Sermon: "Patience" by Rick Shabi, Mar 2 2019

I was always watching over us and always concerned about what we are doing and helping us do the things that we can't do ourselves so much of the time so well you know we live in a world that is so fast-paced so far different than maybe it was even 10 years ago or 20 years ago certainly 30 and 40 years ago everything around us needs to happen really really quickly we become we've become a nation that is about how quickly can things get done how quickly can things happen you look around us and you see you see that in every aspect of our lives you know 20 years ago maybe many of us had cell phones maybe many of us didn't now we have a cell phone we carry with us everywhere because we need to get those messages really quickly and people need to get ahold of us really quickly be hard to even think about going back to the days where you call an office and a secretary takes a message and maybe it's the next day that someone gets back to you Wow how did we ever live how do we ever have to live with having to wait for 24 hours maybe for someone to get back to us today we want to be in constant contact did I could remember I resisted smart phones for a number of years and finally gave in because I thought wow you know I there was just what's going to be more convenient to know that this email was here when I was in this part of town rather than finding out after I was back in another place or back home now I checked my emails when I'm on phone and it used to be it would be you know just once a day or twice a day to watch look at your email now you know we we we check them many times a day and there's nothing wrong with that it's good to be able to get messages to us as you know all these things are a blessing and they're an advantage to us but it's part of what society has become you know is that we're very very quick about what we need to have and that we need to have our information very very quickly you know we look around today and and you know fast food restaurants have become the norm when I was growing up there was no such thing as drive-through restaurants but you know there were fast-food restaurants were beginning to make their mark on society today you know people want that food quickly they want to eat it quickly they just want to be on their way no time to rest and relax and so for many you know family dinners have gone by the wayside and getting together with groups of people and just enjoying a dinner is is you know kind of a thing of the past when you go and visit Europe and you know go to the feast there you find that they still have that they still enjoy their dinners and they see dinner is more than the time to just choke down the food you're eating real quick oh it's a time to to talk it's a time to bond with other people certainly they have family dinners over there but here in America you know we have to get things done really quickly even the way we watch TV has changed right I have a hard time I have a hard time to watch a TV show with commercials in it anymore we've had a DVR and the reason I have a DVR is I don't want to sit through those two and three-minute commercials I want to get that 60 minute show done in 40 minutes and beyond what the next thing and it's convenient and I have to say I enjoy it but it's just one of the things of our our lives we want to get through things really really really quickly of course we can look at finance you know when I was growing up you know we we didn't have I don't know if my parents had credit cards or not they didn't use them but well we wanted something we ended up we had to save for it even as children we did your chores we got our allowances if we wanted something we saved their money we went out and bought it and that was the way most of society worked I I believe but today we all have credit cards we don't wait you know we'd rather pay off the credit card company you know rather than wait even for the 30 days you know to to have it and our children grow up with it's got to be right now right now we can't wait for it we can't work for it we can't do anything with it we just have to we just have to have it right now and we'll pay for it later even our news is quick right I get my news in the last week I haven't sat down to watch the news at all given - given the fact I've been out of town but I would get these little you know one and two line things on my phone pop up so I kind of knew what was going on but it was enough actually probably a fairly a waste of time to watch some of the rest of the stuff that was going on but you know we get fast news we get quick blurbs and if someone wants to you know write a magazine article on it like in time or Newsweek that way the sesss we have to spend ten or fifteen minutes reading who wants to do that just give it to me in 30 and 30 second and one-minute sound bites and I know everything I do and so we see publications going by the wayside because no one wants to take the time to read anymore I used to sit on Sunday mornings and read the Sunday paper and I just thought that was just always so relaxing and enjoyable I haven't seen a Sunday paper or read one and I don't even know how many years now we can look at in our personal lives you know we have aches and pains and what do we do we run to the medicine cabinet we take a painkiller we take an aspirin whatever it is we got to get rid of that pain fast we have an illness come up we need to have a doctor's prescription we got to have this over with fast we can't endure we don't learn what it is that maybe has caused that thing it's just just fix it fast and so we have a pharmaceutical intercede that has just absolutely blossomed and going crazy because everyone wants fast relief now and so we don't have people who look at what they do how they did how did they get to that point in their lives they just keep on living the same way but hey if you give me the pill if you give me the pill just get rid of that pain you know I'll just go on with life and so we have this and you know all parts of our lives oh we could talk about traffic boy could we talk about traffic in Orlando right I mean I I you know that's the one area that they haven't made fast I mean if you travel around in Orlando if you want to get there fast it's not happening I put on my GPS and I say I'm only going 15 miles and how long the GPS is going to take and I think really I only feel like I could walk quicker than the head but but we live in a society that's that way you know when we live in a society that is that is so fast and so speedy oriented it we can make us become him it can make us become impatient it can lead to frustration we can find all sorts of problems that go on you know I mean in talking about driving we have road rage right people just want to get there quicker and so they end in and out of traffic and pretty soon you have road rage and people lose their tempers honking at each other