-off tickets. And that seems to take forever. And I just want to say you're wasting your time. You're not going to win. This place is called Quick Trip for a reason.

[3:47] Patience seems so unproductive at times. I don't know about you, but when I act impatiently, it seldom makes things better. In fact, it causes a lot more harm than good, both to myself and to other people. Worst of all, it betrays my witness, my testimony to the trust and the hope that I have in Jesus Christ. In our sin nature, patience is a struggle. But the Bible praises patience, and it says that it's a fruit of the Spirit. In Galatians chapter 5, verse 22, it's a work of God's grace in our hearts, the hearts of believers, conveying their faith in God's timing, in his provision, and his love. And if you stop to think about it, impatience is truly a selfish desire, rooted in a belief that we deserve better, that it's our right that everything go our way all the time.

[5:03] Impatience is a product of our failure as Christians to trust in the sovereignty of God. Now, I know Romans 8, 28 by heart. God works all things together for the good. It's one of my favorite verses in the Bible. I believe it. But sometimes what I say I believe doesn't change the way I behave. And that grieves me. Impatience reveals how selfish and how faithless I can still be at times. Now, it's clear from our text this morning that James is concerned about our struggle with impatience. In these five verses, he mentions patience four times. He addresses the need for Christians to be steadfast and to endure when their patience is tried by circumstances that are much more difficult to withstand than being stuck behind a slow driver. In the first six verses of chapter 5,

[6:18] James expresses outrage over the behavior of wealthy non-Christians who had amassed their fortune in part by taking advantage of other people. He warns the wealthy, if you remember, of the danger of putting their trust in their wealth and rejecting God's will. He explains why they should not be the object of a Christian's envy, but of a Christian's witness. Because whatever comforts their possessions are bringing them in the present, they will not avail them of the condemnation they will receive when Jesus returns.

[7:03] Many of the Christians that James wrote to had been exploited and oppressed by wealthy non-Christians. And so in verses 7 through 11, that's who James turns his attention to. Now imagine with me you being one of them.

[7:23] You've worked hard. You've earned your pay. But your unbelieving boss has withheld it from you unjustly. You're hungry. You have mouths to feed. They're hungry. You have counted on that paycheck.

[7:42] Your wealthy, unbelieving boss is profiting from your misery. And you can't count on the legal system to do anything about it because all of the judges are in your boss's pocket. What would you do?

[7:58] I know what I would want to do. Lash out for one. Return evil for evil. Get revenge. Vent your anger on social media.

[8:11] That's the first reaction we all have whenever we feel mistreated or taken advantage of by anyone. But James' counsel is be patient.

[8:29] And in these verses he tells us how we can be patient during times of suffering. And so the main idea for this morning's sermon is this. Patience in suffering requires faith in God's promises.

[8:53] In God's promises. Before we continue on, it's really important that you understand how the Bible defines patience. Because a lot of us, I think, we associate patience with passiveness.

[9:06] With doing nothing. But in the Bible, patience is active. It endures. It's expectant. It's like running a marathon.

[9:18] Maintaining a good pace. Conserving your energy. Putting one foot in front of the other. Enduring fatigue in the elements and other runners as you press on towards the finish line.

[9:30] Knowing that there is an end even when you cannot see it in sight. And that you know it will be worth it when you cross the finish line and you receive your reward.

[9:42] Patience doesn't quit. Patience doesn't quit. It perseveres. And that's a big difference. When trials and persecution come and you are tempted to lose patience with your circumstances, with other people, even with God himself.

[10:01] Don't give up. Don't quit. Endure. Persevere. Be patient. And you can do that if you remain faithful, trusting in what God has promised to you.

[10:16] And so in our text today, James gives us two promises to help us be patient in suffering. Patience and suffering requires faith in God's promise, first of all, that your period of suffering will come to an end.

[10:34] Your period of suffering will come to an end. Look again with me at the beginning of verse 7. Verse 7. Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.

[10:46] Here in two other places, in verses 8 and 9, James calls for suffering Christians to be patient in light of the promise of Jesus' return.

