“Learning to Walk A New Way”
– Part Four June 28, 2009
OPEN: We’re focusing on five steps Paul gives us in the beginning of chapter four. Paul says walk worthy of the calling you have received. We’re learning how to walk a new way -
Review: We’ve thus far covered two of the 5 steps that are given to us here . We’ve talked about
humilty - what is humility? It is dealing with ourselves honestly before God. We’ve been given a high calling, but it calls for a lowly walk. We’ve talked about gentleness: Also called meekness in the Bible. It is power under control. Today we are going to be learning about practicing patience.
The progression: The first step is humility. “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up.” It always starts with humility. The absence of resistance, pride - eliminating boosting. Humility leads to something else – it leads to gentleness. People who are harsh and forceful in their criticisms and ideas lack this? Why because they haven’t really taken the first step. True humility results in gentleness – meekness of spirit. meekness is a manifestation of true humility, - humility leads to something else And we said that meekness is power under control, it isn't cowardice, it isn't a sentimentalism, it isn't an indifference, it isn't a Casper Milk Toast, it’s possessing power – but making the choice to keep that power under the control of God.
Now Catch This: The issue is confrontation – dealing with the tension that lies between what has been revealed about God and His Kingdom and his gifts to followers and the events we are experiencing in our lives. The way you live depicts your view of salvation. The way you give depicts your view of salvation. The way you relate to others depicts your view of salvation. If you don’t have a high view, then you are not going to have a worthy walk. When we have a high view of salvation, we begin to confront ourselves with what the Scriptures say we are to be. We are to exchange our old habits for new ones. Our old way of thinking for a new way. The word of God confronts the old and brings the new.
- John the Baptist said “He must increase and I must decrease” – that’s what the worthy walk is all about.
I had a conversation with a person a week ago in which they looked me in the eye and said – “You don’t believe in being born again do you?” When I said yes – he rolled his eyes. He smirked at my answer – this person was by the way a person who called himself a Christian – he just wasn’t one of those born-again kind of Christians. Folks I don’t know how to tell you this but there are not dozens of different kinds of Christians – there is only one kind – it’s the kind that Jesus described. “Unless you are born-again you can not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Being born-again means a completely different kind of life- just like you were - well – born-again. It’s not a modification of the old life – it’s not an improvement of the old life – it’s a different kind of life. When we are confronted with the word of God – we change – we exchange the old for the new.
So today we are going to take the next step listed here. In order to walk worthy of the calling we have received we are to be completely patient. How many have heard the phrase, “Patience is a virtue?” So let me ask the question – is there any aspect in our culture that really endorses that concept? We live in a world that is most impatient. We live in what I’ve begun to the facebook generation. It really is the “I want it now” generation. Everything is fast-paced. Fast is good – slow is bad. Commercials on TV have to be quick to grab the attention of the impatient viewers. Almost every offer we hear is, “Don’t wait –call now –right now. Do it today – if you are going to get the best possible don’t wait.” Restaurants have to be quick to deliver the meal or people will complain. Everything must be quick. Instant gratification is the driving motivation behind most of the technological advances during our generation. We are a culture totally intolerant of anything that brings delay. Such are the times in which we live and if we are not careful, we can soon get caught up in the “I want it now” and “I am in a hurry” mentality. Most people today are not good at waiting for anything but yet we know that the best things come to those who patiently wait. We, as Christians, must be patient. Waiting on the Lord shapes our Christian character. As we yield to the Holy Spirit, He produces "the fruit of the Spirit" on the inside of us.
As difficult as patience is to practice – it occupies a central role in Scripture in shaping God’s people.
I don’t know about you, but in life, I’m kind of a Federal Express person. When it absolutely, positively must get there overnight. Do you relate to this? Sometimes I wonder what I ever did without email – without a blackberry - high-speed internet. (Could you even imagine going back to dial-up?) Now, that may not be you, but that’s me. I’m a FedEx person. Have you ever thought what they did a hundred years ago in the pony express days when it absolutely, positively had to be there within three months? I’ve often thought that God knew when I had to be born in the world.
Now, here’s what I want you to know. When God develops you and me, he’s not in the FedEx business. You can’t email character. You can’t microwave the fruit of the spirit. It’s a process. It takes time. Remember the story of Moses? Remember how one day he saw how the Jewish people were being persecuted? He struck and killed an Egyptian soldier, and had to flee for his life. And for the next 40 years, you know where Moses was? He was out on the back-side of a desert. It was that 40-year, back-side-of-the-desert experience that God developed Moses to be a great leader for the children of Israel.
