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?
• Sanctification - We will become more like Him - Col. 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
• Spirituality - We will behave more like Him - Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
• Souls - We will become burdened more like Him - Romans 1:13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.
II. Patience is the Product of Tribulation– Romans 5:3-4
This was no mere theory with Paul, he knew so much about tribulation and its ability, when accepted in the right spirit, to develop Christian character in the believer. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; [9] Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; [10] Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
The maturing power of tribulation is so well illustrated in the life of Job. First we see a righteous man in the hands of Satan, then in the hands of men and finally in the hands of God. At the hand of Satan, Job received tribulation and it wrought in him patience.
At the hand of man his patience was sorely tried, but through it all he gained experience. In the hands of God, Job came triumphantly through at last to that hope which maketh not ashamed. It is a far more righteous Job we meet at the end of the book than the one at the beginning.
We know that by being a Christian we do not escape the trials of life John 16:33 In this world ye shall have tribulation. But for the believer trials and tribulation work for us and not against us, they bring us closer to the Lord and make us more like Him. Suffering builds Christian character.
The word experience in verse 4 means character that has been proved. The sequence is – tribulation – patience – proven character – hope. The word tribulation is from a Latin word tibulum. In Paul’s day, a tribulum was a heavy piece of timber with spikes in it, used for threshing the grain.
The tribulum was drawn over the grain and it separated the wheat from the chaff. As we go through tribulations, and depend on God’s grace, the trials only purify us and help us to get rid of the chaff.
III. Patience is the Product of Testing Faith – James 1:3
Faith is always tested. When God called Abraham to live by faith, He tested him in order to increase his faith. God always tests us to bring out the best; Satan tempts us to bring out the worst. The testing of our faith proves that we are truly born again.
Trials help us to mature. God wants to produce patience in our lives. Patience is not a passive acceptance of circumstances; it is a courageous perseverance in the face of suffering and difficulty.
God wants to make us patient because that is the key to every other blessing. The child that doesn’t learn patience won’t learn much of anything else. When we learn to wait on the Lord, then God can do great things for us.
Abraham ran ahead of the Lord, brought back Haggar and with her brought great sorrow into his home (Gen 16). Moses ran ahead of God, killed a man, and had to spend 40 years with the sheep to learn patience (Ex 2:11). Peter almost killed a man in his impatience (John 18:10-11)
The only way the Lord can develop patience and character in our lives is through trials. We cannot gain patience by reading a book, listening to a sermon or even praying a prayer. We have to go through the difficulties of life, trust God and obey Him.
The result will be patience and character. Knowing this, we can face trials joyfully. We know what trials will do in us and for us, and we know that the end result will bring glory to God.
IV. Patience is the Product of Hope – Romans 8:25
Paul uses the word “Hope” many times. Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; We often times link this word with uncertainty…
I remember being horrified at a conversation that took place after a service I took at one church. I was talking to someone and I asked if they were saved and they said, “I hope so!” Here hope takes the place of faith – we are saved by grace through faith, not hope.
Suppose mum says to her naughty child, “You wait till your father gets home he can deal with you!” If you said to the boy “Will you have a smack when dad gets home?” The reply would be “I believe I will” he is not likely to say “I hope so!”
We use the word hope as a wish for something – but the word hope in the Bible means expectation / confidence. We have a blessed expectation / confidence that our Lord WILL return, but when?
James 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
Each generation has hoped that the Lord’s coming would be in their lifetime. Anticipation of Christ’s return burns brighter than ever. The date of the Rapture is the best kept secret in the universe.
Our hope of the Lord’s return calls for patience on our part. “Perhaps Today” The Lord will return at the exact time – and there is nothing we can do. Like the farmer who cannot hurry the seasons. His virtue is patience.
V. Patience is the Product of the Scriptures – Romans 15:4
Studying the Bible helps us to grow in patience. As we read about Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David and even our Lord, we realise that God does have a purpose in trials. God fulfils His purpose as we trust Him. There is no substitute for an understanding mind.
Satan can defeat the ignorant believer, but he cannot overcome the Christian who knows his Bible and understands the purpose of God.
Are we likely to lose patience with a weak brother and his scruples? The antidote is in the Scriptures. We must get back into the book and see how God helped others.
Patience means giving others the time and space that we would like to have ourselves. It means sticking with it when we feel more like blowing up. It means allowing God to help us be patient with others, just as we want Him to be with us.
Conclusion
Patience works differently for each of us. There was a 4-year-old boy and his mother on a long trip together. He kept asking the same question every few miles, "When are we going to get there?" Finally, his exasperated mother said, "We still have 90 more miles to go. Don’t ask me when we’re going to get there again." The little boy fell silent for a while & then he timidly asked one more question from the back seat, "Mom, will I still be four when we get there?"
We have an opportunity to demonstrate patience to others. We can do it with God’s help. The next time someone cuts you up on the motorway, instead of giving them a piece of your mind you can’t afford to be without, pray for them.
When you are tempted to be impatient with your children or grandchildren, remember that you were once a child too. I’m not suggesting that you don’t make them behave, I’m talking about the fact that your children are going to be children because there are. . . well children.
Show others the patience, you want them to show you. As I conclude this morning, let me remind you that God has shown us patience & mercy by sending His Son for us.
