INTRODUCTION
SLIDE #1
• You are in a hurry; the alarm did not go off this morning. Everything you do seems to go wrong.
• You get dressed and as you eat breakfast, you find that you spilled some food on your outfit. More time lost.
• You get in the car, it will not start, a dead battery.
• More time lost.
• Do you feel the blood pressure rising?
• Finally, you get the car started; now it is a straight shot to work.
• Now you get behind someone who is driving 45 mph on the highway and there is no passing them. The pressure rises.
• Next up, you hit EVERY stoplight on the way, more time lost.
• I know that while all this is going on around us, we are the picture of serenity behind the wheel.
• SLIDE #2
• In a news report in the 7/13/00 edition of the USA Today, in a report on motorist running red lights says the following: The report, to be released today by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, found that running red lights injures a quarter of a million people every year and kills at least 800 people.
• Another article from the Institute states: Every year, these accidents (running red lights) kill some 800 people and rack up an estimated $7 billion dollars in property damage, medical bills, lost productivity and insurance hikes. http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/red-light-camera.htm
• We are a society that is in a hurry fro everything. We have instant everything, we are not willing to wait the slightest amount of time.
• Have you ever lost your patience with your children? No never! When we develop the fruit of patience in our lives, we can actually get to a point where we can quit blowing up at our children and spouses. We can quit kicking the dog because we are frustrated.
• Today we are going to look at one of the fruits of the Spirit that will help us to stop doing things such as run red lights because we are in a hurry.
• Let us turn to Galatians 5:22-23 as we look at the fruit of patience this morning.
• SLIDE #3
• Galatians 5:22-23 ( ESV ) 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
• We need to remember once again that when we give our lives to Christ, we not only receive the gift of eternal life in the future, but we receive some wonderful gifts from God now! Patience is the one we will examine this morning together
• SLIDE #4
SERMON
I. IDENTIFYING THE FRUIT OF PATIENCE.
• Once again, when you go to the store to purchase a fruit, you need to know what it looks like; you need to know how to find what you are looking for.
• As you are looking for the fruit of patience, you want to know what it looks like so that you can get the real thing.
• Let us look at the definition of patience.
SLIDE #5
1. Defining patience.
• Man’s endurance when faced with the adversities of life.
• Enduring under injuries inflicted by others.
• Restraining some action or emotion.
• Patience is holding up under difficult circumstances, it is involves holding back from retaliation against someone who has harmed us.
• The version of the word used in Galatians 5:22 gives us the picture of longsuffering.
• I looked hard for a visual aid that would help us to understand what longsuffering is.
• SLIDE #6
• O.K., that was not fair.
• Longsuffering gives us the picture a person who in relation to those who annoy, oppose, or molest him, exercise patience. He refuses to yield to passion or to outbursts of anger.
• Have you ever been caught in traffic or been in line at Wal-Mart? A patient person will not let those situations cause them to blow up.
• Patience is the even temper that comes from a big heart. It is not the “grit your teeth” kind of angry endurance; it is loving tolerance in spite of people’s weakness and failure. Love is patient (1 Cor 13:4) and so must Christians be (Eph 4:2). (College Press NIV)
2. Where does patience have its roots?
• Patience is inspired by the trust in the fulfillment of God’s promises.
• SLIDE #7
• Hebrews 6:11 - 12 (GWT) 11We want each of you to prove that you’re working hard so that you will remain confident until the end. 12Then, instead of being lazy, you will imitate those who are receiving the promises through faith and patience.
• The fruit of patience is something that God exhibits toward His creation.
• God’s patience or longsuffering holds open the door to new life through Him.
• SLIDE #8
• 2 Peter 3:9 (GWT) 9The Lord isn’t slow to do what he promised, as some people think. Rather, he is patient for your sake. He doesn’t want to destroy anyone but wants all people to have an opportunity to turn to him and change the way they think and act.
• SLIDE #9
II. AREAS IN WHICH WE SHOULD EXERCISE PATIENCE.
• Whenever you eat something it is good to exercise so that you will stay in good shape.
• As far as patience is concerned, it does us no good unless we exercise it. Let us look at four areas in which we can exercise the gift of patience.
• SLIDE #10
1. Exercise patience in problems.
• How do you do when you face problems? It can be very difficult to be patient when problems and trials come our way.
