PATIENCE The definition of the word is to tolerate delay.

This implies self-control and forbearance as opposed to wanting what we want when we want it. In case youre wondering, this is a sermon on patience. Patience is fourth on the list of character qualities we call the fruit of the Spirit. Its what some of you were starting to run short of while waiting for me to get up here. Thirty seconds of unscripted silence was all it took. Listen to what Paul has to say in our Scripture reading, COLOSSIANS 3:12-17. As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. ABSORBING LIFES IRRITATIONS This past week I read about a first-grade teacher who was having a difficult day. It had rained that entire day and the children couldnt go out for recess, so they got more and more restless and hyperactive as the day wore on. The teacher couldnt wait for the bell to ring at 3 oclock. About 2:45 she saw it was still raining, and so she decided to start getting the kids ready for dismissal. She sorted out their boots and raincoats and started helping get them on. Finally, they were ready to go, all except for one little boy whose boots were just too small for his feet. There were no zippers or straps, and it took every last ounce of strength she had to get them on. When at last she did get them on, she straightened up with a sigh of relief. Thats when the little boy looked down at his feet and said, Teacher, you know what? These boots arent mine! She didnt know whether to laugh or cry, but being the good teacher she was, she smiled bravely and started taking them off. And they were harder to get off than they were to put on. She yanked and tugged until finally the boots were off. Thats when the little boy smiled at her and said, Theyre not my boots, but theyre my sisters, and I got to wear them! As Gods chosen ones, Paul says, clothe yourselves with patience.

When were clothed with patience, we can absorb lifes irritations and annoyances. We can absorb them the way a good thick towel absorbs splatters and spills. Sometimes its annoying strangers we have to absorb. Like the guy down the block whose dog barks all night. Or the driver poking along at 45 miles per hour in the left lane of the freeway. Or the person ahead of us in the 15-item express line at the grocery store, the person who puts 19 items on the belt, chats with the clerk, fishes for a checkbook only after everything has been rung up, and then argues about the bill. Sometimes its people in our own family. Its our nearest and dearest who really try our patience. C. S. Lewis says it well: When two humans have lived together for many years, it usually happens that each has tones of voice and expressions of face which are almost unendurably irritating to the other. You know what he means, dont you? Its not that your spouse does anything all that wrong. Its just that he raises an eyebrow in a certain way that drives you crazy. Its the way she takes forever to tell a simple story. As Gods chosen ones, Paul says, bear with one another. Clothe yourselves with patience. LONG-TEMPERED The Greek word for patience is makrothumia, which is a combination of two words. Makro means long and thumia means temper. Long-tempered. We all know people who are short-tempered: people who lose patience quickly and blow up in anger. Patience has to do with having a fairly long fuse, being able to absorb lifes annoyances without exploding in anger. Its interesting to note that when Paul talks about what life is like outside of Christ, he describes it as an angry life. In the verses just before todays reading, Paul says that outside of Christ what you find is anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language (Col.3:7 -8). You find gossip and quarrels, strife and dissensions. You find split churches and broken marriages and fractured friendships. Lots of short tempers. Lots of anger. Thats life outside of Christ, Paul says. Its angry life. Its confrontational politics and caustic talk shows. Its aggressive Little League parents and out-of-control sports fans. Its vengeful movies and violent music. Its accusatory e-mails that appear to have been sent from a flamethrower. Get rid of such things, Paul says (Col. 3:8). Take off all those angry old clothes, and put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. As Gods chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with patience. A BIGGER CRANKCASE

Patience makrothumia absorbs irritants without letting them paralyze you. One writer suggests we think of patience as a good motor oil: It doesnt remove all the contaminants. It just puts them into suspension so they dont get into your works and seize them up. Patient people have, so too speak, a large crankcase. They can put a lot of irritants into suspension. Suppose the person seated behind you in the airplane keeps coughing and sneezing. Patience means, instead of strangling him, you put your irritation into suspension (and maybe ask the attendant for another seat). Suppose the gas tank on your car is on Empty because your daughter forgot to fill it up again. Instead of grounding her for life, you put it into suspension for a while (and wait for a calm, teachable moment). Suppose you race across town for a doctors appointment only to cool your heels for an hour in the waiting room. Instead of ranting and raving, you put it into the crankcase. Patient people have this makrothumia this capacity to absorb irritants without seizing up. Oh sure, patient people get annoyed like anybody else. They know theres a time to speak up, a time to deal directly. But until the time is right for that, until they are right for that, they have a place to put their annoyances without exploding, without losing control. Me, I keep praying for a bigger crankcase. To be honest, I shouldnt be the one delivering this sermon. Im probably the least patient person on our pastoral staff. I have a little sign on the back of my office door where I can see it before I step out to deal with people. It says, Loseth Not Thy Cooleth. Well, I lost my cooleth at least half a dozen times this week. Which is bad enough, but then I had to come up with a sermon on patience. Who says God doesnt have a sense of humor? NOT DOORMATS I pray for patience a lot. And one thing Ive learned is that patient people are not passive or stoic. Patient people get indignant at injustice and abuse. As well they should. Theres a place for anger in the Christian life, or so I believe. Seeing sick and hungry children in Senegal makes me a little angry especially when it doesnt have to be that way, not if we were better in this country at sharing our abundance. Sometimes anger is fitting. If your child is abused, if your spouse is slandered, you ought to get angry. If someone betrays your trust or blasphemes your God, you have a right to be indignant. But we need patience even for these big angers. Minor annoyances can go into the crankcase, into suspension, and we can forget them. But big angers have to go there, too, at least for a

while. Because when weve been seriously wronged, we have to stop and think about the right way to respond. Maybe we need to confront the offender. Maybe we need to seek legal justice. But if were going to confront, we need to be in a calm, controlled place ourselves. Well only make matters worse if we act in fury and go on the attack. Confrontation needs to be patient confrontation. The same is true for forgiveness. Paul says, As the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And I believe hes right. But if were talking about a big hurt and not a minor irritation, its probably going to take some time. Real forgiveness isnt immediate, like turning on a light switch. Its gradual, like the sun slowly coming up. In order to forgive the person who hurt you or your loved one its going to take time. Real forgiveness is always patient forgiveness. What Im trying to say is that patient people are not doormats. They know what it is to be angry. But they also know something about anger control. Theyre not afraid to confront or to seek justice. But they do so with a long fuse. They know the importance of forgiving. But theyre not in a hurry to put a spiritual band-aid on a serious wound. They know the healing of forgiveness takes time. Patient people are some of the strongest people I know, because patience takes spiritual muscle. GODLY GARMENT Where do we get it? Well, patience is a fruit of the Spirit, and that means its partly something God does in us. But, like all the other character qualities were considering, developing patience requires some effort on our part, some cooperation with what God is trying to do. Like what? Well, as one whos struggled with impatience all my life, I can offer these four suggestions. First, it helps to see annoying people, even hurtful people, through the lens of imaginative love. If youre stuck behind that pokey driver in the left lane, instead of aggressively tailgating, try to imagine the driver as somebodys grandparent. Areally good grandparent. You dont tailgate your grandparents; you protect them. The lens of imaginative love. To put it another way, try to see difficult people the way Jesus sees them. We wonder why theyre acting in such an obnoxious way. It could be because of tremendous pain in their lives. Why do they seem so distant and arrogant? It could be theyve been hurt, and theyre trying to protect themselves from rejection. Why are they so hardened toward the things of God? It could be because theyve had a terrible loss and theyre blaming God. You want to develop patience? Try to see that irritating, hurtful person through the eyes of Jesus, through the lens of imaginative love.

