The Fruit of the Spirit is Longsuffering

Be thankful for I know there's a lot going on in our world. Individuals food sickness. Play some chips and all may not be what we would want them to be, but we always have a lot to be thankful for. But I'm glad that you are here today. We're going to continue today and are series Victory in Jesus. And the title of the day's message is the Fruit of the Spirit. Is long suffering. So if you take the Bible, just go ahead and turn to the lations chapter 5, and we'll put the verse up on the Greenwell lesson, 5, 22 and 23. We're taking each one of these one at a time. And we've been talkin about so far, love joy. And when we said those first three, we look up word to God, the agape love the joy. That is unspeakable. And, of course, the peace, that passes all understanding, we look up word for God for those. Well today we're going to allow suffering the next three. Long-suffering, kindness and goodness looked outward. The other people in the last three faithfulness, gentleman self-control look inwards to ourselves scarce Heat arena a long-suffering, kindness goodness faithfulness and self-control against such there is No law where you probably heard the Great American prayer. Pray by the little 8 year old boy, who was angry with his mama and daddy. And he said, Lord, he said, give me patience and I want it now. Well, that's the prayer of a lot of. Is it? That's the prayer of a lot of Bones up for you. How many of you have use this word in your vocabulary in the last year?

Probably no one has said while I'm alone suffering person because most people read that they don't even know what it means. Long-suffering some say, well must be patient because you started out with a prayer. Well it is it is patient. But what I want us to do and because We live in this microwave. A, you know that we like our food warmed in the microwave. We got to go through the fast food. We have our phones that we can just watch a video or listen to something FaceTime. Someone any time that we want to when we want something, we want it now. How many of you in your house? And you said, I don't demand, you can watch anything you want to at anytime that you want to. So, we're constantly reminded that everything must be done in a hurry that God says he wants the teacher, who wait, but what does long-suffering really mean? Well, I made a slide that I won't put up here in this. Is it safe to pop the word long-suffering. Well, the Greek word behind that English word long-suffering is macro foumia. Now, that is a compound word macaroni long. And to me, I mean to be long-suffering literally means to have a long temper. You say, what? What does that mean? What does a long temper, make what? How many do you have said something? Or maybe about someone and have yourself such-and-such have a their short-tempered? What does that mean to be short-tempered? What's that mean? It means well, any little thing can set you off and all the words when you around a short temper person, you have to handle them on a pillow cuz you got to be careful what you say. How do you say it? Because they made a short, long temper. So I, this is my definition. This is not out of the dictionary definition, at Bob, what it means to be long. Long tempered person patiently, and doers difficult people and situations without being provoked to anger revenge, or critical spirit. That's what it means to be long-suffering. In other words, I mean, if you work with difficult people, How many of you experienced difficult situations, where there is at work at home or whatever? All of us? Good But without being provoked to anger, anger. Revenge, you're not going to try to get somebody back because they do something that you don't like and you're not going to go around and gossip about them and have a critical spirit or the situation many times we need to go through a situation in our life and it's not what we would want. And so we start complaining and we get a critical spirit. Why would God allow this to happen to meet a person who is long suffering? Can endure tribulations and trials. Without a critical spirit without becoming angry angry and without Revenge us to develop this quality. I believe in our life and other just say about this, you have staying power during hard times. Weather situations are people, you have the Staying Power by leaving her entire nation is patience and long-suffering. I think it's the hardest of all the qualities listed here. But I think it's probably the closest virtue. That's closest to God's heart. Disable pies that well as we going to see you in a moment, God is a patient. Long-suffering God, you see all these qualities. Relations love, joy, peace. All of them, they come from God because he's that way. All you have to do is just take a look at Jesus in his life and he embodies all of them. What model said, why would you want me to come like Jesus? You need to embody all these virtues in your life as well, but a person who has the fruit of long-suffering is patience with people who Madden, patient with people who get on your nerves. He or she does not criticize or irritate simply because their criticize or irritated, the person doesn't sense or feel or look frustrated or angry. If Noah's long-suffering knows how to sit still and wait, is turn this load to retaliate. It doesn't see to get even It waits patiently with love joy and peace is what long-suffering. So I don't have to one is long-suffering and the Christian and that's what I want to talk about first. So what does that look like in our own life? Where if you had the name someone in the Bible that was a long-suffering person. Who would you pick? Maybe the other than Joe. Remember job in the Old Testament? He was stripped of his family. His servant It's lost all of his money. He lost his wealth is why I said, why don't you just Curse God and die? His wife turned against him then he had his friends come and say Jobe I know what's wrong with you. You got something in your life. I wouldn't be treating you this way. We all need friends like that. Don't we give us that type of advice yet he hung tough through it all. And he was a man of patient, but I have several scriptures. I want to show you today. The first one is Joe 1315. This is what Joe said. Now, look at this first talk, after I get lost everything and why I said just Curse God and die. He says, though, he slay me. Speaking of the Lord, though. He slay me. yeah, well I trust them no matter what comes in my life, no matter how hard times get no matter how often I mistreated I'm going to trust you Maybe at my best interest at heart and then look what he said.

