The message this morning is “The enemy hates Hupomone.” Well, Bro. Barry, what is Hupomone? Hupomone is what we see in the life of Jesus. Hupomone is what we see in the life of the Apostle Paul. Hupomone is what we see in all those who say they are disciples of Jesus.
In the Bible, Hupomone is translated 29 times as patience. But there is a different Greek word for the word “patience” – makrothumia. It means “long suffering, forbearance or self-restraint toward people.” So, yes, you are being patient towards people. But that’s not what Hupomone means.
Hupomone is a compound of two Greek words. The first is “hupo,” which means “under, to be under something that’s very heavy.” The second word is “mone,” [mo-nay] which means “to stay, to remain, to continually abide in one place.”
Turn with me to John 15:7 – “If ye abide (mone) in me, and my words abide (mone) in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”
“Mone” means you have come to a place where you believe something and you are not going to move from it.
Together, “hupo” and “mone” mean “to persevere, remain under as to things and circumstances.” You are going to endure.
There are a lot things going on in our country today, in our society, that are not godly. And there is a temptation, there is a pressure to move away, to compromise on the Word of God.
There was a man who was at work and he made a comment to one of his coworkers who happens to be a lesbian about Jesus’ love for her, that Jesus wants her to be in heaven and to experience a life that is more than abundant. He got fired for saying that. The company looked at that as hate speech.
Hupomone is associated with hope. First Thessalonians 1:3 says “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience (Hupomone) of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father.”
Hupomone refers to that quality of character which does not allow one to surrender to circumstances or succumb under trial. And the only way a person can have this quality is he or she has to be born again. He or she has to be a son or daughter of God.
Hupomone is a state of mind that declares “This is what the Word of God says. This what the Word of God promises. I’m standing on it. I’m not moving!”
Luke 8 is the record about the sower that we also see in Mark 4.
Look at verse 8. “And other fell on good ground, and sprung up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he (Jesus) had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
Look at verse 11. “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.” If the seed is the Word of God, what has to happen to the seed before it can produce? It has to die. So you have to put the Word of God into you and you have to die to that word in order for that word to produce in your life
Look at verse 15. “But that on the good ground are they (which we read in verse 8), which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience (Hupomone).”
Think about when a farmer plants a seed. He plants a seed today and he goes out tomorrow and there’s a sprout. No. He may not see a sprout for two weeks. And if he pulls up that sprout, is he going to get the benefits of the seed? No.
The same is true of us. Because we are born into this world, and because we have a mind that needs to be renewed, we have to put the seed on over and over and over until the seed starts to germinate, to take root in our lives.
Now turn to Romans 5. Hupomone means that when you know what the Word of God says, you’re not going to settle for anything less. You are not going to compromise.
In verse one we read “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Okay, why is the therefore there?
Let’s go back to chapter 4 and begin reading with verse 18.
(18) [Abraham] Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
(19) And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb:
(20) He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
(21) And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
That word “fully” means “to be full to capacity.” There was no room for doubting in Abraham’s mind. He knew that he knew that he knew that what God had promised was going to come to pass.
That’s all part of Hupomone.
Now back to chapter 5.
(1) Therefore being justified by faith [just like Abraham], we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(2) By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
(3) And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience (Hupomone);
(4) And patience (Hupomone), experience; and experience, hope:
(5) And hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost with is given to us.
Because we Hupomone, because we stand on the Word of God and we don’t back down, we have an experience with God knowing that He comes through, that He does what His Word says He’s going to do. And you only see this when you don’t stagger, when you don’t compromise.
Look in 1 Thessalonians 1.
(1) Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
(2) We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; [Why?]
(3) Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience [hupomone] of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
(4) Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
(5) For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
(6) And ye became follower of us, [Why? Because you have the quality of character that does not allow you to give into circumstances or succumb to trial.] and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:
(7) [Now this is verse I want you to see.] So that ye were ensamples [the type, the mold from which others were developed because of hupomone.] to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. [Paul is telling them “I wasn’t the example. You were! It wasn’t me they were following. It wasn’t me they were looking to. It was you!”]
(8) For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.
Paul is saying the impact the believers in the church went beyond Macedonia and Achaia. Do you know what that tells me? Nina may live in Ohio, but she can influence people in Florida. We have to start looking at our lives the way God sees it.
Now look at verse 12 of chapter 2. Let’s begin with verse 11.
(11) As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,
(12) That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
(13) For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
People like me, we are simply the donkey’s that Jesus rides in on. We deliver the message, but we are not the message. Paul says that when the believers saw him and they heard the word that he preached, they heard what he said but they heard it not as coming from Paul but from the very throne room of God! That’s how they accepted it and that’s why it was able to work in them.
Let’s go to James 1.
(1) James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
(2) My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations.
(3) Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience [hupomone];
Now notice what it says in verse 4. I want you see the word “let.” You can decide when you’re faced with a circumstance or a situation, where or not you’re going to be hupomone. You have to decide.
(4) But let patience [hupomone] have her perfect (maturing) work, that ye may be perfect (mature) and entire (complete, nothing more to add), wanting nothing.
Turn to Hebrews 10.
(35) Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
(36) For ye have need of patience [hupomone], that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
“After ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” What does this tell us? After we have received the word, after we have stored it in our hearts, after we have decided that there is nothing that is going to pull you away from it – that’s when it’s going to come to pass.
Hebrews 12:1 says “Wherefore seeing we also are compasses about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, [What is the every weight we are to lay aside? Everything that goes against what the Word of God says and causes us to live in unbelief.] and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience [hupomone] the race that is set before us.”
Verse 2: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured [hupomone] the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Ladies and gentlemen, we are running a race and we have already won first place! Did you hear me? We’re running a race and we have already won first place. Why? Jesus has already finished the race for us!
Let’s finish up in Revelation 1:9. “I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience [hupomone] of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, [Why was he there?] for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
What happens when we receive the word? The parable of the sower tells us that Satan comes immediately to do everything he can to drive the word out of us. John is telling us that the only reason he was on Patmos was because he stood for God.
“It wasn’t because I bad-mouthed the emperor. It wasn’t because I didn’t pay my taxes. It was simply because I said ‘Jesus is Lord.’ It was simply because I said I will bow to no one but Jesus. It was simply because I said that if Jesus says this and you don’t agree, you’re wrong.”
This is the type of stand hupomone communicates. It doesn’t matter ladies and gentlemen what you believe, what you think or what you say. If it doesn’t line up with God’s Word, I am going to stand for God’s Word.
When you allow hupomone to live in you, to drive you, you will take a stand for truth. You will not compromise. What God says in His Word – that will be your standard. Nothing else! Amen!
