April 04, 2010
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH
Of Princeton, New Jersey

James 5: 7: Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord.

MEETING LOCATION
Rocky Hill Firehouse, 2nd floor
150 Washington Street, Rocky Hill, NJ 08553

SCHEDULE OF SERVICES
Sunday 10:00 AM Bible Class
11:00 AM Morning Service
Thursday 7:00 PM Mid-week Service

WEB ADDRESSES
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MAILING ADDRESS
7 Birch Street
Pennington, New Jersey 08534
Phone: 615-513-4464
Email: mailto:clay@sovereign-grace.us

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ORGANICALLY GROWN BELIEVERS
James 5: 7, 8

We live in a day when society, at least partly, recognizes that man is the cause of contamination. Partly, because by nature our admission to guilt will only go as far as what we think we can fix by straightening up our act. One of the most widely recognized means of man‘s contaminating effects is in farming. We see a whole section in the grocery store called "organically grown." It means the fruit was produced by the most pure standards possible: nothing man-made is added to accelerate growth; nothing man-made is added to kill the pests which would kill the fruit. The only thing used is pure seed, pure water (fertilizer), and patient waiting on God to give the increase. Believers are born and grown the same way: with nothing man-made added to make the seed germinate or grow faster, nothing man-made added to kill the pests which would harm the believer. Believers are born and grown of the incorruptible seed through the pure gospel of Christ Jesus. We ask and patiently wait on God, the true Husbandman, to give the increase (James 3:17; I Corinthians 3:6-9). God designed farming in the earth after the heavenly pattern by which he saves sinners. The farmer does that which God has given him to do, nothing more and nothing less. Let's learn from the farmer.

The Farmer Plants the Seed
James 5:7

You don't plant purple hull peas and expect to harvest black-eyed peas or potatoes and expect to harvest onions. You can tell what a man has a taste for by looking at the garden he grows (Matthew 7:15; Hosea 8:7). If I liked the fruit grown in most church-gardens then I would sow the kind of seed which produces that kind of fruit. But I love the fruit produced by the gospel of Christ (James: 1:18). I like the seed of "his own will": God ordering all things, making sure the salvation of his people through electing and predestinating grace, working all things after the counsel of his own will. I like the seed of "begat he us": the Spirit blowing where it will, regenerating dead, impotent sinners, irresistibly drawing his people unto himself in everlasting love. I like the seed of "the Word of Truth"--Christ Jesus the Way, the Truth and the Life in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high (Hebrews 1:3). I like the seed of "firstfruits of his creatures": God who is able to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved (Ephesians 1:6). But if the farmer unbridles his horse to run wild instead of keeping him tamed to work the ground, then he should not expect the harvest. The believer's tongue is bridled by grace and is a means of grace only when it is used to set forth Christ (James 3:3, 7-10, 18; 4:11-12; 5:9, 12). Notice how much these works of faith have to do with the tongue and the words we speak. There is doing in what we say and how we say it. Note: the core offense in swearing is that it is excess of truth rather than yes when yes and no when no. Taking the Lord's name in vain has a great deal to do with speaking of the Lord in "maybe's" rather than yes, when the truth is yes and no, when the truth is no.

The Farmer Waits with Long Patience for God's Increase
James 5:7

The farmer can not make the seed germinate or bring the rain of increase. He can only ask God to bless the seed sown and wait on him to do so. Ezekiel was commanded to preach and to pray, nothing else. James says "Above all" do not turn from truth to excess and he follows it with exhortation to pray (James 5:13-15). Verse 13 describes the believer: we are either afflicted or merry. In both cases, we either pray unto the Lord or sing unto the Lord. What kind of affliction, what kind of sickness is this from which the Lord will raise up and from whence forgiveness of sins is needed? (James 4:9-11) It could be the kind of sickness and affliction James has been speaking of from the beginning: the unbridling of the tongue, losing patience, and grieving one another. It seems to have something to do with that because he immediately says "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed" (James 5:16). Nothing adds to real sin-sickness, like a haughty spirit and a condemning tongue. But to have a brother or sister who knows the same sin, who can confess it by sharing a sympathizing tear and pray for God to heal you. This is that "fruit of righteousness sown in peace of them that make peace." Man-made pesticides make us the pests when it comes to God's husbandry, only the pure Word, the pure Water will do. Long patience is needed like the farmer. Only God gives the increase.

The Farmer Has Good Expectation
James 5:19, 20

We have a good hope because the true Righteous Man is Christ Jesus our Advocate with the Father. The prayer of those who are justified by his righteousness is effectual because the intercession of Christ is effectual. James has been writing about these passions that get the best of us. Elias had those passions. But he prayed as he waited. And God gave rain, bringing forth fruit (James 5:17, 18; Hebrews 7:25.) So the Lord says be patient. Verses 19 and 20 describe the precious fruit for which we wait. Believers are helpers of one another's joy amidst our many errors. We do not expose sin but pray our brethren might be refreshed by Christ in whom their sin is covered. This is the subject of the epistle; this is what it is to continue in the perfect law of liberty, to be a doer of the work. These are the works without which faith is a vain thing. Establish your hearts. Growing up I used to grow tired of working in the garden. My grandfather would call us to the supper table to enjoy the good taste of peas from the year before. It established our hearts, making it worthwhile to wait for this year's crop. Even so, as we wait on God to establish our afflicted brethren, God establishes our heart with the very Seed which we sow to them. And here is our patience and our heart's establishing, the Lord draweth nigh!-not only to lift up in this trial, but to bring in the harvest for good. Oh, expect a bumper crop! (Galatians 6:8; Psalm 126:6; Revelation 22:20)

SERMONS
After clicking on the following links you will find an option at the top of the page for the audio.
Two Covenants, Systems and Peoples
Organically Grown Believers
Soul Desire

ARTICLE
The Law of Sinai and The Law in Zion
In Deed and In Truth