he said he knows the way that I think speaking of the Lord when he has texted me, I feel 24.

Don't save in the Lord and He took everything I had and took it away from me and I had nothing he said yet, I was going for it so he saw something good out of the bag in life. I learned that the experiences of life to be patient under stress and that's why he has had he held up and he's an example for us. When we have this characteristic, this virtue in our own lie, What will our life look like? Let me give you two things. Number one, we will have a consistent. Why a person who develops long-suffering Is a man or woman who will first discover that they have a consist, they're consistent and living the Christian. Like the one thing that all of us laugh, I would say it's consistently, you know that we're all probably just not as consistent in her Christian walk as we won't lie. I know that I'm not. I look back in my life and look at it, just check this new listing that I found someone else. I need to improve on that. I'm just not consistent as I want to be in. One of the things that will NPR consistency is the lack of patience, is the lack of long-suffering we react impatiently two things. Remember, last week, we looked at. Are you a thermostat or many times where we act according to the outside environment? And I think this is what Paul was talking about when he prayed for the Colossians and look what he said. I left this is what Paul he was praying for them and he said I pray that you will be strengthened with all night. According to his glorious power for all patience and long-suffering with joy to you see here and he says patients and then he says long something. So there's a long-suffering is the as you patiently in. Do it? So he says, I want to pray that you will be consistent in your Christian wife. Well who was somebody that was consistent in their Christian Life. What how about Abraham in the Old Testament? God promised Abraham that he would rather hold? And all but he didn't have fun. Anyway, didn't waiting waiting to never have sons and all the sudden one day. He's like a hundred years old almost and he still hasn't had a son and he was past the age where you could have a son. But finally, All of a sudden he was past 8, all of a sudden, he and his wife had a son and this is what Hebrews 6:15 says about Abraham info. After he had Patiently endure. Remember I definition After he had patiently, endured, he obtained the promise. She sometimes we have to wait for God to move in Abraham teaches us that even in the midst of uncertainty and difficulty and problems and circumstances which we have no control over what the weather. If we will develop a spirit control patients, they'll be consistently in our life. Phone number one. If we are long-suffering person, will live a consists of whether something else will do. Will they have a controlled? By endurance is not only the key to a consistent life but also to a control life and think of this, when we get out of fellowship with god, with other people weathers at church or work, we lose control. Bible, say about the fruit

but when we have a short temper and when we get out of fellowship with God, and other people,

All of a sudden we lose control. But when you walked under control the spirit, this quality of long-suffering develops within you a long-suffering person, you just think about yourself this morning, a long-suffering per person is a person under control, but just think about your own life. Are you under control? Is your mind under control, or you go to bed at night and you're just worried and anxious and you have panic attacks and all of this. If that's true, then you're kind of out-of-control. You see a person whose temper is she is a short, temper person, a person. Got to handle on a pillow constantly destroys relationship, but a person who has long tampered avoid destroying relationships because they avoid words. That he'll never been around someone. A person that loses their temper all the time. Absolutely out of control. You never know when they're going to a rough you live in constant. Fear of being around, you going to touch the wrong button or something and they're going to explode, it's not much fun to live or to be around people like that, they're out of control. But the beauty of patiently enduring and bearing with one another forbearance. If you will in the life of a Christian is that they enable us to live a life that under control around you without going crazy. That's basically what it means. Is one verse in the Bible that speaks of this perfect for 2. I want to look at this. They apply with all lowliness and gentleness with long suffering. Bearing with one another in love and see that's what we get the forbearance from there. You bear with other people. You put up with one another in love now you probably heard someone say that. I shouldn't have to put up with this. Ever said that to yourself or heard someone may be at work. I shouldn't have to put up with this. I shouldn't have to put up with this person. I've heard that quite often in my life, but the Bible says, you should The Bible says that you should, the Bible says that you, if you have a spirit control life and you're walking in the spirit that you can put up with anything or anyone. Matter fact, sometimes got to put difficult people in your life, just so that he will grow you in your patience and long-suffering so that you will put up with him, even though it is harder for us to do that. If you've ever said something to someone in a moment of frustration or anger,