You see, God’s motto in developing our patience goes something like this: “When it absolutely, positively must be done in 40 years.” I promise you that the best attributes in your life are developed through a long, tedious, trying process. And your greatest accomplishments will be made over a long period of time. I look at Moses 40 years on the back-side of the desert. I look at Joseph, for years in prison. I look in the Word, and I see these great men of God, like David, who spent years as a refugee in caves, even though he was ready anointed to be king. In fact, every great character in the Bible went through not the microwave process, but the crockpot process. God isn’t interested in microwave Christians. He wants to put us in the crockpot, let us simmer, bring out the best in us. We want Fed-ex faith, But God is in the business of making Crockpot Christians. Let’s talk about patience.
DEFINITION: Websters Dictionary really gives a very good definition of the meaning of the word.
Patient – \pâ-shənt\ adjective 1: bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint 2: manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain 3: not hasty or impetuous 4: steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity
Makrothumia – It comes from the combination of two Greek words, makros, meaning long or “far away” and thumos, which means anger wrath or rage. So it literally means – long-tempered. Slow anger. Being a patient person has a great deal to do with controlling your temper – responding responsibly to the irritants in your life. It is the ability to face difficult circumstances and wrongs done to you without loosing your gentleness and humility. You don't blow up, you don't have a short fuse, you don't lose it, you are long tempered. There is an attitude emerging today that doesn’t match with God’s Word. It says you have got to stand up for yourself at all times. Have you heard that? Perhaps you have been in a restaurant and have ordered something. Do you believe God is sovereign or do you not? You order French fries, but they bring peas and they’re cold. – or maybe something even worse – broccoli. You get upset with the person who brought them and chastise them as they stand at your table. What right do we have to do that kind of thing? The world says, “Well, you are paying for it, so you’ve got a right to blast that waitress!” A pound of retaliation is justified for the ounce of offense.
So let me ask you, is it possible that God’s sovereignty extends all the way down to that waitress bringing you those cold peas instead of hot French fries? Is it possible that maybe God wants you to eat broccoli? Perhaps the Lord is placing you in that situation or situations like that because he’s trying to get you grow in the area of practicing patience in your life? Ill – having a few moments yesterday for a short bike ride. I had a couple of appointments I had to attend to – several chores around the house that had been unfinished and had to be done yesterday. I had about an hour for Missy and I to for a ride – we go out – and I have a flat on my bike. “you’ve got to be kidding!” Why does the tire always go flat when you are in a hurry? Why does the vacuum cleaner stop working the very day company is coming over? Ill of oven breaking down on Thanksgiving. What caused an oven to break down specifically on Thanksgiving? It works 364 days of the year and breaks down on Thanksgiving? Did you ever try to microwave turkey for 12 people? Why do those kinds of things happen?
More importantly, “Why are we so impatient when those things happen?” Because we are the exact opposite of what God wants us to be – we are short-tempered when he wants us to be long-tempered. Why do we give ourselves license to express anger or frustration at the slightest intrusion into our plans? When those kinds of things happen – who are we really angry at? Well if you believe in the sovereignty of God – ultimately it is directed at Him. Ultimately the anger is directed against the timetable and circumstances which the sovereign God has assigned to you. You see, all the events of your life, including flat tires and broken vacuum cleaners and so on, are divinely scheduled according to the plan of God for your life, which, I might add, you and I are usually unaware of, and a timetable that we don’t normally appreciate.
The reason why impatience and anger is such a serious sin in the eyes of God is because it always leaves God out of your thinking. It’s a manifestation of practical atheism. It is a snub directed at God’s sovereign plan and timetable for your life. You just thought you needed to be at that appointment. God knew that you needed to be somewhere else. You just thought you needed to have your carpets vacuumed for the company. God knew that you needed a dirty carpet for some other reason - maybe your visitors needed to be encouraged by your lack of perfection! Maybe you needed to be humbled! On that Thanksgiving we had a much longer time to enjoy the time we had with each other.
Now I know I’m being a bit facetious – but my point is that we give ourselves license to practice impatience far to easily. Being a patient person means you don’t have to go through life taking up an offense for everything that goes on. Why? Because you have exchanged your life. You have a gentle spirit. You are patient. You have humility in your life. You know that even when it doesn’t turn out the way you want it to turn out, God will weave it into His design somehow.