Second, it helps to hang around the patient people we do know. Apprentice ourselves to people who have pretty big crankcases. Watch them, listen to them, learn from them. I know this is going to embarrass some people here, and I didnt ask their permission, but this is why I like to be around people like Mark Evers, our executive director of ministry here at Lake Grove Presbyterian. People like Don Pope, past clerk of our Session and vice-moderator of our Presbytery. People like LuAnn Yocky, World Vision representative and leader of more Go Teams to Africa and Asia than I can count. These are some of the most patient people I know. I watch them. I study them. It helps to have some good teachers. Third, it helps to keep in mind how incredibly patient God has been with me. How many times have I gotten on Gods nerves? How many times have I come before him and confessed the same ugly sin, the same loveless behavior, the same stupid mistakes? How many times have I disregarded him, disobeyed him, disappointed him? And yet, hes always been there for me. Never given up on me. Never lost patience with me. The other day I was irritated by something somebody said something that seemed unfair and undeserved. And I was so ready to lash out, to retaliate in anger. And just before I did, I remembered how that same morning in my quiet time Id been asking God to forgive me for something unkind Id said to Debbie. If God was willing to forgive me, and if Debbie was willing to forgive me (or at least suspend it in the crankcase), what was I doing getting ready to blast this other person? When I remember Gods patience, I find it a little easier to be patient with those around me. Finally, it helps to keep our eyes on Jesus Christ. Were not talking about a self-improvement technique: Forty Days to a More Patient You. Were talking about the fruit of the Spirit, Christ-like character, which we develop not by focusing on ourselves but by focusing on the Lord Jesus. When we look at Jesus with patience in mind, what do we see? We see him there on the cross, absorbing not just a few minor annoyances, but absorbing the accumulated evil of the whole world. Absorbing all that sin and suffering without passing it on, without inflicting it on others and thereby breaking the cycle of retaliation and vengeance in which this angry world is trapped. When I take a long look at Jesus there on the cross, somehow the irritations and annoyances that bug me dont seem quite so urgent. And the big angers, the big injustices the hungry children, the abused children, the exploited children? Well, thats why he went to the cross, wasnt it? To take all that on, to condemn it and put it to death. And when I see that, maybe I can release some of my big angers to the Christ whose passion for justice is infinitely greater than mine, and whose judgment of this world including you and me will be altogether righteous. *****

As Gods chosen ones, holy and beloved as men and women who have been saved and kept by Gods grace clothe yourselves with patience. Put it on like a godly garment. Patience fits people who have died and risen with Christ. Patience is part of the family uniform of the people of God.

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (James 1:1-4). This morning we continue our study on the keys for Christian living. We have already looked at four of these keys, the key of peace, the key of prayer, and the key of praise. Now this morning we want to look at the key of patience. The word patience means The ability to endure hardship and inconven ience without complaint. This is a quality that we all need as we live the Christian life. Patience is a virtue that has to be developed as we live day by day. As we live and face the trials and tribulations of life, we learn to be patient, and this strengthens us to be strong spiritual Christians. In our text, James tells us that the trying of our faith works patience. We face different kinds of trials from time to time. There are the trials of sickness, sorrow and persecutions. When we face these things we are to count it a joy to go through these things. Now Beloved, I realize that this is hard to do. Its hard to count something a joy when it is bringing grief and sorrow to our hearts. But the Bible says here in James chapter one, and verse two, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations." This means that we are not to consider these trials as punishment or judgment upon us. But we are to consider them as a joy, because they are going to turn out to be a blessing to us. These trials are trials of our faith. We, as the children of God are to live by faith. In order for faith to be strong, it must be tested. As a matter of fact, faith by its very nature has to be tested and tried in order to grow. As our faith grows, the more patient we become; that is, we are able to endure the hardships and trials of life without complaining. We learn to trust in God to lead and guide us through all things that we face. This brings glory to God, and peace to our hearts.

In verse four James tells us to let patience have her perfect work. He is instructing us to let patience produce its fruit; that is, her work without being hindered. We are not to hinder the influence patience works in our heart. Beloved, there are many things that hinder patience from influencing our hearts. Such things as murmuring, complaining and rebellion. You see, God has designed patience to produce necessary virtues and graces in our souls in order for us to mature in the Christian faith, and to be able to be good servants for the Lord. When patience has her perfect work in our hearts, it brings us into full maturity in the Christian life. Now notice here again in verse four, it says, But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. You see, when patience has her perfect work, there will be nothing lacking in developing our Christian character. Now we may have within us the elements of good character, and good sound Biblical principles, but the good character and sound principles may not be seen until they are under some kind of a trial or test. When we are faced with affliction, then what is within us comes out. Affliction, probably more than anything else, will bring out our character and inner principles, so that we may see what we really are. As we let patience do her work in us under these trials and afflictions, it will cause us to become more like Christ, stronger in our faith, and a more effective servant for the Lord. So when our faith is tested, it produces patience. Another thing that produces patience is found in (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: You see, James told us to count it all joy when we fall into divers temptations; that is, the trials of our faith. And here the apostle Paul tells us that we are to glory in our tribulations also, knowing that tribulations work patience. Here we see that we will face all kinds of trials and tribulations as we walk through this life. But we know that these trials and tribulations will work for our good. The good that these trials will do for us is worth the endurance of them. Paul had learned through his trials that they ended up bringing him great comfort and strength in the Lord. He endured more probably, than any other person outside the Lord Jesus Christ, in his work in spreading the gospel. Yet he left a tremendous testimony that the Christian faith was sufficient to sustain the soul in its hardest trials. He said in (II Corinthians 1:3-6) Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. Paul had learned that through his trials and tribulations, God had comforted him, and then he was able to comfort others in their trials. When trials and afflictions come to Christians they produce patience. But when trials come to sinners, they are troubled and irritated by them, and they complain and become more rebellious against God. They have no true source of comfort.

In the life of the Christian, tribulation works patience, and patience works experience. Experience is another fruit of patience. You see, patient endurance of trials produces experience. Experience means the result of trials. It means being tested, approved through a trial or test. You see, when a Christian has faithfully borne the trials of life from time to time, it shows the kind of person he really is. His faith has been tested and found to be real and genuine. And then experience produces hope. After we have been through hard trials of testing, this experience produces hope. Trials, patience and experience are designed to reveal and develop our character, hope is designed to direct the heart toward the future blessings awaiting the people of God. Hope directs our minds onward toward another world, our eternal home in heaven. This hope give us strength and courage to keep on serving the Lord faithfully. It gives us strength for the rest of our journey home. The Christian hope is certain. We will not be disappointed. The Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation of our Hope, the Foundation that cannot be shaken. We have a home in heaven that will never pass away. It is eternal. The more trials and tribulations we go through here in this life makes heaven seem a little closer. Now by all this we can see that patience is a very important key to living the Christian life. Many times we dont understand why we have to go through things. But it is here that we must be patient. It is here that we must, without murmuring or complaining, wait on the Lord. The Bible says in (Isaiah 40:28-31) Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Beloved, we may faint and be weary sometimes, but if we wait on the Lord, He will give us power, He will give us strength, He will give us the encouragement we need to go on. Others may let us down, but God will never fail us. In this old world we have some hard battles that take a toll on us. Sometimes the days seem so dark we just cant see any light until we look to the blessed Lord, who is the Light of the world. God will reach down with His mighty hand and lead us through the darkest valleys, and bring us to the joy of His salvation. Just as peace, prayer and praise are keys to Christian living, so is patience. Waiting on God will always bring us blessing. Introduction: Rom. 2:7 1. We see in our text the importance of patience. It is a must. 2. We also see times in our lives when we fail to exhibit patience.

