Sermon Tone Analysis

Today we come to the fourth part of the fruit of the Spirit.

Perhaps, other than self-control, this is the one we are most keenly aware does not come naturally.

I think that it would be helpful to have a definition of patience:

Patience is the ability to take a great deal of punishment from evil people or circumstances without losing one’s temper, without becoming irritated and angry, or without taking vengeance.

It includes the capacity to bear pain or trials without complaint, the ability to forbear under severe provocation, and the self-control which keeps one from acting rashly even though suffering opposition or adversity.

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I think that this puts things in perspective.

No losing one’s rag.

No irritation.

No getting your own back.

No complaining.

No quick to anger.

No reacting.

Complete self-control.

Patience is a kind of resignation and acceptance.

Patience is the strength of endurance.

It is being relaxed.

Patience is a calm endurance based on the certain knowledge that God is in control.

I could finish here and we all should be convicted.

Firmin Abauzit, who is best known for being a proof-reader to Isaac Newton, lived to eighty-seven years, was a person of such a serene disposition, that he was not known to have been out of temper during the whole of his long life.

Some persons, doubting the possibility of such a meek disposition, applied to a female who had kept his house for thirty years, to try to provoke him, on the promise of money if she succeeded.

Knowing that her master was very fond of having his bed comfortably made, she neglected it.

Next morning, Abauzit reminded her of the neglect.

She said she had forgotten it; and nothing more was said.

The next night the bed was again unmade; and the woman, being reminded of it, made some other excuse.

On the third morning, her master said, “You have not yet made my bed: it is evident you are determined not to do it.

Well, I suppose you find the job troublesome; but it is of little consequence, for I begin to be used to it already.”

Moved by such kindness and goodness of temper, the servant discontinued the experiment she had been prevailed upon to make.

When a stranger told Voltaire that he had come to see a great man Voltaire asked him if he had come to see Abauzit!

God’s Patience

God is angry with the wicked every day but God, in His patience, delays His wrath giving people every chance to repent.

Mercy is always shown before judgement.

What we find is that God’s grace and loving-kindness rules instead.

God suppresses His impulse to destroy us.

For example, we find that God does not destroy Cain; He gives a rainbow revealing He will not destroy the world again with a flood: He does not destroy Nineveh after Jonah’s preaching; and so on.

But God’s judgement is revealed in world history when a nation has filled up its sins and then God, despite all the warnings that have been given to it, will bring war, disease and plagues and other disasters because they did not repent.

This is a warning for our own nation as we go further and further away from His laws.

Bridge between God’s and Our Patience

Jesus has something to say about patience, so let us read it together, we pick it up in:

Here we see the servant cry out that he will repay everything.

This servant would never have been able to repay 10,000 talents.

One talent is 6000 day’s wages.

So, this servant owed the King a massive debt that would take 60 million days to pay.

It takes 20 years to earn one talent if he worked every day and this guy owed 10,000 of them!

He would have to work for 200,000 years!

When we realise that the King is God then we see even more clearly the impossibility of repaying any kind of debt to Him.

The contrast then could not be any clearer when his co-worker owed him 100 denarii, a denarii being one day’s wage, so, four months wages – but he showed no patience at all.

It is still a lot but not in comparison with his own debt.

When we compare what others have done to us with what we have done to God...and here I am talking about sin...it is a debt that we can never repay...the price was paid in blood.

Not just any blood but divine blood, sinless blood.

It was the only thing that keeps us from being given over to the tormentors until we had paid every last penny...and that would be forever.

We, on the other hand, in the light of God’s mercy, should forgive others what they do to us for on the scale of things their offences, and they can be big but in comparison are small indeed to what we did against God.

We should have patience with them as God done with us.

Let’s think about our patience:

We are to think before we react.

This seems to be impossible and I think without the Holy Spirit working in us so that we bear the fruit of patience unless we, like Abautiz mentioned at the beginning, are of such a temperament anyway.

But such are few and far between.

‘Lord, give me patience.’ is a prayer we have prayed but don’t be surprised if things go wrong for patience is not learned when things are going well but when things are not.

Patience teaches us to rely so much more on God.

It also changes us:

In the well-known chapter on love what is the first attribute of love?

1 Corinthians 13:4a (NKJV) — 4 Love suffers long.

Knowing God with His mercy, grace, and patience we in response are patient and kind with the Holy Spirit’s help.

Patience and forbearance is a spiritual force which has at its source the honour and glory of God.

In the passage we read in James it says let patience have its perfect work.

Patience, itself, is a goal to aim towards.

But first patience is a gift that is given with the Holy Spirit that we are empowered with but it then becomes an obligation to fulfil.

How can we be patient?

John 15:5b (NKJV) — 5 “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit.”

So, for us to bear the fruit of patience we have to abide in Christ.

We cannot produce patience unless we’re abiding in Christ; unless we’re walking in His steps; unless we’re reading His Word; unless we’re growing in our prayer life; unless we’re spending quality time worshipping and fellowshipping with brothers and sisters in Christ.

Again, like the rest of the fruit of the Spirit it is down to choice, a decision.

We need God’s help by His Spirit for these are things that a Christian should become.

For instance it says in:

Patience has to be put on because these things do not come naturally but with the Spirit’s help and with a conscious decision.

This is especially true of us who drive - it is a microcosm of life itself.

What is it about being behind the wheel of a car that makes us frustrated at the stupid people around us! Don’t they know how to drive?

Do they have a license?

Patience is learned the hard way here…but it is about mercy, about being kind, about being humble knowing we make mistakes too, and even if we are the perfect driver then to have patience anyway for God is perfect and He show mercy, kindness and patience.

There is one other thing for which we are called to be patient:

Throughout the New Testament we find that patience is equated with the coming of Jesus.

Afterwards, there will be no need for patience for all that was unjust will have been dealt with.

When we hear the news about different things especially crimes against children we wonder where is judgement.

Then there is persecution:

What are they told?

Just a little while longer.

We simply have to be patient for God’s Trumpet to sound.

God’s patience is long but it will not last forever for it is delayed wrath:

1 Peter 3:20 the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.

So, in the same way God’s patience will one day say ‘that is enough.’

And He will deliver us from evildoers.

When it says that the Judge is standing at the door it is in order to close it once and for all just as God closed the door on the Ark.

He is standing at the door already.

But, for now, His patience continues:

Conclusion

Jesus, with His Father, has showed incredible patience towards us and therefore we are compelled to be patient with others.

We are to allow His Spirit to do His work in us.

We should instead be impatient that people come to a living faith in Christ before that day, hour, minute, second when all hope will finally be lost.

There will be a final reckoning when those who have not repented will receive their just reward.

We are to be patient especially with our brothers and sisters in Christ but also with those in the world that there may be a chance that they will come to faith too.

Our patience could save souls but our impatience could drive them away.