ARE YOU READY?
1: First question, “I said, Do it?. The answer? It’s probably the word “Now”.
2. “I want it?” What is the first word that came to your mind? It’s probably was the word “Now.” Not next week, not next month, not next year, not tomorrow, but now!”
3. In a common prayer we might say, “Dear God, give me patience and give it to me…What is your answer. “Now!”
We live in a NOW world!
• We no longer have to get in front of our car and take a crank and turn it to get it started.
• We no longer have to go to a hand pump and pump the handle to get water.
• We no longer have to light a match to light the oven to cook our meals.
• We no longer have to build a fire in the fireplace to get heat to stay warm.
• We no longer have to wait on a party line on the telephone to get to talk with some on the telephone.
• We no longer have to get out of our easy chair and walk across a room to change the television channel. We now have remote controls!
Man has invented all kinds of things, and two of the reasons behind these marvelous inventions is:
1) LAZINESS
2) IMPATIENCE.
But no where in the scriptures can you find a place where Jesus was in a hurry or impatient. NOWHERE!
But we can find in the scripture where the Lord teaches us to be patient:
• Lamentations 3:25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
• Psalms 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
• Psalms 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
God never intended for His people to live their life in this fast pace world like many are doing.
But we are all in a hiurry…aren’t we !!!
Illus: Sometime when we are traveling my wife tells me to slow down I want to enjoy the scenery!!!
Illus: The great New England preacher Phillips Brooks was noted for his patience. At times, however, even he suffered moments of frustration and irritability.
• One day a friend saw him feverishly pacing the floor like a caged lion and he said, "What's the trouble, Mr. brooks?”
• "The trouble is that I'm in a hurry, but God isn't!"
Haven't we felt the same way many times in this NOW WORLD!
Impatience has messed up a lot of Lives. It would amaze you to know:
• How many marriages have been destroyed because of impatience.
• How many churches have been destroyed because of impatience.
• How many careers have been destroyed because of impatience.
• How many are in prison because of impatience.
Patience is one of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5, they are:
• Love
• Joy
• Peace
• Longsuffering
• Kindness
• Goodness
• Faithfulness
• Gentleness
• Self-control
We can destroy our Christian testimony simply by being impatient.
Illus: The story is told of a Pastor who had a very bad Sunday morning.
• His alarm didn't go off so he started out late.
• He got to the car and he had a flat tire.
• He got the tire changed and realized his teen daughter who had borrowed it last night had used up almost all the gas, so he had to stop on his way to get gas.
• At the gas station he realized he left his wallet at home, so he went back and got it.
• Then he went back to get gas. Now he is going to be really late.
• Finally he got on the expressway and was driving above the speed limit to make up for loss time. In the process he was in such a hurry he did not noticed he passed a state trooper who turned on the lights and proceeded to pull him over.
• Jumping out of his car, the agitated preacher said, "Well, go ahead and give me a ticket. Everything else has gone wrong today."
• The policeman walked up and said quietly, "Sir, I used to have days like that too, before I became a Christian." – Ouch!
Look at James 5:7-11 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
James’ audience is facing persecution. They are being mistreated, and those who are doing it to them are prospering.
And what does James preach to the people of God? Patience?
He use two things to teach us patience.
(1)Second Coming Of Christ
The wealthy is making life for the poor difficult. Things have not change that much has it?
James states as he writes to these christians that while they were suffering the wicked was prospering.
But James was saying to these persecuted christians Be Patient…Your Pay Day Is Coming!!!
James 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
Things can get very difficult in this life, but one day when the rapture takes place it is going to be a different situation.
Notice, this preposition phrase in verse 7, “…Unto the coming of the Lord…”
Some translators translate the word “Unto” into the word “Until”. He later use the word “Until”.
He is saying the rich is making life difficult for you but things are going to change drastically…so be patient UNTIL THE COMING OF THE LORD.
James is telling these christians in Philippi be patient…YOUR PAY DAY IS COMING!!!
But he used something else to teach us about patience.
He used the life of a…
(2) FARMER
James teaches us patience by using the life of the farmer.