1) Stopped praying, 1 Thess. 5:17. 2) Grew weary in well-doing, Gal. 6:9. 3) Some even fail to remain faithful, Heb. 6:11. 3. We know we dont always have patience, so how do we develop it? How do we acquire patience? Discussion: I. PATIENCE BEGINS WITH OBEDIENCE. 1. We make a decision to be patient 1) They continued stedfastly, Acts 2:42. 2) In order to gain the victory we must be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding, 1 Cor. 15:58. 3) We must be faithful unto death, Rev. 2:10 4) Col. 1:23; 2 Pet. 3:17. 2. Obedience is coupled with a promise, Rev. 3:21; 21:7. II. PATIENCE CONTINUES WITH EDIFICATION. 1. Pauls example edifies us. 1) Look at what he went through and remained patient, 2 Cor. 11:24ff. 2) His attitude, crucified with Christ, Gal. 2:20. 3) His expectation having been patient, 2 Tim. 4:6-8. 4) Paul says its up to us because nothing else can separate us from the love o f God, Rom. 8:35-39. 2. Christs example edifies us. We are to run with patience, looking to Jesus who ran with patience, Heb. 12:1-3. 3. Our brethren today edify us. III. PATIENCE FINISHES WITH TRIAL. 1. Christians ARE going to be persecuted, 2 Tim. 3:12. 2. It takes trial to make a Christian perfect or complete in Christ, James 1:2-4. 1) No father Abraham without get thee out of thy country unto a land that I will shew thee (Gen. 12:1) or Take now thy son and offer him there (Gen. 22:2). 2) No prophet Moses without standing before Pharaoh (Exo. 5:1) or the wilderness wanderings. 3) No Joshua without the battles in Canaan. 4) No David without Goliath and his flights from Saul. 5) No Daniel without the lions. 6) No apostles without persecutions. 7) No Jesus without the cross.

Conclusion: How to acquire patience? 1. By obedience. 2. By edification. 3. By trial. SERMON: PURSUING HOLINESS -- PATIENCE PURSUING HOLINESS: PATIENCE 28 June 2009 I. Introduction -- turn in Bibles to James 5 7. Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. 8. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. 9. Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! 10. Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. -- this morning, we are continuing our sermon series on pursuing holiness through the fruit of the Spirit -- so far, we have covered the first three attributes of God listed in Galatians 5:22-23 - love, joy, and peace -- this morning, we're going to look at the next attribute of God that is listed there -- patience -- of all the attributes of God -- of all the Godly characteristics that we are trying to acquire in our lives -- I don't think there's any as hard as patience -- there's just something about patience -- about waiting -- about persevering -- that is difficult for us in this modern age -- for instance, you probably heard the story about the man in Waco, Texas, who got tired of waiting -- On May 20, 2008, Kevin Waits -- which, by the way, is his real name -- Kevin Waits called for a cab to come pick him up, but the driver didn't arrive fast enough -- when the cab didn't come as fast as he thought it should, Waits called 911 fifteen consecutive times to express his frustration about having to wait on a cab -- the dispatcher repeatedly told Waits the police could not help with such issues -- After the fifteenth call, the police realized that Waits really wanted a ride and was tired of waiting, so they came by and gave him a handcuffed ride to the police station -- when they got him there, they found out that Waits didn't even have the $26 required to pay for the cab service he was complaining about -- what is it about patience? -- what is it about waiting that drives us so crazy? -- I consider myself a fairly patient person -- I developed patience on the side of a fish pond -- when I was

kid, all I did was fish -- all I did was sit on the side of a pond with a pole -- I could sit out there for hours, even if I wasn't getting a bite -- I could wait forever -- even today, when I have to wait because of things, it doesn't bother me a whole lot -- I can get stopped by every red light, and I'm fine -- I can have to wait on the computer to boot up, and I have no problem -- but, lately, I have noticed that I have been losing patience in other areas -- especially, with people -- just yesterday, I was at Walmart -- Brooke and I had swung by there to pick up something for supper -- we weren't in any great hurry, but everyone in that store just tried my patience -there was this one family that just really got on my last nerve -- they got in the aisle in front of us with a buggy and they spread out -- they acted like they had never been in a store before -they were just walking along, extremely slow, and looking at everything in sight -- they took up the whole aisle and wouldn't let us pass -- it's like we didn't matter to them -- and I found myself getting more and more frustrated at having to wait for them to get out of our way -- and, all the while, as I'm getting more and more impatient, in the back of my mind, I'm thinking, "and I've got to preach a sermon on patience in the morning" -- patience is a virtue -- the Bible says "blessed is he who waits" (Daniel 5:12) -- but, honestly, patience is one of the hardest characteristics to acquire -- one of the hardest things to do -- patience shows up near the front in the list of attributes of God -- after love, joy, and peace, Paul tells us that patience is the next key characteristic of God -- and if we want to reflect His image -- if we want to be holy as God is holy -- then we must learn to grow this characteristic in our own lives -- we must learn to be patient people -- now, as I started to study this topic of biblical patience, I came to realize that patience is lived out in three separate areas -- patience with things -- patience with people -- and patience with God -- as I can so firmly attest to in my own life, you can patient in one area but fail in another -- I can be as patient as Job waiting at red lights but fail to be a patient person when an employee at work just won't get their job done in time -- I can be patient in persevering through a particular trial in my life but get impatient when God doesn't answer my prayers when I think He should -- Webster picked up on this multi-faceted dimension to patience in his dictionary,although he didn't specifically mention patience with God in his definition -- Webster defines patience in three ways -- patience is "perseverance in performing a task" or "endurance without complaining" -- that is patience with things -- he further defines patience as "bearing suffering and provocation with calmness and selfcontrol" and "refraining from retaliation" -- that is patience with people -- and, finally, he defines patience as "the ability to wait calmly, tolerating a delay" -- which I contend is most clearly seen in the spiritual realm as patience with God -- so, in order to be truly patient people -- in order to grow in holiness and reflect the goodness of God -- we have to seek to be wholly patient in all three areas of patience -- wholly patient in all that we do and with all that we come into contact with and with God Himself II. Scripture Lesson

-- here in this passage in James, we read about being patient in all three of these areas of life -patience with things -- patience with people -- and patience with God -- so, let's look at each of these separately and see what we might learn from James on this topic -- I have always liked the Book of James -- it's a hard book -- it's a convicting book -- it's very much in your face about how you are living and how you should be living -- but that's what we need -- I think it's a shame that James is not taught as much as it should be in our day and age -- here in the fifth chapter of this epistle, James is summarizing his teaching throughout the book -- he's bringing it all home and making it real -- in the previous four chapters, James has hammered the church on how they had failed to live out their faith in their lives -- on their lack of works and acts of service -- on their favoritism towards those who were wealthy over those who were poor -- on their divisiveness and their grumbling and complaining towards others, especially others in the church -- and on their lack of faith in waiting on God to come again -- James is trying to get them to see that true faith is not just lived on the mountaintops, but down in the valleys of life -- that we say more about what we believe by how we respond to things and people and God when life isn't going like we expected -- when God isn't doing what we expected -- so, here, in these verses, James is making the case to his readers and to us that faithfulness is demonstrated through patient endurance in the three areas of life -- with things -- with people - even with God -- look back at verse 7 7a. Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. -- in other words, hold on, brothers -- don't give up -- wait for the Lord's return and everything will be as it should be -- until then, be patient -- be patient when trials and troubles come your way -- when you get stopped by every red light on the way to work -- when you get sick -- when you lose a loved one -- be patient when others talk about you and persecute you -- when others put you down because you are not as wealthy or as famous or as well-dressed and mannered as others -- be patient when people don't act like you think they should -- be patient when people try to drive you crazy -- and be patient when God doesn't answer in your timing -- when God doesn't come and make things right when you think He should -- be patient when you're walking through the fire and trust and believe that God is with you -- that is what James is trying to get across to us when he tells us here, "be patient" -- look back at verse 7 again 7b. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. 8. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.

