INTRODUCTION
A man’s car stalled in the heavy traffic as the light turned green. All his efforts to start the engine failed, and a chorus of honking behind him made matters worse. He finally got out of his car and walked back to the first driver and said, "I’m sorry, but I can’t seem to get my car started. If you’ll go up there and give it a try, I’ll stay here and blow your horn for you.
Did you hear about the teacher who was helping one of her kindergarten students put his boots on? He asked for help and she could see why. With her pulling and him pushing, the boots still didn’t want to go on.
When the second boot was on, she had worked up a sweat. She almost whimpered when the little boy said, "Teacher, they’re on the wrong feet." She looked and sure enough, they were. It wasn’t any easier pulling the boots off then it was putting them on. She managed to keep her cool as together they worked to get the boots back on - this time on the right feet. He then announced, "These aren’t my boots." She bit her tongue rather than get right in his face and scream, "Why didn’t you say so?" like she wanted to. Once again she struggled to help him pull the ill-fitting boots off. He then said, "They’re my brother’s boots. My Mom made me wear them." She didn’t know if she should laugh or cry. She mustered up the grace to wrestle the boots on his feet again. She said, "Now, where are your mittens?" He said, "I stuffed them in the toes of my boots..."
How many of you like to wait on things? How many times have we wanted something to happen, but got impatient because it did not happen now!
Patience can sometimes be hard to muster.
As we continue to look at some of the attribute of our awesome God, we are going to look at an attribute that we would do well to pick up on in our own life. This attribute is PATIENCE.
Today we are going to see that God is patient, not indifferent. We will look at the motivation for God’s patience and we will see the blessing of God’s patience for us.
SERMON
I. GOD IS PATIENT NOT INDIFFERENT 3-9
A. Patience is not indifference v3-4
A French proverb says, "Laziness is often mistaken for patience." Perhaps the opposite is also true; patience is often mistaken for laziness. A mother once chided her doctor, when her daughter was ill and she was worried. "Why don’t you do something?" she asked. "I am doing something," replied the doctor. "I am waiting." Many of us have trouble determining when we are being patient and when we are being lazy.
This book was written within 30 years of the resurrection and the people then were thinking that God was not going to do anything. Can you imagine how it is today, over 2000 years since the resurrection?
Peter tells us that in the last days (in which we have been living since the resurrection of Jesus) that people would say that God is not going to do anything.
Even those who are Christians really do not expect Jesus to return anytime soon. We tend to think that of something does not happen now, it will not happen.
The sad thing is that these people who were mocking God are the very people who do not want Him to come yet because they are not ready for Jesus to return.
The Second Coming of Jesus was preached often by the Christian preachers of the early church, Matthew and the other gospel writers wrote about it when Jesus told them He was going to return. Paul and Peter wrote about the Second Coming.
B. God is all-powerful v5-7
Peter is telling those who would question God that things have not always continued on their natural course. He points out to a historical event; the flood to show that God does what He says. Peter says that these people have conveniently forgot this fact. This was a fact that they were willingly ignoring to promote their false teaching.
God created everything from nothing; He can wipe it out whenever He chooses to.
God is holding it all together until the Day of Judgment. Hebrews 1:3 tells us that He upholds all things by the power of His word!
God exercised that judgment once with the flood of Noah’s day.
The same word that created the earth, the same word that destroyed that world by water is the same word that is holding it all together for the time in which it will all be destroyed by fire at judgment time.
C. God is not operating on our time table v8-9a
Peter wanted to point out to the critics that just because it has not happened yet does not mean it will not happen because God is not on the same time clock that we are.
Peter bases verse 8 on Psalm 90:4 which says, ”For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it passes by, Or as a watch in the night.”
God lives in eternity and is not limited by the same time-space concepts that we are.
Because God is on a different time frame does not mean that He is indifferent about the return of Jesus.
We should not look at look at the time that has gone by as an indication that God is slow about the promises that He makes, but that it just not time yet.
The Lord is patient, He is not eager to punish those who reject Him.
1 TIMOTHY 2:3-4 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
God’s time frame is affected by His patience. This attribute of God is spoken of in Exodus 34:4, Numbers 14:18, Psalms 86:15, Jeremiah 15:15 among other places.
II. THE MOTIVATION FOR GOD’S PATIENCE 9-14
A. God wants us all to have time to repent v9
ROMANS 2:4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
God was patient in the Old Testament times. 1 Peter 3:20 speak of the patience of the Lord during the days of Noah. Noah preached for 120 years, yet no one else entered the ark, but God was patient to allow Noah that long to build the ark and try to convince people of their need to repent. In the story of Jonah God sent Jonah to preach to the terribly wicked people of Nineveh. Jonah did not want to go because he knew that God would withhold His wrath if they did repent. (Jonah 4)
Repentance is something that we must do if we are going to go to heaven.
