Building a Character like Christ (2)

Perfect Patience

Romans 15:5-7 “Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.”

I. Intro

I’m so glad God promises to redeem us when we mess up. Some of us mess up a lot! I’m so glad everyday I can go to God in prayer and ask Him for a clean slate. I get a chance to start over. It takes a lot of patience to deal with us all, as much as we all sin. I’m also so very glad we have a God who has a perfect patience. If God didn’t have perfect patience, where would we be today? What if it was like when Peter asked Jesus, “How many times are we supposed to forgive our neighbor?” Seven times? If that was the case, we all would be out of chances, some of us in one day. But Jesus went further to say, No, seventy times seven. Now Jesus wasn’t putting a number on how many times we are to forgive someone. He was illustrating that we forgive some one as many times as they ask. As many times as God has forgiven you. This is one way we can work on our perfect patience, by patiently forgiving our brothers and sisters who sin against us.

Matthew 18:21-22 “Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”

It seems like patience, in some of us is hard to come by these days. Patience is the ability to take a great deal of punishment from evil people or circumstances without losing one’s temper, without becoming irritated and angry, or without taking vengeance. It includes the capacity to bear pain or trials without complaint, the ability to forbear under severe provocation, and the self control which keeps one from acting rashly even through suffering, opposition, or adversity. The usual Hebrew expression for patience is related to the verb “to be long” and involves the idea of being long to get riled or slow to become angry. Two different Greek words are translated by KJV translators with the word “patience”. One of the words has the idea of “remaining firm under” tests and trials and is better translated as “endurance” or “steadfastness”. The other Greek word is related to the Hebrew meaning and refers to patience as “long-spiritedness” or “calmness of spirit”, even though under severe provocation to lose one’s temper. The great Bible illustration of patience in operation is God Himself. Several passages speak of Him, in conjunction with other gracious attributes, as “slow to anger”. In a context which stresses Israel’s rebellion and provocation of God, He is contrasted as a God who is forgiving, gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in loving kindness.

Nehemiah 9:17 “ And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.”

When Robert Ingersoll, the famous atheist, was lecturing, he once took out his watch and said, “I will give God five minutes to strike me dead for the things I have said.” The minutes ticked away as he held the watch and waited. In about 4 and a half minutes, some women began fainting, but nothing happened. When the 5 minutes were up, Ingersoll put the watch into his pocket. When that incident reached a certain preacher, Joseph Parker, he asked, “And did the gentleman think he could exhaust the patience of the Eternal God in just five minutes?”

c. Perhaps the greatest of the NT references to God’s patience is 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” The delay in Christ’s return is not an indication of slowness on God’s part, says Peter, but of His long suffering, not willing that any should perish, but everyone have the chance to repent and receive Jesus into their heart. A specific reference to Christ’s patience is made by Paul who claimed that in his case, Jesus was able to demonstrate perfect patience.

1 Timothy 1:15-16 “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.”

Paul represents the extreme example. If God was patient and gracious enough to save Paul, He is patient and gracious enough to save anyone. The ultimate sinner became the ultimate saint; God’s greatest enemy became His finest servant. God has an unlimited amount of patience. Just look at how much patience He needed to have to deal with Paul.

II. Why is it important to display patience?

Patience works maturity in Christ.

Romans 5:3-4 “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:”

These trials you are going through are not because God hates you, or wants to punish you. You have to remember that God puts obstacles in our lives to grow us. To teach us patience, otherwise, how else are we going to learn to be patient?

Patience comes from the Greek root (pema) which means to suffer. It means bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint; manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain; not hasty or impetuous; steadfast despite opposition. .

Patience works in God’s favor.

We see this when we ask God for something. When we are patient, God will answer our prayers if it is His will.

Having patience builds your character. The more often you are patient in different situations, the easier it will come to you to be patient all the time.

In a Christmas interview in 1986, Richard Nixon spoke of peace efforts under way throughout the world during the Reagan administration. He was asked, “Is the USA better off this Christmas than it was at this time last year?” The former president answered: “As Americans, we have many great strengths, but one of our weaknesses is impatience. The Russians think in terms of decades, the Chinese think in terms of centuries, Americans think in terms of years, months, and even days. But if in the quest for a realistic, lasting peace, we expect overnight success- instant gratification- we are bound to be disappointed.

III. How did Jesus display patience?

From His first act after His baptism til His death, Jesus was a perfect picture of perfect patience.

After Jesus was baptized, He went through 40 days of fasting and being tempted. Not once did He grow impatient, but instead responded in a way that we should all learn from. When tempted to grow impatient with God’s plan, Jesus resorts back to the Word of God.

Matthew 4:1-4 “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

The Bible displays patience as a fruit of the spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

This should be produced by all Christians. Patience reveals our faith in God’s timing, omnipotence, and love.

The Greek word for patience translated simply means “endurance”.

Jesus is the model of all things, and He demonstrated patient endurance.

Hebrews 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Jesus had patience with His disciples.

His patience with Philip. Philip was wanting proof from Jesus. But Jesus simply told him, I’ve been with you a long time, and you don’t know me by now? Something is wrong. Philip said show me something, and that will be enough proof for me.

For over two years, day by day, Jesus was in fact showing His disciples that He was in fact a photograph of God the Father. His words and actions, His mind, His emotions, His will, and spirit all revealed that of His Father in Heaven. And yet, Philip says, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” But Jesus answers and says, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.”

He had patience with difficult people.

Tribute to Ceaser- difficult Pharisees.

The Pharisees were always trying to trap Jesus into saying blasphemous things. Here they were saying, “Teacher, we know how honest you are. We know you teach the Word of God truthfully. You are impartial and don’t have favorites. Now, tell us, should we pay taxes to the Romans or not?” But Jesus knew their evil motives. He says, “You Hypocrites! Why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for the taxes. He said whose picture and inscription is on the coin?” They said Ceaser’s face is on the coin. Then give to Ceaser what is Ceaser’s and give to God what is God’s. His reply amazed them. They had nothing more to say, so they left. This happened to Jesus all the time, and we are surrounded with difficult people to get along with. But Jesus loves that difficult person just as much as He loves you. So we should love them too, and with love, comes patience.

Jesus had patience with us as sinners.

Paul says this exact thing. He says Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, who I am the chief.

Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

God had to have a lot of patience to put up with us as His children. As parents, we must put up with a lot of things from our own children. Paul said he was the chief sinner but God still had mercy and patience with him. Paul says to look to him as an example as to how God’s patience is. We can still look to God for mercy and grace, no matter how bad we have messed up, or what we have done.

IV. Conclusion

When everything is going our way, patience is easy to demonstrate. The true test of patience comes when our rights are violated-when another car cuts us off in traffic; when we are unfairly treated; when a coworker derides our faith, again. Some people think they have a right to get upset in the face of irritations and trials. The Bible, however, praises patience as a fruit of the spirit. Patience does not happen overnight. God’s power and goodness are crucial to the development of patience. Colossians 1:11 tells us that our patience is strengthened by God. Jesus is also patient with us when we continue to fail Him in so many areas of our lives. Jesus displayed the fruit of patience and we are called to follow His example.

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