INTRODUCTION
• VIDEO CLIP.
• SLIDE #1
• Can ANYONE here today relate to that video?
• When I follow the ministry of Jesus, I am intrigued by the level of patience Jesus showed with the people and especially the disciples.
• There were so many incidents with the disciples that would have pushed me over the edge.
• Hey Jesus, I know you taught about humility, but can we sit at your right and left when the Kingdom comes?
• He Jesus, it is storming and we are scared. Hey disciples, wait for me while I pray. Oh boy, you all fell asleep again?
• Then on the cross, most all of the disciples fled, oh boy!
• We are in a time where patience is a lost art. How often do we hear about some road rage incident where the preacher gets into a fight with someone driving slow down Fry Blvd.?
• Oh, wait, too close to home.
• But seriously, impatience is not a good thing.
• Have you ever lacked patience?
• Have you ever done the impatience foot stomp at the microwave? How about waiting for that INSTANT RICE? INSTANT RIGHT? What about in a crowd in the airport, you need to get to the next flight QUICKLY and folks are meandering around like time stopped!
• When you lacked patience, were the decisions you made good ones?
• When you lost patience, were you at your best in the way you treated people?
• A man was being tailgated by a stressed-out woman on a busy boulevard when, suddenly, the light turned yellow just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.
• The tailgating woman hit the roof, and the horn, screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to get through the intersection with him. As she was still in a mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer.
• The officer ordered her to exit the car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed and placed in a cell. After a couple of hours, an officer approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.
• He said, “I’m very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the ‘Choose Life’ license plate holder, the ‘What would Jesus Do’ bumper sticker, the ‘Follow Me to Sunday School’ bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk.” “Naturally, I assumed you had stolen the car!”
• I know some of my worst decisions happened when I lost my patience.
• Some of my worst Hall of Shame moments in life happened with I lost patience and then lost my temper.
• As a follower of Jesus, as we are being transformed into His image, one of the virtues we need to allow develop is the virtue of patience.
• Today let’s delve into the virtue of patience together as we look at the key idea being, I AM SLOW TO ANGER AND ENDURE PATIENTLY UNDER THE UNAVOIDABLE PRESSURES OF LIFE?
• We examine 2 Peter 3:8-9 together.
• SLIDE #2
• 2 Peter 3:8–9 (HCSB) — 8 Dear friends, don’t let this one thing escape you: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. God set the example for me to follow concerning patience.
• One of the things that is great about God is that He gives us an example to follow in life.
• In the context of 2 Peter 3 is that some were mocking God because it had been a long time since Jesus had ascended into heaven and yet, no return of Jesus yet.
• Peter was addressing the issue that the mockers had grasped on to.
• Peter explains that we are not to judge God by the same time restraints that humans are shacked.
• So Peter address the audience and he asks them not to ignore some pertinent information concerning the return of the Lord.
• With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.
• The story is told of a man who in a conversation with God asks him, “How long is a million years to you?”
• God responds, “Like a minute.” The man pauses and asks, “Then how much is a million dollars to you?”
• God tells him, “Like a penny.” With a sly smile on his face, the man goes on: “Then, God, would you please give me a penny?” And God says, “Sure, in a minute.”
• That with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day- comes from Psalm 90: 4.
• Time is not an issue with God. The passing of time is a human concept. God doesn't see time as we do, time doesn't affect promises or threats of God. God always keeps His word.
• Peter is saying, The Lord is not slow about His promise. Quit focusing on time and think that God is slow. Mark 13:32 tells us only the father knows when the Lord will return.
• The Greek word for slow means "to be tardy" or to linger. God is not late for an appointment.
• God is not slow to keep His promise; He is PATIENT with us.
• By not sending Jesus back yet, God is kept open the door of salvation to whomever will respond to the call. Once Jesus returns, the door is CLOSED!
• Compassion is what keeps God from sending Jesus at this point.
• God has demonstrated great patience with humans from the fall in the garden, to the present day.
• God has not flamed us in the face of defiance toward Him because God does not desire ANYONE to perish!
