We are continuing on this morning with our summer series entitled “Got Fruit?”
We are, and have been, looking at the visible character traits that should be present in the lives of disciples of Jesus Christ.
Before we look at the Fruit of the day, I want to mention an interesting little side bar on the fruit of the Spirit.
There are nine fruit mentioned in our text: “…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.” (Gal. 5:22-23a, NIV)
If you take these nine and divide them into 3 groups of 3, you would have in the first batch: Love, Joy and peace.
In the second batch of fruit you would have: “Patience, kindness and goodness”, and in the last batch you would have: “faithfulness, gentleness and self-control”.
Each grouping of fruit deals with a different part of our Christian life or experience. The first batch of fruit, (L.J.P) “has to do especially with one’s personal inner relationship with God.”
The second batch of Fruit- (P.K.G) “has to do especially with our relationships with other people”
And the last batch of fruit-(F. Gentleness. S.C.)--are personal fruit—these have to do especially with the relationship we have with ourselves. (with help from Wayne Caldwell’s book fruit and gifts of the spirit)
This is yet another example of God being concerned with the entire person, not just the spiritual part of our lives.
I want to remind you that all nine Fruit of the Spirit, no matter how you group them, are impossible for us to grow, or produce on our own strength.
The Bible says: “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives…” (Gal. 5:22a, NLT2)
Each of these character traits are grown in the lives of disciples of Jesus, by Someone other than us. We may cultivate these traits, but we do not grow them. That is the work of God’s Holy Spirit.
So today, we want to look at the fourth fruit that will be produced in the life of the follower of Jesusà The Fruit of the Spirit called Patience.
A Bible commentary will tell us that patience is: “The quality of putting up with others, even when one is severally tired.” (NIV NT Zon Com. 741)
Someone once said: “Patience is a virtue, Possess it if you can. Found seldom in a woman, Never in a man. ” (http://bible.org/node/13153)
Whomever it was that said that, or why they said it, I’ll never know, but patience is something that, according to the Bible is to be evident in the life of the disciple of Jesus.
ILLUSTRATION- If there was one Fruit of the Spirit that I wish I could avoid preaching about; it is this one, patience.
I’m not a very patient person; at least I don’t think I am... Take the other day for example.
We were coming back from town, and most, if not all of us, were tired, and my patience with Erica was getting a little thin, and when she asked her mother if she could do something, I yelled out in a loud voice: YES!”
Most of the time our patience is tested when we are tired. That’s why I like this explanation of patience. It’s “The quality of putting up with others, even when one is severally tired.” (NIV NT Zon Com. 741)
But, is that all patience is good for?
Don’t get me wrong, putting up with others is good, especially when we’re tired, but shouldn’t we be patient because God is patient, and we are supposed to imitate Him?
The Bible says: “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.” (Psalm 103:8, NIV)
According to the New Living Translation God is: “…slow to get angry...”
(Ps.103:8, NLT2)
In other words: God is patient.
How many times have we said to ourselves: “If I was God; I’d wipe that person off the face of the universe?” (be honest?)
Most times we say this because we want that person to get what we think they deserve.
But have you ever given any consideration as to why God doesn’t annihilate them—or us?
Has it ever occurred to you that God is a just God, that God is an extremely patient God?
Peter—the one disciple who experienced the patience of the Lord probably more than any other disciple, wrote:
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9, NIV)
The one reason why God delays His coming again is because He is a patient
God; One who wants all men to come into a personal relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ.
But that’s God, and last time I checked I am not God, and you are not God, so I want to know how does patience show up in the life of a believer?
Is it something that we do? Is it is something that we say? Is it something that we express?
The answer is yes! It is something that we do, it is something that we don’t say and it is something that we express.
The Greek word for “patience” (makrothymia) means: “Self-restraint before proceeding into action.”
It also is “the quality of a person who has the power to avenge himself, yet refrains from doing so.” (Key Word Bible, Patience 3429)
I like these two definitions; because they tell me what patience really is: It is waiting before acting.
It’s not jumping the gun and acting, it’s waiting—even though you can act. It displays a calm assurance.
