April 15, 2007
Morning Service
“Fruitful Living In A Barren World: Living A Life Of Patience”
Presented by Pastor Tim Pasma
Galatians 5.22
Our God, we have now gathered to sing Your praises. We've gathered to give. We've gathered to confess our sin and hear the Gospel. We've gathered to confess our faith and to sing Your praises. We now pray that You would help us to worship in our listening. God, help us not to be satisfied where we are, but to hear the Spirit of God speak through His Word and change us by that means. To produce patience in us. To make us like our God, Who is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Guide our thinking now, we pray, as we give attention to Your Word. In Jesus' Name.
Amen.
You know Christians who suffer? We may not know people who suffer for their faith to the point of prison or death, but suffering is still a part of the life of a Christian even now.
Think of the high school student who freely talks of Jesus. Julia is kind and gracious, a likeable girl who shows the joy of Christ and does not shy away from speaking about Him. Some of the girls of school make fun of her, calling her a “Jesus Freak”, and have even started spreading rumors about her. They even persuaded some of the boys to go into their bathroom and write some nasty things about her on the walls there. The other day, Julia could see them laughing at her as she came into the lunchroom.
And you know what? It hurts. Deeply.
And then think of your friend Robert, whose wife decided that pastures are greener on the other side. She's told him that she's found someone else much more interesting, and she will soon seek a divorce. In the meantime, she never fails to tell him who wonderful the other guy is and how he, on the other hand, is such a loser. He seeks to persuade her to keep the marriage together, but she just laughs at him and every day tries to find different ways of ridiculing him.
You know what? It breaks his heart. And the pain sometimes seems unbearable.
How should your friends face this kind of suffering and pain? How should they respond to this kind of hateful mistreatment and abuse?
Well, this morning in Galatians chapter 5, we'll find what God says outght to distinguish His children in these kinds of painful situations. I want you to turn to Galatians 5, and I'm going to read verse 16 to the end of the chapter. You follow.
“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” (Galatians 5.16-26)
God has so radically worked through His Spirit in the lives of His people that they will distinguish themselves as patient in adversity.
Now, in our study in the book of Galatians, we've come to the Fruit of the Spirit. We're spending each Sunday looking at one particular part of that Fruit, and this Sunday we want to talk about patience.
Now, everybody likes to joke about patience. I know there was a pastor one time, as he got in the pulpit he said, “When it comes to patience, my scorecard reads 'zero'.” And everybody laughs.
But you know, with God, this is serious business. Because God indicates that patience is one of the marks of a Christian. It results from the powerful work of God the Spirit in our lives.
What will distinguish you in the midst of mistreatment? Anger and vengeance – or patience?
Well, first of all, you need to understand patience. What is patience?
One of the words translated by the English word “patience” in the New Testament has the idea of persevering in trial or affliction. You see it in 2 Timothy 3, verse 10, where Paul says:
“You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings...” (v. 10-11a)
The word means the ability to press forward. To persist in pressing forward despite difficult circumstances. This is the word you would use when you're at Wal-Mart standing in line and there's only two lines open and they're stretching back to the electronics section. That's where this word comes in.
Or the patience you need to exhibit when your company asks you now – for the 26th time – if you work overtime and if you don't work, they're not really going to give you the choice.
It is the successful endurance of outside, impersonal pressures.
But that's not the word used here in Galatians. The word used in Galatians is a different word. It's the word that we find in Galatians 5.22. t comes from the word “Macrothumia”.
Now, part of that word sounds familiar already. “Macro”. We know what that means – that means long, large, big. When we talk about macroeconomics, we're talking about the global economy. When we're talking about microeconomics, we're talking about the economies of your checkbook. One is the big picture, one is the small. One means large, one means tiny.
“Macrothumia”. That is, long. “Thumia” basically means passions or sufferings. What he's basically talking about here is “long-suffering”.
Now, instead of the word patience here being used in the sense of experiencing difficulties in my world, this one is almost always used of difficult people. How you respond when people treat you badly.
Let me give you some examples of how it's almost always used in relation to people. In 1 Corinthians 13.4, what do you read? We all know this one by heart.
“Love is patient...”
All right? Look at 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 14. You see the word here. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 14:
“And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”
There again, used in the context of people. “Be patient. Be long-sufering with everyone.”
