Patience - I Want It Now!!!

Patience – 10th August 2008 pm

How many times a day do you look at your watch? We live in a day and age where “Time is money!” and we get so impatient about everything. Patience is so difficult in our culture because we feel like we have so many things to do.

We are always trying to figure out how to cram more and more things that need to be done into less and less time. We allow less and less time for things. We don’t want to waste time because we feel the pressure of all we think we have to get done. The time crunch is felt by nearly everyone.

There is even a church in Florida that advertises a 22 minute service. That’s right. They promise that 22 minutes after the service begins you will be dismissed. The music is fast. . . The prayers are quick. . . The sermons are only 8 minutes long. Now don’t get your hopes up, it’s not going to happen here!

You get more impatient with the more things you have to do and when you are feeling the most pressure.

There is the story of a man whose car stalled in heavy traffic just as the light turned green. All his efforts to start the engine failed. You know what happened, he was trying frantically to start the car and a hundred other cars behind him were beeping their horns. In spite of his best efforts the car wouldn’t start through the entire time the light was green. The people behind him never stopped beeping. He finally got out of his car and walked back to the driver right behind him who had been beeping the horn even though he could hear the man trying to start the engine. He politely said to the man, “I’m sorry, but I can’t seem to get my car started. Would you mind trying to start my car and I’ll beep the horn for you this time.”

There are a number of very interesting definitions that people have come up with that may help us understand what patience is. Let’s look at several of them. Perhaps some of them will help you. The first one is a bit humorous, although I think each of us will be able to relate to it.

Patience is the ability to put up with people you’d like to put down.

Patience is accepting a difficult situation without giving God a deadline to remove it.

"Patience is a inner calmness that comes from the knowledge that God is in control."

Patience = The ability to bear trials without grumbling!!

There are two Greek words for patience – the first means to “Cheerfully Endure” and the other means “Long Temper” (opposite of short fuse)

So where does patience come from? How do we get it? We want it and we want it now!!!!!

I. Patience is the Product of a Good Heart – Luke 8:15

Finally, some seed fell onto good ground. This ground had been worked and prepared. It had been ploughed and tilled and it was ready to receive the seed when it came. The seed germinated within the heart of the soil and the plant began to grow. When the plant reached maturity, it began to produce fruit that brought honour and gain to the farmer.

This is a picture of the heart that has been ploughed deeply by the Word of God. It is a picture of a heart that has been tilled and prepared by the grace of God. When the seed of the Gospel hits this kind of heart, it germinates, grows up and bears fruit to the glory of God. This heart alone pictures that kind of life that can truly call itself saved! Why do I say that? This is the only soil that produced fruit!

The only difference between these types of soil was fruit. On the hard soil, the seed never penetrated the hard ground and was carried away. On the other three soils, the seed penetrated and disappeared, but only that which fell on the good soil produced fruit! The only obstacle to salvation is unbelief, but anyone who is willing to accept Jesus on His terms is good soil!

This soil represents the only soil among the four that pictures a saved heart. You see, when Jesus enters a life through the Gospel message, He will make His presence known beyond all doubt. He will cause the new believer to begin to bear fruit for the glory of God. In fact, He will lead the believer through a progression of fruit bearing. As the days go by, there will be more and more fruit for the glory of the Heavenly Sower.

What kind of fruit does the Gospel seed produce in the good soil of a prepared heart?