session 6 - clover...

What makes you want to launch a counter-attack?

B I B L E S T U D I E S F O R L I F E 59© 2013 LifeWay© 2013 LifeWay

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFECarl Ericsson is 73 years old and he is going to spend the rest of his life in jail. Ericsson decided to exact revenge on a former high school classmate who did him wrong. He found out where his old classmate lived, rang the man’s doorbell, asked him his name, and then shot him to death. What prompted the shooting? For 50 years, a locker room incident kept replaying in mind. The prosecutor said the only reason Ericsson gave for his act of murder was the humiliation he experienced when his classmate put a jockstrap on his head.

Most of us would have to admit we feel the temptation to fi ght back and the pressure to exact sweet revenge. But God hates retaliation games. He’s seen them take place between husbands and wives, parents and children, and brothers and sisters. He hates the sneaky jabs exchanged between coworkers. He especially despises the backbiting He too often observes in the church.

James wrote to fi rst century Christians who knew the pain of mistreatment and the pressure to take revenge. He teaches us that the right response when you are wronged is not to cave in to the pressure to retaliate, but instead to yield to the leading of God.

THE POINT

When someone wrongs you, trust God rather than seek revenge.

6 06 06 0 S E S S I O N 6S E S S I O N 6S E S S I O N 6 © 2013 LifeWay© 2013 LifeWay

B I B L E S T U D I E S F O R L I F E 61

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Key Words

Patient (v. 7) – The Greek word is makrothymeo—makro- means “long,” -thymeo means “heat”—and literally means long tempered. It carries the idea of waiting while depending on God.

Blessed (v. 11) – The Greek word describes the happiness a believer can experience even while suff ering.

Endured (v. 11) – This means to withstand with courage, especially under pressure.

James 5:1-11 (HCSB)

1 Come now, you rich people! Weep and wail over the miseries that are coming on you.

2 Your wealth is ruined and your clothes are moth-eaten.

3 Your silver and gold are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your fl esh like fi re. You stored up treasure in the last days!

4 Look! The pay that you withheld from the workers who reaped your fi elds cries out, and the outcry of the harvesters has reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.

5 You have lived luxuriously on the land and have indulged yourselves. You have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter.

6 You have condemned—you have murdered—the righteous man; he does not resist you.

7 Therefore, brothers, be patient until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.

8 You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.

9 Brothers, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door!

10 Brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name as an example of suff ering and patience.

11 See, we count as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

© 2013 LifeWay© 2013 LifeWay

When someone wrongs you, trust God rather than seek revenge.THE POINT

James 5:1-6

For the fi rst six verses of James 5, James ripped into some wealthy people who had apparently made their living on the mistreatment of others. For the wealthy, James sounds a clear warning:

] Your miseries are coming (v. 1)

] Your gold and silver are rusted and witness against you (v. 2-3)

] The outcry of those you have mistreated has reached the Lord (v. 4)

] You have lived luxuriously on the way to death (v. 5)

] You have put to death righteous people (v. 6)

James wanted those who were mistreating others to know that God was aware of what they were doing. Whenever you are wronged, God is aware of the situation. We can trust that He will deal with the issue.

How does it make you feel to read James’ words to the rich?

Q U E S T I O N 2

"Courage is what it takes to

stand up and speak .




Courage is also what it takes


Courage is also what it takes


to sit down and listen."

W I N S T O N C H U R C H I L L

62 S E S S I O N 6 © 2013 LifeWay© 2013 LifeWay

James 5:7-8a

Having suff ered such injustice, the early Christians certainly felt the natural tendency and pressure to retaliate. Instead, James off ers a better solution to the pressure of revenge.

Be Patient. Twice in this passage James commanded believers to be patient when wronged. The word “patient” in Greek is a compound word, combining the words “long” (makro) and “anger“ (thumos). James said to keep your cool and take a long time before you blow your lid. Patience is the attitude that can endure and bear suff ering without getting angry.

Why be patient? James said we are to be patient because a day is coming when God will make all the wrong things right. When Jesus comes, His power and glory will be revealed, His army of angels will invade, and He will overthrow every enemy. In that day the wicked will be judged—and God can do a better job of repaying than we can. On that day, our faithfulness will be rewarded.