2 Timothy chapter 4, verse 2. In 2 Timothy 4, the Apostle Paul – like a great freight train – is heading down chapter 3 to these verses in chapter 4 where he's saying to Timothy – this one that he's passing the baton to – he's trying to tell him: “You gotta preach the word. Preach the word in the presence of God and the angels. I say to you, preach the word!” Then he goes on:
“Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.” (v. 2)
Again, used in the context of people. When people are difficult, you've gotta be ready! In season, out of season – you've got to be ready to rebuke and encourage and correct.
But you have to do it with great patience. With long-suffering. You can't go around and start beating people with it. All right?
This part of the Spirit's fruit will affect how you relate to difficult people. To people who are treating you badly – who are mistreating you, who are abusing you.
So patience here means long-suffering. It means being long-tempered. It is having a long fuse, and not short-tempered. It means you endure wrongs and put up with the exasperating conduct of others rather than flying into a rage or desiring vengeance.
Patience is the exercise of self-restraint when other people are not operating as they should. That’s the word he uses here.
It means that Julia will not start a counter-campaign of notes and slander against the mean girls.
It means that Robert will not, at some point, fly into a rage – blasting his wife with his words – but will continue to show her what it means to be godly when the world is against you – when your wife is against you.
That’s what the word “patience” is all about.
How do I exercise self-restraint? It’s keeping the passions in check. Restraining yourself from vengeance when people are treating you badly. That’s what he’s talking about here.
Now, take careful note: This is not the same thing as weakness. It is not weakness. It is not a passive, milquetoast response to abuse!
Now why do I say that? Because it is the same way that God operates! He operates this way! What do the Scriptures say about God?
Turn to Romans chapter 2, verse 4. I want you to look at three passages where this word is used about God. Romans chapter 2, verse 4:
“Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?”
What is he saying here? He’s saying, “God is patient. He is long-suffering. He is putting up with what people say to Him. He’s putting up with the dishonoring of His Name. He is not responding with wrath – so that you will have a chance to repent. So that you will have opportunities to repent.”
Look at 2 Peter chapter 3. 2 Peter chapter 3, verse 9:
“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.”
Now, what is Peter saying here? He is saying, “God is very long-suffering. He could wipe you out in a moment! But instead, He restrains His wrath so that you would have an opportunity to repent.”
He could – [snaps fingers] you’re gone. But He puts up with it. He puts up with it. He puts up with it – He’s long-suffering. Why? So that you’ll repent.
Look at verse 15, same chapter:
“Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation…”
Bear in mind that God is still holy. Bear in mind that God is still a God of wrath. But bear in mind that He is patient. He restrains that wrath, and that means salvation for you.
The Scriptures say of God over and over and over – you’ve probably heard this phrase at least three times – if not four – already in this service.
“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger abounding in love.” (Exodus 34.6; Nehemiah 9.17; Psalm 86.15, and others.)
God has the power to wipe out anyone and everyone who dishonors His Name. He has the power to pour out His wrath in absolute destruction on people who dishonor His Name.
But what is also true of God? He is long-suffering. He is patient. He restrains His wrath.
Now, would you consider God weak? Patient – there’s a great deal of difference between these two.
When you show this fruit, you are not weak – but restraining your desire to seek vengeance with your words – with physical threats. You’re restraining your vengeance – to take out your vengeance with rages. You’re restraining the desire to seek vengeance with any number of strategies by which you make someone pay for the way they’re treating you.
Let me tell you something – real weakness is indulging your desire for vengeance. There is weakness. Remember what it says in the Proverbs:
“A man who cannot control his spirit is like a city without a wall.” (Proverbs 25.28)
What does that mean? Do you remember that cities had walls around them for defense? Hey, a person who doesn’t have patience is like a city with no defenses. Guess who is in charge of his life? Everybody around him.
When you don’t restrain your desire for vengeance, you’re weak. You’re like a city with no walls. Everyone else is in control of your life. Not the Spirit.
No, no. Patience.
John Chrysostom was one of the early church fathers. He said this:
“A man is patient when, having the resources and the opportunity to avenge himself, chooses to restrain from the exercise of these.”
So then, it takes the very Spirit of God to work this quality in you of restraining yourself from anger and vengeance when people do not treat you kindly.
Well, we not only need to understand patience, we need to understand the counterfeits to patience. The flesh, seeking self-indulgent pleasure, will nto exercise patience.
Remember what the flesh is? What is the flesh? The incurable addiction to self. Right? The incurable addiction to self.