Repentance literally means, “to change ones mind”. It means in the context of the New Testament it means that we change our mind concerning our way of living and then submit ourselves to God and His ways of life.
We realize that our current way of life is not pleasing to God because we are leaving Jesus out of our lives. To repent means that we are going to leave our old ways and adopt God’s ways.
Once Jesus returns or when we die, it will be too late for us to change, it is game over at that point, there are no second chances.
God’s love for us motivates Him to be patient with us.
B. The Day of the Lord is coming v10-11
We need this time to repent because the Day of the Lord is coming.
Verse 10 tells us that it will come like a thief in the night. This means that we must always be ready. Are you ready to stand before God today at the final judgment?
Peter tells us that all we know will be destroyed when the Lord returns, we must be ready for that day by giving our life to Jesus and then living for Him.
Jesus is not your insurance policy, He is your life if you belong to Him.
After 2000 years it is easy for us to think that the day will not happen in our lifetime, but we do not know. It has been said that there are two things in life you can count on. CAN YOU NAME THEM? Death and taxes. You could refuse to pay or cheat on your taxes, but you will not cheat death, you need to be ready.
C. God wants us to have time to anticipate our new home v 11-14
1. Since we are going to lose this home, we need to prepare for the next home. V11,13,14
Our new home will require that we are holy in conduct and that we conduct ourselves in a godly manner.
Our belief should translate into a changed life. We will be different than the world in conduct and attitude.
Hebrews 11:13-16 reminds us that we are just passing through this world and that if you are a Christian your citizenship is in heaven. Peter tells us that we should think and act like one whose citizenship is in heaven.
Verse 13 tells us that righteousness dwells in our new home. Righteousness simply means, “to do things right, the way that God wants them done.” It is the will to do the right thing.
Verse 14 tells us that God’s patience allows us to work on being found spotless and blameless.
When you are immersed into Jesus, God declares you righteous, pure, spotless and blameless.
Our life is then about trying to reflect to the world what God has done for us.
When the patience of God runs out and the end comes, we need to be found in Christ living for Him.
We are told that we are to be found by Him in peace. We are to be at peace with man and God. The way that we make peace with God is through Jesus. If we do not belong to Jesus, then we are not at peace with God.
I have a gospel presentation called the “Peace Treaty”. It tells a person how to make peace with God by becoming an immersed believer.
2. As time passes we will look forward to our new home. 12-13
I have noticed that as time passes in a person’s life (if they are a Christian) they start to get excited about going home to be with Jesus.
Verse 12 tells us that we are to greatly desire (hasten) the coming of our new home.
When we accepted the position in Auburn, we were excited about the move here, and that excitement caused us to work hard to tie up the loose ends so that we would be ready to come to our new home.
As we look toward heaven, the excitement of it will cause us to work hard to be prepared for our new home.
Mr. Marshall (Sharon Lamma’s father) and Mrs. Courty made their trip to their new home as they were laid to rest this week. Mrs. Courty had 101 plus years to be ready, we never know how much time we have. Are you preparing for your new home?
III. THE ULTIMATE BLESSING OF GOD’S PATIENCE FOR US 15
The ultimate blessing that we have because of God’s patience is found in verse 15.
Listen to what it says. (READ VERSE 15)
We are told to regard the patience of the Lord as Salvation.
Why? If God was not patient with us, then He would wipe us out whenever we committed our first sin. None of us would live to be very old would we?
Instead of thinking that God is indifferent, we should look at His patience as an opportunity to win more people to His kingdom while there is still time.
If I could guarantee you that Jesus is going to return on May 20th, would there be some people that you would go try and share the gospel with between now and then?
DO you have some loved ones or friends that you would like see in heaven? I want you to think about these people for a moment. Now go out and share the gospel with them with that some urgency.
Are there some things in your life that you would want to get right before May 20th? Get in order now because God is patient, but we do not know when that will end.
Use the time you have wisely.
CONCLUSION
Patience is a hard thing to come by in our instant society. Our God is patient. He has not sent Jesus back yet because it is not time, God does not want any to be left out of the kingdom of God.
I hope that you will praise God for His patience, I know I am thankful for it.
God is patient with you because He loves you. He sent Jesus to die in your place so that your sins could be washed away.
God wants nothing more than to see you in heaven. You can make that happen by giving your life to Jesus today. You can reward God’s patience.
Faith-Hebrews 11:6, Confess Romans 10:9, Repent- Acts 2:38 Immersed Romans 6, Rise and walk in a newness of life 2 Cor 5:17 (Romans 6:4)
