Patience - Essential To Experiencing God's Best – Dr. Charles Stanley

the fruit of the Spirit is patience the Spirit of God will exercise patience in you for you to you through you in your behalf because that's the will of God thoughts that we follow his will walk in his way [Music] four decades ago we started in touch ministries to lead people worldwide into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ throughout the years we've seen God's greatness his love and his blessings in such awesome ways that we just want everyone to know him so let's open God's Word and seek Him together next on InTouch patience essential to experiencing God's best when you trust that Jesus Christ as your personal Savior immediately the Holy Spirit came into your life to seal you as a child of God that's the reason we know that we are eternally secure it is his work and not our conduct that makes us acceptable to God and in the process of doing so when I think about that I think about the fact that the Holy Spirit she loves and equipped us to do whatever he's called us to do many people will live out their life in church baptized there'll in life heard lots and lots of sermons and we'll never understand that God never intended for them to live the Christian life he didn't he intended for them to allow the Holy Spirit who lives within them to live out the life of the Lord Jesus Christ so we are not only equipped for salvation he's equipped us to do whatever he's called as the new one of his whatever he has made us to be and made us to do so when you think about your life and you think about the challenges you face remember this that you are already empowered by the Holy Spirit to live in the face any situation any circumstance of life he didn't just save us and let us get along the best we can so when you think about your life and you think about things you face when you face difficulties would you say that you're a patient person and the truth is all of us probably have areas of our life it's difficult for us to stand by a whole bank what we think of what we'd like to do but patience is a gift from God but it isn't something we work up it is a gift of God through the Holy Spirit when you were saved he sealed you as one of his children and he began to release in your life if you'll allow him the fruit of the Spirit love joy peace patience and so that's what I want to talk about I want to talk about this whole issue of how essential it is that you and I experience God's patience in our life because it affects every single thing we do and one of his primary objectives is to enable us to walk patiently in our Christian life so listen to this Psalm 27 verse 14 wait for the Lord be strong and let your heart take courage yes wait for the Lord well why would you say that because the wait for the Lord sometimes we have to be strong and we have to take courage because sometimes pressures are there for us to make decisions in our life husbands and wives families business whatever it might be he says wait in the 37th Psalm the seventh first he says three times rest in the Lord in this passage rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him do not fret the 40th Psalm says I waited patiently for the Lord and He inclined to me and heard my prayer look at that I would eat patiently for the Lord and he inclined to me he bent he heard what I was talking to him about and he answered my petition so patience is very important in every aspect of life so how would you define patience if somebody said well explain it just define patience for me what would you say it's the quiet uncomplaining endurance under stress or annoyance long tempered so ask yourself the question are you quiet and uncomplaining when things don't go your way and let me give you the simplest definition of patience this is this patience is the will to wait that's all you need patience is the will to wait that in situations come our way we have to make decisions and yet at times we don't know what to do of times when God gives us a check in our spirit and we have to make a decision will I wait for God's direction or will or not most people don't want to wait they want God to act on their timetable think about this we would acknowledge that God's omniscient he knows everything we they were they knowledge that he knows all about us we would acknowledge that he knows what's best for us and yet we come to those situations where God tells us to wait and we don't want to wait and so we come up with all the reasons why we shouldn't have to wait we look at other people and they have this and they have that and watch it why should we have to wait because God in His infinite love and power for us knows that at certain times in our life certain things don't fit that is God created us to do what to live for him to serve Him and to reflect him he he created us to live out the life that he's placed within us whenever I want something he doesn't want me to have and I insist on having it I'm being impatient whenever we push God well Lord I've waited long enough that it's time for me to have what I want watch this God is your greatest protector when he says no listen don't think about it as as God rejected you it's God we're doing heart protecting you when God says no it's a word of protection we oftentimes think we'll God if you love me you let me have this that Nilla it's the will to wait so ask yourself the question would you say that you or a patient person let us think about the moment would you say that you're a patient person that is that you calmly tolerate the delays that God places in your life when he says no you come to him for something that you believe is the will of God for your life you ask him about it and yet watch this here's what happens you asked the Lord about it and you don't hear anything and you ask him about it and you don't hear anything and so you say well you got Hannah well it must be okay because it's got it y'all didn't tell me I couldn't don't ever go that route if you say I'm gonna do this because God hasn't told me I shouldn't what about waiting for God to tell you that you should and so we can we can manipulate the word and we can manipulate circumstances in order to justify our own desires when oftentimes they are handicaps in their life they're the seeds of destruction in their life because we're not willing to wait for God listen would you agree that God loves you would you agree to that say men well some of you did somebody don't do God does love you let me ask you a question you love your children come on now do you love your children okay if they ask you for something that you know that's gonna hurt them do you want to give it to them well what do you expect God to do that you ask God for something and sometimes God says no then here's what you do oftentimes people say I'm gonna get the scriptures find out what God says I've heard this so many times and so there go be the Psalms and the Proverbs are somewhere and they'll then look around they'll find the passage