Self does not want to be patient, right? Self wants to find the release valve, if you will. “I’m going to get angry with you and I’m going to take your head off with my words! Because I feel better when I do that.”
Flesh is an incurable addiction to self. And flesh hates patience. In fact, look at it. Look at verses 19 and 20. What’s true of flesh? Just this:
“…hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy…”
That’s not patient.
The flesh will also produce laziness and call it patience. The flesh will also try to make you believe that laziness is patience.
Turn back to 1 Kings for a moment. Let’s take a slice out of the life of David. 1 Kings, chapter 1. 1 Kings chapter 1, verses 5 and 6. And it’s a real interesting parenthetical statement:
“Now, Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, ‘I will be king.’ So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him. (His father had never interfered with him by asking, ‘Why do you behave as you do?’ He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.).”
Interesting comment. His father, David, had never interfered with him by asking. Some people would say, “Wow! He’s a patient father!” No, he’s not. He’s not patient.
David could have corrected his son with patience. Without flying into rages. Without seeking vengeance. And he could have given the boy time to learn the lessons. But David was not patient – he was lazy. Do not confuse patience with laziness.
In 2 Timothy chapter 4 verse 2 – we just read it a bit ago – where it says to pastors:
“…correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction…”
Pastors – shepherds – must still correct. They need to bring up issues that need to be addressed. But they have to do it – what? With patience.
Be careful that you don’t confuse laziness and inactivity with patience.
The flesh will try to produce a stoical attitude and call it patience. Don’t let people – don’t let events bother you. Just keep a stiff upper lip. Be stoic. Be dispassionate. Don’t get excited.
That’s not patience. For example, in Romans 12, God says this – verses 9, 10, and 11:
“Hate what is evil, cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. …Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”
That does not sound dispassionate to me. It sounds like God says, “We need to be passionate!”
Wouldn’t you think something was wrong with our buddy Robert – whose wife has now decided another guy is better for her – wouldn’t you think something was wrong with Robert if he wasn’t jealous?
I’ve had opportunities of talking to people in these situations. I remember one saying, “Oh, Pastor Tim, I think I blew it.”
I said, “What happened?”
He said, “Well, I saw my spouse with another person. I got really angry. And… and…”
And I said, “Good! That’s a good thing! You know that God is jealous!”
“You know, I saw that person sitting in the seat where I was sitting… and I got mad.”
I said, “That’s a good thing!”
You see, we need to be passionate about the right things! All right?
Patience means that you handle your passion differently. It means you don’t just let them -- BOOM! It means that you direct those passions. That you handle them in the right way that God says – in the way God says that you ought to handle them.
The law can never produce patience. Remember in this book, the Apostle Paul is contrasting the life in the Spirit with the law – not meaning that we don’t have a law—we do. We have the law of Christ. But the Old Covenant law, which commanded you, could never change your heart.
And so, law can command it but it can never change your heart. The law will never produce patience. It can command and command and command – and the only thing the law can do is to say, “You’re incapable of doing it.”
It takes the Spirit of God to change your heart. Neither God’s law – nor some other law – like this: “Well, when someone treats you badly, count slowly to ten.”
That won’t make you a patient person! That won’t work!
What has to happen? The Spirit of God has to invade. And the spirit of God has to change your heart and give you a new heart so that now you have new capacities of acting in ways that were impossible before.
It takes the power of God the Spirit to do it. No law can do it. No nifty little Reader’s Digest “Five Ways To Patience” is going to do it. It takes the Spirit of God – the very power of God. In fact, as the Apostle Paul says in Ephesians chapter 1, the power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead has to be used on your hearts to make you a patient person.
Wow – how does that happen? Understand now, then – lastly, understand how the Spirit produces patience in you. Let’s understand that.
In Colossians 2, verse 12, it says this:
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
That’s long-suffering.
How does the Spirit produce this in you? The Spirit engages your mind and your will to produce patience.
Now, listen to me carefully. As we've said before, what the Spirit commands, the Spirit produces. But we can't forget that first part. The Spirit commands it of us.
How does the Spirit produce patience in us? He engages our will and our mind and says, “You. You clothe yourself with patience.” Don't lose sight of that fact.
Now, that's impossible for people in an unregenerate state, with a heart of stone. When the Spirit says, “Clothe yourself with patience”, it goes BOINK! [mimes it hitting a hard head] It doesn't even penetrate.