James says to be like the farmer: “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient.”
Put yourself in the farmer’s shoes for just a moment. It really takes a lot of patience to be a farmer.
There are many things out of a farmer’s control that requires a lot of patience.
• He has no control over the sunshine or amount of rain that will fall.
• He cannot control the temperature.
• He cannot prevent theft or vandals, or fully stop animals from grazing on his crops.
• He cannot even guarantee that the seeds he had planted will sprout!
• And when things are planted, he has to wait for months.
There is so much out of his control! He has to wait, hope, and pray and see how things turn out!
Can you imagine being a farmer without patience?
There are many times in life when we are put in the position of the farmer. There are many things out of our control in our life.
There are problems in our life that we have to be patient because sometimes we know we can not do anything about the situation. Such as:
• We have no control over a market crash.
• Friendships for some reason can fizzle.
• Our car can break down.
• We have no control over politics and the polices that are produced.
• We have no control over inflation.
• Insurance and other rates can go up.
• Health problems occur.
What do we do?
In these situations, we wait on the Lord, look to Him, and to His Coming.
We need a lot of patience today!!!
Especially we need to be patient with the elderly.
ILLUS: A couple in their 80's were having problems remembering things, so they decided to the go the doctor for a checkup.
The doctor tells them that they are physically okay, but they might want to start writing things down to help them remember.
Later that night, while watching TV, the old man gets up from his chair. His wife asks, "Where are you going?" "To the kitchen for a drink," he replies. She asks, " Will you get me piece of cake?"
The husband says, "Sure." She gently reminds him, "Don't you think you should write it down so you don't forget it?" He says, "No, I can certainly remember that!"
Then the woman says, "Well, I'd like some strawberries on top. You'd better write it down because I know you'll forget it." The man replies, "I can remember that! You want some cake with strawberries."
She adds, "I'd also like whipped cream on top. Now I'm certain you're gonna forget that, so you'd better write it down ok." Irritated, he says, "I don't need to write it down woman! I can remember that! Cake with strawberries! And whipped cream!"
He then grumbles into the kitchen.
After about 30 minutes the old man returns from the kitchen and hands his wife a plate of bacon and eggs. She stares at the plate for a moment and says, "Where's my toast?
We have a lot of problems each day that requires patience.
• You are in a hurry to get somewhere and you’re behind a slow driver who thinks driving 20 miles an hour is speeding. You have to slow down and wait for a chance to pass the driver ahead of you.
• You have to make an important phone call and all you get is an answering machine.
We are constantly waiting whether we are at:
• A traffic light,
• Waiting for a train to pass
• Or stuck in traffic,
• Waiting for an elevator,
• Waiting for a ride at an amusement park.
Wait! Wait! Wait!
“Wait “ is a word we Americans do not like.
We do not like to wait:
• On the phone,
• In traffic,
• In check-out lines,
• Slow computers,
• Or even talk people who take too long to get to the point.
When it comes to WAITING, yes, we have to WAIT on God also.
God works on a different time clock than we do.
Isaiah 40:31, tells us why He would have us wait. “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
Paul recognized this problem we have with patience.
Let us look at a few things about patience. First, we need to consider-
I. THE DEFINITION OF PATIENCE.
Let me give you a good definition of patience. "Patience is a calm endurance based on the certain knowledge that God is in control."
GOD IS IN CONTROL!!!
The Bible says in Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Notice, the scripture does not say all things that happen to us are GOOD but the scripture says ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THEM THAT LOVE GOD.
We recognize God is in control of our life even during the difficult times in our life.
We have looked at THE DEFINITION OF PATIENCE but let us also look at-
II. THE DEVELOPING OF PATIENCE.
Patience is a virtue that has to be developed as we live day by day.
It is not easy to develop patience. Why?
A. IT GOES AGAINST HUMAN NATURE.
We aren’t born with patience!!!
Illus: For example, when a baby wakes up in the middle of the night and is hungry, or its diaper is wet, it does not lie there and think:
• "I know Mom and Dad are tired. So I’ll just wait until a more convenient time to let them know that I need something to eat or my diaper changed."
