FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT - PATIENCE

Fruit of the Spirit #4: Patience

“But the fruit of the Spirit is longsuffering [patience]” (Gal. 5:22).

Our guiding question this week is, am I enduring difficult trials calmly or complaining and becoming bitter?

I. PATIENT IN TEMPTATION

A. When temptation comes — Be patient – trust in Him.

Matthew 26:41 – Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

1 Peter 4:12 – Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.

1 Corinthians 10:13 – No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

James 4:7 – Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Ephesians 6:11 – Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

B. What is temptation— Temptation teaches us patience. Temptation is not sin – it comes from the outside – sin is acting on temptation and comes from the inside.

Jesus was tempted in the desert as we see in the beginning of Matthew 4 – He lived a perfect life and never sinned –

James 1:13-16 – Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.

Romans 7:19-21 – For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So, I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.

C. How we get released from temptation— When we get ourselves into trouble, He does provide as way out as we saw 1 Cor 10. The more we draw closer to Him, the more we allow the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us, the less we give into temptation.

2 Peter 2:9 – then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,

2 Timothy 4:18 – The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 94:18 – When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.

2 Corinthians 10:5 – We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

Galatians 5:16 – But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Romans 12:21 – Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

D. Rewards from resisting temptation— When we resist temptation, When we don’t break and give in, stay strong; God will reward us; whether in heaven, or on earth.

James 1:12 – Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

II. PATIENT IN TROUBLES

A. Attitude—Being patient when we face trials tribulation. For Christians, it’s not easy, it’s one of hardest things to put into practice. God doesn’t always deliver from trouble nor does He promise that, but He gave us, sent us the Holy Spirit to help us, guide us, direct us through it. When we demonstrate patience in trouble, it shows what foundation it is built on, it reveals stability in our lives that is beyond what we can control.

Psalm 46:10 – “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

Romans 12:12 – Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

James 1:2-3 – Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

B. Affect—Hebrews 10:36. Everyone, we all need patience when we come face to face with trouble.

1. Patience— For you have need of endurance

2. Promise— so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.

Proverbs 14:29 – Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.

Psalm 27:14 – Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

C. Answer—A lot of the psalms talk about waiting patiently on the Lord. We should be in no hurry as God’s timing and His plans are better.

Psalm 40:1-4 – I waited patiently for the Lord; He inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.

There is value in waiting on the Lord –

Isaiah 40:31 – but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

III. PATIENT IN TRIALS

A. The work of patience—We are to have patience develop and grow and in us. Patience purifies us like gold and silver during the refining process. Patience directs us to have complete dependence on God and not rely on our own strengths and abilities and develops a deeper trust. It's been said we learn more from failures than we do successes, patience teaches us more when we walk through trials and troubles, walking thru the valley than always remaining on the mountain top and an easy walk, easy life.

James 1:4 – And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Isaiah 48:10 – Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.

B. The waiting in patience—Be patient as we wait for the return of the Lord. We may long for His coming, but we must remember his timing is perfect. We must be patiently endure, knowing that all our trials, our troubles, our suffering will come to an end when He returns.

James 5:7-8 – Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

Zechariah 13:9 – And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”

C. The way of patience—Psalm 37:7. God is never delayed, never late; His timing is perfect and is always on time.

Psalm 37:7 – Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!

Psalm 31:15 – My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!

2 Peter 3:8-9 – But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Lamentations 3:25-26 – The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Why is being patient so difficult? How does knowing that God knows what you can handle, what you are going through, help in developing patience?

How do you see needing love, joy and peace in your life first, help with developing or deepening your patience?

When facing troubles, how does the promise from Hebrews 10:36 help, “you have need of patience so that when you have done the will of God you may receive His promises?”

How is facing trials, troubles, and temptations, linked to patience and how can they be tools instead of stumbling blocks for patience?

Although hard to implement, how does knowing that God’s timing is perfect and He is never late, never misses, help you in developing patience?

Let us Pray!