Are you a patient person? Let me ask it another way: Are you a patient person with every person and in every circumstance?

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1 LESSON 17: Passage James 5:7-11 Faith and Patience The Marks of a Living Faith Main point: Living faith exercises patient trust in the Lord. Introduction: Douglas Taylor points out in his devotional, I Shall Not Die But Live: Facing Death with Gospel Hope, that a favorite self-exhortation of the Puritans was Hold out, faith and patience. John Bunyan puts these words in the mouth of Mr. Feeble Minded in The Pilgrim s Progress as he steps into the river of death "Hold out, faith and patience. They used this self-exhortation when speaking of good things that have not yet come, but must be waited for patiently and believingly. These verses serve as James final exhortation to Christians who are in the vise grip of affliction. To exhort someone means to ardently urge someone to do something or to admonish them to take a wise course of action (Luke 3:18; Acts 20:2; Rom.12:8; Heb.13:22). And the call that we are given here is to express the golden virtue of patience. Whenever we are going through times of difficulty whether it be physically, relationally, spiritually, or financially one of the chief virtues that we need most is patience. Are you a patient person? Let me ask it another way: Are you a patient person with every person and in every circumstance? Patience is a virtue possessed by few and sought by many. Perhaps our challenges are greater today because we live in a society that champions the word instant. Instant coffee, instant access, and instant breakfast. You can even place some YouTube video on the internet and become an instant success. Whether you believe that you are patient or not, generally everyone agrees that no one has a PhD in patience. There is always room for growth in this classroom. But just how necessary is patience? Patience is an evidence of saving faith. Hebrews 6:11-12 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater; 4 therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your [a] perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. (Cf. Rev.13:10) Calvin said, Patience is the fruit and proof of faith where there is no patience, there is not even a spark of faith. 1 1 John Blanchard, Gathered Gold, p.440 1

2 Patience is a mark of divine wisdom. 1 Peter 2:19-20 For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds [b] favor with God. Augustine said, Patience is the companion of wisdom. Patience is a necessity in spiritual warfare. 2 Corinthians 6:6 in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love. Thomas Watson wrote, A Christian without patience is like a soldier without arms patience makes a Christian invincible. Patience is an essential part of our santicification. Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Joni Eareckson Tada said, The times we find ourselves having to wait on others may be the perfect opportunities to train ourselves to wait on the Lord. In other words, patience is not learned in the comfortable quiet times of life with no interuptions. It is not dropped out of heaven like manna or digested in the meal of a bible study or sermon. Patience is learned through the thorn of delay and the storm of darkness. Sometimes, God takes you into the kitchen of sorrow and makes you wash every pan! Patience is not passive. On the contrary, it is active. The men of old called it, concentrated strength. How does patience look? What perspective develops patience? How is it obtained? When patience is waning, what are the warning signs, the dangers, and the divine truth that we must recall which will help us to cultivate this godly virtue? Context: Every text has a context and in chapter 5:1-6, James has condemned the persecuting, wicked wealthy, but now he comforts the persecuted, righteous poor. He goes from indicting the faithless rich to encouraging the faithful poor. Remember that he is writing to believers in the first century who were poor, struggling, and scattered across the Roman Empire. They had been abused, lied to, discriminated against, and exploited, especially by wealthy landowners who ripped them off, stole their money and walked away laughing. They were at the mercy of rich men who got away with murder both figuratively and literally. In doing so, he tells them and us what kind of attitude we are to have when facing times of affliction or persecution. When placed into the crucible of suffering, what are we to do? James begins with 2

