Patience

INTRODUCTION

Galatians 5:22–23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is….love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Has anyone been able to memorized this verse?

Lets work to do that together

Tonight we are going to talk about patience

Also translated: long-suffering

BDAG: “state of being able to bear up under provocation

Louw Nida: “a state of emotional calm in the face of provocation or misfortune and without complaint or irritation”

NIDNTTE: “the prolonged restraint of anger or agitation”

Patience requires the ability to exercise control over the way we react in difficult situations. This does not come easy to us, which is why we desperately need the power of God to produce this in our lives.

1) GOD’S PATIENCE

Psalm 86:15 “But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.”

In regards to God’s people

Jonah 4:2 “for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.”

In regards to sinners

God is both patient/long-suffering towards His children and towards sinners.

QUESTION: Do you struggle with being patient towards the church or the world? Or both?

2) The tension between God’s patience and wrath

Numbers 14:18 “‘The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.’”

QUESTION: Do you see any other attribute of God in this verse?

ANSWER: Notice the contrast: slow to anger “but”

There is a line of God’s patience that we can cross.

We never take God’s patience for granted.

TRUTH: This is one of the biggest misunderstandings of Christianity today.

God forgives so I can sin all I want.

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN GOD’S PATIENCE AND OUR PATIENCE

Turn to Matthew 18:21-35 “Parable of the Unforgiving Servant”

The first point of the parable is that we must forgive (have patience) with others in the same way that God has done with us (v 26, 29)

QUESTION: In what ways has God been patient with you?

QUESTION: Have you ever forgiven someone as much as God has forgiven you?

The second point of the parable is those who do show patience/forgiveness towards others have been shown patience and forgiveness by God (v 34-35)

Thus those who have been forgiven will also show forgiveness

It is not dependent upon human will/power BUT the divine attribute of God living within us in His Spirit

In other words: An evidence that we have have been saved is that we are patient toward others

QUESTION: Can you tell a difference in your patience towards others since you have been walking with the Lord?

PATIENCE IS NEEDED TO ENDURE THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF THIS WORLD

1 Peter 4:12–14 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you…(v 16) “but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name”

There should be no surprise when we experience suffering

Brothers and sisters are suffering/enduring all over the world

There should be no retaliation when we experience suffering

There should be no quitting when we encounter suffering

QUESTION: How does it encourage you to know others are going through the very same trials that you are right now?

ANSWER: It helps because when we are in that place of waiting/suffering we feel like we are all alone. Like no one else knows what we are going through.

PATIENCE IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO FAITH

1 Peter 4:19 “Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.”

To be patient/longsuffering is to trust that our sovereign God will work all things out for the good

Abraham (waited for the promise son)

Joseph (waited for deliverance)

King David (waited for the Kingdom)

Hannah (waited for a child)

You will never have patience if you do not fully trust God with your life and future

QUESTION: In what ways has God grown your faith through patience?