{"id":6623,"date":"2024-08-05T15:58:48","date_gmt":"2024-08-05T15:58:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/?p=6623"},"modified":"2024-08-05T15:58:48","modified_gmt":"2024-08-05T15:58:48","slug":"be-patient","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/be-patient\/","title":{"rendered":"Be Patient"},"content":{"rendered":"

Click HERE for sermon audio<\/a><\/p>\n

Be patient, therefore, brothers,[a<\/a>]<\/sup>\u00a0until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives\u00a0the early and the late rains.<\/span>\u00a08\u00a0<\/sup>You also, be patient.\u00a0Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord\u00a0is at hand.<\/span>\u00a09\u00a0<\/sup>Do not grumble against one another, brothers,\u00a0so that you may not be judged; behold,\u00a0the Judge is standing\u00a0at the door.<\/span>\u00a010\u00a0<\/sup>As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take\u00a0the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.<\/span>\u00a011\u00a0<\/sup>Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of\u00a0the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen\u00a0the purpose of the Lord, how\u00a0the Lord is compassionate and merciful.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

12\u00a0<\/sup>But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your \u201cyes\u201d be yes and your \u201cno\u201d be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. (James 5:7-12)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Introduction<\/b><\/p>\n

After having pronounced judgment upon the rich oppressors in the previous section, James now returns to addressing the \u201cbrothers,\u201d as he has been fond of calling them. He encourages them to patience as they wait upon the Lord to come and to bring the judgment which has been pronounced. So we find here exhortation and encouragement to patience in trial for all of us as believers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We will find that here to the end of the letter, James returns to themes already mentioned in this book as he sums them up and gives further application of them.<\/span><\/p>\n

In our passage today, verse 7-12, James gives us three main things, and these three things are stated 5 times or ways each. He gives us the overarching admonition to patience stated in verse 7, two different ways in verse 8, in verse 9, and verse 12.<\/span><\/p>\n

James then gives us the motivation to patience with the coming and judgment of the Lord. This is stated in verse 7, 8, two different ways in verse 9, and in verse 12.<\/span><\/p>\n

And finally James gives examples for patience. These are given in verse 7, 10, and stated three ways in verse 11.<\/span><\/p>\n

Admonition to Patience<\/b><\/p>\n

In the face of persecution and oppression, the temptation is to take matters into one\u2019s own hands and forcibly \u201cmake things right.\u201d The temptation is to seek vengeance, or to sin in other ways that James has warned against in this letter, such as coveting, setting forests ablaze with our tongues, murdering, fighting, or quarreling. Instead of such things, the believer is instructed to be patient. Patient endurance of trials and remaining steadfast under testing is the way of Christ that James puts forth to his hearers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Patience is hard because it seems like we are doing nothing, and \u201chow can we do nothing when we are wronged?\u201d \u201cWe\u2019ve just got to do something!\u201d But biblical patience is not doing nothing. It is doing the right things, trusting in the Lord to take care of vengeance, and faithfully doing your duties despite the difficulties.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In exhorting us to patience, James also says \u201cestablish your hearts.\u201d The idea here is to be firm, to stand firm, be immovable, be steadfast. Something that is established has a sure foundation, it is not going to be moved. So far from patience being nothing, being patient is standing firm. Being patient is being steadfast. To be patient and establish our hearts is a call to be strong and to be of courage. This is how Christians are to be marked in time of testing and suffering.<\/span><\/p>\n