it says let's see here now they'll look and look and look and that they'll say well surely what God must be saying something to me and they'll find them a verse that says that they can interpret that God says yes and they say God told me I can do it that's not the way God operates listen to this when you are saved the Holy Spirit sealed use a child lives her than you 24 hours a day one of the primary purposes heavy-heavy written your name in the Lamb's Book of Life had been sealed you as a child God forever he lives within you to direct you to give direction of your life the fruit of the Spirit is love joy and peace and patience that's part of what he does in our life so you have within you the absolute truth the right compass the one who's going to give you the right direction every single time you ask him that's who he is because God knows how complicated life is he didn't just leave us here apart from the sphere he told his disciples he said sit down in the city of Jerusalem until you be endued with power from on high you can't live out the life I've given you without the Holy Spirit and so that's exactly what they did they went until he came and entered them when you were saved the Holy Spirit came into your life sealed you as a child of God you're always a child of God you can't be lost once Simba the blood of Jesus you can't be lost but you can certainly mess up your life but not listening to the Holy Spirit who came to live within you get to give direction and guidance and clarity and every single aspect of your life so patience patience is critical listen know what he says the fruit of the Spirit that is you can expect the Holy Spirit to express himself in the following ways love joy peace patience so that you have the one living within you willing to direct you in every circumstance of life so let's think about if our moment what's what's required of us to have patience we have requirements and I've been a Christian for 73 years and you know what God has never misled me have always made the right decision though I haven't but you know what every single time if I made a wrong decision I had to face it God you try to get my attention I wasn't listening and after a while you learn that never pays and you follow his will you walk in his way so what requirements do I have in my life if I'm going to be patient first of all Harvey I gotta have faith in God have faith in God to believe that he will direct me every single time whatever I need whatever direction because he promised to do so second I must have the spirit of obedience if I have an obedient spirit I choose to obey God I'm a I'm a faltering that by missing it somehow but the Holy Spirit is there to enable us to give us guidance to do what to follow him then of course here's what's happening the discernment of God's timing the Holy Spirit will show us when oftentimes we will ask him for something that's not his will at the moment it's not his plan right now but his plan later and what we have to do is be wise enough to say okay God if it's not your will or if it's not your will now give me the grace to wait until you give me permission to have also to go with whatever it might be then if I'm gonna be patient I've got a love yard if I don't love God I'm not going be patient if I don't love him I want it now if I don't love him I want things to work out the way I want them when I want them and yet if I'm gonna be patient I've got to love him there was if I love him I will be patient if somebody says I love God but no there's no but if I love him I will be patient if I don't love him I don't trust him and I won't be patient so ask yourself the question would you be considered by your husband your wife your friends people you work with do they see you as a patient person now there are only two answers yes or no yes they do no they don't and that's because of your conduct your conversation and your character around them if I love myself if I love things if I love other people more I love God I'm gonna satisfy myself but God was the best for his children that's not a single person who can say well God doesn't want the best for me yes he does well if he did he'd have given me her or him or this or that no the reason he didn't give you that's because he does love you because God's love for us has no limitations and that love is so powerful that God will say no when he knows that what we want is not of him he's going to make it known to us the fruit of the Spirit is patience willing willing to wait long when necessary so you ask yourself if that's true that takes courage to be obedient to God it takes courage to be it to be patient because sometimes and I can take you back in my life at times and I thought well Lord I'm coming to the edge over here and if you don't do something soon I'm gonna I don't fall off the edge what do you know who's the other side of the edge Almighty God you're not gonna fall off the edge there are times when God will let us get very very close to what we think is an ultimate unchangeable desperation but he's always there he's a God of love of Direction guidance and counsel in that right it takes courage the trust him and simply said I have to be determined to wait I could give you a lot of illustrations of people over the years that I've counseled to wait about something they were going to purchase wait about something in their marriage wait about something about their children or young people about decisions they're making about college and so forth every single time that I can recall when a person heard godly counsel and chose to do it their way it never ended the way they intended you know what because God wants the best for us and he says I will guide you and teach you in the way which you should go watch this we started off by saying patience is the fruit of the Spirit it's a gift from God which means that you have within you the capacity to make wise choices for the fruit of the Spirit is patience the Spirit of God will exercise patience in you for you to you through you in your behalf because that's the will of God for us that we follow his will walk in his way and God knows that there are difficult times and difficult situations that we face and sometimes we don't know what to do he's there to show us what to do if you will follow up Jesus if you're a Christian if you if you've trusted God in your life is very slavey you have within you the ultimate ultimate ultimate ultimate counselor for every single solitary situation life he will direct you God would not withhold truth from you he's not gonna withhold wise counsel from you if you don't have wise counselors because you not ask him he's would-be why because he loves you unconditionally he wants the best for you no matter what so the fruit of the Spirit is patience patience is not a it's not a popular subject you know what tell you our because we want what we want when we want it how we want it that's it and when we can't have it we don't want anybody telling us what we can't I understand