yelling at each other sometimes even killing each other it's my boggling what goes on just because people don't like what happened because they want to get someplace quicker at home we do the same thing you know we can lose we can lose our patience with something and we can we could pretty much just you know say things we don't mean because just like as you heard in the sermonette when we get angry when we get frustrated and sometimes it's quick quick quick quick quick quick can lead to all the things you know that that can lead to us doing something or saying something that we'll regret later and it's become a it's become a speedy society in terms of Christianity too hasn't it when you look at Christianity the world the way the world looks at it everyone wants things quickly you know I won't mention the televangelists name you've all heard of them anyway and even repentance repentance says something is to take a lifetime something that before we're baptized we review ourselves analyze ourselves go through the Bible look and see what's going on but today it's you know if you can just say this little prayer Lord Jesus I repent of my sins and ask your forgiveness you're saved and you're ready to go just this quick little five-second prayer and you're good to go is what the world is taught even there how can we get it done quickly if I just believe in you forget all the rest of this stuff forget about the lifetime just if I say this little prayer and I kind of remind myself from time to time I believe in you that's okay that's all you need to do and so people stay at home and they watch their 30 or 40 minute 45-minute TV show and thank you note that's all I've done then my job with with God this week I've watched I've watched a TV show and that's all that God requires of me so I can go out and watch a football game cut the grass go shopping do the laundry whatever I need to do the rest of the day I they choose to keep on as their Sabbath just get it done quickly wonder if any of that ever rubs off on us but do we think Christianity is a speedy thing where we find ourselves looking at the world around us and thinking I got things to do you know I don't have time for this prayer but you know if I if I just spend five minutes in the morning that'll be fine god knows what I knows I'm a busy guy I got to get these things done so I'll speed through my prayer and I got to get these I've got to do the Bible study I need to do that but you know what I might not have the time to actually delve into what study is so I'll just read I'll read and the quantity we'll make up for the in-depth understanding or delving into the scriptures that takes time that takes time it's not anything that can be done quickly you can't read five chapters in a day and really understand what the Bible is telling you and so we all have this speed we maybe have rubbing off on us some of these things that that we think just need to happen really quickly some people they don't understand the concept in the Bible and they get frustrated they don't give to God the time to ask them what it really means they don't give God time and ask him continually don't search the scriptures they don't ask about it and like I don't get that concept I don't get it therefore I closed my mind I run off to it I don't like what I heard and therefore I just you know I've closed my mind and I move off and I wanted speedy I want to know everything right now that isn't the way it works God has called us to a lifetime a lifetime of learning a lifetime of repentance a lifetime of overcoming it doesn't happen just like that and so when we look at the Christianity that we have you know it is it is something far different than what the world around us may have or may define you know patience patience is is one of the things you know it's called the virtue by many people the patience that we exercise every day with each other out in society and school at work or wherever it is as I was looking for I was looking for little quotes on patience I came across this one just I think is actually quite true says patience the author is unknown he says patience is a virtue possess it if you can found seldom in a woman never in a man how true right as I read that and I thought well that's that's unfortunately the case in so many cases let me define patients from the dictionary patients from the dictionary actually has three different meanings they say one is waiting without complaint difficult to do we learn a lot about patients when we sitting at those two and three minutes stoplights waiting without complaint number two the capacity to accept or tolerate delay trouble or suffering without getting angry or upset that's tough that's something that we develop over time when we practice patience it doesn't come automatically babies show us that right when they're hungry they want it right now they're not gonna wait 30 minutes for mom to finish what she's doing I'm gonna cry until she gets in here and does that we all have that in a innate need to have things done right now the ability or willingness to suppress or the third one is the will ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay so we all have those feelings of anger maybe or being annoyed when we have to wait for something we're sitting at the doctor's office dentist's office or whatever and 30 minutes past your appointment time you're still sitting there and you might be tempted to say something but it's good to exercise patience and not you know not say anything around those lungs those are all opportunities we have to to evelopment role in those areas patients has mentioned off into the Bible too you know let me read what the Strong's definition of patience is when you read it in the Bible this is from Strong's says in the New Testament the carrot it's the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings he's got a purpose in mind he's got a commitment and he's made a commitment and no matter what happens along that road he isn't he doesn't swerve he doesn't waver he keeps his eyes straight on the goal and he does not allow trial tribulation persecution temptation or anything to distract him or detract him from that purpose a patient a patient that the patient's he has as it goes on to say it's also a patient enduring sustaining or perseverance the read the word that you raided patients in the New Testament is actually Greek number fifty to eighty one it's super Monet and many times in the Bible it is trance it's translated as perseverance in addition to patience so when you see perseverance and we see patients at the Bible it's usually the same word that you're looking at let's look let's look at a few verses here in the Bible that talk about patience and perseverance let's go back to Luke Luke eight Luke eight this is the parable the soils we talked about the parable soils with in the last month or so I'm not going to go through the whole thing but just recall