The fact that an entire New Testament letter is written with this main idea of patient endurance should tell us the importance and necessity of such in the Christian life. And the context in which James writes about this subject is one of the most difficult contexts – one in which we would be most tempted to justify acting out, seeking vengeance, engaging in unlawful violence, or other sins. But even in the most difficult context of oppression and persecution, patience is admonished to the believer.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the ways that James exhorts patience is by telling the brothers to not grumble against one another in verse 9. Seen in this context, grumbling is a lack of patience. It is discontent with your circumstances or others around you, and is murmuring against Providence. Think of the Israelites in the wilderness, how they grumbled against Moses, they grumbled over the food they had to eat, they were filled with impatience, when it would be just a short time for them to enter and have the promised land.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this most beautiful conversation about patience, it may seem like verse 12 is a bit random or out of place. While the connection may not be so apparent, we have learned that it is certainly not random. In fact, I would argue that the instruction not to swear and make oaths is itself a particular way of exhorting patience in light of that particular temptation.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was a common practice for some in 1st century Judaism to gather together, secretly or otherwise, to swear oaths for some common cause such as throwing off their oppressors or enemies. This is what the zealots were, which Peter formerly was. They swore oaths to disrupt and disturb the Roman power and control on them. So because of the context of this book and the passage James writes, this is what I believe is particularly in mind. Though general instructions for honesty and prohibitions against vain swearing could be gleaned from this, as James essentially repeats our Lord\u2019s instructions from Matthew 5:33-37, the specific context helps us understand its relevance here and the particulars that James has in mind.<\/span><\/p>\n

An example of this practice I mentioned is even given in the book of Acts.<\/span><\/p>\n

When it was day,\u00a0the Jews made a plot and\u00a0bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.<\/span>\u00a013\u00a0<\/sup>There were more than forty who made this conspiracy.<\/span>\u00a014\u00a0<\/sup>They went to the chief priests and elders and said, \u201cWe have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul.<\/span>\u00a015\u00a0<\/sup>Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.\u201d (Acts 23:12-15)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

So here we are specifically told of an incident where some of the Jews bound themselves together by an oath to carry out a plot of violence against Paul. So James instructs the brothers not to engage in this kind of thing against their oppressors or persecutors, but instead to be patient and wait upon the Lord to act on their behalf.<\/span><\/p>\n

So our instruction is to be patient in suffering. Now, patience is not just standing down. Patience implies that something is coming. There is something better, something greater, something worth waiting for that is coming and is better than taking wrong actions into our own hands. When the Bible instructs us to patience it instructs to wait for something better to come. What could be better than seeking vengeance yourself? What could be better than murder and strife? Waiting on the vengeance of the Lord would surely be better. Waiting on God to make things right would be better. His judgment will be more fierce, more thorough, more just, and His salvation will be more sweet, more satisfying, and more merciful than ours ever could be.<\/span><\/p>\n

Motivation to Patience<\/b><\/p>\n

So this is the motivation to peace that James gives. Be patient, for the Lord is coming. And what He brings when He comes is better than anything you could do right now to make right the wrong.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, in the first instance, recall what we considered last week, the miseries that were coming upon these particular rich who committed the particular things they did, there was a particular judgment coming upon them. And these oppressors were greatly judged and removed from power in the destruction of Jerusalem, as Jesus promised.<\/span><\/p>\n

This context would show that for the original recipients of this letter, this is the coming of the Lord which James speaks of here, for which they were to be patient for. The language in these verses would also indicate this was something coming very soon for them. \u201cThe Lord is at hand.\u201d \u201cThe Judge is standing at the door.\u201d These are immanent time indicators for these first century Christians.<\/span><\/p>\n

We don\u2019t want to miss the immediate relevance of these promises for these 1st century brothers by simply thinking it\u2019s talking about the second coming of judgment day at the end of history because we see phrases like the \u201ccoming of the Lord.\u201d This phrase is used throughout the Bible to simply describe times when God judges a nation, or a kingdom, or a city, or an evil ruler. For example, in Ezekiel 21, the Lord gives a prophecy to Ezekiel concerning judgment upon Jerusalem in Old Testament times, and He promises to judge them by using the Babylons to do it. And verse 27 says it shall not be \u201cuntil he comes\u2026\u201d Or Isaiah 26:21, \u201cFor Behold, the Lord is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth\u2026\u201d So these are just a couple of examples to say that oftentimes the Bible speaks of various judgments with terms like these, and doesn\u2019t always mean the return of Christ at the end of History. Certainly that also is the coming of the Lord, which we await patiently.<\/span><\/p>\n