It takes the Spirit of God to make your heart a heart of flesh in order for you to respond to that command to be patient. But there it is – we are commanded, and He engages our will.
I do have to make the conscious effort, but that's not where it ends.
Number Two: The Spirit produces patience in you as you recognize your position in Christ. You see, this is in a larger context. Turn to chapter 3, verse 1. Before he gets to telling us to put on patience, to clothe ourselves with these things, here's what he says in verse 1 of chapter 3:
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3.1-4)
Now, here's what he says. Before he starts saying things like this: “Put to death these things. Take off these things. Clothe yourselves with these things. Before he does that, he says, “Recognize your union with Christ.”
And what does he say here? He says, “You have been raised with Christ.” And he commands you:
“...set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (v. 1-2)
Now, he's not teaching Geography here. He's talking about the difference of an ethical realm. Paul does not say here: “Don't worry about how people treat you, because that's earthly stuff. Just forget about it, and you'll be patient.”
You know, that's what I call “Twilight Zone Theology”. [hums the “Twilight Zone” theme] You know? It's just going to happen. You know, you go to bed one night and wake up the next day a totally patient person.
No, that's not how it works. He engages your mind and your will, and the first thing he says is, “Recognize your union with Christ. You're in a different ethical realm.”
He says, “Don't set your minds on the old ethical realm where you come from.” What is that ethical realm? Look up at chapter 2. Chapter 2, verse 20:
“Since you died with Chris to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 'Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!' These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.” (Colossians 2.20-23)
You know what he's saying? He's saying that old realm, with a bunch of man-made rules – that say, “Count to ten” and that kind of stuff – doesn't work! Why? Because you can count to ten and still hate that person. You may not respond and knock their block off, but in your heart, you still hate them. Okay?
That's the point – it doesn't restrain sensual indulgence. Rules won't change you.
Set your mind and heart on the realm where Jesus reigns. Set your mind and heart there, not on all these man-made rules.
What is he saying? “Jesus reconciled you to God by the cross – this glorious work of Christ where He hung on the cross for sinners. He died so that we could be reconciled to God, and we could be united with Christ.”
So now your motives, your goals, your intellect, your life, all of your will – will submit to the Lord Jesus as Ruler of your life. Set your minds there. You look to Him to give you strength to obey. You seek the advancement of His Kingdom – not your agenda. You're sold out to Christ.
Why should you be patient? Why should you be patient? Because patient people in the midst of hostility are going to stand out like bright lights in the darkness. And you do that because you want people to say – not, “Oh, you're a really patient person!”
You want people to say, “You must serve a really great God! I can not believe how He's changed you!” It's about God. It's about the Kingdom of Christ. You're living for His Kingdom and not for your agenda. You're seeking His glory, not yours. That's what it means to set your mind and heart on the realm where Jesus reigns.
Verses 3 and 4, he says, you've died to that old way of life. There's been such radical disjunction, you've died to it. And so your life is now all wrapped up in Jesus.
It's all about Jesus. You love Jesus. You want His Kingdom extended. You want His glory to be seen. It's all about Christ and not about you. That's what it means to set your hearts on things above, and you've died to that old realm.
But then, having said that, God now engages your mind and your will and He says in verse 5 to you: “Therefore, you put to death these things.” Look at verse 8:
“But now you must rid yourselves of all...” these things...
And then verse 12:
“Therefore...clothe yourself with these things.”
But only after you've understood that it's all about Jesus. My life is wrapped up in Christ. I live for Him.
That's different.
You know, every one of my boys worked for Greg. They'd ride their bikes down and work with Greg for half a day during their homeschooling years, and then they'd come home and they had to take their clothes off outside. All right? Clothes come off at the back door, by the way, so nobody could see. You didn't go by and start honking your horn, okay, cause they were in the back.
But they had to take off those rotten, stinky clothes. All right? Why? Because those clothes belong to the work realm, and they had to put on different clothes when they came into the house. Those clothes belonged to that realm.
That's exactly what he's saying. You can strip off these old things because they belong to that old realm where you used to live. You don't belong to that realm anymore, so get rid of that stuff! Start putting on this stuff that shows that you're part of this new realm.
So how does the Spirit produce this in you? By you thinking – setting your heart and mind – on things above and taking action that harmonizes with that.