• No! That baby cries impatiently and continues to cry until it receives the attention it demands.
He wants some attention and he wants it NOW!!!
Many parents and schools are not teaching children patience.
Children aren’t very patient nor are we adults!!!
Have you ever traveled with a child? That can be quite an experience.
Illus: How about the little 4-year-old boy who was traveling with his mother and constantly asking the same question over and over again?
• "When are we going to get there?
• When are we going to get there?"
Finally, the mother got so irritated that she said, "We still have 90 more miles to go. So don’t ask me again when we’re going to get there. Becausae if you do I am going to stop the car and give you a spanking…do you understand?"
Well, the boy was silent for a long time because he knew his mother was going to tear him up if he said one more time, “When are we going to get there?” So he changed things around and he said, "Mom, will I still be four when we get there?"
Patience goes against human nature.
Now here’s a second reason why developing patience is difficult.
B. WE LIVE IN A WORLD OF IMPATINCE.
Americans live in a world of:
• Fast food
• Fast expressways
• 10-minute oil changes
• Instant cameras
• Microwaves.
Illus: A couple of years ago a survey revealed that we have become an impatient nation. With all the things we have to make life easy we have become spoiled rotten!!!
Illus: There is even a church in Florida that advertises 22-minute services. Go there and they promise that in 22 minutes it will all be over, and you’ll be out of there.
Illus: One of the Calvin and Hobbes comic strips Calvin walks by holding a microwave dinner, reading the instructions. "It takes 6 minutes to microwave this," he says. “Who’s got that kind of time?"
We live in rat race society. When things start to move slow for some folks they get uptight fast and irritable!
Illus: Someone said:
“Patience is a virtue,
Possess it if you can.
Found seldom in a woman,
Never in a man.”
Impatience can get us into some serious trouble!!!
Illus: A young man was very upset with his mother. They had argued, and at work that day he wrote her an angry letter telling her all the things that he felt were wrong with her. It was a very nasty letter. After sealing the envelope, he handed it to a co-worker to mail it for him. Well, the co-worker knew what was in the letter, so he put it in his pocket. "Maybe he’ll have second thoughts about it. I can always mail it tomorrow," he thought.
The next day, when he went to work, his friend was sitting there and said, "Oh, I wish I had never written that letter. I’d give $100 to have it back."
Well, you know what happened, don’t you? His friend pulled it out of his pocket and said, "Here it is."
We all are aware that we need to develop the virtue of patience? But how do we do it?
We have looked at:
• The Definition of Patience
• The Developing of Patience
But let us look at one more thing concerning patience, that is-
III. THE DECISION OF PATIENCE.
That is if you want God to help you be a patient person you must make the decision - that is you must say:
• “I am tired of living a life of frustration.
• I am tired of this impatience that is wrecking my life.
• I am tired of these temper tantrums in my life.”
Then you must take action!
Let me give you several suggestions. The first suggestion is our victory is…
I. THROUGH CHRIST
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
The Philippians church was going through some difficult times. And Paul wanted to assure them Christ will give them the strength through Christ to face those difficult times.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN WE CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST?
This verse of scripture has been mis-taught many times. These christians at Philipi were going through some difficult times.
What did Paul mean we can do all things through Christ?
Before we can understand what he meant we can do all things through Christ in verse 13, we need to look at the verse that precedes this verse…VERSE 12
Look at Philippians 4:12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
What Paul is teaching us in this passage we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength to face any circumstance we have to face in life.
• It might be the death of a loved one.
• It might be a divorce that was un-preventable.
• It might be Bankruptcy
• It might be a love one or a friend who has broken your heart
Whatever the circumstance we face God gives us the strength through Christ to face those circumstances.
Illus If you have ever read the book Fox’s book of martyrs you can not help but to wonder how these christians died such cruel deaths praising the Lord.
But I can tell you how God gives us His strength to overcome anything that comes into our life.
Look what Paul had to go through…
In 2 Corinthians 11:23-27 Paul talks about some of those circumstances he had to face. Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
Paul went through some difficult times but he is telling the Philippian Christian as they go through some hard times GOD’S STRENGTH IS AVAILABLE TO THEM IN THE SAME WAY IT WAS TO HIM.