-- the first area of life that James tells us to be patient with is with the things around us -- he uses the example of a farmer waiting for the rains and for his crops as an illustration of patience -- as any farmer can attest, there's just so much you can do with the weather -- I don't care how much you stand up and yell -- how much you beg or plead -- how much you rant and rail against the sky -- you are powerless to make the clouds come and send rain or to make the clouds go away and send sun -- weather is a thing -- it's something that is external to us -- it's something that we can't control and so we shouldn't get bent out of shape because of it -- the only thing we can do is control how we react to it and the other things in life that cause us concern -- to paraphrase a famous quote, "Things happen" -- we live in a fallen world -- we live in a world where it seems like the universe conspires against us from time to time -- where things seldom go our way -- where people get sick and die -- where people lose their jobs and their homes -- where people face catastrophes and and natural disasters -- where people find themselves having to wait to do what they want to do because a vehicle breaks at the wrong moment -- a tire goes flat -- a light turns red -- a printer runs out of ink -- things go wrong -- big things and little things -- small irritations and great problems -- but they have one thing in common -- there's just not much we can do about them -- so, what do we do? -- well, as James says here, "be patient" -- now, that doesn't mean that we do nothing -- the Greek word for "patience" here is not passive -- it implies an active waiting -- that means that we do what we can in our own power and leave the rest up to God -- for instance, think again about farming -- if the weather's not right, what can we do? -- we can sort of make rain through irrigation, although it's not quite the same as the real thing -- but that's about it -- we can't control the sun or the temperature or the wind -- so, we do what we can and trust God for the rest -- we make our needs known to Him -- and we wait and trust that everything will turn out just like He wants -- that doesn't mean it will turn out like we want -- but it does imply that we trust God will take care of us -- we quit trying to do things on our own -- we quit getting worked up over something that we can't really control -- and we trust God -- as Andrew Murray wrote, "The waiting is to teach us our absolute dependence upon Gods mighty working, and to make us in perfect patience place ourselves at His disposal" -- that is what James means here by patience with things -- that is how we can be faithful through waiting -- verse 9 9. Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! -- as I've already shared, there are times in my life when my patience is really tried by other people -- that's what James is talking about here -- patience with others -- patience with people -- we all, from time to time, have problems with other people -- who is it that gets on your nerves? -- slow or careless drivers -- rude clerks -- undisciplined children -- unproductive coworkers -- disorganized people -- indecisive people -- inconsiderate people -- people who call

attention to themselves -- self-centered people -- people who interrupt while you talk -- people who repeat themselves -- know-it-alls -- habitual latecomers -- habitual complainers -- people who wont take responsibility -- argumentative and divisive people -- people who argue from ignorance -- people whose opinions differ from yours -- gossips -- hypocrites -- others? -- did you find someone on that list? -- I guarantee you that there's someone out there who really tries your patience -- someone that just frustrates you by being there in your way or in your life -- what do we do with these abrasive people? -- how do we respond? -- James says "don't grumble against them" -- don't rail against them -- don't moan and complain about what they are doing -- think about what you're doing and whether you are reflecting Christ to them in your words and your actions -- to quote Andrew Murray again, "Look upon every man, woman, or child who tries your patience or angers you as a means of grace to humble you" -- these people are a means of grace -- in other words, these abrasive people are like sandpaper in your life -- smoothing off the rough edges of your character and helping to make you look more like Jesus -- how you respond to these people speaks worlds about your faith in God and your desire to be holy as He is holy -- keep in mind that Paul listed patience as a fruit of the Spirit -- this tells us that we are incapable of being patient with some people on our own -- we just don't have the strength or inner willpower to deal with them, and we have to rely on God's own presence working in us and through us to respond to them -- we tend to respond to abrasive people with our flesh and not our spirit -- when you find yourself getting irritated or getting angry or getting upset with someone else -- when you find your patience is growing thin -- the answer is to detach yourself from the situation -- to shift your focus off of yourself and what this person is doing to you and to shift it back to God -- when you find yourself getting annoyed and impatient with another person, take a breath and ask God to calm your soul and your spirit -- ask Him to give you His patience to deal with this situation -- or, if nothing else, to make a way of escape so that you can avoid sinning in your actions or behavior -- remember that you can't change this other person, but you can change the way you respond to them -- ask God to help you to respond in a more positive way -- ask God to help you reflect His nature and His character in this situation -- verse 10 10. Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. -- finally, James gets to the hardest area of patience -- waiting on God -- this is the area where our faith is most sorely tested -- where we truly demonstrate with our

life if we believe what our lips say -- it's one thing to come to church and know the right words -- to understand the Bible and to accept the gospel message -- but, as James points out in this epistle, it's another thing altogether to live it out -- to actually receive the message in our lives -- we've all experienced times in our lives when it seems like God doesn't hear us -- when we pray and our prayers don't seem to go past the ceiling -- when we pray and God doesn't answer like we expect -- when we pray and He doesn't answer at all or the thing that we prayed wouldn't happen, does -- we've all experienced times when our faith has been shaken -- when trials and troubles have come our way -- and God doesn't work -- He seems to be absent -- and things just keep getting worse -- it's in these times that we are forced to wait -- that we are forced to persevere -- that we are forced to endure what we think we can't endure -- it's in these times that faith is forged -- when you are forced to wait on God, you are faced with a decision -- you can either choose to believe in His promises and His message and His goodness -- or you can choose to believe that God is either not there or, if He is, that He doesn't care -- how you respond demonstrates your level of faith and spiritual maturity -- James points us to the example of Job and the prophets in these verses -- these men and women, he writes, suffered in their lives -- they were beset with troubles too great to mention - with persecution and martyrdom that took their lives and the lives of those around them -- their faith was sorely tested, but they didn't give up -- they persevered -- they trusted God and His providence in their lives -- they trusted in God's compassion and mercy -- and they knew that God would take care of them -- they lived out what James Rye wrote about patience -- "True patience is a calm endurance based on the certain knowledge that God is in control." -- throughout the Bible, we are told to wait on God -- Psalm 62:1 -- "My soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation." (Psalm 62:1) -- Psalm 27:14 -- "Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart" -- Psalm 59:9 -- "I will wait for You, O You his Strength; for God is my defense" -- Isaiah 25:9 -- "We have waited for Him and He will save us." -- when we wait on God, we are saying that we trust Him -- that even though things may not work out as we hope -- we trust and believe that God's will and plan for our lives is better than what we hope for -- we have that "calm endurance" that affirms that "God is in control" -- James says, "Wait on the Lord -- be patient -- and see what God will do -- see what God will bring about" -- waiting on God -- trusting in Him -- is the essence of true faith and holiness III. Closing -- The great New England preacher Phillips Brooks was noted for his poise and quiet manner -At times, however, even he suffered moments of frustration and irritability -- One day a friend saw him feverishly pacing the floor like a caged lion -- Whats the trouble, Mr. Brooks? he

