Resources

• James Study Guide (PDF)
• James Overview (video)
• James 5 Reading Guide
• James 5 Teaching Notes (PDF)
• James 5 Video

James Chapter 5

• The final chapter of the book of James contains three sections:
  • Verses 1-6: Do Not Trust Wealth – we should not put our hope in our worldly possessions.
  • Verses 7-12: Trust in God, Not Man – compares the impatience and frustration associated with trusting in our wealth with the patience and strength associated with trusting in the Lord.
  • Verses 13-20: Trusting Prayer – if we trust in God then we will trust in the power of prayer, finding peace, fulfillment, and giving everything over to God.

Notes from Vince Miller’s video on James 5:

• Edmond Burke quote: good men to do nothing
  • Evil will triumph if we do nothing
  • This is a call for men to not be apathetic towards evil
• We might not like what we’re seeing or becoming but we can do something about it.
• 3 Actions of Great Men
  • They have an eye for true prosperity
    • James suggests pursuing riches leads to indulging in luxury and ignores the potential for reaching an eternity of riches.
    • Suffering is this life is nothing compared to the riches in eternity. We need to forgo temporary happiness for the riches in eternity.
    • Be alert to the pull of temporary prosperity.
  • Live patiently
    • Be patient until the coming of the Lord – similar to farmers waiting for rains to enrich his crops.
    • We do not need more control – we need more patience.
    • Things outside of our control should drive us to greater dependence on God.
    • Patience doesn’t mean doing nothing – but we must ensure what we do is aligned with scripture.
    • James talks about steadfastness and refers to Job. Job lost his health, his riches and more. Despite losing all these things Job never gives up on God. God eventually blesses Job by encountering God Himself.
  • Confess prayerfully
    • James concludes Chapter 5 by calling on us to confess and pray for one another.
    • Confession can be difficult for men since we don’t like to admit to our weaknesses.
    • Confession is agreeing with God about what He already knows.
    • Confession and prayer results in righteous power.
    • Practice confession and prayer among trusted men.
  • James urges grate men to take action in these three ways.
  • James urges us to stand fast as a man of God. We need to be encouraged by his words to move past our trials.
  • Remember to be led and act resolute.

Notes from the Revival School video on James 5:

• James 4 asked will we do our will or God’s will?
• The Perfect Law is through Christ – this means all of the tests discussed in James 4 lead to freedom.
• The first 11 verses of James 5 is a test: patient endurance.
• v2 talks about storing up treasure that will be useless in the last days.
  • The world tells us money establishes your net worth.
  • The truth is money doesn’t bring you security or freedom – only Christ can supply these.
  • God gives us options, not money.
• v4 talks about how we’re amassing material goods and putting stock in pleasure and luxury – an overindulgence that fattens us up for final judgment.
• v6 talks about how the rich are using their money to control politics and the courts.
• v7 calls us to b patient until Jesus returns (the second coming). James compares this patience to a farmer waiting for his crops to grow so he can receive his reward.
  • The early rain softens the ground for planting.
  • The latter rain comes immediately before the spring harvest.
  • Just as farmers wait for crops to ripen we must wait for the great harvest.
  • While you wait do not put your hope in your money and resources.
  • Galatians 6:9 (NLT): “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.“
• v9: don’t complain about others, take care of yourself until Jesus returns.
• v10-11: urges us to consider the prophets in the Old Testament who were speaking about Jesus and were patient until He came
• v12: urges us to keep our word so we don’t fall under judgment
• v13: reminds us to always pray whether we are going through good times or bad times
• v14-15: Verse 15 must be read in context with verse 14 to be fully understood.
  • In verse 14, James instructs those who are “weak” (spiritually or physically) to call for the leaders of their church to pray for them.
  • In verse 15, James says the Lord will raise the person up and any sins he has committed will be forgiven.
  • If these two verses are describing a person who is physically ill, the promise is of a physical healing. If they are describing a person struggling with a weak faith, the promise is for a restored trust in God. In either case, if the cause of the problem is because of sin in that person’s life, that sin will be forgiven.
• v16: says maybe you will be healed but it doesn’t say when. You might be healed in this lifetime or the next.
• v19-20: states that if we can bring back someone who wandered away from the Lord we will have ensured that person will have their sins forgiven and they have been saved from death.
• The Book of James reminds us the Lord is always with us and we should never stop praying.