Patient Endurance

1. Develop Patience into Your Plans

be patient 3x, v. 7 & 8 - to demonstrate patience despite difficulties.

to bear long, be longsuffering, be patient, patiently endure.

25.168 μακροθυμέωa: to demonstrate patience despite difficulties—‘to be patient, to remain patient, to wait patiently.’ ‘and so after waiting patiently, he received what was promised’ ;

Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 306–307.

Second Word for patience - is translated endurance.

2x in Verse 11 - endurance. We count those blessed who endured, … You have heard of the endurace of Job.

to REMAIN patient, same word is used of Abraham in - “having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.” The son of promise in Isaac.

Abraham patient? Wait, didn’t he? Yes, but in the midst of his trials and tests, he DEVELOPED Patience.

Farmers must be patient - the plant seeds and the seed MUST Die to bring forth life and fruit.

Early and late rains were the most important.

There must be a dying of the seed to bear fruit and grain. There must be a dying to ourselves in order to bear fruit for the Lord. Our plans are only our plans till we turn ourselves over to God - when we die daily and patiently endure - Christ bears fruit in and through our lives.

Early and late rains were the most important.

We continue to plant ourselves out there so that the Lord can use us to bring about fruit.

We often pray something to the effect of, “God give me patience, and by the way I want it now.”

However, when we pray for patience Get Ready!! For God will send situations and people who will test that patience. Abraham was tested by waiting on that son of promise. Till he was almost 100 years old.

Swindoll’s Ultimate Book of Illustrations & Quotes Patience

A young man desired to go to India as a missionary with the London Missionary Society. Mr. Wilks was appointed to consider the young man’s fitness for such a post. He wrote to the young man, and told him to call on him at six o’clock the next morning.

Although the applicant lived many miles off, he was at the house punctually at six o’clock and was ushered into the drawing room. He waited—and waited—and waited wonderingly, but patiently. Finally Mr. Wilks entered the room about mid-morning.

Without apology, Mr. Wilks began, “Well, young man, so you want to be a missionary?”

“Yes, sir, I do.”

“Do you love the Lord Jesus Christ?”

“Yes, sir, I certainly do.”

“And have you any education?”

“Yes, sir, a little.”

“Well, now, we’ll try you; can you spell ‘cat’?”

The young man looked confused, and hardly knew how to answer so preposterous a question. His mind evidently halted between indignation and submission, but in a moment he replied steadily, “C, a, t, cat.”

“Very good,” said Mr. Wilks. “Now can you spell ‘dog’?”

The youthful Job was stunned but replied, “D, o, g, dog.”

“Well, that is right; I see you will do in your spelling, and now for your arithmetic; how much is two times two?”

The patient youth gave the right reply and was dismissed.

Mr. Wilks gave his report at the committee meeting. He said, “I cordially recommend that young man; his testimony and character I have duly examined. I tried his self-denial, he was up in the morning early; I tried his patience by keeping him waiting; I tried his humility and temper by insulting his intelligence. He will do just fine.”

—Charles H. Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students

2. Patience Brings Renewed Strength! v. 8 says, “strengthen your hearts - for the coming of the Lord is near.”

We need patience in our lives. We need it emotionally, we need it physically. We need patience relationally when we are getting to know new people. We need patience spiritually as we see God developing us more into the image of HIS SON!!

Jesus desires to see His face when he looks at us. Jesus desires the world to see his face when we are tested!

Patience is needed when we look at the world, and SIGH…is this EVER going to change?! Yes, when Jesus comes back it will.

“Shifting gears and addressing the true believer, James says, “Yes there will be injustice, rip-offs, and unfairness, but keep this in mind: The Lord is coming. He sees what’s going on, and He will settle the score.” - Courson Commentary.

When we encounter injustice - when sinful behavior enters our realm because of someone else’s choice - we also have a choice in that moment. We can react and be just as sinful - or we can endure and see an opportunity to show off the Lord through the grace and mercy found in that moment.

There are thousands of ways that we can demonstrate Godly Patience each day. It starts with our families.