let me just say this. Words can be forgiven.

But words and Destroy and words can hurt. And even though you may forgive someone, Or maybe they'll forgive you. When you say hurtful words, But there's something about words. That leave these little scar tissues on the hall. my wife and I understand that and you should

But sometimes it's hard to forget, you can forget, but Satan will bring that up. Do you again? Let me say something about relationships. There's a psychology. Secular psychology going around. That will tell Newlyweds. That it is good to have a knock-down-drag-out fight once in awhile. Just let it out, say whatever it is, it's on your heart and mind and then afterwards we can make up, but it's good from released it. Where is I don't ever know what time when it's never the right time to say an unkind way. Never a good time to say an unkind work. Those words can the words of a parent can destroy a child And you going to say, well I just want to let it out and now I feel better where you may feel better, but you don't know what that child feels like and how long that child is going to carry it? Don't listen to this. Secular humanist account that says, just let it out, just let everything out, whatever you want to do and then makeup. Yeah, that's that's police car to get used on people's car. And if a person has love and forbearance in life, that doesn't have to happen because we can move through life under control. We want to consist of our and we want to control Our God teaches us. Long-suffering patient through trouble and difficulty and tribulation. That's how we learn. I let me tell you something that I do and everyone else. When I used to work out in the workforce. Every time something happened that I didn't like and it looks like to me that this was going to be the trend. The first thing I would do is I looked for a way to get out of that. I will start calling people that I used to work with and I start networking. Y'all got a job over there. You got a job here, you got a job there. Just think of it in your own life when you're at work and things get tough. The first thing we think of how can I get, how can I alleviate them? How can I get out of this horrible job. Well, sometimes, maybe you need to get out for most of the time. God has put you there and put this circumstance there and put these difficult people there. So that you may learn patience and long-suffering. That's why, when people call Dominion eye sight, I've got this job and I'm in this job, and I don't like it. This is what's going on with the situation? Tell me how to get out. I'm very reluctant to ever tell anyone to leave their job because I don't know if you remember to grow them spiritually and mature them in patience and long-suffering. So I would never tell anyone, but here's what I do, I call this person. I quit that job. I will never tell anyone to do that, but we have this flight syndrome. As soon as things turned bad, we want to get away from As soon as our job is bad, we want to change jobs but we want to retire or we want to do this or do that and just just get out and make things better. And we have to understand sometimes God places up here cuz this is how he develops long-suffering patient through difficulty and trial. That's why James, said, count it all joy. When you fall into various trap, Why would I want to count Joy because God is doing something by he's teaching you and maturing you and growing you. So that is that he has the That is the long-suffering in the life of Chris last for. Long-suffering number to the long-suffering and God. Now, what I want to do is here is one of the Reason God wants us to be patient, and long-suffering is because he is a patient. And long-suffering, God, I will show you three scriptures that you're starting to form 8615, just to show you some things that the Bible says about God. But you oh Lord, Our God, full of compassion, and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in Mercy, and truth from 1038.

The Lord is merciful and gracious.