verse 15 here in Luke's account of the parable of the soils we're talking about that fourth soil the one that God looks to where the fertile or the seed takes rut and grows and it's pleasing to God Luke eight verse 15 but the one is the seed that fell on the good ground are those who having heard the word with a noble and good heart of the noble and good heart fair minded open-minded look at the truths but the ones that fell on the good ground are those who having heard the word with a noble and good heart keep it and bear fruit with patience with patience patience is a trait that you and I must develop if we're going to please God must develop if we're going to be part of his kingdom Romans - aromas - Paul talks about it as well Roma's to verse five and again Paul is writing to members of the church there in Corinth in Chapter two he's actually addressing the Jews specifically that are in the church there in Rome Romans 2 verse 5 he says but in accordance with your hardness and you're in penitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God who will render to each one according to his deeds he will render eternal life to those who by patient continuance patience continuance in doing God and doing good seek for glory honor and immortality patient continuance enduring to the end patiently plotting along not fast not quickly sometimes quickly sometimes slowly the rest of your life patiently continuing in doing good Hebrews Hebrews six Hebrews six in a verse eleven the author here writes we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end that you do not become sluggish but imitators who through faith and the patience inherit the promises gotta have faith absolutely faith without faith it's impossible to please God we need patience and faith patience and faith to continue in that faith and to continue following what God has called us to and yielding and growing in love to him revelation revelation 13 in verse 8 to Revelation 13 of course is the chapter that talks about the beast power that will be coming on earth great beast power that'll be unlike any government that we've seen in our lifetimes dictatorial will make people do what they want will want people to worship the God they want which will actually be the beast power that the little beast will be encouraging all the world to fall after and if you don't fall after and follow that beast there will be ramifications there will be punishments that ignore to those who refuse to bow down to that beast in verse eight it says this revelation 13 verse 8 all who dwell on the earth will worship Him whose names have not been written in the book of life of the lamb slain from the foundation of the world hopefully you and I our names have been written in the book of life and that will continue to be written in the book of life until Jesus Christ returns if anyone has an ear he says in verse 9 let him hear he who leads into captivity shall go into captivity who who he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword here here is the patience and the faith of the saints the patience and the faith of the saints they believe with a deep a belief a belief that has changed the way they live change the way they think change how they do things but a patience that has to be there as well because it won't be an easy time it's going to be a very trying time or the world is so far different than it is today when the world is actually against us and we don't live in a time of peace where today we are protected by laws of the government and the tolerance of the people around those who really don't care whether we go to church on Sabbath on the seventh day or the first day or any other day of the week there's a time that'll coming when it's going to be far different what will we do at that time we will have faith will we have the patience to endure through that will we wait for God to deliver us through that time where will we say if he doesn't deliver us quickly if I'm not caught up and taken to a place of safety the first time I have to suffer a little bit of tribulation that is God there because he may just may we just may well make us wait and be patient with him because in patience our faith can become stronger I will become stronger and patience is something that you know in the wave we speak of right now isn't something that we have today where none of us are in tribulation none of us are being persecuted you know we may have job trials and that can be a form of tribulation and persecution we maybe have 12th trials we can ask ourselves are we patient with God during those times he makes promises to us right he makes promises to us that Jesus Christ is going to return he makes promises to us that if we endured the end we will be there with him part of his kingdom when he returns he makes promises to us that he will heal us do we wait for him do we patiently wait for him to heal so we have other problems financial problems do we patiently wait for him or do all so often we take matters into our own hands and say well God's not answering me right now so I have to do this and I have to do that because if that's the pattern we established for ourselves when the time comes and it really hurts if God allows us to live during the time or be around during the time of the beast power and they say you know all your money's gone all the computers are all the computers where you're concerned it's all gone starve starve until you can bow down before the Beast if we're not practicing patience and some of the smaller things now and we always look for the quick fix what will we do what would we do at that time well I hope I hope we would I hope we would remain in faith and realize we stay through to God and in patience wait for him certainly the men in Hebrews when in women in Hebrews 11 patiently waited for God right until their death and some of them as you read through there suffered horrible horrible deaths revelation 14:1 chapter / revelation 14 verse 12 here here is the patience here is the patience of the saints here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus they obey God no matter how hard it may hurt in the future no matter how inconvenient it may be in this day and age no matter how mad our families might get of us if we don't do this and we don't do that because we choose to keep this abbath instead or whatever else it might be here's the patience here's those who continue to strive toward God no matter what stands in their way who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus that's the faith that's the faith we've been called to and you know for much of society much of mankind until the last 30 40 50 years they lived a life of patience you know today we're hungry there's nothing refrigerator we run up and go to a restaurant go to McDonald's whatever it is we go to quickly we can get it resolved people a hundred years ago really couldn't do that right they had to patiently plant crops in