[10:59] What James is doing here is he's reminding his readers of that promise, the realization that things won't always be as they are right now because Jesus is coming and he's coming soon.

[11:14] Parousia is the Greek word translated as coming in verse 7. But in the Greek, that Greek term refers to more than just coming. It includes the idea of presence.

[11:29] In that sense, we could translate this verse in this way. Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the arrival of the Lord. You know, our hope as Christians isn't just that the Lord comes back, but that when he comes back, we will be in his presence.

[11:50] This reminds me of a picture that my parents have in their house. This is of my nephew when he was a little boy. And he knew that my parents were coming to visit him.

[12:03] And so he knew the day they were coming. And what he did is he got a lawn chair. And he went out to the curb of my sister and brother-in-law's house. And he put the lawn chair out there. And he sat down.

[12:14] And you can see in the picture his head looking down the street to where he knew my parents would be coming from. Now imagine if my parents had come down the street and had rolled down the window and waved hi and then just kept on driving and then left.

[12:33] Would my nephew have been content with that? No. That wasn't what he was expecting. He was not just expecting their coming, but their arriving.

[12:44] His being in the presence of his grandparents. The church's great hope is the arrival of Jesus Christ. When he comes to bless his people with his presence.

[12:59] There are more than 500 verses in the Bible where the great promise of Jesus' arrival appears. And Jesus had much to say about this himself.

[13:14] About his return. Especially in Matthew chapter 24 and 25. He taught there about the signs that would precede his return.

[13:25] He portrayed his coming as a dramatic, climatic event. As unmistakable as lightning flashing in the sky. When he will separate believers from unbelievers.

[13:38] And he urges us to be ready for his imminent arrival. In Matthew 24, 42 through 44. Our Lord says, Therefore stay awake. For you do not know on what day our Lord is coming.

[13:52] But know this. That if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming. He would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready.

[14:02] For the Son of Man is coming. At an hour you do not expect. And so every Christian should live in the hope and anticipation for Jesus' return.

[14:15] Because it will mark the end of our suffering. And the beginning of our eternal life. Without suffering. In the glorious eternal presence of Jesus Christ.

[14:29] You know like James. Peter encourages suffering Christians with the hope of Jesus' return. In 1 Peter 4, 12 and 13. Beloved do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you.

[14:43] As though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in so far as you share Christ's suffering. That you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

[14:56] When he returns. When he arrives. When we're in his presence. Peter is saying that how we respond to our sufferings now. Decides how we will experience glory later.

[15:11] We should not be surprised at suffering in this sin-cursed world that has rejected God. And it's hostility to the truth.

[15:24] And neither should we be idle. As we wait for the Lord's return. 1 John 3, 2-3. We're told, beloved, we are God's children now.

[15:37] And what we will be has not yet appeared. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him. Because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him.

[15:48] Purifies himself. As he is pure. The promise of Christ's return and the glory that will be revealed. Is designed to stir our hearts.

[15:58] And to move our hands in the pursuit of holiness now. Again, James is writing to Christians who were suffering from economic exploitation at the hands of wealthy non-Christians.

[16:12] And he's urging them to have faith and remain patient. Instead of being bitter and angry. And that required that they rest assured that Jesus is coming back.

[16:27] And that when he does come back, he will judge those who took advantage of them. And he will lead those who were faithful to him into the indescribable blessings and joy of life with him in the new heaven and the new earth.

[16:47] Is that enough for you? Or do you desire more? Now. Maybe you're tempted to think, I need more than that.

[17:01] I can't wait for that. I want my enemies to be punished now. Or maybe you're tempted to give up.

[17:14] Applying the old adage, If you can't beat them, join them. The Christian life, make no mistake about it, is a cross-bearing life.

[17:29] Enduring suffering And shame Are a part of what it means to follow Jesus. Who endured suffering and shame. So that we, by faith in him, Will not Experience the eternal suffering and shame of those Who reject him.