asked -- The trouble is that Im in a hurry, but God isnt! -- patience is one of those characteristics of God that just takes time to develop -- it doesn't happen in a moment, but happens over a lifetime of minor and major irritations -- but, as Kent Crockett points out, "Once God develops the attitude of patience in you, life becomes easier [because] petty things don't bother you anymore." -- patience works wonders in the life of a person -- it helps us to deal with the things and the people of life -- it helps us to respond to them as Jesus would -- and, it helps us develop our faith as we learn to trust in God in the waiting -- I know I've gone on a bit long this morning -- and I appreciate your patience with a wandering preacher -- but, this is an important topic and an important attribute that we must develop in our lives if we are to be like Jesus in all that we do -- if we are to be Holy as He is Holy -- just to sum up our teaching on this, when you are confronted with the irritations of life -from things and from people -- remember to turn to God -- remember that you have within you His Spirit who will give you the patience and faith that you need to persevere -- take a moment -- say a prayer -- and ask God to give you His patience so you will respond as Jesus would -- and, let me warn you, when you start to work on this attribute of patience in your life, you are going to be come face-to-face with every little thing that causes you irritation -- because it's in the testing and the trials that patience is forged -- so, as you leave here, get ready -- if you get annoyed by things, get ready to be stopped by every red light in town and expect other petty problems to come up -- if you get annoyed by people, get ready for abrasive people to get in your way -- if you have a problem trusting in God, get ready for Him to build your faith in this area -- regardless of what methods God uses to mold your patience, yield to Him and the Holy Spirit, and persevere, trusting that what the Lord finally brings about will be for your good -- as James says here, "Be Patient" -- let's pray Sermon: How Can We Develop True Patience? Waiting Does Not Always Equal Patience Martin G. Collins Given 15-Jan-05; Tape #701; 68 minutes Description:(show) Martin Collins, reflecting upon the impatience demonstrated in the world's holidays, concludes that most of mankind has a serious patience deficit. Demonstrating or developing patience, a cardinal characteristic of God, in the face of trying events is a clear indication that we are developing genuine godliness. We must learn to turn trials into positive growth opportunities, as did Jacob, who had to develop patience in the midst of myriad, frustrating delays. We must learn to endure patiently, with the help of God's Spirit, waiting for God to accomplish His purpose in us. After identifying 18 negative consequences of impatience, the sermon offers five steps to developing patience: 1) staying focused on the goal, 2) learning to think before

speaking, 3) looking for ways to give our service to others, 4) working out our conflicts with others, and 5) working with God through the Spirit to develop godly patience in us, developing a calm, positive attitude and peace of mind. Topics:(show) Listen Download (To download,right-click on the icon for the format of your choice and select "Save target as...")

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The Fruit of the Spirit: Patience We have just come through the time of year when the manifestation of the true nature of people is seen at its worst. Crime soars! Attitudes flair! Impatience flourishes! I know that you have probably felt this way when you were driving, but I felt as though I were driving with the headlights of the drivers following me on my rear bumper. People were rushing back and forth, to and fro, in a frenzy to celebrateChristmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa. If that was not enough, the New Year's holiday came and people rushed to go to their parties to drink, frolic, and play, and whatever else they do at those worldly parties. Showing how this society viewspatienceis Bill Meglashen's quip, "Patience is something you admire in the driver behind you, but not in the one ahead." That is true for all of us sometimes. In 1989, Margaret Thatcher, ex-Prime Minister of England, who was referred to as "The Iron Lady," suffered from this same human view of patience. She said, "I am extraordinarily patient provided I get my own way in the end." Although she was trying to be witty, her comment was revealing with regard to human nature. I feel confident that it is safe to say that we have just come through a worldly festival season of impatience. The "Impatiencemas" season manifests human nature at its worst.Covetousness, shoplifting, burglary, drunkenness,gluttony, family violence, and evenmurderall increase in this season. After all, 'tis the season to be jollyif by "jolly," you mean sinful! Probably the most ridiculous statement about Christmas is, "We need to put Jesus back into Christmas." How can we put something into Christmas that was never there? The pagan winter solstice celebration had Christ's name syncretized into it; but nothing else in it in any way represents Christ, as you all well know! I am not telling you anything new. That includes His

character as well: There is nothing about His character that is seen in that winter solstice celebration. The season of impatience in no way representsJesus Christand His way of life. Jesus was a patient Man, and He is a patient God. Jesus' patience was so extraordinary to the apostle Paul that it is one of the two main things he emphasized in hisprayerfor the church in Thessalonica. II Thessalonians 3:5Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ. Obviously, that is a virtue in which Christ excels. We are to have the same patience under all our sufferings and persecutions as Christ manifested under His. He meekly received the contradiction and persecution of sinners; and "when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten." Earlier, Paul urged the Thessalonica church to perform their Christian duties including being patient as a required priority for those who love God. I Thessalonians 5:14Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. Maybe God inspired the apostle Paul to put so much emphasis on the essential virtue of patience because it is such an unnatural way for us to think. It is so against human nature but it is so much a part of the way God is. The demonstration of patience in a frustrating situation is one of the best indications that our character is being developed through the use of theHoly Spirit. It is part of the transformation, the conversion of becoming more like God. It is not my intention today to get into the details of the Hebrew or Greek words that are commonly translated into our English wordpatiencein the Bible. I am approaching the subject from the general principle contained within the wordpatienceused throughout the Bible. This word in English contains elements such as "patience in respect to persons, longsuffering," as well as "endurance," "putting up with things or circumstances," and "perseverance." In a general sense, patience is being slow to anger. Patience, the apostle Paul wrote, is one of the fruits, or results, of God's Spirit. In your New King James, I think it useslongsufferingand in other translations,patience. We are using it loosely for patience because longsuffering, in one sense, is a type of patience. If we work with God to develop His own nature in us, we will become more like Him; and that includes patience. It is not enough to justactpatient; we must actuallybepatient. Patience is a characteristic of God that many mainstream "Christians" often overlook. Christ's mercy toward Saul, who was later called Paul, displays His unlimited patience and mercy, revealing the love of God for a wicked person. God's patience with His people, ancient Israel, is

an outstanding example of this elusive virtue. Though Israel turned to idols and wickedness, God pleaded with them torepentand call on His name. He told Solomon, II Chronicles 7:14if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive theirsinand heal their land. Only a patient and longsuffering God would be able to offerforgivenessafter what they had done. Here we see the general process of our calling and conversion: humility, prayer, seeking (that is, zealously trying to be like God and living His way of life), and repenting of and overcoming sin. All of those elements are seen here in this verse 14 of II Chronicles 7. This involves a change of attitude from the beginning of the process and that continues for eternity. It is not a state that you reach and no longer have to worry about; it is an ongoing process to develop that Godly patience. God waited patiently! He sent Hisprophetsfor generations before exiling Israel and Judah to foreign lands. Nehemiah acknowledged this while praying to God: Nehemiah 9:30Yet for many years You had patience with them, and testified against them by Your Spirit in Your prophets. Yet they would not listen; therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. What is patience? Dictionaries tell us that patience is "the capacity, habit, or fact of bearing pains or trials calmly, or without complaint." That gives us a general idea of the word patienceat which we are looking this afternoon. Keep in mind that such is the secular version or definition of patience. Two things are involved in this definition: one is being in an unpleasant but common situation; and two, being calm about it. Biblically,patienceusually indicates a calm, abiding endurance, sometimes associated with wisdom or humility. Proverbs 19:11The discretion of a man makes him slow toanger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression. We have to be patient when things are going well, as well as in times of trial; but our patience seems to be tried more when we are under duress, trial, or persecution. Jesus warned His disciples that they would bepersecuted, and He told them how they should handle it: Luke 21:19By your patience possess your souls. (NKJV) Luke 21:19By your endurance you will gain your lives. (ESV) Patience has an element of endurance in it; in fact, it has a great element of optimistic endurance within it. The meaning here is that, by our patient endurance infaithfulnessto God, we will acquire eternal life. This is not to say we earn it but that we must be developing this