the summer a hundred years ago all of mankind's history up until recently they had the plant crops they had to patiently wait for those crops to germinate grow through the summer work to bring them in from the fields preserve them so that they had food throughout the winter and during the spring season when the plants were growing they had to patiently wait they had to rely on God they just couldn't have a quick fix that they didn't do the job they didn't do what they needed to do life was tough life was tough they didn't have the quick fixes that we had today and so through their lifetimes they learned something about patient endurance and waiting and seeing God and waiting for the earth to produce its bounty you look at wars you look at wars through history some of those wars went on forever and ever and ever today if we don't win a war in a week it's like it's a long standing war we very you know the countries involved in a very long-standing war now but you know we talked about you know we could quickly end this and we could quickly end that if we just dropped this bomb here if we just to do that we could end this war quickly they couldn't do that through history nothing right about war it is certainly from Satan certainly from Satan as you read in James when they had Wars they would go through the winter months they would just have to wait you would read about sieges and how they would how they would conquer these cities that had fortresses and they would sit out there and they would just simply starve a city into submission they would just wait and wait and wait that was the way life always was today it's not that way even as we watch our news and see what's going on around us there's just not the patience that's built into society anymore but it's something we have to have something that we need to build into our lives let's go back to James James v excuse me James five and verse seven James writes about patience as well therefore he says be patient be patient brethren until the coming of the Lord don't be patient for just a week for ten years of your rest of your life for 20 years be patient until the coming of the Lord see how the farmer see how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain they learn patience in everyday life at mirrored of what they were doing in their spiritual lives be patient be patient with it verse 8 he repeats again you also be patient establish your hearts for the coming of the Lord excuse me is at hand don't grumble against one another brethren lest you be condemned behold the judge is standing at the door verse 10 my brethren as he talking about patience he begins to give us a few examples of what it means to be patient and what we can learn from my brethren take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord as an example of suffering and patience do you remember those prophets of old Jesus Christ would talk about the prophets of old Jeremiah Ezekiel Elisha you have one thing that you can look through them they weren't well received by the people of their time Jeremiah spoke for 40 years admonishing Judah turn back to God to repent they didn't want to hear it they cast him aside did all manner of things to him Jeremiah was not a well-liked person he wasn't popular in Judah but for 40 years he patiently did what God told him to do did he get discouraged yes he got discouraged along the way you read of some of his conversations and prayers with God and you can see as you and I would be too I keep doing this and the people hate me none of us want to be hated and yet Jesus Christ said you know you will be hated if you preach the truth by all nations for my name's sake Jeremiah was hated he endured he patiently waited for God for 40 years Judah never did listen to him but he endure during all that time Ezekiel the same thing you know Ezekiel had to do many things I mean you read about what God had him do lay on your side for 390 days things that we wouldn't even consider doing today or never enter our mind he did it he patiently did what God asked him to do may have asked may have asked himself why but if God said do it he just did it he just did it he wasn't well liked either he didn't you know people didn't like him you look at Elisha he was there during the time of King Ahab and Jezebel and even though you know he proved that proved that God was the God of Israel was the God and supreme over the bails of the earth they hated him they wanted to put him to death I didn't want to hear the truth he patiently he was patient through all that kept his faith in God kept his eyes forward and didn't take the easy way out he patiently kept doing what God said to do so when James says here take the prophets they spoke in the name of the Lord as an example of suffering and patience and so as God's church grows closer and closer to the time and you and I grow closer and closer to the time that Jesus Christ will return and society takes a turn in attitude and as they more if we want to say conservative or biblical views of things become more and more onerous to people when they hear it when they hear the words of the Bible and they say we don't want to hear that that is against everything we stand for because it is a society that's becoming more and more lawless and setting their own standards rather than adhering to anything of the Bible and certainly even morality of you know a long-standing morality you know they will they will have an attitude toward us and God says when that time Cap'n's look back at the patriarchs look back at the prophets of old they were an example they were an example of suffering and patience faith yes patience absolutely in verse 11 he says indeed we count them blessed who endure those people of the Old Testament that we read about you know we look at them always say wow we want to be like them for instance you've heard of the perseverance there is the fifty to eighty one you've heard of the patience of Joe besos saying in the way he has the patience of Joe so it comes from you've heard of the patience of Job and seeing the end intended by the Lord that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful well we looked at Jobe and we say what an example what an example here's a man who lived his life in by the Bible's own words he was blameless Satan came and said let me try him let me take them things away from him let me make his life a little bit miserable you blessed him and he deserved those blessings because he's obeyed you and he's listened to you but let me let me try him a little bit and let's see how loyal to you he is and God said okay God said okay and you know the story of Job how he endured horrendous trials he lost everything except his wife in his life he suffered immensely through that time where he was had boils from head to toe he never knew why during that time he never knew why as he as he reviewed things in his mind through 42 chapters of 38 there of job it was like