Notice it does not say I can do all things through myself!
Some time we think to highly of ourselves which bad circumstance come up we have the strength available to us.
Illus: Listen, a man can be six foot tall and can bench press a thousand pounds but did you know that a little germ can be so small it can only be seen by a powerful microscope can knock that man down where he can not get up for ten days.
It does not mean we can do all things through Christ, such as:
• Fly off a ten story building.
• Win a football game.
• Score high on a SAT SCORE.
It means we can face all the difficulties of life because we can do it through god’s strength.
Another thing is we need to know about a patience, we need to…
B. SLOW DOWN.
We live in a fast pace society.
Illus: Have you ever been going down the interstate obeying the speed laws. But every one is passing you. But after a little while you are going the same speed as everyone else.
Have you ever tried to hurry through something and the more you got in a hurry the worse it got?
Illus: Two brick layers were bragging how many bricks they can lay in a day.
But living in this NOW WORLD OF SPEED it shows up in the life in many ways.
• One said, I can easily lay fifteen hundred in a day.
• Another one said, I can easily lay two thousand in a day.
• The third one very wisely said, I can lay as much as any brick layer if I did not care how they look once I laid them.
Illus: I love the “Peanuts” characters and comic strip, probably because I can so easily relate to Charlie Brown. In one of his strips, Charlie visits Lucy at her psychology booth, and she gives him this advice: “Life is a lot like a deck chair. Some place it to see where they have been, and some so they can see where they are at the present.” To which Charlie sighs, and says: “I can’t even get mine unfolded.”
Someone said, “When we find ourselves digging ourselves into a hole the best thing to do is quit digging!”
Some have become weary in life and they and have become impatient:
• “I am tired of this marriage I am going to get a divorce.”
• “I am tired of teaching Sunday School. I am going to quit teaching.”
• “I am tired of singing in the choir, I am going to quit singing in the choir.”
• “I am tired of coming to church, I am going to quit coming.”
We make our worst decisions when we are tired and impatient. We later regret it!
God’s Word says min Galatians 6:9 “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
The Lord came up with the idea of a Sabbath day - a day to worship and rest.
• Our bodies need it,
• Our minds need it,
• Our spirits need it.
We need time just to sit and reflect on God and what He’s doing, and absorb His teaching.
• So take a walk.
• Spend some time in the park.
• Watch the children play,
• Listen to the birds sing.
• Watch a good John Wayne cowboy movie.
• Read a book.
• Plant a flower and watch it grow.
Conclusion:
JESUS IS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF PATIENCE!!!
II Peter 3:9, says, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
One thing we can all be thankful for is that GOD IS A PATIENT GOD. If He was not patient none of us would be here today!
Illus: According to a traditional Hebrew story, Abraham was sitting outside his tent one evening when he saw an old man, weary from age and journey, coming toward him. Abraham rushed out, greeted him, and then invited him into his tent. There he washed the old man's feet and gave him food and drink.The old man immediately began eating without saying any prayer or blessing. So Abraham asked him, "Don't you worship God?" The old traveler replied, "I worship fire only and reverence no other god." When he heard this, Abraham became incensed, grabbed the old man by the shoulders, and threw him out of his tent into the cold night air.When the old man had departed, God called to His friend Abraham and asked where the stranger was. Abraham replied, "I forced him out because he did not worship you."
God answered, "I have suffered him these eighty years although he dishonors me. Could you not endure him one night?"
We must not let this fast-paced world that is known for making bad decision be setting the pace for us in making our decisions.
If God was to judge the world right now, at this very minute, a lot of people, we love and care about would be sent to hell, but thank God, He give them one more minute, one more day, one more week, one more month, one more year, to come to Him!!
When it comes to patience we have looked at:
I. THE DEFINITION OF PATIENCE
II. THE DEVELOPING OF PATIENCE
III. THE DECISION OF PATIENCE
Note: You can hear this sermon preached on Youtube. Type in the word “Lykesland”