So these brothers to whom James writes, who are enduring persecution and trials of various kinds from the rich who drag them to court and oppress the poor, are motivated to patience by the fact that God has promised judgment on these very ones who persecute them. So don\u2019t take matters into your hands. The Judge is at the door, the Lord is at hand. He is coming to judge and deliver.<\/span><\/p>\n

In verse 9 he says \u201cBehold, the Judge is standing at the door.\u201d This shows his nearness to them, that He is not far off. When someone is at the door, they can hear through the door, you can speak to someone at the door. Like Sarah, in Genesis, when the three men visited Abraham, Sarah was standing at the door of the tent listening to them, and they heard her laugh. The idea is that the Lord can hear their cries and their prayers, He knows what is going on, and He is standing there at the door, in a posture which is ready to move, ready to walk through the door.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the second instance, the Lord is at hand for us. This is not just for the original hearers and of no use to us. The Lord is at hand for us. This means that He is near to us. He is not far. He knows what we go through. He knows our trials. He knows our persecutors. When we suffer patiently, the Lord is at hand to us. He is with us. He hears our prayers. He hears our cries. He is able and ready to deliver us and bring judgment upon His enemies in our time as well. Certainly, throughout all the ages of the Church, the Lord has delivered His people from various persecutors, even through judgments of their own.<\/span><\/p>\n

James says, \u201cbehold, the Judge is standing at the door.\u201d This of course, He speaks of Jesus who is the Judge. Jesus is standing at the door. Always ready to hear and answer His people and deliver them in time of need.<\/span><\/p>\n

One commentator puts it this way, \u201cThough James\u2019s epistle is centuries old, the application of his message for those Christians who today suffer persecution and even death remains the same. Walking in the way of Jesus, Christians all over the world today await the destruction of their enemies and the judgment of Jesus to deliver them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In the third instance, we also may look here to the coming of Christ when He comes and the dead are raised and final judgment is made and the mission of history is accomplished. For we do not know when God\u2019s temporal judgments may come or not. Generations of Christians in China have lived and died under persecution without seeing God\u2019s judgment on their persecutors. The same is true of Christians in the Middle East, and of many other generations of Christians in various times and places. So we do not know if we will see something like that in our lives, but we do know, objectively, whether we are alive or not, that the Lord Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead. And on that day, all will be made right. All need for patient endurance will be complete. The Church will have made it and have overcome. So be patient. Establish your hearts. Do not grumble. Do not swear. Jesus is coming. The Judge will make it right.<\/span><\/p>\n

Examples for Patience<\/b><\/p>\n

The third thing that James gives in this passage is examples of patience. These are given that we might consider them and be helped in our faith as we are called to be patient.<\/span><\/p>\n

The first example is that of the farmer. The work of a farmer is a work which inherently requires patience, at least to be successful at. The farmer plants the seeds, he may water it, prune out the weeds, protect it from pests, but all of that is done because he has to wait. He has to wait for that seed to take root and grow and bring forth its fruit out of the earth. Farming takes time. It is built around seasons, for which one has to wait.<\/span><\/p>\n

In like manner, there are seasons for which we have to wait. There are seasons of trial. Seasons for peace. Seasons for growth. Seasons of rain. Seasons of judgment. Seasons of harvests. So look at the farmer and learn how to wait. But not only learn patience from the farmer, look and see that there is a reward. There is precious fruit of his labor that comes forth. There is fruit and reward that comes for the patient who endure. In like manner, be patient for there is a harvest coming. Your endurance will bring forth great fruit, which you can have no other way. We often want the easy and the quick reward and fruit. But real fruit requires patience. So be patient to get the good stuff.<\/span><\/p>\n

I like how one commentator puts it, \u201cThe farmer cannot bring about the harvest that he desires purely through his efforts. All he can do is plant the seed in the ground, tend to the sprouts and pray for the rain and sun that God sends to do its work. No matter how hard he might try, he cannot speed the day of the flowering of his crop.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

We can\u2019t speed up the process which God has designed. Good things take time. But they will come, and God will bring it about.<\/span><\/p>\n