I did this I did that I did everything right and God even said job he's blameless and Joe patiently endured even though he didn't know why was he going through that as he tried to put together in his mind but he never he never turned on God he never cursed God like his wife encouraged him to do curse God and die she said just get it over with why are you going through this pain in agony he didn't do that he patiently waited for God God had something else in mind for him but he didn't know what but he patiently endured and as we look at the men of the Old Testament men whose names we know well we see they all had to practice patience job had faith in God men like Abraham and David they had faith in God you know what else they had they had patience they had patience every single one of them let's look at let's look at Abraham let's go back to Hebrews 6 all we find is patience and faith they go hand in hand Hebrews 6 we read verses 11 and 12 earlier let's continue with what the author here is writing he talks about inheriting the promises of God through patience in verse 12 and verse 13 he gives the example and draws us back to Abraham for when God made a promise to Abraham because he could square 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 Abraham he obtained the promise God said Abraham I'm going to give you a son one son and from that son you will become Nations Abraham waited and he waited and he waited somewhere along the line perhaps they begot became a little impatient and Sarah decided we should take matters into our own hands what God must mean is this he's not going to give me a child Abraham go into the handmaiden Hagar have a child by her that must be what God God meant Abraham listened took matter in his own hands we know the result of that Ishmael is born it created consternation of the family if you read and understand the families and the affect on the Middle East we know that we still suffer from that consternation today Abraham learned you wait for God you wait for God if you want God's promises you wait for him and so after Sarah had long passed slocks since past childbearing age Abraham still had faith and he's still patiently waited for God patient endurance when Sarah was thinking I'm not going to have a child Abraham kept believing he patiently waited for God and after he patiently endured he obtained the promise he believed in God we know he had faith that faith was and is certainly in full display for God and everyone when God later on in Isaac's life said take him and sacrifice him and Abraham didn't hesitate he just went out and was ready to do it until God said no how now I know now I know Abraham that there's nothing that you won't withhold from me he patiently waited God could have given him a son at that very moment what he saw him going to you know saying you know let's go to Ishmael or let's go to Hagar and have a son by her I could have had Sarah become pregnant at that time he let them do it they learned the lesson he patiently patiently waited and God gave him the promise David had the same thing remember the story of David he was anointed king when you is what 17 years old his parents and even his father and even overlooked him and David went the slew Goliath in faith there in the king's court with Saul David might have thought as a young man I'm going up there I'm going to be coronated King God's given it to me and I'm going to happen soon it didn't happen soon if I remember correctly it's 13 years later when he was finally coronated and officially became king God gave him the promise that he would be king early but he had to wait for a number of years before he received the promise and twists and turns in his life that he could have never imagined at the time that he was anointed king he went to Saul and may have thought you know at ease in him he's going to receive me he's going to be happy with me things are gonna be great here it was just the opposite Saul hated him Saul wanted him dead Saul didn't wanted to be king and so David never saw foresaw after his anointed king I'm gonna be running for my life the very man I'm going to replace is going to be the man who wants to have me dead so I'm not I'm not king over Israel I'm running from Israel I'm running from my life did he ever turn on God did he ever give up did he ever say well God must know God lied to me he didn't the promise he made he must have changed his mind no through it all he kept his eyes honored and he kept doing what God said he turned to God for strength he knew the scriptures he searched the scriptures he allowed God to work in his heart to give him the patience that he needed to endure that entire time that he was waiting for the kingship and during that time he learned an awfully lot he learned an awful lot about patience that stood him through stood him well the rest of his life and when he wrote the Psalms so many times she read about waiting for God wait for him don't take matters into your own hands don't rush it wait for him if he said he's going to do it he'll do it but let him let's go back and look at a few of the things that David wrote back in Psalm Psalm 25 among the many things just a sampling here Psalm 25 and verse five I'll pick it up in verse four the beginning of the thought here first for show me your ways o eternal teach me your paths lead me in your truth and teach me for you are the God of my salvation on you I wait all the day I wait for you patiently may not be exactly what I wanted it to be may not be the way that I wrote the script may not be how not my babe not be win but I wait for you chapter 27 Psalm 27 verse 14 wait on the Lord wait on him be a good courage and he will strengthen your heart wait I say wait on the eternal be patient with him he certainly is patient with us Psalm 62 62 verse 1 truly my soul silently waits for God silently my soul waits for God from him comes my salvation I can't rush it I have to do it the way he says to do it patiently live allow him through the rest of my life to change me make me aware of things that need to be changed deepen my understanding deepen my faith create the opportunities that those things can happen in our lives patiently enduring through each one of them allowing God to work his perfect work Psalm 130 Psalm 130 in verse five I wait verse five I wait for the eternal my soul waits and in his word I do hope I keep that in front of me I wait for God and because I wait for him I have hope too oh there's a lot we learn there's a lot that we develop when we develop patience and practice that in our lives and don't try to have the quick fix but let God grow us how where and in the speed that he will develop us patiently waiting for him patiently looking to him patiently being loyal to him patiently seeking his truth patiently studying the Scriptures patiently meditating patiently doing the things because the faith of God and our walk with Him is not a speedy speedy thing