3 Outline: A. The plea for patience Therefore be patient, brethren, The word therefore connects the command which James now gives to the preceding verses in which he describes the oppressive conditions under which the poor live. The command is clear. Be patient, brethren. You can sense his pastoral heart in this loving exhortation. Hold out, faith and patience. Using repetition to emphasize his central theme, James uses the term patience four times. Twice in verse 7, once in verse 8, and again in verse 10. Among the words for patience that occur in the New Testament, the one in this command stresses non-retaliation. The Greek word translated patient ( makrothumeo ) is made up of makro, meaning long, and thumeo, meaning anger or temper. It literally means to suffer long or to be long-tempered. It is the total opposite of being short tempered (Prov.15:18; 16:32). It is not a passive trait, but an active self-restraint that enables one to refrain from hasty retaliation in the face of provocation, even when it would be easy to react. This is the same virtue that God expresses by being slow to anger when man continues to sin even after numerous reminders (Ex.34:6; Ps.86:15; Rom.2:4; 9:22; 1 Pet.3:20; 2 Pet.3:15). If God had a short-fuse, guess where we would all be? James uses another word in verse 11 that is similar to patience but somewhat different. It is the word endurance (hupomone) We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job The word patience (makrothumia) and endurance (hupomone) draw out both aspects of the golden virtue of patience. Greek scholars think that long-suffering has to do with patience with respect to people, while endurance refers to patience with respect to circumstances or situations. Longsuffering patience with adverse people. Endurance patience with adverse circumstances. Patience with people is just as important as patience in circumstances. Chapter one has to do with patience toward circumstances (James 1:2-4), now here in chapter 5, James says we need to be patient with people. We need both. 1 Thessalonians 5:14 We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the faint hearted, help the weak, be patient with all men. 1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient. Hebrews 10:35-36 Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. How do you stay righteous and just in the mist of difficult circumstances? Perhaps you are in a marriage where you are unequally yoked and your spouse subtly attacks your faith whenever they are given the chance. Perhaps you are being railroaded on the job because of your faith. Or perhaps you are a student and others ridicule you for your stance on purity and Christ. 3

4 It is not easy to fight feelings of bitterness, when you ve been done wrong. But James wants us to know that if a holy God can be patient with unholy sinners, then unholy sinners can be patient until a holy God acts on their behalf. James is saying that if we want to reflect Christlikeness, if we want to reflect godly character, we ought to desire to reflect patience or long-suffering in our day-to-day lives. We must be patient that is, we must not strike back or retaliate. This is the righteous standard expected of God. Patience in trials and patience with people is a mark of true spirituality. Now James moves from the plea for patience to B. The perspective of patience Just how long must we maintain this attitude of non-retaliation in the face of hostilities and difficulties? until the coming of the Lord. Why? Because when Jesus comes, He will right every and all wrongs and reward every believer for his/her faithfulness and obedience (Prov.20:22; 24:29; Rom.12:17; Deut.32:35; Ps.94). Revelation 22:12 Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. Romans 12:19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY, says the Lord. Hebrews 10:30 For we know Him who said, VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY. And again, THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE. One of the very practical ways to grow in this patient endurance is to anticipate the Lord s coming. In other words, realize that it will not always be like this and there is Someone else who keeps the score. Peter tells us this was what Christ had in mind when He suffered in our place. 1 Peter 2:21-23 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; James mentions the coming of the Lord two other times (vv.8, 9). Three references in total in just three verses. I have no doubt that many of us anticipate the coming of Christ because we love Him (1 Pet.1:8). However, trials have a way of deepening our longing for His return. The more persecuted we are as Christians, the more we will anticipate the Second Coming of Christ. The word for coming here is Parousia (the most common word for the Second Coming) and it means more than His coming, but His arrival. It carries with it the idea of His very Presence. The thought is that when Jesus comes, He will be present. A dignitary or great official may come to a city or a building, and he/she not be where you are. But when Christ comes, His presence will be where we are. His coming is in order to bless His people with His manifest presence. 1 Thessalonians 2:19 For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? 4