We all know that patience is not a natural trait – it doesn’t come easily to any of us. How we can tell when we are not practicing patience? You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. (James 5:8-9) The Bible gies us a very distinct clue of impatience. What does James say in this verse that shows impatience? Grumbling against each other. When we are impatient there is a natural tendency to grumble against circumstances and attack each other. James says grumbling is a tell-tale sign that we are not practicing patience. In fact, it tells us just the opposite, we’re on edge, we’re mad. You can even hear it in the word.. “Grrrr-umbling.” God considers grumbling or complaining a very serious sin because it is an indication that you really don’t trust Him. Our impatience is an indication that we really don’t believe that He is going to care for us, that He’s going to provide what is ultimately the best for us. That’s why Phil. 2:14 says, “Do everything without complaining or grumbling.” Let’s say that together... again. God is trying to instill within us a spirit of gratitude not of grumbling.
What Does the Bible Say About Patience?
It is An Attribute of God. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,” (Ex. 34:6)
God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. (1 Peter 3:20)
God Exercises Patience Towards Us The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) Aren’t you glad God is patient towards you? Now remember what the word means: long-suffering. God bears and suffers a long time with us. He perseveres – he is steadfast – he endures as we slowly respond to his grace. God is slow to judge and condemn us. God loves and cares for us despite our sin and rebellion and rejection. He suffers a long time with us.
Patience Is Not A Passive Exercise. Although most people consider patience to be a passive waiting or gentle tolerance, most of the Greek words translated “patience” in the New Testament are active, robust words. Consider, for example, Hebrews 12:1: “Therefore since we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (NKJV). Does one run a race by passively waiting for slow-pokes or gently tolerating cheaters? Certainly not! The word translated “patience” in this verse means “endurance – some translations have the word perseverance. A Christian runs the race patiently by persevering through difficulties. In the Bible, patience is persevering towards a goal, enduring trials, or expectantly waiting for a promise to be fulfilled. But don’t get patience confused with passivity. There’s nothing passive about running a race – the context here is of a person who is striving and pushing hard towards the finish line. It involves a great deal of effort and self-discipline and work.
Three Aspects of Patience: Circumstances – People - God
1. It Never Gives In To Circumstances We have to practice patience in the midst of our circumstances. Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. (James 5:7) If you’re going to be a farmer you are going to have to learn how to be patient. The farmer has to be patient. He plants the seed but depends on the rains to mature the crop that he has planted. And the point here, is that the farmer has no control over the rain. What does the farmer do when he doesn’t have enough rain to water his crops? Sit around his house and grumble and complain? Would that help any at all? All that would do is increase his anxiety. The farmer goes out to his field and does what he can and he learns to leave the rest with the Lord. The rain is beyond his control. There is nothing he can do about the rain beside ask God for it. But if God decides to withhold the rain (or as in our case these last three weeks to send a great deal of it) there is nothing that can be done to control it.
There are a whole lot of circumstances in this life that are beyond your control and there is nothing that you can do about them. The farmer can’t count on the rain, he can only hope for it. Same with us sometimes. There are times when things happen in this fallen world that you can’t control. It’s no one’s fault it’s just this imperfect life. And there is no use worrying, there’s no use grumbling, there’s no use swearing, there’s no use making life miserable for all those around you. All you can do is wait, but you can also place your trust in God to take care of it. Listen, God can use all things to our benefit, if we will allow Him to.
We also have joy with our troubles, because we know that these troubles produce patience. And patience produces character, and character produces hope. And this hope will never disappoint us, because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts. (Romans 5:3-5) So let me ask you a question about this verse: exactly how does patience produce character? How does that process work? How do troubles produce patience? - We learn that we can not control everything in this life – and perhaps more importantly – we shouldn’t try. Once we learn those lessons – we begin to develop character.
When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. (Hebrews 6:13-15) Now here's an illustration of a man who endured negative circumstances and never ever lost his patience. You know, God says to him, you're going to have as many descendants as the sand of the sea, and he never had had any. His wife was barren, they never had one kid and he was over 90. But he believed God and he patiently endured. Have many have become aware of the fact that God doesn’t work at the speed we want Him to work? It seems the problem we all face is that we are in a hurry and God isn’t!
Now what happened to Abraham? Abraham grew on the inside. He developed on the inside. He grew and expanded on the inside. That is what he is saying here. When we had patiently endured then the second part came - the outward expansion. It says he obtained the promises. So never look for the outside until you have the inside. The outside will come. He obtained the promises. It came as he desired and all the wonderful promises of God.