that Jesus said the same thing when he when he talked people they won't they didn't want to hear some of the things he said but that's okay so let's think about it for a moment what are we saying that patience is essential to experiencing God's best number one it's essential to a life of obedience to God if I'm gonna obey yard I got until I must hear him and I must obey if I'm gonna obey God I must be willing to give up my own personal desires and opinions at times in order to do what he says that's God loving me watch this whatever you're going through and you're praying about it and yeah and God says no to you watch this when he says no to you what is he saying here's what he's saying I love you God's know is I love you and somebody says well no when God says no to me I get angry no when God says no he's saying I love you then think about this it's essential to building a good relationship with other people that is patience if you're gonna have good friends you have to be patient with them and I don't need to tell you that you feel married you have to have patience patience of each other wherever you are have to have patience it is not a gift of God it's a requirement to be able to get along in life with your children with your husband with your wife if you live with somebody who has no patience that is a very very difficult situation all of us need to express patience and all of us need to be able to express that patience tell other people because other people make mistakes we can all get impatient if we're not careful but you notice something impatience never cures anything it doesn't you have within you the Holy Spirit who will give you clear direction about anything in your life you're concerned about anything any relationship whatever it might be and think about this timing is so very important its timing is important in sports in Portland finances important in relationships important in the war important in photography Tommy is very important God is always there within you as a follower of Jesus have you Holy Spirit within you there to give you clear direction in any and every circumstance of life if you're willing to wait for him wait upon the Lord does he give you clear direction immediately oftentimes he will but a major decision in your life you may have to wait until God tells you what to do are you willing to wait do you treasure the wisdom of God that you've valued the wisdom of God the you prize the wisdom of God do you desire the wisdom of God enough to wait until he makes it very clear what you should do and I've seen so many people make decisions that they knew they shouldn't have made but here's what I hear often times well I waited for three months a lot waited for six months I waited for two weeks I waiting waiting waiting nothing ever happened so so what so I did my own thing God loves us he only wants the best for us when God says wait here's what you listen to I'm loving you that's what he's doing he's loving us when he tells us to wait remember we said it's simply patience are simply the wilderness away and when we wait we see God at work and oftentimes I've watched this in my own life having to wait and wait and wait about something and then watch God finally bring it to a conclusion over and over and over again my response has been thank you Jesus thank you thank you dear God that I waited thank you Jesus that I didn't step ahead of you most people today probably are unhappy because they have refused to wait upon God for Direction about something in their life a lot of people in deep trouble today because they didn't wait how many times have I talked to people who are married who said to me I knew I shouldn't have done that why did you do it well there give me some reason or I made this decision in my life and I never thought about asking God what I want you to see is one simple thing God loves you he created you he has a purpose for your life you mean I know what the purpose is you may have lived two-thirds of your life never even asked God about anything but I'm telling you he loved you he saved you he has a purpose for your life a plan for your life and he will make it clear if you will ask him and relax don't push him other words you say well I've waited two weeks that's long enough that's long enough from your finite mind it's not long enough watch this let me ask you a question is God perfect say Amen well is he late then why don't we wait for him if we say he's perfect and he's not late then if I'm waiting I'm on time I'm waiting to God says this is the moment I'm telling you fall of my heart you can never lose never never in there if I were about 25 years old telling you that you forget it I can tell you at 85 you never lose and I've been in some of the toughest situations very difficult situations traumatic situations never never never never lose waiting up on y'all trust him listen to him wait for him and watch to see what happens well if you've never trusted Jesus as you save you none of us are work won't work and so I simply say this to you you will struggle through life and make many mistakes and end up in a disaster without Christ in your life but if you will and ask him to forgive you of your sins surrender your life to him you have this awesome eternal omnipotent asset the holy spirit giving guidance direction and perfect timing if you listen to him and I would encourage you if you're not saying never trust in Christ settle this issue and let the Lord Jesus Christ become the master of your life life's going to change listen don't live a life outside the will of God because to do so is to live outside the blessing of God father we love you and praise you and thank you that you never make a mistake always perfect your timing is perfect to the second we pray the Holy Spirit will speak to every single person here that we all examine ourselves afresh and anew about the degree of patience we have or do not have you know who seated right here right now who's facing attestation this afternoon tomorrow sometime this week before the week is over major decision in their life god I pray that you give them wisdom enough to wait until they hear clearly from you what they should do and to be confident that you will always give them clear guidance and everything we love Him we praise you for father in Jesus name Amen [Music] if you've been blessed by today's program please visit us at intouch.org e [Music] in touch leading people worldwide into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and strengthening the local church this program is sponsored by in touch ministries and is made possible by the grace of God and your faithful prayers and gifts you

Channel: In Touch Ministries

Views: 374,952

Rating: 4.8737626 out of 5

Keywords: Charles F. Stanley, Charles Stanley, In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley, In Touch Ministries, Preaching, Bible teaching, Dr. Stanley, Intouch ministries, intouch

Id: 76r3PUA09zA

Length: 27min 2sec (1622 seconds)

Published: Fri Oct 26 2018