Jesus - Patience

Good Morning… Welcome to New Hope

Today we are going to talk about.................PATIENCE!

I’d like to say that this week I’ve just been PATIENT with sermon prep, but it’s been a struggle putting things together. In fact, I think we should be done preaching this series because it seems like each week God ALLOWS me to practice what I’m preaching.

So we’re in this series about discipleship. Disciple is “becoming more like Jesus”. And each week we begin with Jesus and how he lived. So this week as we look at PATIENCE, we need to begin with the following scriptures that speak of God’s patience.

(NLT)

4Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

(NLT)

15And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved.

(NLT)

16But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.

Jesus is patient

15And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved.

He was patient with the disciples; religious leaders; crowds that followed him

He’s patient with me; He’s patient with you

I remember lots of years ago… Used to own a 95’ S10 pickup… I bought a soft cover to go over the bed… Decided to put it on at my in-laws house with my father-in-law… Wouldn’t fit… Jill came out and suggested I send it back - I didn’t want to send it back! Garry was half way to the barn getting the hacksaw.

We weren’t very patient! Have you ever been there? You ever been impatient like that? What is your most vulnerable time of the day?

We live in an era of impatience!

We don’t want to wait for anything. It’s why I typically search something on Amazon.

We watch shows on netflix & hulu because we don’t want to sit through commercials

We want the fastest internet we can get. Get out of the way if the internet ain’t working.

Amusement parks have fast passes so people don’t have to wait

I scroll through emails; scroll through twitter; scroll through FB

Some of you aren’t even listening right now because research says I have 15 seconds to capture your attention or you’re on to thinking of other things

Life got busy and it became too hard to eat at home so fast food was invented (1921 - White Castle); Fast food wasn’t fast enough so the drive through was invented; that wasn’t fast enough so the double drive through was created; now they will deliver

Let me ask you this question - How often does something good result of our impatience? On the contrary, when we are being impatient, how often do we...

find ourselves making a mistake

find ourselves getting into an accident

we do something that we later regret

we say something we wish we hadn’t have said

feel stressed out; feel like we can’t get everything done

When we are being impatient… How often do we act like Jesus? How often are we thinking about God?

What if in this era of impatience in which we live; God has something for us in the waiting?

God uses seasons of waiting to transform us

; We find Joseph at about the age of 17, who is sold by his brothers to passing merchants; Merchants sold him to an Egyptian named Potiphar - who was one of Pharaoh’s captain of the guard; even though Joseph was probably somewhere he really didn’t want to be…God was with him;

Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph and he resisted; He was wrongly accused of trying to sleep with her and got thrown in prison; probably not a place he wanted to be…God was with him;

While in prison he interprets some dreams and gets noticed by the Pharaoh; He puts Joseph in charge of the entire land of Egypt; at this point Joseph is 30 years old; probably not a place he wanted to be…God was with him;

A host of events happen which reunites Joseph and his family and is culminated in...

(NLT)

Joseph says, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”

I believe PATIENCE is one of those things that we all could get a little better at.

Trying harder doesn’t always yield results; trusting higher always yields results!

So when you find yourself in slow traffic and you want to rip out in the left lane… Pause-Breathe-Pray

When you find yourself at the checkout and the lines keep getting longer… Pause-Breathe-Pray

When you find yourself in the waiting room at the doctor’s office… Pause-Breathe-Pray

As Heath comes and leads us in a song, it’s really a time of reflection and meditation. Invite you to sit, reflect, meditate, pray, listen, and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you.

4Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

Communion

#1. Jesus’ great patience =

(NLT)

17But in the following instructions, I cannot praise you. For it sounds as if more harm than good is done when you meet together.

18First, I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church, and to some extent I believe it.

19But, of course, there must be divisions among you so that you who have God’s approval will be recognized!

20When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper.

21For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk.

22What? Don’t you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace God’s church and shame the poor? What am I supposed to say? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly will not praise you for this!

23For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread

24and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

25In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.”

26For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.

Offertory