Title: Love in patient
Text: 1 Corinthians 13:1-4
Introduction
A group of professional people posed the question “what is love.” to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds.
"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."
Rebecca - age 8
"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."
Karl - age 5
"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."
Chrissy - age 6
"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."
Terri - age 4
"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."
Danny - age 7
"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss"
Emily - age 8
"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."
Noelle - age 7
"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night."
Clare - age 6
"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."
Mary Ann - age 4
"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones."
Lauren - age 4
"I let my big sister pick on me because my Mom says she only picks on me because she loves me. So I pick on my baby sister because I love her."
Bethany - age 4
"Love is when mommy sees daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross."
Mark - age 6
"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget,"
Jessica - age 8
"There are two kinds of love. Our love. God's love. But God makes both kinds of them."
Jenny - age 8
In 1 Cor. 13:4-8 the apostle Paul gives us 16 different qualities that describe God’s kind of love.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
I want to speak today on the first of those 16 qualities of love; Love is patient.
The reality is… Every loving person must be a patient person.
“Be patient with everyone.” (1 Th. 5:14)
Be patient with our spouse (if married)
Be patient with our children
Be patient with everyone
Seriously how would you rank your patience?
On God’s scale of 1 to 16 where would you and I rank our patience?
Is patience a strong quality in my life?
The best I could say is… “I’m patient with 1 out of every 16 people.”
And the # 1 person I’m patient with is my self!
Most of us would not rank patience as the #1 quality in our life.
Yet according to 1 Cor 13 God wants patience to be the #1 quality in our lives.
The hardest people to be patient with are the ones we love the most.
Why is that?
Believe it or not that is the way God designed it!
You see the word used here in 1 Cor 13 for “patient” is better translated “longsuffering.”
Love is longsuffering.
That’s why with complete strangers it’s easy to be patient.
How much longsuffering do you really need if it’s just for 5-10 minutes?
But with those we live with and work with it’s a lot harder to be a model of patience.
It’s really here our patience needs to be the longsuffering kind.
Confession: Just last week Michelle said to me; “You are far more patient with others than yomy wife u are ever are with the kids.”
How do we develop a longsuffering patience for those we love?
1 Cor 13:1-4
“And now I will show you the most excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, (insert patience) I am only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, (insert patience) I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love (patience), I gain nothing.”
Notice that Paul starts the chapter by saying “And now I will show you the most excellent way.”
1. We would all agree that the most excellent way is always to not lose our patience
2. Most of us need to be shown how not to lose our patience.
So how do we develop a longsuffering patience for those we love?
1. We need to watch what we say and how we say it.
“And now I will show you the most excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal.”
What do I say when I am about to lose my patience?
When we’re about to lose our temper most of us say something that’s hurtful/something that is not very loving.
Examples “You always…."
"You never…”
Then consider how we say it? How do you say something that’s hurtful in a hurtful way?
Most of us don’t say it very nicely
Most of us don’t say it very quietly either
I need to watch what I say and how I say it.
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs so that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29
Does losing my patience build others up?
Does losing my patience benefit those who listen?
1. I need to watch what I say and how I say it
Instead of losing my patience and saying something that’s unwholesome I need to say something positive in a positive way.
2. I need to know and act on what God’s word says about patience
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
I am nothing without patience!
God’s word has a lot to say about patience
There is even an entire book in the Bible devoted to the subject of patience. The book of Job.
There are Bible characters who were experts in patience. Job. Abraham, Joseph. Moses, Paul the apostle.
I need to know and act on what God’s word says about patience.
“You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”
A. What is the purpose of patience?
Why does God want me to be more patient?
So I can be more like Him!
“He is patient with you…(2 Peter 3:9)
We take for granted the patience of God.
We take for granted the patience of God when we don’t extend the same patience to others.
B.What is the power of patience?
Patience is always rewarded.
Heb 6:15 “And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.”
How many times have we ever said? “I’m glad I waited.”
How many times have we ever said “I wish I waited longer?”
What is patience rewarded with? The promises of God!
3. Lastly in order to possess more patience I need to surrender everything to God.
If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
There is nothing to be gained by losing my patience!
Instead I need to possess more patience.
Where do I need to go in order to possess more patience?
I need to go to the source of patience.
God is the source of patience.
1.Patience is a fruit of the Spirit
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,…(Gal 5:22)
How do you bear fruit? By planting the seed of repentance.I ask forgiveness for my impatience.
Can God give me more patience?
“Being strengthening with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience.” (Col. 1:11)
Will I become a model of patience over night?
No!I need to be patient with myself.
I’m going to watch what I say and how I say it.
I’m going to learn and act on what God says about patience
I’m going to trust God to give me the patience I need.