Noah, - God said to Noah to build a boat in the desert and he did it for a hundred and twenty years and God said it was going to rain, it was going to rain and there had never been rain in the history of the world, did you know that? Never been rain. But he did it, one hundred and twenty years he endured.
Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. If you want to understand what patience looks like open your bible and turn to the prophets. just remember Jeremiah. God said to him, Jeremiah, I want you to preach all your life long, here's your message, and I want to tell you this Jeremiah nobody will ever listen, nobody will ever turn and the nation is going to go right on into terrible evil in spite of what you say. But you know what? He said it, and he was faithful and he endured hatred, persecution, rejection, unbelief, because he had longsuffering. Because you know something? He was a truly humble man, so God's causes he would endure any circumstances for God's causes, it didn't matter what happened to him. And through his whole life he spent most of his time crying, didn't he?
2. It Never Gives Up On People Sometimes the problem in life isn't our circumstances it's the people around us. But patience is used in the Scripture also to speak of patience with people as well as patience with circumstances. For example: “We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” (1 Thess. 5:14) The church is the only society in the world in which membership is based on a single qualification--the candidate must be unworthy of membership. Therefore, every local church is an assembly of sinners who have been saved by God's redeeming grace, and you and I are among them. Because of this we need patience.
Three categories of people mentioned in this verse:
* The unruly - The word unruly is a military term that referred to the soldier who broke rank and did not stand in his place. The unruly person is a person who is out of line. Sometimes they are disorderly – other times they are just loafers (idle) (people who are resistant and rebellious)
* The fainthearted – people who are easily discouraged and disappointed– timid – afraid. People afraid to face difficult situations (people who don’t try as hard as they should)
* The weak - who yield so easily to temptation; those who are so easily burdened, discouraged, defeated, and led astray (people who are predisposed to certain weak area)
All three categories will at time try your patience. – We are called to suffer a long time – no matter the situation. Paul says - Be patient with everyone. Don't hurry them; don't be harsh with them; and don't drive them. Gently and tenderly lead them along. Patience means avoiding the natural reactions to people who tend to frustrate you. The natural tendency in each of these categories is to give up and move on to someone else. Patience never gives up. Why does the Bible say be patient with everyone? Because that’s what we need. You don’t need patience when everything is easy. You need patience when working with people because some people are just difficult to work with. Working with difficult people is difficult.
3. It Accepts God’s Plan For Everything He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:22-24) Remember the example of Jesus - He comes into the world and all He's ever known is the pristine majesty and the glory of heaven, all He's ever known in His preincarnate times was face to face fellowship with God the Father. All he's ever known is a marvelous kind of intimacy and all of a sudden He comes into this world and from an environment of total love, an environment of total worship, an environment of total sovereignty, an environment where the whole of the created heavens did nothing but praise His name from eternity past. He comes to a world with men who spit on Him, and mock Him and curse Him and do to Him all those things that men did to Him. And yet He endured that, and He endured right out at the cross. And then He took it all, not only the negative circumstance, the circumstance of being here instead of being there, but the people themselves. While He was even hanging on the cross bearing their sin they were spitting at Him and they were mocking Him and all He had to say to them was, “Father,” “forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And you know what happens to people that God forgive? They wind up where? In heaven, did you know that? You know what Jesus was asking? He was asking that the Father would bring some of His murderers, some of those who hated Him to heaven to be with Him forever. Now that's patience, don't you think? That's patience with people, as well as with circumstance. In the garden He said, “Father this circumstance is so hard, let this cup pass from Me, but nevertheless not my will but yours be done.” You see His ability to deal with the circumstance was that He knew it was God's plan. His will. Jesus had that wonderful ability to accept the plan from God. He could endure the negative circumstance, He could take all the stuff people had to dish out and He could accept anything at the hands of God, He was totally resigned to total humility which produced meekness, which produced long-suffering, with circumstances, with people, even with God.
CLOSE:
* Identify one area in your life in which you need to start practicing patience.
You probably don’t have to look very far – the church is made up of imperfect people – lots of opportunities right here in this room. It might be with someone at home – work – a neighbor – or it might be a situation which you want to change right now.
* Ask God to grant you the patience to deal with the situation in a new way
* Memorize Ecc. 7:8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.
* PowerPoint slides may be available for this message. Some slides I use have copy write restrictions on them - others are slides, which I’ve created. If this sermon has slides I’ve created, I’d be glad to pass them on to you for your use. Please feel free to email me at: timvamosi@charter.net