quality in order to be considered for eternal life. Obviously, we have our part to play in the gift that God is going to be giving us. The apostle James wrote something similar about profiting from trials: James 1:2-4My brethren, count it alljoywhen you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of yourfaithproduces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. We see there that patience is a very, very important virtue for a Christian to develop. James is not referring merely to the ability to bear things but to the ability to turn trials, suffering, and frustrations to positive growth opportunities and chances to be a true witness for theglory of God. The context here refers to the way in which we handle tests of character. He refers to the process of testing. If we handle these tests righteously, it will produce unwavering faithfulness. God wants patient and faithful people in His Kingdom. The wordpatiencehere in the Greek means "optimistic or hopeful endurance, patient continuance or waiting." William Barclay defines it this way: "?the quality which makes a man able, not simply to suffer things, but to vanquish them." There are elements of optimism, determination, endurance, and patience in his statement. Jacob is an example of someone who endured adverse conditions without complaining. He was a man who had great patience. His patience required that he serve fourteen years for his marriage to Rachel. Afterwards, he continued to serve Laban another six years to earn flocks for himself. During this time he endured fatiguing heat and painful cold. He suffered from lack of sleep. His wages were changed ten times, and he had to tolerate loss from his own flocks to pay for stolen animals. Yet, through all of this, his lack of complaining is extraordinary. He was a man of great patient endurance. There is little or nothing we can do about some trials and persecutions. We just have to persevere through them and remain under them until the trials are over, learning and changing what we can along the way as best we can. We should endure them optimistically and continue with patience. Optimism is easier to endure than bitterness or self-pity. The pessimist is going to struggle much more through a trial than the optimist. We all, as God's people, having faith in God and having Him care for us, should be optimistic people. Optimistic people are more cheerful than pessimists; that is just a fact of life. We have a Christian duty to do something about our problems. For example, if we are unemployed, we should find another source of income. Since we may not find it immediately, we should patiently continue looking. We must have the endurance and perseverance that it takes. Patience does not mean that we should sit around waiting when we should be working. It

has been said that looking for a job is the hardest work there is. For those of you that have been out of work and who have had to look for a job, you know that is a true statement. At some time in our lives, most of us have reached the point when our problems seem overwhelming and too much for us to deal with. Nevertheless, through our advocate Jesus Christ, we can ask God the Father for His help and He will give it to us. God knows the true urgency of a situation or condition, and in His infinite wisdom He knows when and how to intervene. If the problem is not as urgent as we believe, God may make us wait; but at least we know, by His seeming non-intervention, that the problem is not quite as urgent as we thought. If we are looking at it optimistically, positively, and faithfully, the lack of God's intervention on our behalf, at least in our view, may very welland probably doesindicate that the time just is not right. Jesus told us to pray with persistence, as we see in theParable of the Persistent Widowfound inLuke 18:1-8, but this does not mean we are to pray with impatience. I think that quite often when we are well into a trial, and we are praying, that we have a certain impatience about our asking God to intervene. With patient persistence, we show that we still want God's solution to the problem and are calmly assured that God knows what is best for us and when and how to intervene. I Corinthians 10:13No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. If God does not solve the problem right away, He will at least help us have the patience and optimism we need to cope with it. Patience is one of the virtues Peter tells us to add to the other virtues that should be evident in our lives as the elect of God. It is so important that it helps keep us from falling away from the faith. II Peter 1:5-10But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherlykindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; People with true patience bear trials calmly. God wants us to stand like a rock in the face of adversity. Patient people are not hasty or impetuous but act with wisdom and discretion. The Bible gives many examples of patience, but God's Word also records the failures of some others to exercise this godly trait. King Saul comes to mind, as do the Israelites in general. At some time in our lives, most of us have reached the point where our problems are overwhelming and we do have to develop that patience. There are certain fallacies in the

human reasoning of impatient people that are well worth noticing. According to Drs. James and Constance Messina of Coping.org, these are some of the common excuses of impatient people. What I am going to do at the end of each of these statements is give my initial reaction to it. You can give your initial reaction since there are other common human traits that you will see, but these are what I saw.

I should be able to do this faster and better than I am. [I saw self-exaltation with unreasonable expectation] He should understand me the first time so I do not have to repeat myself. [I see a selfwilled trait in that] I have so much to accomplish I will never be able to do it all. [There is an element of pessimism in that] There is no way that I can ever be helped to change. I am an impossible case. [Faithlessness stands out] There is a right way and a wrong way to do things. Why is it that everyone I come in contact with chooses the wrong way? [Self-righteousness] Why can she not change quicker than what she is? [Again, self-righteousness] Everyone should be as excited about the desire to grow and change as I am. [Selfrighteousness again] I want this done yesterday. [Self-centeredness, selfishness] It makes no difference how far along I am if I have not accomplished my target goals. [Self-delusion, maybe] I cannot stand such things as diets, counseling, physical therapy, allergy desensitization, and orthodontics; they all take too long before results are visible. [ I see self-denial with shortsightedness in that one] I could never accomplish my goal of growth and change, so there is no use in even getting started. [Self-will with an excuse]

When we think of patience, we usually think of putting up with situations and other people. However, we also need patience with ourselves. If we are not patient with ourselves, we will cause ourselves a great amount ofanxiety, maybe to the point of losing sleep and hurting our health. That is an area that I have to work on; I know that. This sermon really hit me between the eyes. When I say, "We," here, the "we" is mostly at this end. Some people get frustrated when they cannot accomplish something the first time they try. Some are frustrated when they do not grow spiritually as fast as they would like. We have all heard each other say that. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging that or seeing that but we cannot dwell on it. We do not have to lose our enthusiasm and drive for personal improvement or spiritual growth. God is the One doing the work as Paul tells us. Philippians 2:13For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. As we learn to cooperate with Him, He will complete His work in us.

Philippians 1:6Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Those are emphatic statements. There is no doubt; there is no room for faithlessness in those statements. Our patience with ourselves should be based in the fact that He is and will be satisfied with His initially finished product. This work is done through the Holy Spirit, but we have to be willing to access this spiritualpoweras we submit to His shaping and molding of our character in preparation for His Kingdom. Patience is often linked withhope. If there is no hope that our situation will change, then there is no incentive to endure suffering and no power for patience. Hope empowers patience. The Bible speaks of two kinds of hope when it comes to patience:

The hope of fulfillmentthat is, the expectation that God will come through on His promises. The hope of rescuethat is, the expectation that God will rescue us from our sufferings, that there will be a Day of Judgment when evil is punished andjusticeis done.

The apostle Paul, in the service of God's Work, underwent hardships that we today can hardly imagine. Yet he endured patiently, and exhorted others to do the same. Romans 5:3-5And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. We tend to grow impatient and lose hope quickly when God's promises and His rescue seem slow in coming, but it is important to understand God's sense of time. We want problems to be sorted out quicklytoday, tomorrow, or next week, at the latest. Next year seems so long or too far off. However, God's plans operate not just over days or weeks, but over years, centuries, and even millennia. Psalms 37:7-9Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fretit only causes harm. For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. On theFeast of Trumpets, a few years ago, I gave a sermon having to do with waiting patiently for God. I would like to just touch on that aspect for a few minutes here. Although we may be waiting, are we waiting patiently? If, in my mind, I am still in a hurry, I am not waiting patiently! I cannot expect to be blessed for patience for just waiting?and waiting?and waiting. Eventually, as human nature dictates, the waiting?and waiting?and waiting turns into impatience.