5 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes to be glorified n His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed for our testimony to you was believed. One out of every thirteen verses in the New Testament makes reference to the Second Coming and arrival of Christ. It is major New Testament teaching. Jesus Himself taught that His coming was to be preceded by signs and it would be a vivid and visible as lightning illumining the whole sky (Matt.24:22-28). He said that it will happened at a day that cannot be known in advance (Matt.24:44). There will be a separating of the righteous from the unrighteous and so much is given to us in Matthew about His coming. When we anticipate the Lord s Coming, it fortifies our faith, motivates our holiness, and purifies our hearts. Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Cf. 2 Cor.4:17) 1 Peter 4:7 The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. 2 Peter 3:10-12 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 1 John 3:2-3 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. The point is, whatever we are going through, we are not to be preoccupied with our troubles and trials, but rather, we are to get our eyes off our circumstances and focus on the Second Coming of Christ. How can we experience this kind of patient endurance as we wait for the Lord s return? To that question and need, James gives us encouraging examples. C. The illustrations of patience 1. The example of the farmer (vv.7b-9) The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. 8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. The analogy is drawn from the Palestinian agriculture with which James and most of the readers were very familiar. He described the farmer as sowing seed on ground that experienced no rain at all 5

6 during much of the year. The field was brown and the soil was dry. Modern irrigation techniques were unknown, and dependence upon the rains was the only resource. The phrase the early and late rains refers to the fall rains in October and November, which soften the ground after the blistering heat of summer, and to the spring showers of April and May, which enable the grain to ripen. James wants us to think of that farmer who plows the ground, plants the seed, pulls the weeds, and then he waits. That s all he can do. He can t make the rain come any sooner, but he knows if he waits, the rain will come EVENTUALLY. What a word that is. Eventually! It means not today and maybe not tomorrow and maybe not next week or next month. Eventually means sooner or later the thing we are waiting for must happen. In the mean-time in-between time, the farmer has to endure bug infestations, animals that eat his crops, robbers who plunder his crops, and everything else that comes with being a farmer. He must fight through all of that, and he does so because he KNOWS that the rain must EVENTUALLY come. Drought cannot last forever. The application: In verse 8 he applies it to us. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, What is the danger that threatens us when we are being mistreated or facing hostility? One is to become unstable or give in or cave in to our carnal desires and suffer a moral collapse. Perhaps it is to retaliate in some fashion. In marriage, spouses begin to withhold affection or communication. In churches, members start to withhold giving and service. But a wise farmer and a wise Christian will remain steadfast. To strengthen the heart means to be immovable (1 Cor.15:58). It means to prop up the heart by reminding yourself of the grace of God (Heb.13:9). That s the first thing. Strengthen, prop up, your heart by remaining consistent and remind yourself of the grace of God in your own life. Second, remind yourself that the coming of the Lord is near. for the coming of the Lord is near. This is what we call the doctrine of imminence. God s prophetic calendar or clock started counting down when Christ came in the incarnation. We are now in the last days (Heb.1:2). According to 2 Thessalonians 2 only two things must take place before Christ returns. One is the apostasy. Two is the Antichrist revealed. The rebellion and the rebel must be revealed. Some believe that the great falling away from truth has already begun and only the man of sin remains to be revealed. No dates can ever be ascertained from the biblical revelation, nevertheless, Paul says in Romans 13:11, Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The story is told of a businessman who, having an errand to run at his office, took his young son along with him. He asked the boy to wait on the steps while he went inside to do his work. Soon he became so engrossed with his business that he forgot about his son waiting outside. Leaving the building by a different door, he went home alone. When the family sat down to dinner, the son was 6