• Perish is the same word used in verses 6 and 7 where it is translated "destruction" or "destroy". It speaks of being delivered up to eternal misery in Hell. God's goodness is meant to bring people to repentance. The response is up to them.
• SLIDE #4
• Romans 2:4 (HCSB) Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
• The Greek word for "come" means to enter in or go in. Repentance is a change of mind, and a change of action resulting from Godly sorrow for sin.
• It includes restitution where possible. This is what God wants Christians to do!
• The fact that God offers mankind the time and opportunity to repent is not to be taken as evidence that God will never send Jesus into the World again!
• Do not let time make you think that God will not deliver on His promise of Jesus returning one day.
• Now, we see that God has been patient, but now let’s grasp what patience is.
• SLIDE #5
II. Patience is about persevering under pressure.
• The word PATIENCE that is used has a flavor of being slow to anger.
• The primary virtue of patience is taking a long time to become angry, or to overheat. The Greek word carries the idea of a thermometer.
• As we mature we learn to control our anger so that we can practice patience in all circumstances.
• The word patience is used of the steadfastness of the general or soldier in putting up with hardships, i.e., “endurance” until a goal is reached.
• Ancient Greek usage of the word also was used when those engaged in the battle of life are compared to swimmers in the sea who are seeking the safety of the shore.
• The goal is safety!
• WHEN WE LOSE PATIENCE, WE USUALLY LOSE OUR TEMPER WITH IT.
• I could, or my wife could tell you stories of my lack of patience escapades!
• The word patience means to be even-tempered while enduring trying circumstances; such as, Fry BLVD, Wal-Mart check-out lanes, waiting to talk to an IRS agent, or trying to reach a human being on the phone with Direct TV.
• When we face trails, and delays in life, we will make those times much worse when we lack patience.
• Our lack of patience will push us to make bad choices. Abraham and Sarah made some bad choices because they lacked the patience to wait for God to deliver on His promise to them.
• SLIDE #6
III. Why should I develop patience?
• Why should I develop patience other than lower blood pressure, less stress, fewer poor decisions, less time looking foolish, less embarrassing moments in life?
• We need to understand that God is in control, we are not!
• When you drop down to verse 10 of 2 Peter 3, look at what it says.
• SLIDE #7
• 2 Peter 3:10 (HCSB) But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that day the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed.
• Notice that the mockers were not going to change God’s timetable. God is in control and when we learn to embrace that fact, life gets easier because we will not think we are responsible for running the events of the world.
• At the core of patience is enduring until a goal is reached. Our goal is to be with Jesus one day, what else really matters? WE will deal with a great number of hardships until we see Jesus.
• For much of the time circumstances are beyond our control, and the people we deal with cannot be changed by us, and there are many things in life that are simply unexplainable.
• If we cannot control people, many of the circumstances of life, and we know we are going to face problems we cannot explain why are we exerting so much energy and emotion trying to control what only God can control?
• By the way, KNOWING God is in control can help us to develop patience.
• We should develop patience because God rewards patience!
• SLIDE #8
• James 5:11 (HCSB) See, we count as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
• God rewarded Job for his patience under duress.
• Also from James 5:11, we see another reason to develop patience, since God is in control, God is working it out!
• Job’s once perfect life was falling apart around him. His friends turned on him, his wife turned on him, he lost all of his family as well as all he owned, yet Job did not turn his back on God.
• God restored Job for his patience, God was in control.
• We also see that endurance that flows from patience does something wonderful for us.
• SLIDE #9
• James 1:2–4 (HCSB) Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.
CONCLUSION
• Patience is something we need to develop in life. Many bad decisions are made that cost us relationally, spiritually, along with at times, our very lives.
• The way we develop patience is to make sure our priorities are right, that we are always looking to do God’s will while we endure.
• Maybe there is a reason we are in the shortest check-out line for the longest time?
• WE need to constantly remind ourselves that God is in control, and we need to remember our ultimate goal in life, eternal life with Jesus. Waiting a few extra minutes (or hours) at the stoplight at 92 and Fry just gives me more time to pray.