speedy speedy often is of Satan who wants things now through God he spends time and as he spends time and as we patiently allow him to do that it becomes us can't become us instantaneously but over our lifetime or over years of yielding to God and trusting in him and so you see the patience and faith of men like Abraham and David and Joe and you can name several others you can talk about Daniel and how pee pee tada and the time that you know he was thrown into the Lions Den he didn't take matters into his own hands and say well well well well let's let's reason let's reason about this he was patiently waited for God and God saved him same thing with Shadrach Meshach and Abednego same thing for us if we do what he wants us to do and patiently let him do the things in his life he wants to so we have plenty of examples as you read through the Bible people who have faith and patience and who have exercised that in our lives they're therefore his examples for us to learn from there's examples of people who didn't wait for God you can probably think of a person who didn't wait for God number one very well-known example Saul right Saul didn't wait for God Saul didn't obey God he decided he was going to take matters into his own hands let's go back to 1st Samuel 1st Samuel chapter 13 and verse 8 for Samuel 13 verse 8's all is facing war and he's looking you know he's looking for God's blessing and Samuel you know told him what to do told them to wait for seven days and then he would be here let's look at verse eight Saul Saul waited seven days he did what he was told according to the sign set by Samuel but Samuel didn't come to Gilgal he wasn't there exactly what Saul expected him to be he came a little later he waited seven days but Samuel didn't come to Gilgal and the people were scattered from him wow people are leaving what do I do Samuel said wait but he's not here I've got to do something I can't have these people scattering from me I've got to do something so Saul said bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me and he offered the burnt offering and it happened now we shouldn't have done it he should have waited and he knew better now it happened as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering that Samuel came don't you hate when that happens you do something you think man if I just waited ten more minutes or another week all this would have been cleared up it happened as soon as it was finished presenting the burnt offering the Samuel came and Saul went out to meet him that he might greet him and Samuel said what have you done what did you do Saul it's all so well when I saw this two people were scattered from me and you didn't come within the day's appointed and that the Philistines gathered together at McMath I said hey I got to take something you didn't answer you didn't come at the time I expected God didn't answer at the time I expected he didn't do it the way I wanted I had to take matters into my own hands forget the promises if it wasn't done the way I wanted at the time I wanted how I wanted and I wanted where I wanted I have to take matters into my own hands I said the Philistines will now come down on me a Gilgal and I haven't made supplication to the eternal therefore I felt compelled law everything in me said you've got to do this Saul go ahead and do it you need to do this ah but he didn't patiently wait therefore I felt compelled and I offered the burnt offering Samuel said to Saul you have done foolishly shame on you Saul you were supposed to wait for God he knows what's going on he knows when he was going to be there he knew your job was to wait for him your job was to wait for him you have not kept from the commandment of the eternal your God which he commanded you for now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever he didn't come he didn't answer and the time you expected and if you had just waited if he had had the faith that if you had had the patience if he had seen that in you he would have established your kingdom forever but now verse 14 your kingdom shall not continue the Lord has sought for himself a man after his own heart and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over his people because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you he didn't patiently wait and so he did not receive the promise that God said he would give him if he had just waited if he had just simply been patient with God and not being detracted from what God had called him to because I have to do it now I have to do it now everything's gonna fall apart if I don't do it now God is more than capable of working in your lives God is more than capable of working in our church God is more than capable of doing everything we need but he do discuss opportunities to learn how to be patient with him and to keep our eyes focused on him and to trust in him and to have faith in Him and believe him something in the days ahead or the years ahead before Jesus Christ returns we may well learn we may well learn how important that patient endurance is so patience and faith go hand in hand as we see let's go back to Hebrews 10 and as we read through the Bible in the Old Testament and the examples even in the New Testament of people we see the patients they had the faith they had the trust they had the reliance they had on God and how they committed themselves to him and as you read through Hebrews 11 the faith chapter you see that to the lives of the men and women that are recorded in there let's look at Hebrews 10 the verses leading right up to Hebrews 11 which we commonly refer to as the faith chapter Hebrews 10 in verse 35 the author here says therefore don't cast away your confidence where's our confidence confidence better not be in ourselves our confidence better be in God right therefore do not cast away your confidence which has great reward for you have need of endurance you need to wait you need to endure to the end you have need to develop this in yourself or you have need of endurance so that after you have done the will of God you may receive the promise what's the will of God living his way obeying his law letting it be written in our minds and hearts having faith believing yielding led by the Holy Spirit patiently waiting for yet a little while and he who is coming will come and not tarry don't lose heart don't take matters into your own hands don't think oh he's not coming whatever for yet a little while and he who is coming will come and will not tarry now the just shall live by faith but if anyone draws back my soul has no pleasure in him if he gives up if he says you know what I don't think this is going to work the way it is I've waited long enough you know then Peter Peter talks about that in 2nd Peter writes some count - the Lord is slack he hasn't come all these years we've been waiting for and whatever he's still not here what's wrong but if anyone drops back God says my soul has no pleasure in