[17:52] But will experience his eternal glory. In Luke 9, 23-26, Jesus says, If anyone would come after me, Let him deny himself And take up his cross daily and follow me.

[18:11] For whoever would save his life will lose it, But whoever loses his life for my sake Will save it. For what does it profit a man If he gains the whole world And loses or forfeits himself.

[18:25] For whoever is ashamed of me And of my words, Of him will the Son of Man be ashamed When he comes in his glory And the glory of the Father And the holy angels.

[18:36] Think of what Jesus endured for you. He humbled himself By adding a human nature To his divine nature.

[18:51] He left the glories of heaven To be born in a feeding trough. He was raised By poor parents In the podunk town of Nazareth.

[19:07] He resisted Satan's temptations After fasting for 40 days In the wilderness. He was patient with his disciples Who seemed to never understand What he was saying And could never seem to totally grasp His purpose for coming.

[19:24] He endured hostilities From his own people Who rejected him Over and over again As their Savior. He stood up Against the religious leaders of Israel Who hated him And who accused him Of being born out of wedlock And consorting with Satan And sinners.

[19:45] He agonized In the garden of Gethsemane Sweating drops of blood But submitting To the will Of his heavenly father. His best friends Deserted him And he faced Unjust trials An angry mob Who demanded his execution.

[20:04] He endured The excruciating pain Of being stripped Of his clothes His flesh And nailed And suspended From a cross. Where The Bible says In 2 Corinthians 5 21 For our sake He made him To be sin Who knew no sin So that in him We might become The righteousness of God.

[20:24] And as 1 Peter 2 23 says When he was reviled He did not revile In return But he suffered He did not threaten But continued Entrusting himself To him Who judges Justly And knowing What was about To happen To him He prayed To God The father In the upper room Before his arrest And his prayer Would be answered.

[20:49] Father He prayed I desire That they also Whom you have Given me May be with me And he's talking About you Brother or sister In Christ Where I am To see My glory That you have Given me Because you love Me before The foundation Of the world And so we Must continually As Hebrews 12 2 through 3 Tells us Be looking To Jesus The founder And perfecter Of our faith Who for the joy That was set Before him Endured the cross Despising the shame And is seated At the right hand Of the throne of God Consider him Who endured From sinners Such hostility Against himself So that you May not grow Wary Or faint hearted And I say This in love Your trouble Is nothing Compared To Jesus's And one day Because of who

[21:50] He is Because of what He came to do Because of what He achieved For us Our suffering Will have A glorious End And so to Further Reinforce That point James uses An illustration That his Original audience Would have been Very familiar with In the rest of Verse 7 He writes 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 He says Having planted His crops The farmer Waits patiently And expectantly For the crops To come in To arrive To grow For that to Happen He must Depend On something That is Outside of Himself The early Rains In the fall And the late Rains Before the harvest In March And April Just as a Farmer waits Patiently Through the

[22:51] Entire Growing Season So James Says in Verse 8 You also Be patient And then He encourages His readers In the rest Of verse 8 Establish Your hearts For the coming Of the Lord Is at hand Now again I think it's Helpful to Understand the Greek When it says Establish There in the Greek That's Sterizo And it means To make Fast Or to Confirm It's the Same term Used to Describe Jesus' Resolute Determination That he was Going to Go to Jerusalem Although he Knew That he Faced Death When he Arrived There It's a Word that Communicates Courage And Commitment Sterizo Derives from A root word That means To cause To stand Or to Prop Up And so James Urges Those About to Collapse Under the Weight Of suffering And persecution To prop Themselves up With the Promise Of their Lord's Return And be Resolutely Courageously Actively

[23:51] Patient I like I like What John MacArthur Had to Say About Say About This Verse He said This is Another Instance Of the Profound Tension Between Divine Providence And human Responsibility That permeates Doctrinal Truth Christians Are not To let Go And let God Nor are They To view The Christian Life As one Of Legalistic Self Effort Instead They are To live As if Everything Depends On Them Knowing That it All Depends On God Again The encouragement Here is That believers Should realize That their Trouble Is Temporary It will End When Jesus Returns But James Understands That living With Difficult Circumstances Can cause Believers To become Frustrated Lose Patience And Complain About And to Other People Especially When it Looks Like You're Suffering A lot More Than That Other Person Is

