#4 STUDY OF THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT:
PATIENCE OR LONG-SUFFERING
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.
Kyfingers@aol.com
TEXT:
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
WE ARE STUDYING THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
By studying the fruit of the Spirit maybe we can
identify some problem areas, some weak areas and
grow to be more fruitful.
What can we do to produce a great amount of fruit?
We can study and develop a love and an
appreciation and an awareness of fruit and it’s
production!
We have broken the nine into three groups.
1. Inward: love, joy, peace
2. Outward: longsuffering-patience,
gentleness-kindness, goodness.
3. Godward: faith-faithfulness, meekness,
temperance-self control.
Today’s study of LONG-SUFFERING AND PATIENCE IS OUR 4TH STUDY, THE FIRST IN THE OUTWARD GROUP.
With five more to follow.
HAVE PATIENCE! IF YOU PLUCK THE BLOSSOMS, YOU WILL GO WITHOUT FRUIT.
TEXT:
Luke 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls.
Hebrews 12:1--2 --- let us run with patience the race that is set before us ---
James 1: 4--5 ---Let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing --
James 5:7 Be patient therefore brethren, unto the coming of the Lord.
DEFINE PATIENCE:
-- THE CAPACITY, HABIT, OR THE FACT OF BEING PATIENT.
--BEARING PAINS OR TRIALS CALMLY WITHOUT COMPLAINT
--manifestation of forbearance under provocation or strain
--not hasty or impetuous
--steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity
--able or willing to bear
--one awaiting care
Genius is nothing but a greater aptitude for patience.
The strongest of all warriors are two -- Time and PATIENCE.
Be strong, staedfast, stay cool, patience wins.
Seems the only one I know with a lot of patients are doctors?
HAVE WE HEARD OF YOUR PATIENCE?
James 5:1 You have heard of the patience of Job ...
What about yours... ?
Are you a pattern of patience in your daily walk?
PATIENCE IS A DIRTY WORD TO THE MODERN CHURCH ... BECAUSE PATIENCE COMES WITH THE BIG "T" WORD...
Romans 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in
tribulations also, knowing that
tribulation worketh patience.
4 And patience, experience; and experience hope.
I WAS AT A PREACHERS’ MEETING THE OTHER DAY AND A YOUNG PREACHER SAID,
"I NEVER PRAY FOR PATIENCE, I DON’T WANT TROUBLE!"
This is a BA, bad attitude.
Do you want to be whole and entire?
You cannot accomplish God’s wholeness without
PATIENCE and Long-suffering.
Get over it, tribulations are going to come if you
pray or if you just lazy around, for
God’s perfect will is that you be entire and grow
the fruit of long-suffering and patience!
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU NEED?
WHAT DOES GOD THINK YOU NEED?
DOES WHAT YOU THINK AND WHAT GOD THINKS AGREE?
Hebrews 10:36 For you HAVE NEED OF PATIENCE, that
after you have done the WILL of God, you might
receive the PROMISE.
Seems God has a different opinion than many carry?
I don’t want patience because they come with
troubles and tribulation?
God says this patience will grow a FRUIT of the
SPIRIT in you that will manifest outwardly to others!
Seems patience is the best remedy for all troubles
and problems.
I can’t is not birthed in patience.
How poor are they that have little patience?
PATIENCE AND LONG-SUFFERING BEGIN AT HOME!
HAPPY HOMES ARE BUILT WITH BLOCKS OF PATIENCE.
A Dad can have more patience and long-suffering
while fishing than with his own family?
This is a bad distortion that will cost dearly.
Seems families want the PROMISE LAND, without the
wilderness;
the Upper Room without the Gethsemane.
Often in the home, a handful of patience will go
farther than a bucket of brains?
A SPIDER TEACHES US PATIENCE!
How long does a spider toil, work, and wake before
the WEB accomplishes it’s purpose?
The spider works endless hours and sits quietly in
the shadows waiting and waiting --- then suddenly
comes the reward of her patience.
PATIENCE COMES FROM HEARING FROM GOD!
I have heard a story about Eastside Church.
A tornado came through the community and destroyed
the church.
Rain and water had destroyed so much, and each new
rain did more damage.
Pastor Murphy had prayed. Eastside was a large
church with many workers.
In prayer the Lord told Pastor Murphy to break all
the workers in three groups, and
to send two of the groups to work on two small
church that had rather old congregations and could
not afford the repairs.
Several on Pastor Murphy’s deacon board were angry
with his plan, their attitude was, "let’s fix our
church and then we might help the others."
The pastor had heard from God, and he carried out
the plan even though it did not make since and he
faced opposition.
As the three groups worked on the three churches,
God blessed them with perfect weather conditions and
a building supply place heard what they were doing
and reduced the price of the materials. They
finished all three churches and they save
alot of money. The repairs came in under under the
projected cost of their church.
The local media heard of the patience, kindness, and
work of Eastside and sent several reporters by to do
a report on the work of the men from Eastside.
The front page of the local newspaper ran a full
page article about the church, Pastor Murphy and the
workers. The local TV ran a spot several days.
The media attention caused free publicity, and many
new people heard of the church and said they wanted
to be part of the work.
One man gave a large donation when he heard about
the work of the church.
We need someone to hear from God and in love
practice patience and raise a testimony of what God
wants us to mirror.
What if Pastor Murphy had followed the deacons
advice?
PATIENCE TAKES THREE FORMS:
1. PATIENCE WITH GOD
2. PATIENCE WITH OTHERS -- The person that needs
your patience and love the most deserves it the
least.
3. PATIENCE WITH YOUR SELF
The word of God does the work of God, --- but honey, it ain’t instant...
Prayer takes time. Prayer for family and people
takes time.