Look also at verse 12 again, very quickly. And I love this verse. You know, you've heard me in different settings refer to this verse a hundred times. “Therefore” -- notice what it says.
“Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved...” what? Put these things on.
Now, that's marvelous. He doesn't say, “Be patient, and become loved by God.” He says, “Because you're loved by God – because you are already holy -- put on patience.
I tell you, that gives you real hope, doesn't it? God loves me already! Even though I'm failing, God loves me! God has chosen me! God calls me holy!
So, to quote my elder friend – I always have to give this quote to Charlie. I can't take credit for it. I wish I could! “You become what you are!”
Okay? You're holy. You're chosen. You're dearly loved. So put on patience. Become what you are.
There it is. There's real hope in change here.
So how does the Spirit produce this? I focus on what I am. I focus on Christ and what realm I'm in. All right?
Thirdly, the Spirit produces patience in you as you – ready for this, this is very profound – as you study His Word.
Okay, I know you're all surprised at that and you forgot to write it down. It's so profound, isn't it?
How do I know that? Look at James chapter 5. Jeramy read this to us already. James chapter 5, verses 10 and 11. Well, verse 7:
“Be patient, then, until the Lord's coming.”
And then, if you look at the context – well, let's look at the whole context. Beginning in verse 1:
“Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming up on you. Your wealth has rotted and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.” (v. 1-6)
Now, this is what Christians were experiencing. He's giving this word of judgment against these people who were exploiting God's people. Now look what he says to God's people, beginning in verse 7:
“Be patient, then, brothers...”
Again, there's that word. “These people are treating you badly. They're exploiting you. They're killing you. They're not paying you what you're worth. What are you supposed to do? You're supposed to mount a revolution”, right?
No! He says:
“Be patient, then....”
Long-suffering.
Macrothumia.
“Be long-suffering then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!” (v. 7-9)
Now, here are the verses that I want you to see.
“Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.” They were mistreated. “As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” (v. 10-11)
Now, here is what I want you to see. Patience is produced by the Spirit as we study the Scriptures. He says, “Look at the prophets. Look at Job.” Do you know about the prophets? What do you know about Job? Well, you're only going to know if you study the Scriptures. He points to them as examples and says, “Be patient like them.”
You know, one time I was talking to someone who was going through horrendous suffering. She was going through a lot. I won't go into all the details, but it was bad. And some of us were walking with her through some of these difficult times, where she was being treated rather badly.
One of the members of our church said to her, “Read the book of Job. Read the book of Job.”
And then, a couple of days later, I was sitting down and we were conversing and she said to me, “You know, Jim told me to read the book of Job and I started reading it. And I found out that suffering – like with Job – suffering isn't God whacking you because you've done something wrong! Look, here's Job! He was a blameless man and he's suffering! And the guys who are counseling them, they are wrong! They're saying, 'Job, you did something wrong. That's why you're suffering!' And they were wrong!”
And it just blew me away. You know why? Here's what she learned. She learned something about suffering. It was like a big piece of the puzzle that would fit. And now she had grown in patience in this very difficult situation. You know why? Because she'd read about Job and she found out, “You know, it's not that I've done something bad – it's because God brings suffering into people's lives so that God can brag about them! So that they can grow!” And that helped her with her patience.
You see, folks, the Spirit produces patience in you through His Word as you study it and you see others who have suffered and how they have prayed. Read the Psalms – how they prayed. And how they made it through.
The Spirit produces patience in you as you focus on what God is achieving through others in your life. The Spirit produces patience in you as you focus on what God is achieving in your life through other people.
You want to see a good example of that, turn to Genesis chapter 50. Genesis, chapter 50. Now, this is the last chapter of that book. We've come to the end.
You remember the story of Joseph. His brothers had mistreated him. Done horrible things to him – sent him down a path that just multiplied in suffering. First of all, they sold him into slavery. If that wasn't bad enough, the master that he worked for put him in jail on a false accusation – which he never would have suffered if his brothers hadn't done that.
And he ends up in jail for about seven – I can't remember if it's seven or fourteen – years. And he's forgotten – and then he gets out, right? And he gains Pharaoh's favor by interpreting a dream. And then, you remember, there's a famine and people are coming to Egypt, because Joseph has had the foresight of – right. Remember? Of getting all the grain and people from all over the known world are coming to Egypt because they're not getting any food. That includes his family.
