Cultivate the Fruit of the Spirit
Patience/Faithfulness
A Quick Recap:
cul·ti·vate vt
4. to improve or develop something, usually by study or education
5. to develop an acquaintance or intimacy with somebody, often for personal advantage
Galatians 5:22-25
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
Love – Agape – GOD IS LOVE
We must love God’s Son, for then we know what love is, and how to show that same love.
Joy – is not happiness, but stems from God’s love for you!
Jesus Others Yourself
Peace is resting in God’s sovereignty.
this peace is confident assurance in any circumstance.
Excerpt Taken from “TheOnion.com”:
Failure Now an Option
WASHINGTON—In a stunning reversal of more than 200 years of conventional wisdom, failure—traditionally believed to be an unacceptable outcome for a wide range of tasks and goals—is now increasingly seen as a viable alternative to success, sources confirmed Tuesday.
"Americans have always been told that they should succeed at all costs," Emory University sociologist Dr. Lauren Hodge said. "But based on new evidence, this can no longer be called true—if, in fact, it ever was. As failure continues to dominate the American landscape, this mantra must be overruled."
"We have no choice but to revoke failure’s non-optional status, effective immediately," Hodge continued. "Now all citizens will be able to step back, stare down the hardship and difficulty they will face in the pursuit of success, and say, ’Forget that—this isn’t worth it.’"
Overturning one of America’s most cherished and oft-repeated aphorisms is expected to have far-reaching implications for the future of human ambition. Some predict that a majority of the U.S. populace will now opt out of its previous obligation to give it 110 percent, and, in the coming weeks and months, give as little as 45 percent. For underachieving Americans, that number is expected to drop to as low as 5 percent by March.
A recent Interior Department report found that, although failure was not officially an option until this Tuesday, there have in fact been hundreds of billions of cases of it over the past two centuries, culminating in Fort Collins, CO high school junior Tim Kemp’s failing grade on a physics exam last month.
Many scholars now believe that such failures have historically been obscured by optimistic slogans and so-called positive thinking, neither of which, according to the report, has had a verifiable effect: Americans’ overall failure rate went up nearly 2,350 percent over the past decade, with 1,435,643 instances of failure reported last Sunday alone.
"In retrospect, failure becoming an option was inevitable," historian Michael Lambeau said. "The only difference is that now Americans can choose, without fear of being ostracized by society, to quit long before getting ahead."
This article was obviously meant to be satire, but I think you can see a bit of truth here.
How many times have we found ourselves beaten down?
How many times have we felt like giving up?
How many times in life have we felt anxious about something in our life, because we can’t wait?
The truth is, we all been there. But what we sometimes forget to recognize is that it’s within these dark times and low moments that God is calling us to develop the Fruit of Patience and strengthen the fruit of Faithfulness.
What I’d like to do today is similar to what we did last week, and that is examine each one of these closer, and then put them together in practical application.
- Prayer
1. Patience
pa·tient adj
1. able to endure waiting or delay without becoming annoyed or upset or to persevere calmly when faced with difficulties
2. able to tolerate being hurt, provoked, or annoyed without complaint or loss of temper
Encarta® World English Dictionary © 1999 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
I’d say these are pretty fair definitions to patience.
Galatians 5:22 King James Version:
patience = longsuffering
I think that’s interesting, because often we can look at patience as punishment, don’t we? Think back to when you were a child and you were told to “Be Patient!” That was usually met with frustration and tears, because it meant not getting what we wanted.
But that is not God’s intention for patience. Yes, often patience is called on to grow and strengthen things that need work within us, but it is not meant to be something that breaks us.
"Patience is a calm endurance based on the certain knowledge that God is in control."
– Melvin Newland
A. Know God’s Patience, and you will know Patience
Psalm 103:8-14 (NLT)
The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. 9 He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. 10 He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. 11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. 12 He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. 13 The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. 14 For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.
We serve a God who is patient with us. He sees our flaws, He knows how we keep falling short, yet in all this He still gives freely that Agape love. The unconditional love.
So when we start to remember and put into perspective the patience God has for us, it places our own impatience in perspective – small. We see the Grace that God extends to us, and realize how little we extend ourselves. We have an example!