7 not present. His mother became anxious and wondered where he might be. Then the father remembered where he d left his son. Hurrying back to the place of work, he found his son, tired and hungry, waiting as he had been instructed to do. I knew you would come, Father, he said. You said you would. Two thousand years have passed since Jesus went to heaven, and some of us have grown tired and hungry. Perhaps you re wondering if He has forgotten you. Perhaps He has made other plans. If you feel like that little boy, take heart. It has been a long time from our point of view, but He s only been gone for two days in heaven s perspective (2 Pet.3:8). He will come back keep on believing, He hasn t forgotten you. Third, don t complain. 9 Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. One of the signs of impatience in our lives is a complaining spirit. However, impatience under God s providences often leads to impatience with God s people, and this is the sin we must avoid. The word complain (me stenazete) utilizes a verb meaning to sigh or groan, but here it means an accusing groan. It s that internal feeling that begins to give vent and lash out at those close to us. It s what you do when you ve had just about enough, and you don t feel like taking it anymore. First, your spirit is vexed. Then you sigh inwardly. Then you sigh outwardly. Finally, you begin to complain and grumble against your brothers. Now James has just cautioned us about that kind of judging spirit in chapter 4:11, and now he circles back to it again, because as a pastor he knows that when you are tired, scared, angry, and frustrated it s easy to get hypercritical of the people you love the most. James says, Don t blow your top. Don t lose your cool. Don t say something stupid. Grumbling can tear down a marriage. It can damage a friendship. It can open a wound. It can start division and ruin someone s reputation. Groaning and grumbling is not only the opposite of being joyful (Phil.4:4) and thankful (1 Thess.5:18), but it is a sin because it indirectly accuses God for the misfortune or circumstances. Don t do it, James says, so that you yourselves may not be judged. In other words, this is something God takes seriously, and you can lose rewards for. In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul is dealing with the danger of overconfidence and using Israel as exhibit A. 6 Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; (Israel s idolatry was not allegiance to another God, but an additional god someone alongside God) as it is written, THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO PLAY. (As if nothing was wrong) 8 Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. (swift judgment) 9 Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. (painful judgment) 10 Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. (clear judgment) 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. We are all familiar with the beautiful painting of Jesus standing at the door knocking by William Holman Hunt, waiting for us to open the door. But this picture which James paints is different. To the impatience grumbler, James says, Look up Christ is standing at the door! It envisions that Christ 7

8 has stepped across time and space and now He stands ready to push through the portal of glory into this present world, to come in and expose our critical spirit, our bitter words, and all of the inward sighs we thought no one noticed. What a word! How can we experience this kind of patient endurance as we wait for the Lord s return? Strength your heart. Remind yourself of the coming of Christ. Don t complain. The example of the farmer tells us that we are helpless without divine intervention, and we must wait expectantly without grumbling. 2. The example of the prophets (v.10) As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Now in this second illustration about the proper way to face trials and hostility, James takes his readers to the Old Testament prophets. In the Greek, the word example stands first in the sentence to show us where the emphasis is. In other words, here is the pattern we are to imitate. The same word is used by Jesus when he said in John 13:15, For I gave you an example (pattern) that you also should do as I did to you. What prophets are we to think about? All of them. For a summary, we turn to the 11 th chapter of Hebrews, beginning at verse 32, 32 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; 36 and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38 (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. 39 And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect. Of all the prophets, one might argue that Jeremiah was the best known for the suffering he faced during his ministry. Here was a man who never had a convert in his long ministry, who received nothing but rejection. And in addition to this, this godly man was beaten and put into stocks (Jer.20:2), placed into prison (Jer.32:2), and thrown into a muddy cistern (Jer.38:6). But what did he do? He accepted the evil treatment and did not retaliate. He did not abandon his faith in God or the performance of his duty in ministry. He continued to proclaim the Lord s message, under the Lord s authority and direction even though it did not exempt him from suffering. Now that s amazing, but what s more amazing is his attitude as he saw Jerusalem in smoldering ruins. Just slowly read his words in Lamentations 3: The LORD S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. 8

