Reclaiming your Patience

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• By Rev. Devadosan Sugirtharaj
• Posted 07/19/2020
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Fruit of the Spirit Sermon Series

Patience (Long-suffering)

Hebrews 6:9-12

Introduction

• Patience is a virtue and opposite of impatience. Patience is rare to see in peoples’ lives when they face difficulties. Patience is a sign of strength, tolerance and restraint and impatience is a sign of weakness, agitation and discouragement
• It is not a virtue we can develop ourselves as it is an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit and it is connected with other aspects of the fruit of the Spirit such as self-control.
• What is Patience? Patience is the ability to endure pain and suffering without complaining. The Holy Spirit provides this through his power and works in our lives.
• Patience is the character of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• 2 Thessalonians 3:5: 5 Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.

Word Study

• Two Greek words are translated as patience in the New Testament.
•  Hupomone means a remaining under a burden, steadfastness. 
• Makrothumia is a Greek word combination of two words Makros, meaning long, and Thumos, meaning passion or temper.

Context

• In this chapter, God speaks to the believers who have lost their courage and faith due to difficulties and delays in their blessings. In this context, God invites believers to depend on him and also to be patient and wait for his blessings. 

1. Patience is based on the confidence that God has deposited his goodness accompanied with salvation in us. Hebrews.6:9

• 9 But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. 
• Here, God’s word says that God has given to us all goodness accompanied with the salvation we have received from the Lord. Being redeemed people is the highest gift of God to us. So every goodness accompanied with salvation is deposited in us by God.
• Romans.8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 
• Philippians.1:6 Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
• Biblical example: Genesis.12:10-20: Though God promised Abraham in Genesis.12:1-3. when a famine came, Abraham was impatient and went to Egypt with fear. However, God taught him that His goodness never left his life.
• Sermon Illustration: A young boy went to the local store with his mother. The shop owner, a kindly man, passed him a large jar of suckers and invited him to help himself to a handful. Uncharacteristically, the boy held back. So the shop owner pulled out a handful for him. When outside, the boy’s mother asked why he had suddenly been so shy and wouldn’t take a handful of suckers when offered. The boy replied, “Because his hand is much bigger than mine!” God has given you a lot of blessings and we have to believe that God’s blessings, goodness are given to us as redeemed people. 

2. Patience is based on the confidence that God has remembered our lives and works for his Kingdom. Hebrews 6:10

• 10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and [d]labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. 
• God in his righteous character never forgets our labour and sacrifice for His name, His ministry and His church. God remembers each and every act and sacrifice towards one another and towards those who belonged to Christ. He will not give us up. 
• Colossians 3:23-24: 23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for[a] you serve the Lord Christ. 
• Matthew 25:40 : “What you have done to one of the least of these, you have done to me.
• Biblical Example: 1 Kings.19:1-10: Elijah was impatient when he heard the threats of the Queen. However, God did not forget him and remembered what he did for him in the land of Israel and strengthened him. 
• Sermon Illustration: A short time ago, one of our blind soldiers was playing the piano in the convalescent ward of a London hospital. Presently some visitors entered the room, but he was used to such interruptions, and played on, filling the long ward with a lovely melody. When the music ceased, a gentleman walked over to the piano and said, "Well done, my friend!" The surprised soldier, thinking it was one of his comrades, swung round on his stool, and with a smile said, "And who are you?" Quick as a flash, and as startling, came the reply, "Your King!" In an instant the man was on his feet with his hand at salute, his whole being instinct with pleasure at the honour accorded him by the royal word of praise. Sometimes we feel that God forgets us but it is not true. God always remembers us.

3. Patience is based on the fact that God is faithful in his promises and they are true in our lives. Hebrews 6:11-12

• 11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 that you do not become [e]sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
• God wants us to hold patience on the fact that we inherit all through the promises of God by faith. God’s promises reveal to us of the things invisible, excellent and distant. By waiting for God’s promise by faith is a key to a blessed life.
• Hebrews.10: 36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise
• Hebrews.12:1:Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.
• Biblical example: Hebrews 11:7: 7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
• Sermon illustration: Livingstone, in Africa, came to the Zambezi, and wanted to cross. The chief had been mistreated by some treacherous trader, and had vowed to kill the next white man who came across. Livingstone, by his fluttering candle, turned to the Bible and read, as always, his evening passage, coming to the promise, “Lo! I am with you always, even to the ends of the world” (Matthew 28:20). Closing the Book, he said, “It is the word of a gentleman of the strictest and most sacred honor; I will not flee.” He did not flee and was used mightily by God in Central Africa. God’s promises are Amen and Yes to us. As God is faithful in keeping the promises, let us trust him.

Conclusion

• The Holy Spirit gives us the amazing aspect of His fruit to us and Patience or long-suffering is Christ’s character and it is given to us to grow and please God by waiting for God to work in our lives without complaining. The Holy Spirit grows this aspect of the fruit in us based on these facts. 
  • Patience is based on the confidence that God has deposited his goodness accompanied with salvation in us. Hebrews.6:9
  • Patience is based on the confidence that God has remembered our lives and works for his Kingdom. Hebrews 6:10
  • Patience is based on the fact that God is faithful in his promises and they are true in our lives. Hebrews 6:11-12
• “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12). 

Questions for Discussion

1. What are the things that test your patience the most? Why? How does God show his patience to you? How do you react to God when he delays his answer to your prayers?
2. What are the things you wait for a long time and how does it test your faith? What are the goodness that accompanies the Salvation from the Lord? 
3. When you face difficulties, you may feel that God has forsaken you. But it is not true. What are the ways you show your love for God, for others and for Church? God will reward you and wait for them.
4. God’s promises are true and God is faithful to keep it. Do you know that the Bible has 8810 promises of God? What are the promises you remember and believe them? Believing one promise and pray for them is a good spiritual habit you can develop to grow in patience.