1. Shingles
One fella walked into a doctor's office and the receptionist asked him what he had. He said, "Shingles." So she took down his name, address, medical insurance number and told him to have a seat. Fifteen minutes later a nurse's aid came out and asked him what he had. He said, "Shingles." So she took down his height, weight, a complete medical history and told him to wait in the examining room. A half-hour later a nurse came in and asked him what he had. He said, "Shingles." He said, "Shingles." The doctor said, "Where?" He said, "Outside in the truck. Where do you want them?"
There may be two ways to look at this. First, that delivery man’s patience was certainly tested. Second, he wasn’t very smart or else he would have explained what kind of shingles he had.
2. All of us encounter situations that can increase our patience
a. Stuck in traffic
b. Traffic lights (I think the City Manager programmed a picture of my car into the traffic control system and every time I drive into an intersection, the light turns RED!
c. Wal-Mart Lines
d. Perpetual hold on telephone
e. Immoral, illegal, and unethical behavior among those who should know better
3. James 5.7-11
a. Rich abusing poor (5.1-6)
b. Proper use of money – generosity of this congregation
c. In midst of money troubles and troubles from the moneyed
I. Patient Endurance In:
A. Fruit Production
1. Farmer’s Input
Some years ago, a study was done by an agricultural school in Iowa. It reported that production of a hundred bushels of corn from one acre of land required 4,000,000 lbs. of water, 6,800 lbs. of oxygen, 5,200 lbs. of carbon, 160 lbs. of nitrogen, 125 lbs. of potassium, 75 lbs. of yellow sulphur, and other elements too numerous to list. In addition to these ingredients are required rain and sunshine at the right times. Although many hours of the farmer’s labor are also needed, it was estimated that only 5 percent of the produce of a farm can be attributed to the efforts of man.
2. The Reason for Hebraic blessings like: “Blessed are you, Lord Our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the earth.” – Fruit of the vine – Matthew 26.26-29
3. An em-pha`-sis on waiting – Isaiah 40.31
but they who wait [hope] for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
4. We are co-laborers with God we act and he acts – 1 Corinthians 3.6
I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.
B. Anticipation for the Lord’s Return
1. The last promise of the bible – Revelation 22.20
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
2. A Destructive Picture – 2 Peter 3.10-18
3. A Grace Picture – 2 Peter 3.8-9
8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
C. Attitude Adaptation (v. 9 and 4.11-12)
1. No Grumbling (Israel in wilderness)
In some parts of Mexico hot springs and cold springs are found side by side. The woman often boil their clothes in the hot springs and rinse them in the cold springs. A tourist, who had been watching this procedure, remarked to his Mexican friend, “Guess they think old Mother Nature is pretty generous.” “No, senor,” the other replied. “There is much grumbling because she supplies no soap.”
2. No Judging – judgment for the judgmental (eternal and earthly)
3. Difficult times are opportunities to shine – Philippians 2.14-16
14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
a. Lights in darkness
b. In view of the end of the game
II. People of Endurance
A. Prophets
1. Forth-telling vs. Foretelling – 4 people that it would have been better not to have been born – those consumed with above; below; behind; ahead – faith is about today primarily, with a world to come
2. Calling people to God
12 They have lyre and harp,
tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts,
but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD,
or see the work of his hands.
13 Therefore my people go into exile
for lack of knowledge;
their honored men go hungry,
and their multitude is parched with thirst. Isaiah 5.12-13
3. Results in Retribution
29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30 saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? 34 Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, 35 so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! Matthew 23.29-37
a. Elijah vs. Ahab and Jezebel – 1 Kings 19.1-3
Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” 3 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
b. Amos falsely accused – Amos 7.10-13
10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. 11 For thus Amos has said,
“‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword,
and Israel must go into exile
away from his land.’”
12 And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there, 13 but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.”
c. Jeremiah thrown into cistern and threatened with starvation – Jeremiah 38.1-13
d. “Others” – Hebrews 11.32-40
e. Witnesses – Hebrews 12.1-2
4. Results in Ultimate Victory – Moses – But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. Exodus 17.12 (Emunah in Hebrew is translated as steadfast and as faith)
B. Job
“Where have you been, Father?” asked the son of Abraham Lincoln. “To the war department,” he answered. “Any news?” “Yes, plenty of news, but no good news. It is dark, dark everywhere.” He then reached forth one of his long arms and took a small Bible from a stand near the head of the sofa, opened its pages, and was soon absorbed in reading. Fifteen minutes passed, and on glancing at the sofa his wife observed that the face of the president was more cheerful. His dejected expression was gone, and his countenance was lighted up with new resolution and hope. Wondering at the marked change, and desiring to know what book of the Bible had comforted Mr. Lincoln, she walked gently around the sofa and saw that he was reading the comforting book of Job.
1. Job’s Character – There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. 2 There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. 3 He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. Job 1.1-3
2. Job’s Problem – Pride
3. End of Endurance is Joy – 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5.11-12
4. Includes God’s Expressions of Compassion and Mercy
Conclusion
In his autobiography, Number 1, Billy Martin tells about a hunting trip he took to Texas with Mickey Mantle. Mickey had a friend who would let them hunt on his land. When they reached the sprawling Texas ranch, Mickey told Billy to wait in the car while he checked in with his friend. Mickey’s friend told him it was okay to hunt, but he asked Mickey to do him a favor. He had a pet mule in the barn who was going blind, and he didn’t have the heart to put him out of his misery. He asked Mickey to shoot the mule for him.
When Mickey came back to the car, he thought he could have some fun with this. He pretended to be angry, scowling and slamming the car door. Billy asked him what was wrong and he started ranting and raving. “Here we’ve driven all the way down here to hunt and he isn’t going to let us. I’ll show him. If he won’t let us hunt on his land, I’m going out to his barn and shoot one of his mules!”
Mantle drove like a maniac to the barn. Billy Martin protested, “Mickey we can’t do that!” Mantle was red faced. “Just watch me!”
When they got to the barn, Mantle jumped out of the car with his rifle, ran inside, and shot the mule. A couple of seconds later he heard 2 more shots. He ran back to the car and saw that Martin had his rifle too. “What are you doing, Billy?” he yelled. By now Martin’s face was red with anger too. “We’ll show that son of a gun! I just killed two of his cows!”
I waited patiently for the LORD;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the LORD. Psalm 40.1-3
