The Fruit of the Spirit
Part 5 – Longsuffering
Rev. Bruce A. Shields
First Baptist Church Tawas City Michigan
www.TawasBaptist.org
WELCOME
We are continuing our Series on The Fruits of the Holy Spirit.
We’ve spoke over the past few weeks on Love, Joy and Peace, and today I would like to talk about longsuffering.
INTRODUCTION
In our scripture reference today, the NIV has replaced the original Greek word Mak-roth-oo-meh’ o, which is longsuffering, with a word we are all familiar with, that helps us to better understand what longsuffering means, and that word is patient.
Patience as a fruit from the Holy Spirit is unlike mankind’s understanding of patience.
Patience or longsuffering as defined is possessing or demonstrating quiet, uncomplaining endurance under distress or annoyance, to be tolerant, tender and forbearing, capable of tranquilly awaiting results or outcomes, perseverance and diligence.
How many of us have these qualities today?
How many of us want them?
We definitely need these qualities to operate for Christ, or He wouldn’t supply them to us through the Holy Spirit.
To have these qualities today can seem tough, perhaps nearly impossible.
But in Christ, all things are possible.
And you can have this ability to endure.
Because this longsuffering is not one of our characteristics, but one of God’s characteristics that we inherit when we are brought into His family and given the Holy Spirit.
This is what is meant by becoming more like Christ.
We are to obtain and display His characteristics.
The more time we spend with Christ, the more we start to display His Character.
He begins to rub off on us, if you will.
We become a reflection of our Lord and His glory.
This is what it means to be a light in the world.
Not ourselves, but Christ’s reflection drawing others to Himself.
How does the world experience the love of God today?
Through God’s people.
If we do not take God to mankind, then they will not experience God.
This is exactly why Christ gave the disciples the Great Commission, because the world needs to experience God, and it happens through you and me.
How are we to show the love of God if we are not patient with others?
Or enduring trials as Christians?
If we are to show the love of God, then we need to display this Spiritual Fruit of patience, so that others will know the love of God.
SCRIPTURE READING
II Peter 3:9 – Jesus Speaking
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
PRAYER FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT AND UNDERSTANDING
I. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness”
When it seems as though God delays, or is taking too long, or seems slow in the fulfillment of His promises, we need to remember what is really happening.
He isn’t slow in keeping His word.
It is for the purpose of getting more people into His Kingdom!
He is not slow, but patient.
This is an example of God’s grace to those who have not yet turned from their lost lives to the Savior.
When we feel like God is moving to slow, we need to thank Him for that grace that allowed even ourselves time to hear the Gospel of Truth, and time to turn from our ways, returning to the path of His ways.
We need to praise God for allowing us that opportunity, not just to hear the word, but for the grace of His patience to respond to that very same word.
Not one of us would be entering the Kingdom of God if the Lord was not patient with us.
“He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
You see, it is God’s will that ALL ARE SAVED and come to knowledge of Christ.
Our Father in heaven wants us all to be there with Him, not wanting even one to perish.
Of course, the Lord will never take away the promise of our free will.
Free will is in part what makes us precious to the Lord.
And it is because of this free will of ours that not all will enter the kingdom of God, even though it is God’s will they all do.
God’s will is not automatic.
Just because God wants something to be, does not mean that it will be.
It has to be our will to do God’s will.
When Jesus was telling the disciples ‘how to pray’, not what to pray, but how to pray, he said;
“Our Father in heaven, holy is your name. YOUR WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.”
He was asking for God’s will to be done.
You see, Jesus understands that God’s will is done in heaven, but for it to be done on earth; we need to pray that His will becomes our will.
It’s not automatic.
God suffers long with man, attempting to bring us to a place of repentance.
We see it again and again in the scriptures.
Throughout the scriptures, God set men up to be in relationship with Him, and throughout the scriptures, man turns away from God.
In seminary, we referred to these as peaks and valleys.
God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the garden, and it was good. (Peak of relationship with God)
Temptation and rebellion at the fall caused mankind to fall into a valley, and sever our relationship with God.
Abel was obedient, and restored a relationship with God, bringing us to another peak.
Cain killed Abel through his rebellion and caused another valley.
This continues throughout the scriptures.
God through his people tries to reestablish a relationship between us and Him, and Satan, through people usually, tries to tear down that relationship.
But God, through His patience, works with us, and has abounding Grace for us, and continues to try and restore relationship with us.
Why?
Wouldn’t you for your child?
If your child messed up, would you just give up on them and let them destroy themselves?
Or would your love for that child cause you to endure hardships and pain, continuing to try and bring that child back to a relationship with yourself?
Our Father in heaven loves us.
And He wants to spend eternity with us.
But there is only one way this can take place.
And that is, if we have a relationship with Him.
This is why works can’t get you into heaven.
Although we are to have works if we have faith in God, works aren’t what counts.
No matter how good your works, they have nothing to do with relationship with your Father in heaven.
It’s like the stories you hear again, and again of the child who had everything given and bought for him, but because he had no relationship with the parents, all the ‘things’ were meaningless.
The parent’s works meant nothing because they are no substitute for relationship.
You cannot buy or do for to obtain friends, or relationships.
So why do we insist on thinking we can forge our way into heaven with the good things we’ve done?
Just believing God exists or Jesus is the Christ will not get you into heaven either.
That is, unless you have a relationship with Him.
Knowing who someone is, and knowing someone are two different things.
There was a man arrested at the white house a few weeks ago for trying to get in to see the President.
He knows who the president is, but he doesn’t know the president.
He has no relationship with him, and therefore was not allowed in.
When he tried to force his way in, he was arrested.
It’s not going to happen.
So how does this character trait of God’s, longsuffering for us, manifest as a spiritual fruit in our lives as Christians?
Long suffering (or patience for others) is love on trial.
It tests your ability to love.
Like God’s longsuffering for us because of His love for us, He is patient.
How patient are we with others?
This is important because it’s not really a question about how much patience you have for others, but about how much love you have for others.
Long suffering is love on trial.
Colossians 3:12-14
“12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
Do we need unity?
Then we need to be long suffering, patient with others, loving them.
Of course, this ability to have God’s characteristic of patience we can not produce ourselves.
The ability to be long suffering comes from the Holy Spirit.
Like all the Spiritual Fruits, we can’t create them, but we can prevent them from growing.
How can you prevent this Spiritual Fruit from appearing in your life and walk as a Christian?
Are you impatient, arrogant, or inconsiderate?
Do you lack sympathy, concern or care for others?
Would you rather gossip about what someone is doing than pray for that person as the scriptures tell us to?
Colossians 1:10 - 12
“10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.”
The real test of long suffering, or patience, is not in waiting, but in how one behaves while they are waiting.
A person who has developed and nurtured this Spiritual Fruit will be able to put up with things without losing their temper.
James 1:4
“Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
For us to become mature in our walk, we must endure and persevere through these trying times and people and situations.
It’s part of our growth.
Reaching this point is definitely a process which takes a lot of practice.
And there have been a lot of opportunities lately for us to practice this.
We need to accept these challenges, and know that the Lord is working with us, and take the opportunity in all of this to be quiet, uncomplaining with endurance.
We are under distress and annoyances, but we can remain tolerant and tender.
We need to bear with one another during this time.
Remembering that longsuffering is love on trial.
Ephesians 4:1-6
“1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
CLOSING
James 5:7 - 16 – Healing
“Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 9 Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
10 Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
12 Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned.
13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
During the closing each week we offer you the opportunity to respond to the message.
Answer the Holy Spirits call in your heart, call upon the Elders and we will respond.