[24:51] And so In verse Nine He says Do not Grumble Against One Another Brothers That You May Not Be Judged Behold The Judge Is Standing At The Door And Here The Judgment That James Speaks Of Isn't Of The Final Eternal Judgment That Unbelievers Will Face Which Will End In An Eternity In Hell The Judgment Spoken Of Here Is Described In Second Corinthians Five Ten By The Apostle Paul For We Must All Appear Before The Judgment Seat Speaking Of Christians Of Christ So That Each One May Receive What Is Due For What He Has Done In The Body Whether Good Or Evil I Was A I Was A Terrible Student In High School And In College But I Want To Focus On High School I Remember My Senior Year Our Teachers And You Know The Administrators They Wanted To Try To Encourage Us Students To Get Better Test Scores And Better Grades

[25:51] And So I Went To A Really Big High School With A Really Big Parking Lot And So They Said The Better Your Test Scores Are The Better Your Grades Are The Closer You Will Get To Park To The School And I Thought That Stupid!

[26:12] Studying For A Test So That I Could Park Closer To The School But January Is Cold And And I Remember Some Of Those Cold January Mornings I Was Parking In The Back Of The Parking Lot And Having To Walk Into School And I Was Running Late And I Coveted Those Front Row Parking Spots I Graduated But But Not Without Rewards Not Without Honors Or Not With Honors I Result In Receiving Any Of Them

[27:12] But Patience And Suffering And Relying Upon God And The Promises That He Has Given To You That Your Period Of Suffering Will One Day Come To An End Will Result In Receiving Those Things And So Don't Be Content With Being A Back Of The Parking Lot Christian Be Patient And Suffer Well Do It For Christ Who Did It For You And Who Has Promised That Your Period Of Suffering Will Eternally End When He Arrives To Take You Back Home To Your True Home To Reap Your Eternal!

[27:56] Reward Patience In Suffering Requires Faith In God's Promise That Your Period Of Suffering Will Come To An End And Now Secondly! Purpose And Suffering Will Not Be In Vain In Verses 10 Through 11 James Directs Our Attention To The Old Testament And In Verse 10 He Says As An Example Of Suffering Impatience Brothers Take The Prophets Who Spoke In The Name Of The Lord The Prophets Were God's Spokesmen And And And That Made Them Incredibly Unpopular With God's People Because They Spoke The Truth A Prophet To Warn His People Of His Wrath That They Would Face If They Did Not Repent And Change Their Ways And You Know People Are Never As Sinful As They Think That They Are And The Wrath Of God Towards Sin Seems Extreme To Those Who Don't Understand How

[28:56] Sinful They Really Are And So Israel Didn't Like What The Prophets Had To Say And So They Rejected Their Message And They Treated Them Horribly During Jesus' Earthly Ministry He Consistently Pointed That Out In Matthew 23 31 He Described The Pharisees As The Sons Of Those Who Murdered The Prophets Later In Verse 37 Of That Chapter We See Jesus Expressing His Sorrow For How Israel Abused His Prophets And Now Was Rejecting Him As Their Savior He Says There He Laments There Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem The City That Kills The Prophets And Stones Those Who Are Sent To It How Often Would I Have Gathered You Together Your Children Together As A Hen Gathers Her Brood Under Her Wings And You Were Not Willing When It Comes To The Prophets How

[29:57] Do We In The Church Talk About The Prophets Who Suffered How Do We Remember Moses Who Endured The Stiff Necked Rebellious Israelites Who Left Egypt By God's Awesome Power How Do We Remember Elijah Who Was Hunted By King Ahab And And His Horrible Dreadful Wife Jezebel How Do We Remember Jeremiah Who Was Repeatedly Humiliated Thrown Into A Cistern As He Wallowed In Mud Being Left For Dead How Do We Remember Daniel Who Was Torn From His Homeland And Then Later Tossed Into A Lion's Den For His Refusal To Stop Praying To The One True God How Do We Remember Hosea Who Suffered A Heartbreaking Marriage How Do We Remember John The Baptist The Last Of The Prophets Who Was Imprisoned And Beheaded For His Testimony