Isaiah 40:31 They that WAIT on the Lord shall renew
their strength; they shall mount up with wings as
eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall
walk and not faint.
If you want to FLY, RUN, and WALK --- YOU HAVE TO
LEARN TO WAIT...
LORD, GIVE ME PATIENCE RIGHT NOW!
With this attitude lurking behind the pulpit and
growing among the people there will be little fruit
production.
Patience is not an instinct. A baby wants their food
and diaper changed right now.
Teens are not patient. We must learn patience.
It is learned by practice and reinforcing the good
behavior. Long-suffering and patience should grow
and be habitual for the Christian
EVERY FRUIT I KNOW OF HAS A PEELING ...
There is an outer layer that helps keep the moisture
in, even in dry seasons.
This peeling is to protect and allow growth.
Break the peeling and the fruit will rot.
That is what patience is to the soul of man.
QUITTERS NEVER WIN, QUITTERS ARE LOSERS.
Anybody can play on a winning team.
Practice is fun if you are winning.
Watch the side lines you can tell who is winning
without looking at the score board.
People quit because they have no patience.
We cannot all sing and look like movie stars?
GREAT TEST MAKE GREAT TESTIMONIES! It takes time!
God can turn messes into messages. It takes time!
Can you see that sometimes the worse thing that can happen to you is the best thing.
God has a plan and a purpose, nothing is by accident, our God CAN HANDLE IT!
We have to trust Him, we have to wait! God uses time to gain His Plan.
There is no situation so chaotic that God cannot from that situation create something that
is surpassingly good. He did it at the creation. He did it at the cross. He is doing it today. Bishop Handley Moule
A GOOD FARMER KNOWS YOU DON’T PLOW, WORK THE FIELD, SOW THE SEED, AND REAP THE SAME DAY.
WITH TIME GREEN GRASS CAN BECOME WHITE MILK.
You can never get a chicken by mashing eggs.
JESUS SAID, "SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN TO COME UNTO ME!"
Matthew 19:14 Jesus said, Suffer little children,
and forbide them not, to come unto me: for such is
the kingdom of God.
I talked with a pastor friend and I asked him, "ARE
YOU ABOUT BURNED OUT?"
He answered and said, " NO, I AM NOT ABOUT BURNED
OUT, I AM BURNED UP!"
It was not long until he resigned, left a successful
ministry, and started driving a truck.
I saw him years later, he and his wife divorced, he
rarely saw his kids.
I asked him did he have any regrets?
He said, "I should have never left that church and
the ministry, I was tired and felt no one cared.
I could not see the fruit of my work, and I had few
helpers. But I could have made it.
I refused to WAIT ON THE LORD, AND THUS I REFUSED TO
WAIT ON THE PEOPLE! My impatience and lack of
long-suffering with people and the church have cost
me dearly.
ARE YOU ABOUT BURNED OUT?
ARE YOU BURNED UP?
HAVE PEOPLE DISAPPOINTED YOU?
DO YOU FEEL LIKE GOD DOES NOT HEAR YOU?
WHERE ARE YOU GOD?
Please WAIT a little longer. It is always to soon to quit! TRY AGAIN! Try again!
The enemy is distorting the truth. You matter! You are not a little no body in a little no body place.
God knows you by your first name! God watched you in your Mother’s womb. God has made a way for you!
Be patient and long-suffering. Wait on God. Why do you think they call it-- LONG SUFFERING?
Don’t look back! Don’t give in! Don’t give up! Pray a little longer. Study the Word.
Go back to church! Dream again! Dream bigger!
It is not in resisting the devil, it IS IN SUBMITTING YOURSELF TO GOD! Give yourself again.
The person that needs your love and long-suffering deserves it the least. Invest again!
I love the story in Luke 13:7--9
The question is asked, WHY CUMBER THE GROUND WITH
THAT FRUITLESS TREE? IT HAS NO FRUIT...
In great love and long-suffering we must learn to
say: PLEASE, LET’S GIVE IT ANOTHER CHANCE?
The person that asked for another chance knew this
was going to cost him!
There would be many days of hard work?
Carrying sinking dung? And more work?
DON’T GIVE UP! DON’T GIVE UP ON YOURSELF! GOD DOES NOT MAKE JUNK!
YOU ARE VERY VALUABLE TO THE MASTER! Your scars will be a witness to others that are scarred.
Jesus came out of the grave, but He still carried the scars, the lesson of the Cross was patience will bring victory.
The donkey ride into Jerusalem will yield to the Second coming on a WHITE HORSE. Things will be different.
While I asked you not to give up on yourself, don’t give up on others. People can change.
Situations and circumstances can change. Tears endure, but JOY COMES ... Hang on, GIVE LITTLE MORE.
TRY HARDER.
LOVE NEVER FAILS! Sometimes love has to be TOUGH!
I know your arms hang down. I know you feel so alone! I know coldness has you so numb
that it is easy to say: I don’t care! I know you have been forgotten and you want to isolate yourself
from more pain, BUT PRESS ON.
Love again, invest to me means long-term not short term.
Maybe I will never see my dreams, but I SHALL SEE HIM FACE TO FACE.
PLEASE, BE PATIENT, BE LONG-SUFFERING ... DON’T FORGET HEAVEN!
Jesus is coming, wait expectingly.
DON’T FORGET HEAVEN! Heaven will surely be worth it all ... worth all the problems that here befall,
after this life with all it’s strife, HEAVEN WILL SURELY BE WORTH IT ALL...
Let’s close with singing Heaven will surely be worth it all ...
or How beautiful heaven must be...
His servant,
Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.
Kyfingers@aol.com
This is part 4 of a 9 part lesson.
Help me? Pass this on to another?