And now, in Genesis chapter 50, the old man has died. Jacob has died. And Joseph's brothers are like, “Aw, man. We are in big trouble. Now that the old man is dead, he is going to kill us because the only reason that he didn't kill us was because Dad was alive! But now that Dad's dead, we're dead.”
Right? You remember that?
And so, they come to him and they plead for their lives. And here's what he says to them. Verse 19:
“But Joseph said to them, 'Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.' And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.” (v. 19-21)
Here is a patient man. Now, look. He's the second most powerful man in the world. Not just in Egypt. Egypt is a superpower at this time. He's the second most powerful man in the world! He could have just said, “Okay, these men here have come to talk to me. I want you to take them out and chop their heads off.” It would have been done in fifteen minutes.
Here's a patient man. Why was he patient? Because he said to them: “You intended to harm me. But you were just God's instruments.”
Now, when people are doing bad things to you, do you see them as God's instruments for your good? You will grow in patience as you see what those horrible people are doing to you and understanding that God has brought them into your life to change you.
You'll be patient, then.
All right, lastly: The Spirit produces patience in you as you trust in the promises of God. As you trust in the promises of God – again, James chapter 5 – we won't read it again. But remember, in those first six verses?
In those six verses, what has God said? He has said, “You who have exploited My people? You will pay for what you did to My people.” Notice what He says there? He says, “You know, all the money you've accumulated because you've refused to pay My people? That money's going to stand in a big pile and it's going to have corrosion on it. And that corrosion on your wealth is going to be a witness against you on the day of judgment.”
And what does He say in verse 7? “Be patient, then.” Now, what's the “then” all about? He says, “Be patient. You can take what's being handed to you, because I've already promised that I'm going to judge them. You don't have to do it. I will do it.”
You say, “Pastor Tim, now are you trying to tell us that we ought to believe God's promise that He's going to get vengeance on them?”
And I'm telling you, “Yes.” There's nothing sub-Christian about that. Do I want my enemies to come to Christ and become my brothers? Absolutely. But if they don't, God is going to take the scales of justice and there will be nothing that will keep Him from seeing justice done. And tha tis a promise from God to you!
Do you remember what He said in Romans 12 verse 19?
“Do not take revenge, my friends...”
In other words, be patient, right? Be patient. Be patient --
“...but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord.”
Now, God is going to see that justice is done. And He's a much better judge than you or me. I can trust Him, and I can trust His promise that He will set it straight.
So, therefore, the Spirit can produce patience in us as we focus on the promises of God, that He will vindicate His people and He will judge those who have mistreated them. Patience will grow in that soil.
So, dear friends, take an inventory of your life. Are you suffering at the hands of other people? Every one of you here today has someone in your life that's... that just does not treat you very well. Certainly, some of you may have even gone and suffered as much as Joseph had. Many of us are not on that scale. But all of us have people who treat us badly.
You have angry, evil people in your life making it hard. How are you responding to them? How are you responding to them – are you finding ways of making them pay for the injustices they have perpetrated against you? Or are you thanking God because His Spirit has produced in you this distinguishable characteristic called patience?
You say, “Pastor, I need to grow.” Good. We've talked about how you can grow. Remember this – as you utilize the means the Spirit has given you, remember that He is the One Who produces it in you.
Call out to Him. Ask Him to produce it. Give yourself to the means that He has given. But don't be satisfied with where you are.
Listen, people – we need to be people who patiently endure wrong without becoming angry or taking vengeance. People who are long-suffering in the face of persecution and provocation. That's what we need to be.
That's what God sent His Spirit to do. He sent His Spirit to make us that kind of people. Jesus gave His life not just to reconcile us to God, but to purchase for Himself a people that are energized by His Spirit to live this way.
Oh, dear friends, it's much better to be patient than to take vengeance. The world is filled with that, and needs to see patience.
Let's pray.
Father, we thank You that You have not just said to us, “Be patient”, but have given us hope by teaching us and telling us and revealing to us that it is the very Spirit of God that does that as He engages us in that process – yet it is Him Who produces it. God, we beg You, help us to be that way. Lord, our hearts' desire is that we would be so radically different that we would be known by love, joy, peace and patience. And so, Father, we ask that You would work mightily in us. Work anew. God, help us, by Your Spirit, to be patient. We commit ourselves to You, calling on the Spirit of God for the strength to do it – looking to Christ so that we would become patient. God, help us, we pray.
Amen.