Slow to anger at the same word for long but slow dance slow to anger and abounding in Mercy, Joel to 13th. Rend your heart and not your garments return to the Lord, your God for, he is gracious and merciful slow to anger and a great kindness and he will relent I'm doing all the Bible says that God is a long-suffering got, you know, who had a hard time with God's gracious, patient, long-suffering grace. And mercy from our profit we studied that had a hard time with that. It would jump. Remember old joint. Remember God said to go down priests in Denver or just some of the cruelest most wicked, vicious and vile people. Don't, I didn't want to go to the Granite arches in the new here to store. You think? Well, of course, he didn't want to go. No one would want to know the priests of people that evil. In me. I would have probably killed John, the didn't want the ghost, he didn't, he didn't go because he thought the people would kill me. The reason he didn't want to go is because he thought God would forgive them if he preached. And that's exactly what happened in. This is exactly what Jonas said look at it and Jonah for inverse to. So, he praised the Lord that our Lord was not this. What I said when I was still in my country, when you first talked into goes, and then over there for free, I played. Previously the tarshis for I know that you are a gracious and merciful god slow to anger long-suffering and a Bunda and loving-kindness, one who were Lynn from doing hard reason, didn't want to go because he wanted to see those people judged by God. And he says it right here.

You've been that way. If somebody's your lies you wanted a judge, you didn't want to see anything. Good to happen to them. You wanted gods are just judge them for what they were doing to you. What? This is Joan. That's the heart of Jonah, right there in God's image, huge were viable and Jonas Salk. Because God, repented or relented from doing what he was going to do. What is this mean in our life that God is a long-suffering God, what does that mean for us? Well three things that was on the phone number one because God is longsuffering in our life. We can look at his long-suffering as a saving rescue. The only reason that we are alive today on this Earth. It's because God is a patient and long-suffering got it. God had been a man. Let me just say it like this. None of y'all would exist right now. I would have liked this earth clean because of all the bow in wickedness, wipe the earth clean it. But God is patient. And he extends to us, the opportunity to repent to believe the gospel in to turn from our sinfulness of holding a sit-in. A patient. Long-suffering. How many times you falling, how many times you get a bat out of? Do you say things? You shouldn't say we were not way we ought to be but what does God do? He just forgive us if he just gives us again. We're just give you a retest. You see, if y'all had been a man, he would have blown this world away a long time ago, but he loves you and me and he gives us the opportunity to accept But not a good long-suffering inpatient. God, he patiently sends his Mercy far beyond what any human would expect. Let me tell you something else. It is it is a solemn reminder. His patience and long-suffering. Is a warning that say what what do you mean by that? Because one day, the Bible says that God is going to come by And he's going to judge this Earth. And you and I one day, we'll stand before our creator and we're not going to be judged on where they were saved. Not because if we're saved, we're going to stand before. But we will be judged on our work and our deed. And I word things that we do our motive and all of that. He's going to judge us but some people give the impression that they can just live the way they want to and they think if God hasn't judged him yet, That he's going to tolerate what they're doing. The friends. This is a warning to us. In other words, people say, well, nothing's happened yet. So, obviously, God, approves, or at least tolerate what I'm doing. Let me show you one verse in Ecclesiastes 8:11. I want you to listen to this verse to you and you write this down on your heart. because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily I will call back go out here and I run around. I just live the way I want to. I commit adultery and I'm just a drunkard. And I I don't care about God, doesn't care about church because my sin and my evil work is not executed speedily there, for the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. You do what they saying? That's saying it because I'm not judged right now for my wrong and I continue to do wrong, my heart tells me, we just go ahead and do it because God approves of it or he's going to call. That's what that verse is safe. Solomon saying to the people that if you feel like you're getting by with sitting in your life, you may as well just keep on doing it that's wrong because one day we're all going to be, just let me give you when we give me the exact. Let's say you have a 4 year old and he starts talking back to you. When he starts talking about you, what are you going to do? When your 3 or 4 year old starts popping back? When you going to, do you going to put them in time out or something like that? Would you want to do it? And you're not going to wait, you're going to do it? You see, we're all used. The being disciplined or punished when the crime has been committed. That's what we're used to it. Now, if you have a 16 year old says he says you're not going to say what? No, you can't go because you're grounded and he going to say, why am I driving with three year old? You talk back to me. I do get in timeout around him. You going to put him in time out with his 3C. We're so used to being disciplined with the app is committed. But the Lord because of his patience and long-suffering allows us to go off that allow us to go on and keep sending allows us to go on so that we may see the error of away and we confirm back to it. That's why he's patient and long-suffering you did it as a warning. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, the promise of coming back and judging the Earth at some Camp Flats but is long-suffering toward us not willing that any should perish but all should come to repentance. So when we live in, I live the way I want to. Why is he long-suffering? He's giving me a chance.

