Son Ripened Fruit -Patience Series

SON RIPENED FRUIT: PATIENCE

Colossians 3:12-18

Before I began my sermon,

I want you men to remember that something big is happening.

on Thursday next week: Valentines day.

Our wives have been thinking about how to bring it up.

So I decided to do it for them.

My wife was more subtle, she came up to me and

Handed me these adds she had clipped from the paper

Said they would be good starter for your sermon this week.

I began to look at them.

They are all from a Jewelry store.

1. Give your wife something that is FINGER looking good:

That’s not talking about chicken.

2. You can’t judge a woman by the size of the diamond she wears, but if

it’s a big one, at least you know she’s got her priorities in life straight.

3. The Only Diamond that’s too big is the one on another woman’s

hand.

4. Make up for all the years you gave her slippers.

Diamonds may be a good gift to give, but

Let me suggest you give her as well, the greatest gift you can.

The most expensive and costly to you.

Give her the gift of patience.

We have looked at "love, joy, peace,

Now we’re looking at the hard practical fruit of the Spirit: patience

I have never known a time when Christians have been Angry about more things than we are now…. We’re angry about values, politics, television, terrorist, movies, media, education, the violation of the unborn, condoms, criminals, and homosexuals.

We’re shouting more at our friends,

Were shooting more at doctors of abortion clinics.

Were shedding more of our morals and character.

Were running more red lights and tailgating more cars.

Publicly we are perceived to be long on madness and short on mercy,

We have the image of a warrior, and approachable as a skunk.

Were more committed to our consternation than we are to compassion.”

Joseph Stoell.

Patience is difficult because it goes against human nature.

How many of you have a problem with patience?

Come on now---- how many you of lost it just this past week?

This morning? Wow,

Maybe I should just give an alter call and we could all come forward and repent

JUST WHAT IS PATIENCE?

Let me give you 5 things I leaned about patience we need to know as Christians.

I. PATIENCE IS A LEARNED GIFT”

It is not something that we are born with.

It must be acquired through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Col 3:12-17 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Patience is something that must be put on .

Clothe yourselves:

None of you would go to work tomorrow without any clothes on?

Neither should you go to work tomorrow without any patience.

You don’t just wake up in the morning and find your fully dressed with patience.

You have to put it on.

Children aren’t born with patience.

In the cartoon the Family Circle:

The twins are praying:

Little boy says: “Hurry up Dolly. God’s waitin’ to hear MY prayer.”

When a baby wakes up in the middle of the night & his diaper is wet and he is hungry, it doesn’t lie there & think,

"I know Mom & Dad are tired.

I know that they have worked all day.

I know that they love me and have taken good care of me.

I’ll just wait until till morning to let them know that I need my diaper changed and something to eat." Smile and cooo and go back to sleep.

No! That baby cries impatiently & continues to cry until it receives the attention it demands. Children are not born with patient.

Have you ever traveled with a child? That’s always an experience.

What the question they always ask? “Are we there yet?”

Little 4-year-old boy who was traveling with his mother & constantly asking the same question over & over again? “Are we there yet!” “When are we going to get there? Are we there yet?” Finally, the mother got so irritated she lost it. "We still have 90 more miles to go. You ask me one more time and your going to get it. I’m going to stop this car, open the trunk and your going to get it.” Well, the boy was silent for a long time. Then he timidly asked, "Mom, will I still be four when we get there?"

I. PATIENCE IS A LEARNED GIFT”

II. PATIENCE IS A RESTRAINING GIFT.

IT DOES NOT REACT HASTILY AGAINST A WRONG

Col 3:13 “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

Patience does not react hastily against a wrong

God repeats this scripture 9 time throughout the bible.