The second example James gives is the prophets. \u201cAs an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.\u201d How the prophets suffered and endured through times of impending judgment. They called the people to repent, they proclaimed the Word of the Lord, they saw the coming of the Lord in visions, and they did all waiting patiently, enduring chains, enduring persecutions, captivities, and weeping – and waited on God to deliver, waited on God to accomplish His Word.<\/span><\/p>\n

The third example James gives is that of Job – one who was blessed in remaining steadfast. How greatly he suffered. He lost his wealth, his health, and his family. He was tried by Satan. His friends were of no help. But he refused to curse God. \u201cThe Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord,\u201d was his testimony. Under extreme vexation, he remained steadfast and was blessed. And when he stood the test, the Lord blessed him with more than he began with. Patience in suffering is not meaningless. We await a reward, a harvest, a crown of life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, James says, \u201cyou have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.\u201d This is a great motivation for patient endurance – that the Lord is good – full of compassion and mercy. We have seen His purposes of compassion and mercy in the example of the prophets who suffered, and in the example of Job who remained steadfast and was blessed.<\/span><\/p>\n

You have seen the purpose of the Lord – His compassion and mercy – in the person of Jesus Christ. He was the one who came full of compassion and mercy. He came and ministered to the poor, the needy, the oppressed, the widow, the sick, the tax-collectors, and the sinners. His purpose was compassion and mercy. He forgave them their sins. He healed them. He brought about repentance in them. He raised their dead. He fed them. All the while the rich Pharisees and Scribes looked down their nose at Him in this. They did not like His compassion and mercy toward such ones. They did not like the purpose of the Lord. But Jesus defended the poor sinners to whom He ministered. He pronounced judgment upon these hypocrites and persecutors. But even them, He had compassion and mercy upon, and redeemed some among their own ranks.<\/span><\/p>\n

You have seen the purpose of the Lord, that our Lord Jesus Himself is the greatest example of suffering and patience. He patiently endured betrayal, arrest, false accusation, mockery, spitting, slapping, beating, whipping, the crown of thorns, the nails in hands and feet, and death on the cross. He patiently endured awaiting the vindication of God, the third day to rise again from the dead. And He did all that you might endure. That you might patiently endure suffering, and rise again with Him to receive the crown of life as your reward.<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019ve been wronged. You\u2019ve been tested. You\u2019ve been betrayed. You\u2019ve been mocked. You\u2019ve been slandered. You\u2019ve been persecuted. You\u2019ve been tempted. You\u2019ve been tried; and you\u2019re tired. You feel weak. You\u2019re ready to be done. Whatever it is in your life, that you don\u2019t know if you can be patient with anymore; You don\u2019t know if you can endure anymore; You don\u2019t know how you\u2019re going to remain steadfast through; you have seen the purpose of the Lord. You have seen His compassion and mercy and tasted that He is good. You have had your sins forgiven through His blood. You have a testimony of what He has done for you in the past. You have the testimony of His Word that tells you what He does for you even now and what He promises to accomplish for you. In sum, it is that all things work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.<\/span><\/p>\n