9 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 24 The LORD is my portion, says my soul, Therefore I have hope in Him. 25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him. 26 It is good that he waits silently For the salvation of the LORD. 27 It is good for a man that he should bear The yoke in his youth. 28 Let him sit alone and be silent Since He has laid it on him. 29 Let him put his mouth in the dust, Perhaps there is hope. 30 Let him give his cheek to the smiter, Let him be filled with reproach. 31 For the Lord will not reject forever, 32 For if He causes grief, Then He will have compassion According to His abundant lovingkindness. 33 For He does not afflict willingly Or grieve the sons of men. 34 To crush under His feet All the prisoners of the land, 35 To deprive a man of justice In the presence of the Most High, 36 To defraud a man in his lawsuit Of these things the Lord does not approve. 37 Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, Unless the Lord has commanded it? 38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That both good and ill go forth? 39 Why should any living mortal, or any man, Offer complaint in view of his sins? 40 Let us examine and probe our ways, And let us return to the LORD. If the farmer teaches us to wait expectantly without grumbling. The prophets teach us to wait patiently without wavering. We are called to imitate the prophets. Run the risk of losing it all to be faithful to God. Endure insult and persecution. And remember. 11 We count those blessed who endured. We hear an echo of one of Jesus beautitudes in Matthew 5:11-12 Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Blessed are the people who have persevered and continue to persevere (James 1:12). Now he gives perhaps the most striking example by referring to Job. 3. The example of Job (v.11) You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. 9

10 Now Job was not always free from complaint (Job 3:3, 11). The prophet Ezekiel mentions Job with Noah and Daniel, but it was not for his patience; it was for his righteousness (Ezek.14:14). So, what makes Job unforgettable? Job is known for his steadfastness. In other words in all that he suffered and lost, his faith was unwavering. Even when his wife lost all hope and said in chapter 2:9-10, Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die! 10 But he said to her, You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity? In all this Job did not sin with his lips. In Job, the answer of suffering is answered by God with Himself. The four-fold message that Job gave was: Amid adversity you can have adoration. With woe there is worship. Devotion is possible without dollars. You can be godly apart from material gain. James reminds his readers and us not to forget the outcome of the Lord s dealings. God eventually blessed him with twice as many possessions as he had before (Job 42:12-13). You may be saying to yourself, Well, pastor, I m not Job and I don t have Job s faith. Does God still care about me? Dear friends, you re asking the wrong question. We should be asking, how did the farmer survive? How did the prophets survive? How can we survive in the midst of our afflictions and persecutions? And the answer is, They survived and persevered because they knew who God was. Everything in life comes down to one question: What do you believe about God? What sort of God is He? How has He revealed Himself in the Bible? You may learn your theology in the sunshine of air-conditioned classroom or sanctuary, but you discover who God is in the hot air of life s circumstances. This is what Job and the prophets understood about God. that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. In a dramatic event, when Moses wanted to see God s glory, God proclaimed the good news of His compassion. We read these words Exodus 34:5-6 The LORD descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he called upon the name of the LORD. 6 Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; Psalm 103:8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. 10

11 That phrase full of compassion is only used here in all of the New Testament. You could translate it many bowelled. The Jews spoke of the bowels or the stomach as the seat of feeling. Not the heart, but the gut, the bowels, the stomach, because we feel things in our stomach. To be many bowelled means that God has a massive capacity for compassion. He feels things deeply, broadly He is full of compassion, filled with compassion. His heart goes out to the person in need of help. He is not only full of compassion, but He is merciful tender or soft hearted. This is why Peter said, Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you (1 Pet.5:7). Our cares are His concern. Conclusion: If the farmer teaches us to wait expectantly without grumbling. If the prophets teach us to wait patiently without wavering Then Job teaches us to wait silently without doubting. God is faithful. Compassionate. Merciful. Don t take matters into your own hands. Don t panic. Stay at your post. Fulfill your duty as God shows it to you. The issue is not our problems or afflictions. It s our faith. Do we believe GOD. August 31, 2018 The Church at South Mountain You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by The Church at South Mountain. Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: The Church at South Mountain. Website: casm.org While all reasonable attempts have been taken to trace the literary and biblical sources used by the author, due to the nature of some of the original materials (old audio/radio or live preaching events), some have been impossible to locate. Any information regarding the origin of any unreferenced statements or quotations is welcomed and will be included in the next revision of the study. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible: 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. 11