To confess my sin and to repent and if that's what he's doing. So it is a saving rescue. But it's also a solemn reminder that one day. God has promised to judge This World In His delay. In doing it as reminder that the our day of Grace and opportunity has been extended and we need to take advantage of it. Now while we still have time, that's what he saying. Well, as one more, let me give you this. Where we looking is long-suffering. I own is a saving rescue and as a solemn, reminder, and I hate this, but I need to save it. God's patience and long-suffering.

Can be use for our own. Destruction and ruin.

Suppose you have a fun teenager, he gets out and he just got a heavy foot. He's already got two or three speeding ticket. But yet, he continues to drive that way, fast free, just whatever he wants to do in the years past. And then one night late for meatballs to come to your door and your son had a wreck. Vegan tree. And he died in the crash.

There's a young boy that drove just wildly gets whole lot. Because nothing happened because he did not experience any consequences. Who did while driving he gets hit doing. No, he thought he was okay, and over a period of time. He believed that it was right and he continued it until he destroy his own life friends list. Don't interpret.

God's patience and long-suffering.

With your approval.

Don't think.

but you can run around on your husband or what And because you've been doing it for you. And no one know and you're at has not been exposed. Don't interpret that. That God approves or tolerate Sports going to let it go.

They will be a day of reckoning. It will cop. And as we read in the Book of Romans, there Comes A Time in a person's life. When God will give us up. What do you mean? Give us up?

What I mean by that is he will give us up to our own desires of our own heart and he will let us go the way we want to go without any further conviction. From Romans 1 verse 24.

Therefore God also gave them up to unclean. In the last of their heart to dishonor, their bodies among them.

He says there Comes A Time. Then if someone is going to do what the desires of their heart no matter how ungodly and vile and wicked. It is, but you going to continue doing it? There Comes A Time in a person's life, will God will give them over.

In France, when God gives you up, when he turns you over to yourself, there is no more hope for you. I don't care if she live 75w. You say well, what? I need to know what age when does God give us over? I have no idea. It may be different for every person. The friends when we come and when we have something in her life that is not right and we continue on and on simply because we interpret God's patience and long-suffering has his approval. It comes a time when God will give us over And that weekend. No chance for salvation. You say, well, I still got 30 40, 50 years to live, no chance. He has given you over. Who yourself. All you have to do, is turn the 1st Corinthians chapter 11. We don't have time to do it today and you look at what Paul said, the some of those Believers Believers in the Christian church. He said the spin is so rampant in this church. He said that's why some of you are sick. Some of you are wheat and summer, you have found. What does that mean?

In the Bible, when someone sleep is, speaking of death. Let me say this as we close. there's a lot of people who would think well nothing at my house so I'm going to continue doing what I want to do is let me say it is if you're here this morning and you're not safe You continue on without accepting Christ one day. You going to wake up and you will spend eternity without price in a place called hell. That's just what the Bible be. But let me say this to the Christian to the Christian who allow us into run rampant in their life and who presumes on the patience and long-suffering of God, you run the risk.

Of God taking you out of this world. Premature That's exactly what happened to the printing. He said, some of you are sick, some of you are weak and some of you have already fallen asleep because you would not hurt because you presume on the patient and long-suffering God is not going to

To destroy our own and our families testimony and bring dishonor with him. If it goes that far, he will take us off this Earth. Before he will allow that to happen. Aren't you thankful this morning? But God is patient and rescue. Let's use this patience and solemn reminder. That if we're not right, we need to get, right? Because one day, he's going to come back and he's going to judge this world. Never presume on the patience and long-suffering. Be thankful board. Turn doing believe the gospel in the same today. That's why Paul said, today is the day of salvation today is the day. He's patient. He's long sucker. But we have no guarantee that his patience and long-suffering will be available tomorrow. Daddy gave your word. Or we thank you that you are a patient and long-suffering. That you and your our Rebellion. Bible says that while we were yet, sinners Christ died for the epitome of patience and long-suffering Lord, help us to develop this characteristic in her whole life. And we know that if we do that, we will live a consistent Christian Life and we will live a control Christian life. Thank you for being patient with us. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to come to you and accept your son as our personal savior Lord, we thank you for that. And if someone is here today and never made that decision, may they make that decision today and not presume on your patience and long-suffering Christ name. I do pray. Amen.

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