Trust Jesus and be patient. He is at hand. He is the Judge. He is compassionate and merciful toward the trials of various kinds that test your faith and is not unfamiliar with them. He will get you through it. A harvest is coming. Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Click HERE for sermon audio Be patient, therefore, brothers,[a]\u00a0until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives\u00a0the early and the late rains.\u00a08\u00a0You also, be patient.\u00a0Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord\u00a0is at hand.\u00a09\u00a0Do not grumble against one […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":685,"featured_media":6624,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1582],"tags":[39,44,78,181,2036,672,678,699,2039,926,1114,1986,1200,2040,2038,2037],"class_list":{"0":"post-6623","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sermon","8":"tag-39","9":"tag-44","10":"tag-78","11":"tag-be","12":"tag-farmer","13":"tag-james","14":"tag-jenkins","15":"tag-joshua","16":"tag-oaths","17":"tag-patient","18":"tag-sermon","19":"tag-steadfast","20":"tag-suffering","21":"tag-swearing","22":"tag-waiting","23":"tag-waits","24":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/08\/6ff8a335201620621bedfd788ec2ad75.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6468,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/the-father-of-lights\/","url_meta":{"origin":6623,"position":0},"title":"The Father of Lights","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"April 29, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Click HERE for sermon audio Let no one say when he is tempted, \u201cI am being tempted by God,\u201d for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.\u00a014\u00a0But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.\u00a015\u00a0Then desire\u00a0when it has conceived\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/04\/660b56bb3be13f277116f690c44a8f9e.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/04\/660b56bb3be13f277116f690c44a8f9e.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/04\/660b56bb3be13f277116f690c44a8f9e.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1629,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/martyn-lloyd-jones-on-the-sermon-on-the-mount\/","url_meta":{"origin":6623,"position":1},"title":"Martyn Lloyd-Jones on the Sermon on the Mount","author":"Joshua Mills","date":"May 5, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I have heard many people say, \u201cSurely the Sermon on the Mount teaches that we have our sins forgiven only if we forgive others. Doesn\u2019t our Lord say, 'but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses'\u201d (Matt. 6:15). Is this true? Is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"bible\"","block_context":{"text":"bible","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/tag\/bible\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/05\/268.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/05\/268.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/05\/268.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6583,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/a-harvest-of-righteousness\/","url_meta":{"origin":6623,"position":2},"title":"A Harvest of Righteousness","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"July 8, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Click HERE for sermon audio 13\u00a0Who is wise and understanding among you?\u00a0By his good conduct let him show his works\u00a0in the meekness of wisdom.\u00a014\u00a0But if you have bitter\u00a0jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.\u00a015\u00a0This is not\u00a0the wisdom that comes down from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/07\/177199.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/07\/177199.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/07\/177199.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/07\/177199.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/07\/177199.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/07\/177199.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5675,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/a-man-named-zacchaeus\/","url_meta":{"origin":6623,"position":3},"title":"A Man Named Zacchaeus","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"April 24, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Click HERE for sermon audio \u00a0 He entered Jericho and was passing through.\u00a02\u00a0And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich.\u00a03\u00a0And\u00a0he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/04\/posts-icon-zacchaeus-sunday4.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1107,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/reasons-for-not-evaluating-a-sermon\/","url_meta":{"origin":6623,"position":4},"title":"Reasons for Not Evaluating a Sermon","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"August 16, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Preaching is serious business. So is listening to a sermon. For those of us who take preaching seriously as it should be taken, there is sometimes the desire to evaluate the sermon. Sermon evaluation is not necessarily a bad thing. There are indeed good reasons and ways to do so.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/faith\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5691,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/laws-about-hebrew-slaves\/","url_meta":{"origin":6623,"position":5},"title":"Laws About Hebrew Slaves","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"May 4, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Click HERE for sermon audio \u201cNow these are the\u00a0rules that you shall set before them.\u00a02\u00a0When you buy a Hebrew slave,[a]\u00a0he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing.\u00a03\u00a0If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/05\/statue-of-moses-by-herman-vilhelm-bissen-in-copenhagen-518526617-e53de1d6b59c40f483cc8c87a17f7a10.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/05\/statue-of-moses-by-herman-vilhelm-bissen-in-copenhagen-518526617-e53de1d6b59c40f483cc8c87a17f7a10.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/05\/statue-of-moses-by-herman-vilhelm-bissen-in-copenhagen-518526617-e53de1d6b59c40f483cc8c87a17f7a10.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/05\/statue-of-moses-by-herman-vilhelm-bissen-in-copenhagen-518526617-e53de1d6b59c40f483cc8c87a17f7a10.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/05\/statue-of-moses-by-herman-vilhelm-bissen-in-copenhagen-518526617-e53de1d6b59c40f483cc8c87a17f7a10.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/05\/statue-of-moses-by-herman-vilhelm-bissen-in-copenhagen-518526617-e53de1d6b59c40f483cc8c87a17f7a10.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6623","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/685"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6623"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6623\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6624"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6623"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6623"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}