2 Peter 3:8-9
But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.
B. Roadblocks to Patience
Human Nature – we are born impatient (Babies crying)
How about the little 4-year-old boy who was traveling with his mother & constantly asking the same question over & over again? "When are we going to get there? When are we going to get there?" Finally, the mother got so irritated that she said, "We still have 90 more miles to go. So don’t ask me again when we’re going to get there." Well, the boy was silent for a long time. Then he timidly asked, "Mom, will I still be four when we get there?"
Pride, Anger and Selfishness (Fleshly Desires) Seems that we are always getting in the way of the best that God has to offer isn’t it?
Proverbs 14:29
"A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly."
Proverbs 15:18
"A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel."
Patience is a virtue. And again & again the Bible teaches us that we need to develop this virtue in our lives.
Trials and Tribulations
James 1:2-4 (NASB)
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
This is a perfect segue way into:
2. Faithfulness
I hope as we’ve progressed that you see how closely intertwined the Fruit of the Spirit are, and how some Fruit are directly related or a result of another.
Faithful – at its core, is being consistently trustworthy and loyal, especially to a person, a promise, or duty
I want to read two examples of the Lord’s Faithfulness to us:
Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT)
The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. 23Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day.
Hebrews 3:6 (NLT)
But Christ, the faithful Son, was in charge of the entire household. And we are God’s household, if we keep up our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.
These verses are intended to inspire, and encourage hope. To show us that through it all God is faithful to give His love unconditionally in ways we can’t even imagine.
"Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father...
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me."
Tree in the yard story: When I was younger my father planted an ash tree. A year later we had a tremendous wind storm, and the tree was young and slim and was snapped in half at the middle. My father did not give up on the tree. He cut it at the break and put a sealant on the cut to prevent further damage and infection. It wasn’t long before new buds of green started to form. Today that tree is alive, large and strong.
Just like a tree that has strong roots, if we allow His Spirit to work within us, then the fruit of faithfulness will be real & evident in our lives, too. The more we yield to His guidance, the less fickle, the less vulnerable to discouragement & temptation we’ll become.
2 Timothy 4:5
But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at bringing others to Christ. Complete the ministry God has given you.
Once we have accepted Christ into our lives, our faith begins by acknowledging that even though we are sinners, God has wiped the slate clean.
But it can not stop there. Faithfulness comes in knowing patience, and being able to stand in the face of adversity!
3. Bring ‘em together!
A. Abide in Christ
Just like the ones before, if you want the Fruit of the Spirit evident in your life, you’ve got to be plugged into the source.
John 15:4-5 (NLT)
4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me. 5“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.
It is important to receive the nourishment that only Jesus Christ can give. We cannot produce patience unless we’re abiding in Christ, unless we’re walking in His steps, unless we’re reading His Word, unless we’re growing in our prayer life, unless we’re spending quality time in worship & fellowship with others in Christ.
B. Slow down
Hebrews 4:9-11 (NASB)
So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. 11Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.
It might be tough, but let’s not get so wrapped up in the ministry of life that we forget to minister. Take a step back, take some rest, remember where your peace comes from.
C. Overlook the small stuff (it’s all small stuff)
A man’s car stalled in heavy traffic just as the light turned green. All his frantic efforts to get the car started failed, & a chorus of honking horns behind him made matters worse. He finally got out of his car & walked back to the first driver behind him & said, "I’m sorry, but I can’t seem to get my car started. If you’ll go up there & give it a try, I’ll stay here & honk your horn for you."
Exodus 14:13-14 (NASB)
But Moses said to the people, "Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever.
14"The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent."
When we are able to overlook the smaller curves life throws at us by placing our trust in God, we will have faith and patience to endure with God in the bigger struggles of life.
D. Wait on the Lord
Matthew 6:25-27 (NLT)
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
E. Don’t Quit!
Psalm 100:5 (NLT)
For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
"Faithfulness is love hanging on." It is love saying, "I will not quit. There may be misunderstandings, there may be disappointments, there may be discouragements, but I will not quit." It is love hanging on.
- Pastor Melvin Newland
Failure is not an option. God wants you to continue in His name for His glory.
-Prayer