[30:57] And His Preparation For The Coming Of Jesus Christ And I Could Go On But What Do We Tell Our Children About These Men That They Wasted Their Lives That They Endured Suffering For No Reason No We Honor Them We Tell Their Stories To Our Children We Sing Songs About Them Dare To Be A Daniel Dare To Stand Alone Dare To Have A Purpose Firm Dare To Make It Known Right And So James Says In Verse 11 Of Those Prophets Behold We Consider Those Blessed Who Remain Steadfast We Admire Their Faith And Trust In God They Remain Steadfast Even When They Stood Alone Though When You Stand For God You Never Stand Alone And We Have The Benefit Of Seeing How Their Suffering Was Not In Vain It

[31:58] Was Not Without Purpose As Was The Case With Job And So In Verse 11 Again James Says You Have Heard Of The Steadfastness Of Job And You Have Seen The Purpose Of The Lord How The Lord Is Compassionate And Merciful Have You Heard Of Job Let Me Briefly Remind You Of His Story It's One Of The Oldest In The Bible The Devil Couldn't Believe That Anyone Would Want To Be Holy For Nothing He Refused To Believe That Job Worshipped Loved And Served God Simply Because Of Who God Is His Diabolical Conclusion Was That Job Served God For What He Could Get From God Satan Was Persuaded That Worship Was Fundamentally Selfish That It Was Humanity's Way To Flatter God And Benefit Then From His Generosity

[32:59] Satan Thought That If God's Generosity Was Suddenly Cut Off From Job That Job's Praises Would Turn Into Curses Take Away Job's Health Take Away Job's Wealth And He'll Abandon His Hope His Trust His Faith In God The Question That Job Would Face Is The Same Question We All Face Especially In Times Of Suffering And Persecution Is God Worthy To Be Loved Worshipped And Obeyed Regardless Of My Circumstances Will Job Remain Faithful And Loyal To God If There Are No Benefits Attached Well Satan Says No And So James Is Reminding Us That The Purpose!

[33:56] Or Goal Of God Permitting Satan To Cause Job To Suffer Was To Demonstrate Conclusively That God Is Worthy He's Worthy Of Our Hearts Our Lives Our Faith Even When Everything That Could Go Wrong Does Go Wrong Job Lost His Children But He Kept His Nagging Wife Who Repeatedly Told Him To Curse God And Die Job Lost His Wealth His Health He Suffered But In The End Though God Doesn't Explain To Job Why He Suffered As He Has In His Compassion And In His Mercy God Multiplied To Job Many Times Over The Things That He Lost Now That Doesn't Mean That Patience And Steadfastness And Suffering Will Always Be Rewarded By God With Material Prosperity In This Life But We Can

[34:56] Always Be Resting Assured That We Will Be The Recipients Of God's Compassion And Mercy In Whatever We Go Through And That Our Suffering Is Not In Vain You've Heard Me Share My Testimony Before It Really Goes Back To My Parents And It Goes Back To My Brother Whom I Never Met Who Died At The Age Of One And It Was While My Parents Were In The Hospital That A Member From A Church Was Just Visiting Another Church Member And He Saw My Dad And My Sister And He Started Talking To Them Met My Mom And Understood Why They Were In The Hospital Because Their Son Was Severely Ill And So He Said I Will Be Praying For Him And And He Would Call My Parents And Check On Them Every Week To See How He Was Doing And Then When My Brother Did Pass Away Invited Them To Church My Parents Have Been Going To The Same Church Ever Since That's Where I Was Raised That's Where I Heard The!