The servants of God throughout history have manifested this trait of godly patience. Abraham patiently waited a quarter of a century for the son God promised him from his wife Sarah. Abraham's patience is one of the many reasons God considered Abraham His friend. Hebrews 6:13-15For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, "Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you." And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. Remember Job. God allowedSatanto utterly destroy everything Job had and then to wrack his body with severe pain. Yet Job set a tremendous example of perseverance and steadfastness, which James later made a special point of referring to inJames 5:11. King David, unlike Saul who preceded him, had great patience, which was linked with an unshakable faith in God. David's psalms are filled with expressions of this attitude of patience: Psalm 25:5, 21Lead me in Yourtruthand teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You. Psalm 27:14Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD! Psalm 40:1I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. Psalm 62:1Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation. Psalm 130:5I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. If we do wait for God, living righteous lives, practicing godly patience and enduring to the end of this ageor to the ends of our physical livesan incredible future awaits us. Waiting patiently does not mean we cannot long for eternal life. Longing does not mean that we are being impatient, but it should mean that we have the right goal and that we are eager to reach it. Once we have experienced the first installment of the power of the Holy Spirit, of the glory that will come, we long with all our hearts for the full benefits of God's Kingdom. Romans 8:19-23For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. We see there the right way to long and the right way to endure and persevere with patience. Even God's creation sets an example of patience for us as it awaits the fulfillment of His plan of

reproducing Himself through us! Although we are adopted when we are baptized and receive the Holy Spirit, the full blessings of our adoption are not realized until our change to an incorruptible state happens. God still acts on behalf of those who wait on Him and trust in Him. Isaiah 64:4For since the beginning ofthe worldmen have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him. He is a God of righteousness, who cares about the obedience and attitude of His people. Sometimes God's own people are noticeably impatient with the One who shows great longsuffering toward them. The ancient Israelites' lack of godly patience caused them no end of troubles. They saw God's direct intervention for help in miracle after miracle on their behalf, yet they became impatient and rebelled over and over again rather than trust God for food, water, and protection. When they traveled in the wilderness after their deliverance by God's hand from Egypt, grumbling and impatience marked their character. As we read in Numbers 21, the people became impatient on the way and spoke against God and Moses. Numbers 21:4-5Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land ofEdom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. And the people spoke against God and againstMoses: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread." We see here the opposite attitude of patience. Rather than thanking God for the food that they had, their freedom, and His visible presence with them in the wilderness, they grumbled because they were taking a long route. God was not performing what they thought He should do as fast as they thought He should do it. After all, were they not waiting?and waiting?and waiting?for Him to deliver to them the Promised Land. Here impatience is shown for what it is: a selfish, whining demand. The self is placed above God's purposes and demands that its desires be met immediately rather than according to God's perfect plan. However, notice why ancient Israel's example is recorded for us: Romans 15:4For whatever things were written before were written for our learning that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. So the holy Scriptures have a great deal to offer, such as patience and comfort. By studying the examples in God's Word and using His Spirit, we can avoid the mistakes recorded there that the ancient Israelites made. The prophet Samuel had arranged to meet King Saul at Gilgal and offer sacrifices there before a battle with thePhilistines. When the time came and went and Samuel did not appear, Saul began to worry. His patience wore thin and turned into impatience. Saul and the people with him grew more and more impatient and fearful, until Saul decided to offer the sacrifices

himself, in direct defiance of God's command. Immediately after Saul's sin, Samuel appeared. Samuel condemned the king's act, and informed Saul that God had rejected him from being king of Israel (I Samuel 13:7-14). Too bad Saul had not waited a little longer. Maybe he could have made the right decision, or at least received good advice from Samuel! A Chinese proverb says, "One moment of patience may ward off great disaster. One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life." That Chinese proverb fits perfectly with what Saul did. Saul's one moment of impatience certainly ruined his life. He had other problems, but impatience was certainly a major one. Of course, he was faithless and so on. Jesus Christ told a parable about a servant who owed a great debt to a certain king (Matthew 18:23-25). When the servant begged for mercy, the king, in an act of patience and kindness, released the servant from the debt. However, this same servant then went out and cast into prison a man who owed him far less than he had owed the king. What was the punishment for his greed and lack of patience? Matthew 18:32-34Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, "You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?" And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. This servant was impatient. He could not wait to get that money from those who owed him. Take a look at negative consequences of impatience. Here is what Coping.org lists as some negative consequences of impatience in our lives:

We run the risk of always being dissatisfied, upset, and angry with ourselves for our slow pace of growth and change. We easily lose our control and fire off outbursts of anger, temper, and blame on those who are slow to change and grow. We become a member of the "throw away" generation, discarding relationships, people, jobs, school, and church whenever things are not working out as quickly as we want them to. We waste energy worrying about how slow things are changing instead of directing the energy toward the changes we desire. We withdraw prematurely from a helping situation because we are not seeing an immediate pay off for our efforts. We turn off the others in our life who want to support us but whom we offend by accusing them (especially when change is slow) of not helping us enough. We sacrifice friendships and relationships prematurely because the other person is not changing as quickly or as thoroughly as we desire. We ignore all of the positive gains we and others have made on the road to recovery and growth, only concentrating on what has not yet been accomplished.

We become pessimistic about life, seeing only the "half-empty cup" rather than the "half-filled cup." We will be in such a hurry that we neglect to count our blessings and see how far we have come. We burn ourselves out in the pursuit of vain goals. We lose the ability to reward or reinforce any level of success or attainment, discouraging ourselves and others in the pursuit of recovery and growth. We lose the ability to take a large goal and break it down into manageable increments. We become overwhelmed by the large tasks ahead of us and lose the hope andmotivationto keep on trying.

There is a sermonette or even a sermon in every one of those statements. What, then, can we do to develop true patience? Let us look at five ways to help us develop the right kind of patience. 1.We have to stay focused on the ultimate goal! We all have to deal with trials and problems. When we are trying to reason with unconverted spouses or striving to please unfair bosses or struggling to make financial ends meet, it is sometimes hard to keep our minds on our ultimate destinybirth into God's Family and corulership with Jesus Christ of the universe. That, though, is exactly what we have to dokeep our minds on that great, ultimate goal. James wrote that we should focus on and conduct our lives in expectation of Christ'sSecond Comingand the Kingdom of God. Here is the apostle James' advice about being patient and persevering: James 5:7-8Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latterrain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Just as a farmer cannot cause rain or give growth, we cannot develop patience by simply "willing it so." Nevertheless, we can develop habits that allow God to grow His patience in us. I should not say, "Allow God" because He can do whatever He wants with us; and if we are not working with Him, He can do what is necessary to bring us down so that He can work with us. What I mean by "allow" is that sometimes we put up walls that God decides He is just going to break down another way. It is much easier for us to work with God by overcoming our problems. The most important thing on God's mind right now is the perfecting of the saints, the restoration of His government to this earth, and the eventual establishment of His Kingdom throughout the universe.

Habakkuk 2:3For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. If we consider that a thousand years to God is like a mere day, consider the great patience of God! We are to emulate that patience in constantly looking towards His Kingdom. 2. We have to think before speaking or acting! There is an old saying that "fools rush in whereangelsfear to tread." A person who jumps to conclusions is likely to end up at the bottom of a cliff. Sir Isaac Newton's (1642-1727) opinion was, "If I have ever made any valuable discoveries, it has been owing more to patient attention than to any other talent." That is so profound. Obviously, he could not have arrived at those discoveries if he had been talking constantly or talking often. That patient attention is meditationthinking deeply upon things. This society wears us out mentally and physically. We are a tense and anxious people, and this results in irritability. However, we should not allow ourselves to snap back with something that we will later be sorry we said. When we snap back in irritability, how does that glorify God? We should not allow ourselves to dwell on the irritation, or we will end up saying or doing something that will set a wrong example of God's way of life. Proverbs 15:1-2A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness. If we apply patience to the use of our tongue, we will be using quite a bit of wisdom and discretion. 3. We have to look for ways to give of our time and effort to others! Impatience is many times rooted in selfishness. Paul said, "Be patient toward all men." Our small children who cannot always understand an instruction that we give to them can be a challenge to our patience to say the very least. By way of an example, our daughter Stacey was acting up when she was only about three years old. I said to her, "Behave!" In a sad, confused voice she replied, "I do not know how to be a have." I thought she was understanding, but obviously she was not. We had to work on that area. It was not her fault, because she did not have the mental capacity to be able to overcome or change what we were telling her. It is a fact of life that it is much easier to be patient with some people than others. Some very much try our patience. There is the person who cannot get to the point to save his life, droning on and on with the most boring story you ever heard. We can all relate to that in some way. When Paul urged the Thessalonian Christians to "be patient with everyone," he was especially