I have been reminded before that the people in my life that deserve the greatest patience and encouragement are SOMETIMES the very ones that get the least. Let’s be patient with our families and also with the FAMILY of God.

The people in this room are your brothers and sisters! We practice our LOVE and PATIENCE here first - so that when we leave and interact out there - Grace and Mercy is an overflow.

Exercise is a great example of patience before seeing results. We cannot do it all at once. I’m a Yo-Yo exerciser. I do good for a while and then i stop. I’m not as consistent as I should be.

I like to tell myself that i can do pushups with the girls sitting on my back. USED TO be able to do that!! Haha. They are older now, I’m not as consistant as I should be, so as a result my endurance is down.

I like to do pushups and because i’m not consistent, i have let my endurance go. When i start again 10-15 pushups are difficult.

But, I like to do pushups and because i’m not consistent, i have let my endurance go. When i start again 10-15 pushups are difficult.

When we are in the midst of suffering and change - it is endurance that we need. Endurance to wait on the Lord! Endurance to keep going when we are tired.

Patience is required before we see results.

A few weeks ago, i started my push-ups again. I used to be be able to do 40-50 pushups in a row without getting winded and having a mild heart attack.

SO - there was frustration when i could only get to 25. Only recently did i notice that i could do 40 in a row without getting winded. PATIENCE. ENDURANCE.

If I do 15-20 today and tomorrow and the next day. Then when I am tested in the longer, stronger trial needed - It is more attaintable.

BELIEVER - God desires you to develop the muscles of Patience in your life.

Patience becomes more simple though when we tie it to endurance.

Abraham is one example we think of from following this word around the Bible. But within the passage there is a name mentioned as an example - a much more difficult one to wrap our minds around - JOB.

Job lost his possessions, his family his health, and along with his possessions most of his wealth.

As the opening chapters of JOB end, he is sitting nearly naked in sackcloth in a pile of ashes scrapping himself with a broken pot to relieve the physical pain from the boils that were all over his body.

Patient endurance - in the end JOB spoke with God and grew in his understanding.

How many of us want to know God so much that we will patiently endure what comes our way?

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 25.175 ὑπομένω (derivative of ὑπομονή

25.175 ὑπομένωd (derivative of ὑπομονή ‘endurance,’ 25.174); ὑποφέρω: to continue to bear up despite difficulty and suffering—‘to endure, to bear up, to demonstrate endurance, to put up with.’

ὑπομένωd: διὰ τοῦτο πάντα ὑπομένω διὰ τοὺς ἐκλεκτούς ‘so I endured everything for the sake of God’s chosen people’ 2 Tm 2:10.

Swindoll’s Ultimate Book of Illustrations & Quotes Patience

A young man desired to go to India as a missionary with the London Missionary Society. Mr. Wilks was appointed to consider the young man’s fitness for such a post. He wrote to the young man, and told him to call on him at six o’clock the next morning.

Although the applicant lived many miles off, he was at the house punctually at six o’clock and was ushered into the drawing room. He waited—and waited—and waited wonderingly, but patiently. Finally Mr. Wilks entered the room about mid-morning.

Without apology, Mr. Wilks began, “Well, young man, so you want to be a missionary?”

“Yes, sir, I do.”

“Do you love the Lord Jesus Christ?”

“Yes, sir, I certainly do.”

“And have you any education?”

“Yes, sir, a little.”

“Well, now, we’ll try you; can you spell ‘cat’?”

The young man looked confused, and hardly knew how to answer so preposterous a question. His mind evidently halted between indignation and submission, but in a moment he replied steadily, “C, a, t, cat.”

“Very good,” said Mr. Wilks. “Now can you spell ‘dog’?”

The youthful Job was stunned but replied, “D, o, g, dog.”

“Well, that is right; I see you will do in your spelling, and now for your arithmetic; how much is two times two?”

The patient youth gave the right reply and was dismissed.

Mr. Wilks gave his report at the committee meeting. He said, “I cordially recommend that young man; his testimony and character I have duly examined. I tried his self-denial, he was up in the morning early; I tried his patience by keeping him waiting; I tried his humility and temper by insulting his intelligence. He will do just fine.”

—Charles H. Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students