Isn’t this like our Heavenly Father? Doesn’t He wait for us, even though He could act? Over and again, God displays His patience with us, even though we scorn and shame His Holy Name.
“God… does not abandon hope of the earth He created, even tough, more often than not the people He placed here turn their backs on Him” (Caldwell, 1976, 49)
God could have walked away from us numerous times, but because He’s
“slow to get angry” (Psalm 103:8, NLT2) He displayed His patience with us, and when the time was right, He took matters into His own hands:
“…when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.
5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.” (Gal. 4:4-5, NLT2)
Because God is patient with us, He made us His very own children, and because God is patient with us, we are to be patient with one another.
This is what Jesus told Peter, wasn’t it?
One day, Peter came to Jesus and asked Him: “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" (Matthew 18:21 NIV)
With his chest puffed out, Peter asked Jesus how many times he was to display patience to someone who had done him wrong.
Jesus, ever so gently, says to Peter: “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18:22, NIV)
Jesus was telling Peter, and us, that we are to be patient with all people from now until we are dead!
You see, patience comes from God and patience is given by God to all people who are serious about following after Him.
And “our patience in the Spirit does not imply and uneasy, clock-watching, floor pacing, deep sighing, endurance test.
“It is a patience based on a respect for the other person, a genuine love for that person and a willingness to sacrifice time or life’s energies on that person.” (Caldwell, 1976, 47)
Patience is waiting, giving and showing others the same love and grace that God has given and shown to us. Our patience is to be limitless.
And again friends, we cannot produce patience on our own. We cannot grow patience on our own; patience comes to us only by the power of God’s Holy Spirit.
We will not get patience by reading the next “chicken soup book”. Patience only comes as we remain connected to the Vine.
Jesus said: “…No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” (John 15:4b, NIV)
ILLUSTRATION- Two men were digging in California for gold. They had worked a
good deal and got nothing.
At last, one of the men threw down his tools and said “I will leave here before we starve” and he left.
The next day, his comrade’s patience was rewarded by finding a gold nugget that supported him until he made his fortune” (Reid, page 111)
Often times, Holy Spirit produced patience comes to us as we wait just a little longer.
The Bible says: “…those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” (Is. 40:31, NKJV)
James says: “…be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen.
8 You, too, must be patient….” (James 5:7-8a, NLT2)
“Every farmer knows that the time of harvest cannot be hurried, he must submit to the laws of Maturation.” (Wayne Caldwell)
So too, in the spiritual realm, we must wait on the Lord, we must rely on His Holy Spirit when we feel our internal pressure going up and up and up.
The Bible says: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each
other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Eph. 4:32, NIV)
Unless we the love of God, unless we have the joy of God, unless we have the peace of God, being patient with all people and making allowances for their faults will be downright impossible.
Unless we have the Holy Spirit of God living inside of us, invading our space, we are unable to live at peace with all men and to be patient with them.
So how about it church? Are you filled with the fruit of the Spirit called patience? Do you deal with people the same way that God deals with you, or do you lash out in anger?
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we will be patient with all people. This doesn’t involve being doormats, but it does involve holding our tongue, and responding with love.
The Bible says that: “…suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5:3b-4, NIV)
If the Holy Spirit of God wants to grow Holy Spirit produced patience in your life, He may use a situation that will make you a little uncomfortable.
He may put you in a situation that calls for patience, for what better way to learn patience than by actually being in a position to learn patience…
It will be painful, but it will be to our benefit, for suffering produces
perseverance….
The Bible reminds us that patience will be grown in the lives of disciples of
Jesus Christ. What we must do is remain connected to the Vine and ask for the Holy Spirit of God to fill us with the Fruit of the Spirit called Patience.
Friends, the Bible reminds us that God wants to grow Patience in the lives of His children, and chances are pretty good that He will use a situation in your life this week to grow patience in your life…..
It’s my prayer that we all would respond with patience, even when we are tired.
I’m not a patient man, but You can make me be;
I’m not a patient man, but You want me to be;
I’m not a patient man, so will You help me to be;
I’m not a patient man, so I need You to fill me;
No comments:
Post a Comment