[35:56] I Thank God For That You Know My Mom's Prayer Soon After My Brother Died Was That His Memory Would Not Be For God And I Praise God Sorry That I Get To Be An Answer To That Prayer That God Doesn't Cause Suffering For No Reason That There's A Purpose It's Never In Vain And He Had A Purpose For That One Year Old Boy's Life And I Look Forward To Seeing The Lord In Heaven Most Surely That's The Thing I Look Forward To But I Have A Brother There That I Can't Wait To Meet Romans 8 28 Through 30 I Mentioned At The Beginning Let Me Read It To You Now And We Know That For Those Who Love God All Things Work Together For Good For Those Who Are Called According To His Purpose For Those Whom He Farned He Also!

[37:03] God Those Whom He Called He Also Justified And Those Whom He Justified He Also glorified Through Every Circumstance Every Up!

[37:14] Every Down! Every Twist! Every Turn! Every Pain in The Neck! Every Disappointment! Every Agitation! Every Devastation!

[37:25] God Repeatedly Tells Us And Promises Us In His Word That He Is Using It To Refine Us To Sanctify Us To Make Us More Like Jesus And His Promise Is That Suffering Has This Purpose And It Will End In Glory So The Main Point Of Application From The Sermon This Morning Is Simply This Be Patient Be Patient I Know That Isaiah 40 31 Was God's Promise To Israel But I Believe It Had It's A Principle That Still Applies To God's People Today And If That Bothers You Well Too Bad Right We Just Read James Said Don't Grumble Against Me Isaiah 40 31 Says This But They Who Wait They

[38:26] Who Are Patient For The Lord Shall Renew Their Strength They Shall Mount Up With Wings Like Eagles They Shall Run And Shall Not Be Weary They Shall Walk And Not Faint Thank God For God For These Promises That We Have To Stand On That Prop Us Up When Life Gets Hard That We're Not Alone And That Suffering Will End I Have Four Application Questions For You To Discuss In Your Community Groups Tonight If You're Meeting To Look At Today And I Encourage You To Look At Later This Week On Your Own Time As You Spend It With The Lord Question Number One What Are Some Things That Cause You To Lose Patience Or Be Overwhelmed What Has Tested Your Patience To The Breaking Point What Has Tested Your Patience To The Breaking Point Question Two How Should The Promise Of Jesus' Second Coming In The Imminency Of His Return Affect Our Daily Lives

[39:26] And I Encourage You To Read The Parables That Jesus Taught About That In Matthew 25 Verses 1 Through 30 Question Three How Should James' Illustration Of A Farmer Who Works And Waits Define Our Understanding Of What It Truly Means To Be Patient Remember Patience Isn't Passive It's Active It Perseveres And Then Finally Why Is Faith In God's Character So Crucial In Our Suffering How Are The Prophets And Job Models To Us In This Regard We Bow Your Heads With Me And Let's Pray Lord We Confess That It's It's Really Hard For Us To Be Patient Lord We Know That Though We're Saved The Sin Nature Remains And And We're Just So Tempted To Throw Pity Parties For Ourself To Moan And Groan About Our Circumstances God And So Often We Allow

[40:26] Those Things To Take Our Focus Off Of Where It Should Have Never Left Which Is On You And The Promises That You Have In Your Word God You Know Every Single Person In This Room Know Them Intimately You Know What It Is That They Are Currently Having To Endure And What They're Having To Suffer Through And God I Pray That Holy Spirit You Would Remind Them Of This Awesome Truth That We've Read This Morning That They Would Turn To You That They Would Be Patient That They Would Endure Knowing That There Is An End Coming To It And That There There's A Purpose That You Have For Them As They Walk Through It God I Pray That That Would Comfort Them And Give Them Peace And Lord I Pray That We Would Serve You Well We Know That This World Is Cursed By Sin And We See It Every Day We're Reminded Of It All The Time

[41:26]  And Father We Grow Even Patience With That Lord Help Us To To Be Steadfast To Be Faithful To Be Looking To You To Run The Race That You've Called Us To Run With Anticipation That The End Will Come And Will All Have Been Worth It We Need Your Help Lord Please Help Us And We Trust That You Will In Jesus Name Amen