When you are faithful and patient under suff ering, you please God.

] You please God because you choose to end the cycle of violence (Proverbs 25:21-22). Joseph was wronged by his brothers and years later he could’ve killed them. But he chose to forgive and his family was restored.

] You please God because you express your faith that God will do justice (Romans 12:17-19).

] You please God because you follow the example of Jesus (1 Peter 2:21-24).

God’s justice may take time. But like a farmer waiting on the early and late rain, you can trust that in due season, God will make all things right.

What’s the diff erence between justice and retaliation?

Q U E S T I O N 3


THE POINT When someone wrongs you, trust God rather than seek revenge.

James 5:8b-11

Patience doesn’t mean passivity. You don’t just sit back and do nothing. James gives us three positive practices to employ while being patient.

1. Strengthen your heart. Verse 8 calls us to shore up, prop up, or tie down our hearts. The concept is that you make your heart immovable in the storms of life; you drop the anchor of your heart fi rmly into the character and word of God.

In 1 Samuel 30, David had a bad day. The Amalekites raided and burned his city, took his family and David’s own men thought of stoning him. But 1 Samuel 30:6 tells us that David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. That’s exactly what James tells us to do too. You don’t win spiritual wars with the weapons of your fl esh. You win by waiting and trusting in God. So if you are suff ering and feel increasing pressure to lash out, resist.

2. Stay positive in your attitude. If complaining ever becomes an Olympic sport, some of us will win gold medals. But James tells us to quit moaning. Don’t blame or begrudge others. Complaining is simply a forerunner for bitterness and hatred. When we get upset or hurt, our tendency is to take out our frustration on anyone who is near us. We snap at our family, fuss at our friends, or let loose with full-blown road rage on the commute home. James says don’t complain against one another. When you complain against others, you put yourself in a position to be judged. So quit complaining.

3. Stand with the prophets. One way to bolster your resolve is to draw encouragement from those who have been there and done that. Think about people of faith like Elijah, Daniel, Jeremiah, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Ruth, Rahab, Esther, or Sarah (Hebrews 11). James specifi cally calls our attention

What is the most diffi cult part of waiting for justice?

Q U E S T I O N 4


to Job. He lost everything, but in the midst of his trial and struggle he never let the fl ame of his faith get extinguished (Job 13:15; 19:25; 42:12).

Don’t just stand with the old school prophets; lean also on present day people of deep faith. There is great value in support groups, Bible study groups, accountability groups, and close Christian friends. Encourage each other daily to stay in the fi ght and endure.

What does patience off er that retaliation never will?

Q U E S T I O N 5

PARDON VS. REVENGE

A friend posts a negative comment about you on their Facebook wall, and you will see them tomorrow at work.

] Trusting God rather than seeking revenge will benefi t me by:

] Trusting God rather than seeking revenge will benefi t my friend by:

] Trusting God rather than seeking revenge will benefi t our circle of friends by:


THE POINT When someone wrongs you, trust God rather than seek revenge.

Don’t give in to the pressure to retaliate. Let it go. Be patient. Strengthen your heart. The coming of Jesus is near. Trust Him with any past or current injustices, and reject the pressure of retaliation.

] Let go of any past grudges that threaten to turn into bitterness or anger.

] Read the book of Job to see how he remained faithful despite losing everything.

] Stand up for the oppressed and outcast in your community with acts of support and love.

Carl Ericsson was sent to prison in 2012. Now he will spend the rest of his life physically confi ned because of retaliation. This week, don’t cave in to the pressure to retaliate. When someone wrongs you, trust God rather than seek revenge.

A Formula For Grace

We hate that we can’t earn grace and we hate that others worse than us don’t have to earn it. We want to work for it, and we want others to work for it, too. But that’s not God’s math. Surprisingly, Jesus never mentioned the word “grace.” Rather, He lived it in a complete and world-changing way. And therein lies the key to understanding this crazy idea of God’s grace.

To continue reading ”A Formula for Grace” from HomeLife magazine, visit BibleStudiesforLife.com/articles.

LIVE IT OUT

18 HOMELIFE JULY 2011


My group's prayer requests

My thoughts


session 6 - clover...

Documents