• One of the most difficult times for me to exercise patience is when something gets in the way of me getting somewhere.
• When a problem comes up that slows my progress, I can really struggle to exercise patience.
• We want instant solutions to our problems. In an effort to fix the problem as quickly as possible, we make bad choices.
• When we get impatient, we make mistakes and some of them can be very costly.
• WE do not always understand why we face problems, but many times there is a purpose to them.
• Instead of getting angry with God over the problems we face, we need to be thankful for the opportunity to see our faith grow.
• When you face problems, sow patience, do not always look for the easy answer.
• SLIDE #11
• Proverbs 14:29 (GWT) 29 A person of great understanding is patient, but a short temper is the height of stupidity.
• When we allow our emotions to get out of control, we make bad choices.
• SLIDE #12
• The second area in which we need to exercise patience is:
2. Exercise patience with people.
• Have you ever lost your patience with another person? I did not think so.
• It is so easy to fly off the handle at another person isn’t it? When people interrupt us or they give us negative criticism, or if they speak harsh words toward us, we want to get back at them as soon as possible don’t we.
• SLIDE #13
• Ephesians 4:1 - 2 (GWT) 1I, a prisoner in the Lord, encourage you to live the kind of life which proves that God has called you. 2Be humble and gentle in every way. Be patient with each other and lovingly accept each other.
• We are to be patient with one another. We are not to return evil for evil
• SLIDE #14
• 1 Peter 3:8 - 9 (GWT) 8Finally, everyone must live in harmony, be sympathetic, love each other, have compassion, and be humble. 9Don’t pay people back with evil for the evil they do to you, or ridicule those who ridicule you. Instead, bless them, because you were called to inherit a blessing.
• Instead of getting angry with people, we need to pray for them and be patient that God is going to work in their lives.
• The next area we can exercise patience is with ourselves.
• SLIDE #15
3. Exercise patience with yourself.
• God is patient with us, so we must be patient with ourselves.
• Many times we struggle with sin and we get discouraged with ourselves to the point of wanting to give up.
• God is patient with you.
• We cannot and will not be perfect overnight, there are no short-cuts to holiness.
• Did you know that it is reported that it took Thomas Edison over 3,000 times before finding an effective filament for a light bulb.
• What if he would have quit after 2200 times?
• Patience is the ability to on keeping on!
• SLIDE #16
• James 1:2-4 ( ESV ) 2Count it all joy, my brothers,£ when you meet trials of various kinds, 3for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
• Give yourself a chance to grow.
• SLIDE #17
• The fourth area in which we can exercise patience is:
4. Exercise patience with God’s plan.
• We need to be patient with God.
• God asks many things of us, and promises rewards for the faithful. We cannot always understand why God thinks certain actions are important, He simply asks us to do them -- to be obedient and to persevere.
• Sometimes the faithfulness must extend even beyond our ability to ever see the promised reward here on Earth. Even when we cannot see the end, we can wait and trust in the One who rewards in His own time.
• SLIDE #18
III. GROWING THE FRUIT OF PATIENCE IN YOUR LIFE.
• If we want to cultivate the fruit of patience in our lives, we will need to do a couple of things.
• SLIDE #19
1. Lots of Prayer.
• We will need to pray a lot. We have so many opportunities fail in this area we must pray for the strength to exercise patience.
• We need to constantly pray as each situation comes up.
• Secondly
SLIDE #20
2. Allow the Spirit of God within you to exercise more control of you.
• The key to having the fruit of the Spirit to grow within is to allow more of God and less of you.
• The more we allow God to have control, the more we will enjoy the blessings that God wants us to enjoy.
CONCLUSION
• Patience is a fruit that can be a blessing to us and those who are spending time with us.
• Patience is allowing God to do what He says He is going to do.
• Eugene Peterson in his book, “A Long Obedience In The Same Direction,” writes” “One aspect of this word that I have been able to identify as harmful to Christians is the assumption that anything worthwhile can be acquired at once.
• We assume that if anything can be done at all, it can be done quickly and efficiently. Our attention spans have been conditioned by 30-second commercials and 30-seconf abridgements.”
• Do you lack patience, come to Jesus and allow Him to give you this wonderful fruit!