him but we you and I brethren you and I are not of those who draw back to perdition who draw back to the second death who go back to the world we encourage each other we encouraged by God we patiently wait for him no matter what comes up our way and no matter and the good times or bad times we stay with him we are not of those who draw back to perdition but of those who believe to the saving of the soul those who believe to the saving of the soul patiently waiting developing the faith doing the things that we know to do we go back to James James 5 where we were earlier as he talks about patiently waiting for God James 5 I read through verses 8 and 9 let's go back to verses 8 and 9 for 7 of course he tells us be patient verse 8 he says you also you also be patient and he says establish your hearts for the coming of the Lord is at hand establish your hearts how do we establish our hearts well that's what Strong's is talking about when sight of all patience you have your purpose you know what your goal is you know what the truth is you establish your heart on that you make sure that what you are doing and cultivating in yourself with God's Spirit is you are committed and determined to follow him you know it's the truth and it is you and it becomes you how do we establish our hearts oh we know how to establish our hearts we pray fervently not just a bunch of o'clock or get it feel good about ourselves if we did our however long a time we establish for ourselves oh we read the Bible we study the Bible there's a difference we meditate not a fast process because meditation takes time takes time David didn't meditate and come to all the truth that he did just by you know reading a few scriptures in the Old Testament and then sitting down and writing it he meditated on it and nighttime and daytime and whatever he had time we fast we fast and maybe we don't have all the answers or all the understanding and one or two times that we task past but we patiently wait for God to show us the truth and to correct us and to instruct us just as it says in 2nd Timothy 3:16 that that's what his word is for that he'll do all those things but we have to patiently do it and seek Him we do all those things we'll talk about another one we get to verse 9 but let's go back to Luke 21 for a minute Luke 21 Luke 21 speaking of the end times Luke's writing on the endtime prophecy of the Olivet prophecy Luke 21 verse 11 goes through several verses here that he talks about our role in that Luke 21 verse 11 it says there will be great earthquakes in various places and famines and pestilences and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven a time that yields is still ahead of us you know pestilences earthquakes famines great signs in heaven but before all these things they will lay their hands on you and persecute you delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons you will be brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake well that happened to some of the people in the New Testament early New Testament times it'll happen again to those of God's people but it will turn out for you is an occasion for testimony verse 14 therefore settle it in your hearts establish it in your hearts settle it in your hearts that when at the time comes settle it in your heart's not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist God will provide what we need we don't have to study we don't have to make up our outline put it in our wallet and say well the time comes I'm going to stand before a magistrate or a king or whoever I'm gonna go write down my list God will give it to you if you've been patiently putting his word in your mind and heart and patiently cultivating his spirits and letting him live through you and dried-in direct you verse 16 you'll be betrayed even by parents and brothers relatives and friends and they will put some of you to death a trying time few things more painful in life than to be betrayed by a friend and a family member but those are times a lie ahead of us and you will be hated by all for my name's sake verse 18 but not a hair of your head shall be lost verse 19 by your patience possess your souls by your patience possess your souls patience that we've developed between now and the time that Jesus Christ returns the trust the reliance on him the determining that no matter what happens no matter what illness no matter of a financial crisis family crisis or whatever else we will not be deterred from what God has called us to but by patient endurance we will stay with him and we will yield to him and we will seek Him by your patience possess your souls something that you can contemplate there as you think about it you know God says you'd be patient with him he knows what he's working he's not slack we know why God hasn't sent Jesus Christ to earth yet he's not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance and receive eternal life he's patient with us you know I look back at my life and I am so thankful that God has been patient with me at any point in time he could have said forget him he's not getting it I'm tired of dealing with him I am so thankful he was patient with me you know first John 4:19 says we love God because He first loved us we need to be patient with guy because he was first patient with us now we need to develop what that is in our lives so one of the ways we become patient and build that along with the faith that goes goes hand-in-hand with our life with God and all the other things being led by the Holy Spirit you know lest anyone think that I'm omitting anything let's go back to James 5 and he makes another comments here in James 5 be patient establish your hearts with the coming of the Lord is at hand verse 9 and then he says don't grumble against one another brethren lest you be condemned behold the judge is standing at the door now why this in this little discourse on patience what'd he say don't grumble against one another I think it tells us two things one guide grows us in his body right if we're sitting at home all by ourselves and we think it's just us in God and no one else and we don't need to have need of a congregation or a body that's very patient very easy to be patient with ourselves but we learn a lot we learn a lot about God's Way of life we learn a lot about God's plan for us as we are in a body with each other can't discount it it is all over the Bible from the beginning to the end and when we come in patient what's the first thing we do you heard it in the sermonette you heard it a little bit when I was talking about how things can get you know in a speedy society what happens when we become impatient oh we can say things we can snap at our lives we can snap at our children we could snap at each other we can get angry we can get upset we can say things that maybe we regret later and if we do say things we regret later we should go back and we should acknowledge it to each other when we're impatient