referring to people who have caused offenses; but the principle also includes people who are just plain frustrating. Colossians 3:12-13Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility,meekness, longsuffering bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. That is a pretty direct command to us. It is the inspired word of God. We must overlook the shortcomings of others, especially since we have a few of your own. We have to forget ourselves and be concerned with the welfare of others. Ecclesiastes 7:8The end of a thing is better than its beginning; the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. 4. We have to work out conflicts with others. Even an annoying habit that is about to drive us up the wall can be allowed to become a source of conflict. We cannot overlook it any longer. We have to tell the person about it and gently explain our feelings, but we cannot get petty and picky. Just because it annoys us does not mean it is annoying to anyone else. First, we have to ask ourselves if it is just too trivial on our part. The vast majority of the time, it is our problem in how we view it rather than the annoying person's problem. The first thing that came to mind when developing this sermon was snoring. I have been accused of that a few times lately. It is a combination of allergies and dry air and so on. Snoring comes to mind as something that can affect a spouse's sleep and health. In this case it may not be that petty. In almost every case, the other person will not have even realized his habit bothered you and will make an effort to stop, if you approach him with gentleness, tact, meekness, and sincere loving concern. We should pray and ask God to grant us favor in the other person's eyes. We cannot let the impatience and resentment build up inside us until we explode into rage or retaliate in some way; we would not be setting an example of godly self-control or patience if we acted that way. Romans 12:18If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 5. We have to work with God to develop the patience of Christ in us. Jesus Christ died a hideous death to make possible our reconciliation to God, all the while setting the greatest example of patience.

Hebrews 12:3For consider Him who endured suchhostilityfrom sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. We live in a world where there are more nervous breakdowns than at any other time in history. It is an indication that more and more people have the feeling that they cannot cope with life. Even we inGod's church, who have God's comfort and grace, suffer from a similar feeling because society is constantly bombarding us. Sometimes we feel overwhelmed with a sense of impending doom. Many times we feel burdened down with problems and sins, and we feel our own inadequacies to overcome them. We become frustrated with our seeming lack of progress, even though Paul is confident of and assures us that God "who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." Even though we have that scripture, we still have a tendency to get depressed and impatient. What should be a noticeable quality in us as a Christian is that when others fracture from failure, we stand upright; and when others collapse from calamity, we shoulder our burden and go on. WithGod's loveand Christ's patience in our life, we can face anything. This is why Paul asks for God to direct our hearts in the right direction. Notice the two important characteristics Paul emphasizes: II Thessalonians 3:5Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ. We see emphatically where we go for the example of how to be patient. William Barclay refers to Paul's allusion to these characteristics in verse 5 as what he calls the "inward and the outward characteristics" of a Christian. He said, The inward characteristic is the awareness of the love of God, the deep awareness that we cannot drift beyond His care, the sense that the everlasting arms are underneath us?The outward characteristic is the endurance [patience] which Christ can give. In Paul's compliment of them here, he does not imply that they are self-sufficient. He realizes that God's help is indispensable. Therefore, Paul asks God to direct them into a greater appreciation of God's love for them and Christ's patience, and endurance, and perseverance on their behalf. Since complying with God's standard of righteousness is difficult even with the help of the Holy Spirit, the strongest motivation for us is for Paul to help us remember and appreciate God's love and Christ's patient endurance of suffering. When we think we are at the end of our ropewhen we think we just cannot grin and bear it any longer we should ask God for more of His Holy Spirit, His strength, His power. Isaiah 40:29-31He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but

those who wait on the LORDshall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. What an encouraging scripture that is, especially here at the end-time! However, waiting, of and by itself, is not enough. God can give us the patience we need for overcoming society, sin, and Satan. We are to strive for the same patience Christ has and God helps us to do this through His Holy Spirit. Having the mind and power of God makes it possible to have the same patience as Christ, the ultimate example of patient endurance. Consider the mildly unpleasant or uncomfortable, but common, situation of waiting for service. Most people prefer to pass their time in more interesting and comfortable activities, but most people also realize that waiting is the only way to get the particular service that they want. One of the most trying things in our society today is the "answering machine from hell" that keeps putting you to the next location on it. It really irritates some people; though more irritating, of course, is other people. They fidget and squirm. Others fume inside, harming their own health andpeaceof mind. Whether they have something important to do or not, patient people make the best of a lessthan-ideal situation. Instead of thinking about the inconveniences that the situation may have given them, patient people find a way to use time profitably. They may think about possible solutions to a problem at work. They may observe the interesting actions of others. They may meditate on laws and principles of human behavior. Patience involves perseverance and waiting, but is known for producing fruit. It will be rewarded. Stronger faith is one of the long-term rewards of patience. The apostle Paul said that Abraham, during his 25-year wait for a son, "grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God." Patience is rewarded more quickly than we realize. True patience produces a reward for which we do not have to wait. Our Father in heaven is the God of patience, and He can help us have a mind like His. Romans 15:5Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus. One of the immediate results of patience is a calm, optimistic attitudethat is, peace of mind! Also, patience often produces physical blessings, especially when we are working with others. Indating, marriage,childrearing, or talking with others, the blessings of patience are magnified. Many of those blessings are immediate. By optimistically enduring difficult circumstances, we can avoid the penalties associated with impatience: high blood pressure, increased frustrations, and strained relationships. These are all negative affects on our lives. Patience produces fewer hasty words and hurt feelings, fewer jobs of poor quality that must be done again, no irritating outbursts or complaints that make it harder for others to do their work. Impatience leads to stress and mental frustration; it is self-

defeating. In developing this sermon, I was just flabbergasted at how much impatience affects our lives in a negative way. It is a horrible trait to have. Patience will not necessarily make our trials go away more quickly; neither does patience make the line shorter or the trip quicker; but patience always makes the delay more bearable and most of the time makes the job easier. Patience is much more than the outward action of waitingit is an inner, mental attitude that helps us to be calm rather than annoyed while we wait. The blessings of patience are not necessarily outward and physical; they are inner and spiritual. These blessings come instantly, as soon as we are patient in attitude. Impatience, even if it comes with waiting, cannot produce the mental blessing of peace of mind. As long as we are impatient, we do not have peace of mind. Victor Hugo, author ofLes MiserablesandThe Hunchback of Notre Damewisely advised, "Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace, God is awake."

Life In The Spirit: Patience! - Galatians 5:22 QUESTION: When you hear the word patience, what words or feelings come to mind? Is this a word we like? Why or why not? 1. Patience is the ability to be at rest as we await the hope of Gods purpose and plan. WORD STUDY: Patience (GK=makrothumia) has to do with the restraint of anger, an unswerving willingness to wait; it signifies an internal molding of character; forbearance; internal and external control in a difficult circumstance, which could exhibit itself by delaying an action. QUESTION: In what ways does God demonstrate patience? What do you see in scripture? What have you experienced? A. The Father is reproducing the character of Christ in us, and Jesus always remains in perfect confidence and trust; Hes not rushed by the circumstances of life. John 11:1-6, 11-27; 1 Tim 1:15-17 QUESTION: What things tend to cause us to be impatient? What can we do about that? B. One way that God perfects the character of Christ in us is through trials. James 1:2-8 QUESTION: How does this work? C. In the midst of difficulties and suffering, the source of our trust gets revealed. Proverbs 17:3

QUESTION: Apart from God, in what do we tend to trust? How can we keep from giving in to fear or frustration when our security and hope seems to crash around us? D. Patience finds contentment in the Word of God and in choosing the way of faith. Heb 6:1015 QUESTION: How might patience and faith be tied together? How might that be significant? E. When we choose to trust the Lord, confidently waiting in Him, He brings us His strength to endure and overcome. Isaiah 40:27-31; James 5:7-11 QUESTION: In what areas are you lacking patience right now? What would help you to persevere in those areas? If you were to choose to wait on God, what does that mean for you? How can we yield to the Holy Spirit and allow patience to grow?