Discipleship: Patience

-I Timothy 6:6-12

-We hear a great deal about most of the characteristics presented in this passage

-Contentment

-Not loving money

-Pursing righteousness

-Being godly

-Having faith

-Loving all

-Being gentle even

-Q: When is the last time you heard a sermon on patience?

-I’m not sure I’ve ever heard one

-Well, you’re gonna hear one today

-I’ve wondered why we haven’t heard sermons on patience

-Is it that it is not that important?

-Scripture speaks of it quite frequently

-Luke 21:19

-II Timothy 2:24

-It is even one of the Fruit of the Spirit

-Along with love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control

-Is it that it is not that difficult?

-Watch the jockeying for position next time you go to the grocery store

-Or Wal-Mart

-Or an amusement park

-Or traffic jam

-Watch how people react when they have had a bad day or a bad circumstance

-Watch a child on Christmas Eve

-Watch the people start to fidget when the pastor preaches beyond 11:00 AM

-We even pray such things as, “Lord give me patience, and give it to me right now.”

-Whatever the reason for a lack of sermons on this subject, this morning we are going to allow God to speak to us concerning this wonderful discipline that we all likely need in greater measure, myself included

I. Areas Of Patience

A. With others

1. When they do what we do not like

-The truth is, people are often going to do things we dislike

-Cutting us off on the freeway

-Gossiping

-Keeping something we loan them too long

2. When they do not do what they should

-It is easy to be disturbed by what sinful people do

-Gay rights activists

-Unholy Hollywood

-World dictators

-We must never let our disturbance with them hinder us from seeing them as souls that Christ died to save

-We must never tolerate what they do

-Accept, condone, sanction

-But we must be patient and try to lead them to the truth

B. With God

-I’ve known many that have become impatient with God

-When God does not act as they think He should, according to their timetable, they kind of disown Him

-Or at least neglect their obedience to Him

1. In meeting our needs

-Prayer requests

2. In keeping His promises

-The Lord is not slow in keeping His promises

-Everything He has said He would do, He has done or will do in His due time

3. In returning

-It’s been 2,000 years

-But He is coming back

II. Rewards For Patience

A. An audience with God

-Psalm 40:1

1. He will listen to you

-Imagine that

2. He will respond to you

a. Not always in the way we want

b. Not always in the way we expect

c. Always in the way that is best

B. Perfecting us

-James 1:2-4

-Christian perfection should be the pursuit of every believer

-Perfection is a process, with little pieces of self falling all along the way

-Through patience, perfection is made available to us

-Ofttimes, impatience is the last stronghold to fall

CONCLUSION

-This morning, maybe there are some struggling with patience in their lives

-Towards others

-Towards God Himself

-Maybe you’ve even been struggling with patience for God to lead you into perfection

-God, who is capable of all things, wants to help you in this area as much as in any other area of your life

-II Thessalonians 3:5