words happen and what is what is James saying here you know you be patient brethren don't grumble against one another you be patient with each other to be patient with God like he's patient with you you be patient with one another not everyone is perfect not everyone is just like you not everyone is is is it these things exactly the way we do everyone is in a different stage of development you be patient with one another just like God is patient with you and me and we learned that as we're with each other we're learning to be patient and not to count down state what is that person doing that for why didn't he know better than that and grumble against him and complain and say you know what he should have known better you know we all have times I'm sure we can look back on and say I should have known better I should have known better and why was I so thick-headed that I didn't get it so God is saying when you establish your hearts oh you have the relationship with him you develop a relationship with each other - you become one with each other as God and Father Jesus Christ and God the Father are one and just as we are to be one with him don't grumble against one another brethren lest you be condemned those are pretty strong words when you read them don't grumble unless you be condemned you work with one another you become one you encourage you exhort you bear with one another you identify each other's needs you're there you're developing the agape that God says he wants us to have and we must have and should be developing as we are letting him lead us by His Holy Spirit be patient with one another well let's go back I hope I've opened your eyes maybe a little bit to how important patience is and something that we could be developing in our lives may be reviewing a little bit as we head toward the Passover season as well let's go back in conclusion look at some more a few more verses about patience here as we close let's go back to Romans five Romans five and let's just read down through Romans five here for the first five verses verse five verse 1 therefore having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God and not only that we glory in tribulations we glory in those things that happen to us such a foreign thing to us as humans but if we saw them as God sees them time to develop time to grow in faith time to grow in patience time to develop the character that God would develop in us not only that we glory in tribulations knowing that tribulation produces what Greek fifty to eighty one tribulation produces patience or perseverance when you see perseverance most of the time it's patience knowing that tribulation produces perseverance what does perseverance develop it leads to character and character leads to hope which doesn't disappoint in verse five try to develop it not to develop it God wants to see us in it it often comes through the tribulations trials and tests of life do we learn to wait for God are we patient with him or do we have to have the quick fix the quick fix the society would have us have Habakkuk let's go back to Habakkuk minor prophet after nee home after micah micah nahum habakkuk a back ik 2 and verse 3 beginning verse 2 I'm sorry a back kick to verse 2 the Lord answered me and said write the vision and make it plain on tablets that he may run who reads it write the vision down he who reads it let him run when you hear the word run you might think of running with endurance the race that is set before us make it plain on tablets that he may run who reads it for the vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it will speak and it will not lie what God says is absolutely true it will happen though it tarries though it may not come when you want though it may teri wait for it because it will surely come it will not tarry patiently wait patiently put your trust in God and wait Isaiah Isaiah 64 you get into the latter chapters of Isaiah you see many of them are prophetic speaking of the time if will fill them into the holy days as you read through those chapters you can see the return of Jesus Christ the establishment of a new heaven and new earth and you can kind of follow the holy days as fall holy days and some of these latter chapters Isaiah 64 let's look at less let's begin verse verse for one we're gonna be read down to verse four oh that you would rend the heavens that you would come down that the mountains might shake at your presence as fire burns brushwood and as fire causes water to boil to make your name known to your adversaries that the nations may tremble tremble at your presence when you did awesome things for which we did not look you came down the mountain shook at your presence for since the beginning of the world men 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 quite a promise quite a promise that God makes finally let's conclude over in Romans 15 Romans 15 as we develop the patience through no matter what God tells us whether we don't know why whether it hurts so bad we can hardly stand it whether it's things that we didn't expect no matter whether the trial or tribulation or whatever goes on for so long and just like the the people you know that you read about in Revelation 5 it says how long eternal how long do we wait we wait until God says we wait until God does what he wants you know before we go to Roman's 15 let's go back to James 1 there's a scripture I I want to read before we we go there James 1 verse 2 speaking of the trials that we go through and the things that we all endured our lives James 1 verse 2 says my brother encountered all joy when you fall into various trials there he's saying the same thing that Paul says the same thing that Peter says the same thing that Jesus Christ says count it all joy when you fall into various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces what produces patience that's why God does it but let patience have it's perfect work let it work let patient have as patience have it's perfect work why that you may be perfect that you may be complete that you may be spiritually mature and complete lacking nothing let it work its purpose in you that you are knocking nothing ok romans 15 verse 4 whatever things were written before were written for our learning that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope and as you read through the scriptures you see the patience that is in in there you have the comfort that always comes when we read the scriptures when we are troubled when we are distraught go back and read the Bible and you'll find comfort verse 5 now may the god of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another according to Christ Jesus there's the together part again that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ therefore receive one another just as Jesus Christ received us to the glory of God

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Length: 68min 15sec (4095 seconds)

Published: Sat Mar 02 2019